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Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
Role of Marketing in Learning Programs
Christine Fulton
CUR/552
June 1, 2015
Dr. Dennis Morrow
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Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
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ABSTRACT
This paper will define integrated marketing communications and the role it plays in program
development. It will explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. The paper
will use three separate sources for information and carry two separate definitions for integrated
marketing communications. A brief explanation of a marketing plan and what main components
it should will also be found within the paper to better explain why marketing is crucial and why
being organized is an vital part of the process. At least three examples from different
organizations will be used to support the explanation used in this paper as well.
Key words: Integrated marketing communications, role of integrated marketing
communications play in success, organizational success
Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
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Role of Marketing in Learning Programs
Introduction and Definition
Integrated Marketing Communications or IMC can be basically defined as “An approach
to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign, through a well-coordinated use of different
promotional methods that are intended to reinforce each other.” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2015)
It is a planning process that that allows all areas work of marketing to work together such as
sales promotion, advertising, and public relations to work with each other to promote the item
together. In the text, Adverting, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing
Communications, Shimp and Andrews describe ICM as “speak with one voice” (Shimp &
Andrews, 2013) Further in the test the go on further to define ICM “ is the coordination of the
promotional mix elements (advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, direct
marketing, and online marketing/social media) with each other and with the other elements of the
brands’ marketing mix (product, place, price) such that all elements speak with one voice.”1
Meaning that all the elements must come together as one and work side by side and meet one
goal in selling, marketing, and communicating the product to the customer.
Why Marketing is important to an organizations success
It is important in to an organization’s success to use marketing for continual growth in
profits and for the expansion of the company. No business in the world today can afford not to
market their goods or services, they would just be lost in the ever growing competitive market.
A company that does not use marketing will not develop and will not prosper in the world today.
With the many uses of marketing and the many media types, marketing can reach hundreds of
Adapted from the 3rd edition (1993) and Adrienne Ward Fawcett,” Integrated Marketing-Marketers Convinced: Its
Time Has Arrived,” Advertising Age, November 6, 1993, S1-S2.
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Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
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thousands of people that cannot be reached by just having a store on the corner. Marketing gets
the word out about the services/products a company has to offer. Marketing lets people know
what the company is about and how the company can help them or make their life easier.
Without it, marketing, people will not know. Marketing should include a plan and a wellorganized one at that. The most important components that should be included in the marketing
plan is; knowing the target audience, knowing the budget for marketing, knowing the product,
knowing the competition, having a mission statement, pricing and branding, and goals for
marketing. With these set in place a market plan should come into place solidly and should set
the marketing of the product or service on the right foot for excellence.
Why Marketing is important to Learning Programs
Marketing is also very important to Learning Programs as well. One might not think of it
as important however, Colleges and Universities not only want students that are coming from
high school they want the adults that want to continue their education along with the ones that
want to start a career later in life. Marketing towards those audiences along with the high school
graduates takes a marketing plan that incorporates all audiences and projects to all audiences the
importance of education and why “this” university or college is the best. The “homework or
analysis” needs to be done to see what the target audience is looking for and needs in order to
reach them and by using integrated marketing communications they will be able to reach those
targeted audiences they want to according to their plan and goals.
Examples
Example 1:
First let’s take a look at an example where not marketing a product lost a great idea for a
large company. Poke was Facebook’s answer to SnapChat. Facebook didn’t think that they
Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
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needed to market their product Poke because it would stand on its own and get around by word
of mouth and that cost Facebook. “The people who heard about Poke are the people who read
tech blogs; they’re not the teens that Snapchat deliberately targeted and marketed to.” (posts,
2014) The article goes on to say, “Despite being an equivalent if not better product, Facebook
Poke lost and that’s largely thanks to a worse go-to-market strategy.” (posts, 2014) Snapchat is a
huge success and one of the largest growing apps on the market today. In fact, SnapChat is fast
becoming a use for marketing with its many pictures and video options. (Hawthorn Creative,
2015)
Example 2:
The University of Phoenix uses marketing vastly to encourage the adult want to be
learners to go ahead and take the first stet to that higher education that they need to become a
success. They continue to pursue the career minded individuals and target them in their
advertisements. Online learning is the wave of the future and Phoenix was a huge player in the
beginning and is now revamping its marketing to keep up with the ever changing market of
learning programs. “As Phoenix's size continues to grow -- and, at the same time, more public
and private nonprofit colleges and universities embrace the online world and come to understand
the value of marketing -- it may just be on its way toward acceptance, or at least understanding.”
(Miley, 2009)
Example3:
The final example is a great product that was first introduced in 2002 by Nicholas
Woodman. (Maties Marketing244, 2013) It is the GoPro, wearable camera that has taken the
world by storm. It was first used by extreme sports enthusiasts and soon everyone had to have
one for its versatile uses and its indestructible shell. GoPro used integrated marketing
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communications to market the product by asking the users to post their videos on their multiple
social media sites. Thus making people want to not only watch the videos but to actually
experience the adventure for themselves. They have billboards and TV commercials but
nothings sells better than watching videos of actual experiences. They sell themselves and with a
great marketing plan in place this product will be around for a long time to come.
Conclusion
In conclusion, not only is marketing a vital tool to use in businesses today it should be
used in learning programs as well. Integrated marketing communications should be used
whenever marketing is used no matter the setting to ensure the larger audience is reached and
that there are no mistakes as in the first example given in the paper. A proper marketing plan in
place will allow all the core marketing tools to come together and work as one to ensure the
product or service is expertly shown to the target audience and more. Getting customers is what
marketing is about and keeping them is the key. Great marketing is all about this and so much
more and having a plan will help in obtaining this.
Running head: ROLE OF MARKETING IN LEARNING PROGRAMS
References
BusinessDictionary.com,. (2015). What is integrated marketing communications (IMC)?
definition and meaning. Retrieved 31 May 2015, from
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/integrated-marketing-communicationsIMC.html
Hawthorn Creative,. (2015). Is Snapchat marketing the wave of the future?. Retrieved 31 May
2015, from http://www.hawthorncreative.com/snapchat-marketing/
Maties Marketing244,. (2013). GoPro: Above and Beyond. Retrieved 31 May 2015, from
http://matiesmarketing244.com/2013/09/12/gopro-above-and-beyond/
Miley, M. (2009). A Lot of Branding but Not Much Understanding. Adage.com. Retrieved 31
May 2015, from http://adage.com/article/news/university-phoenix-spends-100-millionannually-advertising/138849/
Search.proquest.com,. (2015). Log In. Retrieved 31 May 2015, from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/926589973?accountid=35812
Shimp, T., & Andrews, J. (2013). Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated
marketing communications. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.
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