Omnichannel distribution management and logistics play a major role in today’s business world. However, many companies still confuse omnichannel with multi- and cross-channel retailing which narrows their understanding of what it means to have a successful omnichannel strategy and how to consistently manage a network of the store and non-store distribution channels. This course adopts a holistic approach on omnichannel retailing as it covers simultaneously the consumer and company’s standpoints while keeping the balance between strategic and tactical decisions related to marketing, distribution management and logistics. Moreover, it discusses some basic spatial interaction models used as a stepping stone in Geographic information systems (GIS). Some of the companies discussed during the semester involve Amazon, Alibaba, Walmart, Tesco and Carrefour. The course follows the simple management structure of Analyzing, Planning, Execution, and Control, so at the end of the course, the students will be able to design a structured omnichannel strategy considering the latest trends or customer service, customer experience and last-mile delivery modes.
Most of the marketing courses taught at business schools and universities focus on business-to-customer (B2C) markets rather than dealing with the relationships business-to-business (B2B). There is no clear explanation about this except for the fact that we are all final consumers and can therefore relate more easily to consumer marketing issues. However, the economic weight of the B2B sector is considerable and even exceeds that of the consumer market sector. That is why the main goal of this course is to outline the specificities of the B2B markets: the products are more complex and less standardized, pricing can vary significantly from one client to another, purchasing decisions are more rational, involving more people, sales rely heavily on personal interactions etc. In the turbulent business environment, the role of marketing is to propose solutions to governments, NGO’s, SME’s and larger corporations how to build strong relationships between each other, assess market opportunities, design strategies and evaluate their performance.
In today’s highly competitive and sustainability-driven business environment, the art of effective interaction with customers is crucial to organizational success. This is especially important in an era where consumers are increasingly conscious of environmental, social, and ethical issues, and where they expect companies to demonstrate responsibility alongside profitability. This course examines Sustainable Customer Relationship Management (Sustainable CRM) as an integrated strategic, technological, human, and ethical approach that enables organizations to build and maintain long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with customers while aligning with principles of sustainability. It reveals how sustainable CRM practices can enhance marketing performance through customer acquisition, retention, and development strategies that also deliver environmental and social value.
This course aims to familiarize students, as future managers, engineers, and entrepreneurs, with the importance of the adoption of the sustainable marketing approach in the XXI century. Using cases from around the world (Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Middle East and Asia) it proves that sustainable marketing is neither a myth nor an oxymoron, though for the marketers there are still many ways for improvement. This course highlights how sustainable development and marketing fit together, in a what way sustainable marketing differs from traditional marketing and how to design a basic sustainable marketing strategy in simple steps. The course is designed around the process of creation, communication, and delivery of customer value by defining sustainable marketing as socially and environmentally responsible actions that meet the present needs of consumers and businesses while preserving or enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This is an engaging and highly interactive course in which the instructor relies on the “Learning-by-doing” approach – a concept in educational theory according to which student productivity can be achieved through practice, self-perfection and minor innovations.