CIM, Marketing, Certificate, Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, London, Accra, Lagos, Part Time Intensive weekend

CIM Programme (Accra Lagos London)

The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world largest organisation for professional marketers offering industry-proven and internationally recognised qualifications.

At Simon Page Business School, we will help you develop your professional marketing career by supporting you to improve your skills as marketing practitioners. These new found skills will enable you to deliver exceptional results for your organisation.

We offer flexible study options with part time, weekend and distance learning study options in London, Lagos and Accra.

CIM Course Structure

Introductory Certificate in Marketing

What is Marketing
Understanding Customer Relationships

The Introductory Certificate in Marketing is for all those who want to find out more about marketing - whether you're in a job that involves marketing or not. It answers the question: What is marketing? But it also aims to develop knowledge and skills for people who are working to support others in basic marketing tasks.

It is not necessary to have any previous experience or knowledge of marketing to and you can choose to study to suit your requirements and time available. You may already be working and therefore want to study around work commitments, or you may be looking for a job and therefore will not have time to study during the day.

Who is it for?

This qualification is aimed at those who are interested to find out more about marketing, whether they are in a job that involves marketing or not. It provides information about what marketing is and aims to develop knowledge and skills for people who are working to support others in basic marketing tasks.

The typical profiles of people who might take this qualification could include:

Those undertaking junior marketing, secretarial or administrative roles
Individuals in jobs with some marketing involvement
Event management assistants
Personal assistants
Customer service assistants/call centre employees
Non-marketers wanting to develop a broader knowledge or understanding of marketing or to move into marketing
Modern apprenticeship equivalents

What will you learn?

By the end of this qualification you should:

Understand the function of marketing and its role in an organisation
Know about the four Ps (product, price, place and promotion) and how to apply the marketing mix
Understand more about customers and managing customer relationships
Be able to communicate to both internal and external customers using a variety of different means

Qualification content

Unit 1: What is Marketing?

This unit provides a backdrop to the importance of marketing in terms of what marketing is and how it is defined. It focuses on the role of marketing, its cross-functional importance and its contribution to business success. It also looks at the role of marketing as a service provider within the organisation.

Learning Outcomes

Determine the importance of marketing as a cross-functional activity contributing towards business success
Explain the importance of understanding the organisation's marketing environment and the impact it has upon an organisation's ability to satisfy customer needs and wants
Identify each element of the marketing mix in the context of customer needs and achieving customer satisfaction
Apply the marketing mix to a range of different organisational sectors and contexts

Unit 2: Understanding Customer Relationships

This unit focuses on developing an understanding of internal and external customers, and considers how a knowledge and understanding of customers can assist in designing appropriate marketing activities to engage and support customers to achieve long-term customer loyalty.

Learning Outcomes

Explain the importance of understanding customers, and how marketing information aids the better development of marketing activities to achieve customer satisfaction
Explain the value and importance of internal and external relationships of the organisation and the importance of networking, collaboration and co-operation in order to develop and maintain relationships
Explain the different ways in which to communicate with both internal and external customers in order to develop, maintain and strengthen customer relationships
Explain the requirements for developing effective and efficient customer

Entry Requirements for CIM Introductory Certificate

This is an 'open' qualification, which means you do not need any previous qualifications or marketing experience. However, if you are working or have some business experience, this will certainly help you put your learning into context.

If English is not your first language, you will also need to provide evidence of at least IELTS 6.5 or Trinity ISE III/IV.

How will you be assessed?

Both units will have their own assessment and be as follows:

Unit 1: What is Marketing? - 1 hour online test
Unit 2: Understanding Customer Relationships - Assignment

CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing

The Professional Certificate in Marketing gives you the practical skills and knowledge to devise and execute marketing activities and gain marketing credibility. It also aims to provide a practical insight into the principles and application of marketing at a tactical level.

The syllabus has been updated recently to reflect the changing issues and practices within marketing and to reflect employers' views of marketing in today's business environment. The Qualification is ideal for junior marketers, those working in marketing support roles (like personal assistants); or if marketing plays some part in your current job description.

