3.3 Decision making to improve marketing performance
Students should consider the following throughout this section of the specification:
- how developments in technology are affecting marketing decision making and activities (eg digital marketing and the use of social media, relationship marketing and dynamic pricing)
- ethical and environmental influences on marketing decisions
- market conditions and competition
- how marketing decisions help improve competitiveness
- the interrelationship between marketing decisions and other functions.
Setting marketing objectives
Updated
We've made a change to the subject content in the table below. This change affects first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The value of setting marketing objectives |
Marketing objectives include:
|
External and internal influences on marketing objectives and decisions |
Understanding markets and customers
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The value of primary and secondary marketing research |
Marketing research should include:
You should be able to calculate market and sales growth, market share and size. |
|
The value of sampling |
|
The interpretation of marketing data |
Interpretation of marketing data should include:
|
The value of technology in gathering and analysing data for marketing decision making |
|
The interpretation of price and income elasticity of demand data |
Students should be able to interpret price and income elasticity of demand data and be able to analyse the impact of changes in price and income on revenue (they do not need to be able to calculate these). |
The value of the concepts of price and income elasticity of demand to marketing decision makers |
|
The use of data in marketing decision making and planning |
Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning
Updated
We've made a change to the subject content in the table below. This change affects first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The process and value of segmentation, targeting and positioning |
Segmentation methods include:
|
Influences on choosing a target market and positioning |
Targeting may include niche and mass marketing. |
Making marketing decisions: using the marketing mix
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The elements of the marketing mix (7Ps) |
|
The influences on and effects of changes in the elements of the marketing mix |
The marketing mix should be considered for goods and services, both industrial and consumer. Types of consumer goods considered should include convenience, shopping and specialty products. |
Product decisions |
Product decisions should include:
|
Pricing decisions |
Pricing decisions should include penetration and price skimming. |
Decisions about the promotional mix |
Promotional decisions should include the value of branding. |
Distribution (place) decisions |
Distribution decisions should include multi-channel distribution. |
Decisions relating to other elements of the marketing mix: people, process and physical environment |
|
The importance of and influences on an integrated marketing mix |
Influences on an integrated marketing mix include:
|
Understanding the value of digital marketing and e-commerce |
Download specification
Teaching from 2023
Teaching from 2015
