← Business Management syllabus

SingaporeBusiness Management

Marketing Management

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why are some brands worth far more than the products they sell, and how does differentiation create that value?

Explain branding and product differentiation and evaluate how they create value, customer loyalty and competitive advantage
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on branding and differentiation. What brands and brand equity are, how differentiation creates value and loyalty, the link to pricing power and competitive advantage, and how to evaluate brand investment.
8 min answer →

How does a business gather and use information about its market, and how much can it trust that information?

Explain the purposes and methods of market research, including primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative, and evaluate its value and limitations
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on market research. Primary versus secondary and quantitative versus qualitative research, sampling, the value of research for reducing risk, and its limitations - with a worked sampling-and-forecast example.
8 min answer →

How does a business divide up a market, choose which parts to serve, and decide how to be seen?

Explain market segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP), and evaluate how a firm uses them to focus its marketing
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on STP. Bases of segmentation, targeting strategies (mass, differentiated, niche), positioning and the perceptual map, and how to evaluate the STP approach a firm should take.
8 min answer →

How does a business decide what to charge, and how does price both signal value and shape demand?

Explain the main pricing strategies, including cost-plus, penetration, skimming and competitive pricing, and evaluate the choice of pricing strategy
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on pricing. Cost-plus, penetration, skimming, competitive, psychological and price-discrimination strategies, the role of price elasticity, and how to evaluate the right pricing strategy - with worked calculations.
9 min answer →

What are the levers a business pulls to market a product, and why must they work together?

Explain the marketing mix (the 4Ps, extended to 7Ps for services) and evaluate how the elements must be coordinated to deliver a coherent marketing strategy
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on the marketing mix. The 4Ps (product, price, promotion, place) extended to 7Ps for services, why the elements must be integrated and consistent with positioning, and how to evaluate a marketing mix.
8 min answer →

How do products rise and fall over time, and how should a firm manage a whole portfolio of them?

Explain the product life cycle and product portfolio analysis (the Boston Matrix), and evaluate how firms use them to manage products and extend their lives
A focused answer to the H2 Management of Business outcome on the product life cycle and portfolio analysis. The stages from introduction to decline, extension strategies, the Boston Matrix (stars, cash cows, question marks, dogs), and how to evaluate these tools for managing products.
8 min answer →