Who is it for?

This qualification is aimed at those who are working in supporting marketing roles, usually within the marketing function, but also targets individuals in more senior roles, particularly in SMEs, where marketing is only part of what they do. The qualification provides a practical insight into the principles and application of marketing at a tactical level.

The typical profiles of people who might take this qualification could include:

Marketing assistants
Marketing co-ordinators
Marketing executives
Marketing managers in SMEs without formal marketing qualifications
Non-marketers with aspirations for marketing
Existing marketers wanting to become more specialist

What will you learn?

By the end of this qualification you should be able to:

Understand the function and fundamentals of marketing in some depth – including how to write and execute a marketing plan
Know the many different ways of understanding and communicating with customers, and the function these methods serve
Understand your organisation's marketing environment, its many constituent parts, and how they work in unison
Apply practical knowledge – including the collecting and analysing of data, and the establishment of marketing budgets

Qualification content

Unit 1 – Marketing Essentials

The aim of this unit is to provide a detailed explanation of the key theories and practice behind marketing as an exchange process and a business function. This unit introduces individuals to the importance of the marketing planning process and the role of marketing across the organisation.

Unit 2 – Assessing the Marketing Environment

The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the nature and scope of the internal and external marketing environment with broad consideration of the impact of international and global marketing. The unit addresses the key characteristics of the marketing environment and assesses the impact of market forces that are uncontrollable and how an organisation responds to them.

Unit 3 – Marketing Information and Research

This unit focuses on the importance of marketing information in gaining a more in depth understanding of both the market in which the organisation operates and the customers it seeks to serve. The unit explores different research methodologies and encourages consideration of complementary approaches to collecting a range of market and customer information.

Unit 4 – Stakeholder Marketing

The focus of this unit is to recognise the nature and scope of an organisation's diverse range of stakeholders (of which customers are part) and their relative importance to the marketing process and the market oriented organisation.

The unit considers how to manage stakeholder relationships effectively, in terms of utilising a marketing mix that influences and satisfies stakeholder needs in line with the organisation's business and marketing objectives.

Entry Requirements for CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing

This qualification is the equivalent to the first year of a foundation degree, which means you will need to meet at least one of these criteria:

Have a minimum of two 'A' Levels
Hold any general Bachelor's or f degree
Hold a CIM Introductory Certificate in Marketing (Level 2 or 3)
Have an NVQ or SVQ Level 3 (equivalent to NGF Level 3)
Have an NVQ or SVQ Level 4 in any other subject (UK – equivalent to NGF Level 4 and above)
Hold an international baccalaureate (equivalent to NQF Level 3 and above) or a pass of the entry test onto Level 4

If English is not your first language, you will also need to provide evidence of at least IELTS 6.5 or Trinity ISE III/IV.

How will you be assessed?

It's possible to qualify within a single academic year studying part time. You will be assessed across the four modules using a blend of two basic methods:

Unit 1 – Marketing Essentials: Examination
Unit 2 – Assessing the Marketing Environment: Examination
Unit 3 – Marketing Information and Research: Assignment
Unit 4 – Stakeholder Marketing: Assignment

CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing

This qualification is ideal for marketers who are concerned with managing the marketing process at an operational level, as well as those who are looking to build on the knowledge gained at Professional Certificate level with a future marketing management role in mind. The content of the course has been put together following consultation with employers to ensure that they gain relevant competencies for various stages of their marketing career.

The focus moves from the theoretical aspects of marketing towards the many skills needed to manage the function itself – including elements ranging from channel management to communications, along with specialist areas like new product development.

Who is it for?

This qualification is aimed at those marketers responsible for managing the marketing process at an operational level. These include those moving into a mid-level marketing position and marketers who are looking to build on knowledge gained at certificate level.

The Professional Diploma in Marketing is ideal for marketers with operational responsibilities and an eye on management including the following:

Marketing executives
Business development managers
Departmental managers
Product/ brand managers
Marketing managers
Account managers

What will you learn?

