In this course, we will be taking a strategic approach to marketing. Strategic marketing involves determining which customers your organization should serve, which products and services it should offer them, and how. This course is intended to develop an analytical framework for these decisions. Emphasis will be placed on developing a position in the market place that provides value to customers that is not readily duplicated by competitors. This course is focused on establishing a framework for creating and managing customer value, and emphasizing the key linkage between customer value and firm value in the long run. The act of managing customer value has several key components. First, it is critical to understand and articulate what customer value is, and how it can be created by the positioning of products and services. Second, it is important to relate this to customer behaviour and specific customer-related actions that the organization can take in order to create and manage value over time. Third, it is important to analyze customer needs in the relevant market context. Finally, it is necessary to apply these ideas in a changing marketplace.