BE501-4-AU-CO:
Introduction to Marketing

The details
2026/27
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 08 October 2026
Friday 18 December 2026
15
18 May 2026

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

BE440, BE511, BE518, BE519, BE520, BE535

Key module for

BBA N100 Business Administration,
BBA N100CO Business Administration,
BBA N103 Business Administration (Including Placement Year),
BBA N103CO Business Administration (Including Placement Year),
BBA N104 Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104CO Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N110 Business Administration (Including Year Abroad),
BBA N110CO Business Administration (Including Year Abroad),
BA NR19 Business Management and Modern Languages,
BA N1R9 Business Management with a Modern Language,
BSC N120 International Business and Entrepreneurship,
BSC N120CO International Business and Entrepreneurship,
BSC N121 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N121CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N123 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Placement Year),
BSC N123CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Placement Year),
BSC N124 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BA N19R Business Management and Language Studies,
BSC N355 International Business and Finance,
BSC N355CO International Business and Finance,
BSC N356 International Business and Finance (Including Placement Year),
BSC N356CO International Business and Finance (Including Placement Year),
BSC N357 International Business and Finance (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N357CO International Business and Finance (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N358 International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N358CO International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N111 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management,
BSC N111CO Business Administration and Supply Chain Management,
BSC N112 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC N112CO Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC N113 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N113CO Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N114 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N114CO Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA N29RCO Business Management with Language Studies,
BSC N130 Business and Analytics,
BSC N130CO Business and Analytics,
BSC N130TC Business and Analytics,
BSC N130TO Business and Analytics,
BSC N131 Business and Analytics (including Placement Year),
BSC N131CO Business and Analytics (including Placement Year),
BSC N132 Business and Analytics (including Year Abroad),
BSC N132CO Business and Analytics (including Year Abroad),
BSC N133 Business and Analytics (including Foundation Year),
BSC N133CO Business and Analytics (including Foundation Year)

Module description

This module introduces students to fundamental principles of marketing and covers the core elements of marketing management. The module explores marketing planning; the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) process; and the extended marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place, people, process, and physical environment). The module aims to help students develop marketing knowledge and skills that are important for future modules as well as the workplace.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  1. Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of marketing and of the core components of marketing management.

  2. Students will learn about the role of market research in marketing planning.

  3. Students will learn how to identify and evaluate market segments through an exploration of the Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) process.

  4. Students will learn about the Extended Marketing Mix and about how it needs to be managed for successful marketing.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Understand the role of marketing management in helping products and services succeed in competitive environments.

  2. Understand the key elements of marketing planning.

  3. Understand the Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) process.

  4. Understand the importance of managing the Extended Marketing Mix effectively in order to target specific consumer segments successfully.

Module information

This module introduces students to fundamental principles of marketing and covers the core elements of marketing management. The module explores marketing planning; the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) process; and the extended marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place, people, process, and physical environment). The module aims to help students develop marketing knowledge and skills that are important for future modules as well as the workplace.


Indicative Lecture Program:


Lecture 1: Marketing Principles
Lecture 2: Understanding Customers
Lecture 3: Marketing Planning
Lecture 4: Segmentation & Targeting
Lecture 5: Positioning & Branding
Lecture 6: Managing Product & Price
Lecture 7: Managing Promotion
Lecture 8: Managing Place
Lecture 9: Managing People & Process
Lecture 10: Managing the Physical Environment

Learning and teaching methods

Teaching and learning on BE501 Introduction to Marketing consist of lectures, seminars, guided reading and personal study. For as long as University guidance indicates that large scale lectures (150+ students) should be delivered remotely, these will be delivered through a system of ‘Dual Delivery’ combining traditional methods and online learning platforms.

Lectures
Introduction to Marketing will be taught through weekly one-hour lectures (weeks 2-11). The lectures will provide coverage of relevant ideas, theories, concepts/frameworks, and examples.

Seminars
Starting in either week 17 or week 18 (depending on when fortnightly seminars commence on BE402), lectures will be complemented by a series of fortnightly two-hour seminars with up to 50 students per seminar. These will take place from week 17 to week 24, and during those weeks where there are no fortnightly BE402 seminars. During seminars, students will be tasked with group activities to put lecture content into practice.

Guided Reading
Lecturers will provide readings from the marketing literature, which discuss concepts and theories in greater depth and apply these to business contexts. The lecturers will also provide questions to help students approach these materials. The concepts and theories which are introduced in lectures and discussed in the guided reading will be examined through a Multiple-Choice Question assessment.

Moodle and MyMaketingLab
Moodle is the University's online learning platform for all modules at the Business School. Lectures, notices, links to wider support and supplementary reading can be found there.
Additionally, BE501 will use the MyMarketingLab platform, which sits within Moodle to offer remote access to the core textbook and enhanced online interactivity via custom-built exercises, tasks and assessments.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Exam  Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during September (Reassessment Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
30% 70%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
30% 70%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Min Yan, email: min.yan@essex.ac.uk.
Ms Min Yan
ebsadmin-ug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Essex Business School

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