By the end of this qualification you should be able to:

Evaluate the role of the marketing planning process and implementation in a range of marketing contexts including organisational strategy, culture and the broader marketing environment
Develop and manage a brand and product portfolio in the context of the organisation’s marketing strategies and objectives
Recommend how a marketing function should be structured to deliver competitive advantage, marketing and organisational success
Identify the organisation’s information needs, scope of research projects and resource capability to underpin the development of a business case to support marketing projects

Qualification content

Unit 1 - Marketing Planning Process

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Evaluation of the marketing planning process and its implementation in a range of marketing contexts including a detailed analysis of the internal and external marketing environments
Conduct a marketing audit and assess the findings in order to develop a marketing plan that is responsive to market and organisational changes and underpins the organisation’s marketing strategy
Determine the importance of segmentation, targeting and positioning to develop effective strategies which are innovative, cost effective, valuable and maximise the potential of marketing opportunities successfully
Recognise the significance of retaining customers through relationship marketing

Unit 2 - Delivering Customer Value through Marketing

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Develop and manage a brand and product portfolio in the context of the organisation’s marketing strategies and objectives
Develop and implement an effective and efficient channel management strategy reflecting the needs of stakeholders
Develop an effective and innovative communications strategy and plan that clearly delivers the organisation’s proposition to the market, through effective segmentation and targeting of internal and external markets
Utilise an innovative and effective integrated marketing mix to reinforce the organisation’s brand values, overall marketing proposition and competitive advantage
Determine customer requirements for product and service delivery to ensure the marketing proposition is customer-focused, efficient and effective

Unit 3 - Managing Marketing

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Recommend how a marketing function should be structured and managed to deliver competitive advantage
Prepare plans for showing how a team should be structured, selected, formed, managed and developed to demonstrate effective performance against objectives
Critically assess the organisation’s resource needs and capabilities for the marketing team to manage marketing activities effectively and efficiently
Prepare appropriate budgets and accounting documentation to support the financial management of the marketing function its associated activities
Critically assess the ongoing financial situation including manageability of the budget, financial stability and success of the marketing function

Unit 4 - Project Management in Marketing

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Identify the organisation’s information needs, scope of research projects and resource capability to underpin the development of justified business cases, including risk assessment and mitigation strategies, to support marketing projects
Using project management tools and techniques, design, develop and plan significant marketing programmes effectively, in terms of quality, resource and delivery
Integrate a range of marketing tools and techniques to support the development and implementation of marketing projects
Monitor and measure the outcomes of marketing projects through the end-to-end project process

Entry Requirement for CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing

As a minimum, the following qualifications or experience is recommended as the prerequisite for entry onto the Professional Diploma in Marketing:

The CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing (either 2002 syllabus or the 2008 syllabus)
OR
Any business or marketing Bachelor's or Master's Degree (or an equivalent qualification) where a minimum of one third of credits come from marketing (ie 120 credits in Bachelor's degrees or 60 credits with Master's Degrees)
OR
Experience in a marketing management role that has provided potential students with ability to be able to demonstrate that they can meet the learning outcomes of the CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing if required to do so and is sufficient to pass the Entry test to Level 6

Note: Entry level is dependent upon the currency and relevance of your qualifications and experience. If English is not your first language, you will also need to provide evidence of at least IELTS 6.5 or Trinity ISE III/IV.

How will you be assessed?

It's possible to qualify within a single academic year studying part time. You will be assessed across the four units using a blend of two basic methods:

By formal examinantion
By assignments such as coursework and case studies that require longer answers and will often be based on various findings and recommendations within your own company (or a company of your choice)

CIM Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

The Chartered Postgraduate Diploma In Marketing is a challenging, high-level two stage marketing qualification that demonstrates specialist professional knowledge across many areas and a route to Chartered Marketer status.

The qualification aims to enable marketers to champion the customer experience and exert a strong influence on the organisation to adopt a customer orientation, contribute along with other directors and senior managers to its competitive strategy, align the organisation's activities to the customer, and manage the organisation's marketing activities.

Who is it for?

