Marketing as a minor
Studying marketing gives you:
Understanding of customers and markets: As a student, you will get an understanding of customers’ needs and behavior in various markets, of the strategic importance of marketing for companies, and of the societal importance of marketing.
Basic knowledge on marketing as an instrument of management: You will learn about the role of marketing as a tool for competing on markets, as a strategic way of thinking, and as a perspective to managing the organization.
Knowledge of implementing different marketing activities: We give you tools to analyze, plan, realize and evaluate key marketing actions, such as developing products and services, setting optimal prices, building sales and distribution channels, and planning advertising and promotion.
Understanding of market research: You learn to produce, acquire and interpret information on markets, customers, and the operating environment with the help of market research.
Why choose marketing as your minor?
Why study marketing if your major is...
Entrepreneurship, Management and Organisation:
- As an entrepreneur you should know your markets and the customers’ behaviour and needs. This is what studies in marketing mainly focus on.
- Through studies of marketing you will also learn about how to conduct market research and how to interpret market trends.
- If you focus on further studies in brand management, you can learn to create a competitive brand that excels on the market.
Finance OR Accounting:
- The job of a financial analyst comprises essentially of analyzing companies' business models, sources of revenues, and customer relations – and studies in marketing give you an understanding and tools to analyse just this.
- Understanding customers’ behaviour and needs, as well as their willingness to pay for products and services, gives you skills to analyse the revenues and profitability of different companies in different markets.
- Working in banking and finance demands often that you are able to sell consulting services to clients – which the studies of marketing also prepare you for.
- Through studies of marketing as a minor, you also get a better insight into different outcomes of marketing (”Return on Marketing Investment”) and, therefore, which marketing inputs are worth investing in and how much.
Management and Organization:
- With marketing studies as a minor, you will learn how to use information and understanding of markets, consumers and customers in strategic planning and business development, to create more competitive strategies and attractive businesses.
- Managing people and organizations involves often so called ”internal marketing” – motivating the staff (”internal customers”) to work for common goals in an effective way and with high quality. Marketing studies prepare you for this, too.
- By having marketing as a minor, you can also learn how marketing can help companies to create a uniform brand/organizational identity that all employees can identify with and work according to. This is important for organizational development.
Commercial Law:
- As a student of Commercial Law you can study e.g. Sale of goods and contract law, Market law, Competition and intellectual property law and Trademark law. Studies in marketing give you a more practical point of view on these matters.
- Working in the legal branch often involves the need to sell consulting services to clients – which studies of marketing also prepare you for.
- By combining legal know-how with practical skills of marketing, you get a unique competence that is coveted by many organizations on the job market.
Economics:
- Marketing is a welcome addition to the microeconomic courses in economics in which theories and analyses of competition and consumers are important subjects. Studies in marketing can give you a more practical point of view on analysing consumers’ actual behaviour on real markets.
Study plans for marketing as a minor in Helsinki and Vaasa
Depending on which courses you choose for your minor, you can get a wider understanding of marketing or choose an area to focus on. Examples of focus areas are marketing and service development, brand management and advertising or general management from a marketing perspective.
- Study plans for minor subject studies starting during the second year of studies can be found in WebOodi under: Study handbooks – Department of Marketing. Choose carefully the correct campus and year of studies.
- Questions about marketing as a minor in Helsinki can be directed to Head of Subject Marketing in Helsinki.
- Questions about marketing as a minor in Vaasa can be directed to the contact person in Vaasa.