The unit focuses on the unique challenges of marketing and managing services and delivering quality service to customers. The attraction, retention, and building of strong customer relationships through quality service and services are at the heart of the course content. The course is equally applicable to organizations whose core product is service (e.g., banks, transportation companies, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, professional services, telecommunication, etc.) and to organizations that depend on service excellence for competitive advantage (e.g., high technology manufacturers, auto motive, industrial products, etc.).

The basic concepts covered in the unit include: the difference between marketing services versus products; the role of the service encounter; the key drivers of service quality; the customer’s role in service creation; service design and innovation; going beyond service to create customer experiences; technology’ s impact on services; managing customer service expectations; and customer service metrics.

In the last decade or so, marketing has moved from traditional practice to the digital realm

where technology now drives many decisions in marketing strategy. It is now even more

important that all types of organizations are able to deliver the right message, to the right people,

at the right time. Digital marketing is often closely linked to the internet as the primary channel

of contact and where success is measured via mobile and social media marketing.

This unit will teach students the principles of digital marketing so they understand the key

frameworks of digital marketing technology and are able to apply marketing strategies to target

tech savvy consumers.