This qualification is aimed at marketers who have already gained a significant level of knowledge and/or experience of marketing. The focus is on the strategic aspects of marketing management and is ideal for Marketers working at a strategic level or aspiring to do so.

What will you learn?

By the end of this qualification you should be able to:

Make the transition into strategic marketing management
Work more cross-functionally at a senior management level
Make a significant contribution towards the organisation’s corporate and business strategy
Contribute to board decisions
Demonstrate a high level of leadership and influence

Qualification content

Unit 1 - Emerging Themes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Critically evaluate a range of key emerging macro-environmental themes and make a critical assessment of their significance for a specific sector or industry
Propose strategic marketing responses to the key emerging themes judged to have the greatest potential impact on a specific sector. Responses should reflect contemporary marketing practice (ie, marketing’s new ground) and demonstrate creativity

Unit 2 - Analysis and Decision

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Undertake a strategic marketing audit, assessing an organisation’s competencies, competitive advantage, market performance, customers, competitors, product and service portfolios, positioning, value proposition and market impact to assess the impact of these factors on an organisation’s strategic intent and direction
Utilise the strategic marketing audit to critically evaluate a range of strategic marketing options available to an organisation, including innovation, mergers, acquisitions, partnering, alliances, environmental sustainability and CSR, in order to deliver best value growth and expansion opportunities
Utilise a range of financial and other measurement tools to assess the financial and non-financial benefits of recommended strategic marketing decisions
Utilise a range of risk assessment tools to critically assess the risk of strategic market decisions and and their impact upon an organisation.

Unit 3 - Marketing Leadership and Planning

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Critically evaluate ways of delivering an organisation’s corporate mission and vision effectively
Develop marketing strategies to establish competitive and sustainable marketing and relationship strategies to achieve an organisation’s strategic intent and deliver its value proposition
Utilising a synergistic planning processes, develop strategic plans, taking account of different planning frameworks, ensuring they are within the resource capabilities of an organisation
Determine the most appropriate organisational structures for market-oriented and/or changing organisations, whilst evaluating the resource implications and requirements
Develop sustainable competitive advantage through suitable approaches to leadership and innovation in order to generate stakeholder value and contribute to organisational success

Unit 4 - Managing Corporate Reputation

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

Critically evaluate the way organisations develop their identities and how some organisations use these to form images and assign reputational status
Critically analyse the elements that contribute to the identity that an organisation projects to its stakeholders, sometimes through a corporate brand
Critically evaluate linkage between how an organisation wants to be seen and how it is seen, namely corporate communications

Entry Requirements for CIM Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

Stage 1

As a minimum, the following qualifications and experience are recommended as a prerequisite for entry onto the first stage of the Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing:

CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing (either the 2003 syllabus or the 2009 syllabus) or the CIM Advanced Certificate in Marketing
OR
A business or marketing Bachelor's or Master's degree (or an equivalent qualification) where a minimum of half of the credits come from marketing (ie, 180 credits in Bachelor degrees and 90 credits in Master's degrees)
AND
A range of experience working at Senior Marketing Management level that has provided potential students with ability to evidence that they can meet the learning outcomes of the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing if required to do so and is sufficient to pass the Entry Test to this qualification

Stage 2

Successful completion of Stage 1 or a previous version of the CIM Postgraduate Diploma.

How will you be assessed?

It's possible to qualify within one to two years studying part time. You will be assessed using a blend of two basic methods:

By formal examinantion (Analysis and Decision)
By assignments such as coursework and case studies that require longer answers and will often be based on various findings and recommendations within your own company (or a company of your choice). (Emerging Themes, Managing Corporate Reputation and Marketing Leadership and Planning).

Distance Learning

We also have distance learning options for our CIM programme. So if you are interested in our distance learning CIM course then give us a call now for an e- learning solution that will help you gain your CIM qualification in record time!

Is Distance learning (online) for me?
Yes. If you are a busy professional and want a flexible CIM programme that can help you juggle your busy schedules in order to achieve a healthy work life balance.

Yes. If you are in a location or country where there are no CIM centres, then our online learning platform for your CIM qualification is the ideal option for you.

CIM distance learning features