Marketing Strategy

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON MARKETING STRATEGY

COURSE BACKGROUND

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving global marketplace, a well-defined and agile Marketing Strategy is indispensable for any organization aiming to achieve sustainable growth, build strong brands, and connect effectively with its target audience. Without a clear strategic roadmap, marketing efforts risk being fragmented, inefficient, and failing to deliver measurable results, leading to wasted resources, missed market opportunities, and a diluted brand presence. A robust marketing strategy moves beyond mere promotional activities; it encompasses understanding market dynamics, consumer behavior, competitive landscapes, and leveraging insights to create compelling value propositions that resonate with specific customer segments.

The digital revolution, coupled with changing consumer behaviors and increasing competition, has made strategic marketing more critical than ever. For businesses operating in dynamic environments like Kenya, characterized by rapid urbanization, technological adoption, and a burgeoning consumer class, a sophisticated marketing strategy is vital for identifying niche opportunities, differentiating offerings, building brand loyalty, and adapting to local market nuances while maintaining global competitiveness.

ECAS Institute offers this “Marketing Strategy” course to equip marketing professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and strategists with the essential frameworks, analytical tools, and practical methodologies to develop, implement, and evaluate effective marketing strategies that drive business objectives and create sustainable competitive advantage. This program will empower participants to make data-driven decisions that translate into market success.

COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamental role of marketing strategy in achieving overall business goals.
2. Conduct comprehensive market analysis to identify opportunities, threats, and customer insights.
3. Develop effective customer segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) strategies.
4. Design integrated marketing mix (4Ps/7Ps) strategies that create compelling value.
5. Formulate digital marketing strategies aligned with broader business objectives.
6. Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and strategies using relevant metrics.
7. Adapt marketing strategies to changing market conditions, consumer trends, and competitive dynamics.
8. Develop and manage strong brand identities and build brand equity.
9. Create a marketing plan that guides implementation and resource allocation.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

This course will provide you with the strategic toolkit to develop impactful marketing plans that drive growth, enhance brand value, and ensure your organization stands out in a crowded marketplace. You will learn to:

• Conduct comprehensive environmental scanning (PESTLE, SWOT analysis) to identify market opportunities and threats.
• Perform in-depth competitor analysis to understand strengths, weaknesses, and strategic moves.
• Segment target markets effectively, define ideal customer profiles, and choose optimal target segments.
• Develop a compelling brand positioning statement that differentiates your offering.
• Strategize on product/service development based on market needs and competitive advantage.
• Determine optimal pricing strategies that capture value and support market objectives.
• Design effective distribution strategies (place) to reach target customers efficiently.
• Formulate integrated promotional strategies (promotion mix) covering advertising, PR, sales promotion, and personal selling.
• Develop digital marketing components including content marketing, social media marketing, SEO/SEM, and email marketing.
• Measure marketing ROI and utilize key marketing metrics (KPIs) for performance tracking.
• Create a comprehensive marketing plan that includes objectives, strategies, tactics, budget, and timeline.
• Understand the role of marketing research in informing strategic decisions.
• Manage brand equity and develop brand extension strategies.

DURATION AND PROGRAM

This is a structured, highly interactive, and strategic training course designed for the direct application of marketing concepts to real-world business challenges. The program will feature a blend of expert-led lectures, dynamic group discussions, in-depth case studies analyzing successful and challenging marketing strategies (including examples from diverse industries in Kenya and international best practices), practical workshops on market analysis and segmentation, and collaborative exercises in developing marketing plans. Participants will engage in critical thinking and problem-solving, fostering the strategic acumen necessary to drive market success. The specific duration of the course will be communicated upon registration, tailored to ensure comprehensive coverage and the development of actionable marketing strategy expertise.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

This course is essential for professionals responsible for developing, implementing, or overseeing marketing initiatives, as well as business leaders who need to align marketing with overall corporate strategy. It will particularly benefit:

• Marketing Managers and Marketing Executives
• Brand Managers
• Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
• Product Managers
• Sales Managers who need to align with marketing efforts.
• Business Development Managers
• Communication and PR Professionals
• Digital Marketing Specialists seeking a strategic foundation.
• Senior Managers and Executives with strategic oversight of market performance.
• Consultants specializing in marketing and strategy.

TRAINING MODULES

The course is structured into comprehensive modules, guiding participants through the complete process of developing and implementing effective marketing strategies:

No	Module	Details
1.	Foundations of Marketing Strategy and Strategic Planning	This module introduces the strategic role of marketing within the overall business context, distinguishing it from tactical marketing and outlining the strategic planning process. Key Topics: Defining marketing strategy and its importance. Marketing’s role in achieving organizational goals. Strategic planning process overview. Analyzing the external environment (PESTLE analysis). Internal analysis (SWOT analysis) and core competencies.
2.	Market Analysis and Customer Insight	This module focuses on understanding the market landscape, competitive forces, and gaining deep insights into customer needs and behaviors to inform strategic choices. Key Topics: Market research methods and data collection. Competitor analysis frameworks (e.g., Porter’s Five Forces). Consumer behavior analysis. Customer segmentation principles. Identifying market opportunities and threats.
3.	Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP)	This module delves into the critical strategic choices of dividing the market, selecting the most attractive segments, and creating a unique, compelling image for the offering. Key Topics: Bases for market segmentation (demographic, psychographic, behavioral). Evaluating and selecting target markets. Developing a strong brand positioning strategy. Creating a unique selling proposition (USP) and value proposition.
4.	Product and Pricing Strategy	This module explores strategic decisions related to product development, product lifecycle management, and pricing models that capture value and achieve market objectives. Key Topics: Product lifecycle management (PLC). New product development (NPD) process. Product portfolio management. Pricing objectives and strategies (cost-plus, value-based, competitive). Pricing tactics and considerations.
5.	Place (Distribution) and Promotion Strategy	This module covers the strategic choices related to channels of distribution and the integrated communication mix used to convey the value proposition to target customers. Key Topics: Designing effective distribution channels. Channel management and intermediaries. The promotional mix: Advertising, Public Relations, Sales Promotion, Personal Selling, Direct Marketing. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) planning.
6.	Digital Marketing Strategy and Integration	This module focuses on developing and integrating digital marketing components into an overarching marketing strategy, leveraging online channels for engagement and growth. Key Topics: Content marketing strategy. Social media marketing strategy. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Email marketing and automation. Website and mobile marketing considerations. Measuring digital marketing performance.
7.	Marketing Plan Development, Implementation, and Evaluation	This module brings all strategic elements together into a comprehensive marketing plan, focusing on its implementation, performance measurement, and adaptation. Key Topics: Components of a marketing plan (objectives, strategies, tactics, budget, timeline). Implementing the marketing plan. Marketing control and performance evaluation (ROI, KPIs). Measuring brand equity. Adapting strategy to market changes and emerging trends. Ethical considerations in marketing.

TRAINING STYLE

The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.

The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.

The conference faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.

GENERAL NOTES

• Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
• Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.
• We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
• Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training and proof of payment sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.

ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE

The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focusses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solution, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems, We are located in Nairobi Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and USA.