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MKT42590

Academic Year 2025/2026

Customer Focused Food (MKT42590)

Subject:
Marketing
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Aiqing Ling
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Many people approaching marketing for the first time expect it to be mostly about selling and advertising. While these are part of the picture, marketing is much broader: at its core, it is about creating value for customers by offering goods, services, or ideas that best meet their needs and desires. To do this effectively, marketers must understand the wider context in which decisions are made. They must design products that customers want, set prices that balance customer willingness to pay with profitability, ensure products are available in convenient ways, and communicate their availability clearly and persuasively. This is a complex challenge that requires managing a variety of internal and external forces. The aim of this course is to introduce you to the key concepts, vocabulary, and frameworks of marketing and to help you apply them specifically to the food industry.

Food marketing brings its own unique set of challenges. Consumer preferences are constantly shifting, influenced by trends in health, sustainability, convenience, and cultural identity. Products often face short life cycles, intense competition, and strong bargaining power from retailers. Marketers must also navigate complex regulations around labeling, health claims, and food safety, while responding to growing concerns about nutrition, waste, and environmental impact. On top of this, global supply chains create added uncertainty through issues such as seasonality and sourcing. These factors make food marketing both demanding and fascinating, as success requires balancing consumer needs, business goals, and wider societal expectations.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the core principles of marketing and their application to the food industry.
2. Analyze customer needs and preferences to inform product development, positioning, and pricing decisions.
3. Evaluate the role of communication channels such as advertising, public relations, sales, and digital media in shaping consumer engagement with food products.
4. Apply marketing frameworks and tools to real-world challenges in the food sector, balancing business objectives with consumer and societal expectations.
5. Develop the ability to critically assess contemporary trends and issues in food marketing, including health, sustainability, and global supply chain dynamics.

Indicative Module Content:

The session topics are indicative and subject to changes
Session 1: Introduction to marketing
Session 2: From general marketing to food marketing
Session 3: Conducting marketing research
Session 4: Consumer behaviour in food markets
Session 5: Branding and positioning in food marketing
Session 6: Product innovation in food marketing
Session 7: Pricing strategies for food products
Session 8: From farms to tables: Managing channels
Session 9: Digital marketing and social media for food
Session 10: International food marketing
Session 11: From start-ups to market leaders
Session 12: Project presentation

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

164
Lectures

36
Small Group

1
Total

201

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Case assignment questions
In-class case discussions
Marketing analytics exercises
Group projects
Final exam

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: This assignment asks you to examine the marketing management of a food company from a real-world perspective. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Exam (In-person): The exam will assess your understanding of core marketing fundamentals, including key concepts and their applications in practical scenarios. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Submit a case memo that discusses and addresses the case questions. Week 8, Week 9 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2 Fri 09:30 - 12:20
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 09:30 - 12:20
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