Active learning ideas
Marketing is the bridge between a business and its customers. This topic introduces the 'Marketing Mix', Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, and how businesses use these elements to reach a specific target market. Students also analyze the psychological impact of advertising and how it influences consumer behaviour in Canada.
Activity 01
Groups choose a popular Canadian brand (e.g., Roots, Lululemon) and analyze how they use Product, Price, Place, and Promotion to appeal to their specific target audience.
What are the four Ps of marketing?
Activity 02
Display various print and digital ads around the room. Students move from ad to ad, identifying the target market and the specific 'hook' or emotional appeal used by the advertiser.
How do companies identify their target market?
Activity 03
Students are given a 'mystery object' and must develop a quick marketing plan, including a name, a price point, and a social media strategy to pitch to the class.
What makes an advertising campaign effective?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Marketing and advertising are the same thing.
Students often use these terms interchangeably. Use a Venn diagram activity to show that advertising is just one part of the broader 'Promotion' piece of the marketing mix.
A lower price is always better for marketing.
Many believe cheapness is the best selling point. Through peer discussion, explore luxury brands to show how high prices can actually be a marketing tool to signal quality and exclusivity.
Methods used in this brief
Production and Operations
Students learn about the factors of production and the processes involved in creating goods and services.
8 methodologies
Human Resources Management
An exploration of how businesses recruit, train, compensate, and manage their employees.
8 methodologies
Accounting and Financial Management
An introduction to basic accounting principles, financial statements, and the importance of tracking business finances.
8 methodologies