The Marketing Mix - Lesson Plan: 2 x 1 hour lessons

A series of 'off the shelf' lesson plans and resources for use in the classroom. These lessons deal with the Marketing Mix and are relevant to the following specifications:

• AQA: Module 1, 10.3
• Edexcel: Unit 2, Sections 3 and 4
• OCR: Module 2872 and 2874

Aim:

The purpose of these lessons is to encourage students to apply knowledge of the marketing mix to a variety of real life products and services. The intention is that students should take what they know and use that information in developing an understanding of the blending of the elements of the marketing mix. It also aims to develop the ability to make judgements, given that the student will have to think about the relative importance of the elements of the mix and the way in which different products and services are marketed. The inclusion of services in the list of potential sources of investigation is designed to get students thinking about the impact of the 'additional' three Ps - people, process and physical environment.

The outcome of the Activity can be in the form of a written summary for formal assessment, or the summaries can be passed round the group for discussion and comment, focussing on why students had different interpretations of the importance of the elements of the mix.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lessons, students should:

• Understand the meaning of the 7 Ps in marketing
• Understand the necessity of blending the elements of the marketing mix to achieve marketing objectives
• Be able to apply judgement in placing significance on the elements for a variety of products and services

Resources:

• PowerPoint Presentation - The Marketing Mix [330 KB] (basic version also available for quicker download [260 KB])
• Mind Map - The Marketing Mix
• Activity - The Marketing Mix
• Projector and whiteboard
• PCs for student research
• Sample product pack

Lesson Structure:

Lesson 1

1. Begin the lesson by showing students the sample product pack. This can be from any commonly-used product - cereal packet, drinks carton, confectionery, etc - and ask students to note down what they think are the most significant features about the product. What comes to their mind about the product? The aim is to begin with what students know and recognise and then build the theory around this. (10 minutes)
2. Highlight the key points from students' comments under the categories of price, product, promotion, etc on the whiteboard - briefly introduce a definition of 'the marketing mix'. (5 minutes)
3. Go into further detail on the nature of the mix by introducing the PowerPoint Presentation. Discuss the key elements in relation to the sample product used earlier during the Presentation. Pose open-ended questions asking students to make judgements about how important the element is to the sample product used and to justify their comments. (25 minutes)
4. Point students to the Activity - the first 'example product' should be worked on in the remainder of the lesson. (15 minutes)
5. Review the main points arising from the lesson and remind students of the task in the next lesson. (5 minutes)

Lesson 2

1. Review the main points from the last lesson and remind students of the task in the Activity. (5 minutes)
2. Set students on task.

The remainder of the structure will depend on the method of feedback and assessment chosen. If the educator is not expecting a written submission, use the students' work as the basis for discussion as outlined in the 'aim' section above.