Coursera’s Hottest Business MOOCs

An Introduction to Marketing

School: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Registration Link: CLICK HERE

Start Date: December 28, 2015 (4 Weeks Long)

Workload: 5-6 Hours Per Week

Instructors: David Bell, Peter Fader, Barbara E. Kahn

Credentials: Professor Bell teaches Marketing Management in Wharton’s MBA and Executive MBA program. Aside from being extensively published in resources like the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing, Bell is also the Academic Director for Wharton’s Advanced Management Program. Professor Fader is the Co-Director of the Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative and author of the acclaimed Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage. Before returning to Wharton, Professor Kahn served as the Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1982-2006, Kahn was among the most published author of articles in the most prestigious marketing journals. 

Graded: Students can earn a Statement of Accomplishment from Coursera for scoring 70 percent or above overall on quizzes and exams. There is a $49 fee for a statement.

Description: The course will be divided into three modules: Branding, customer centricity, and go-to-market strategies, with concepts taught in the context of how real companies implemented them. Each module lasts three weeks and will be led by one of the three instructors. After the module is completed, the instructors will hold an interactive discussion about the material followed by an assessment. A course syllabus is available on the Coursera link.

Review: “This excellent introduction to marketing is taught by three eminent professors from Wharton in separate modules. It is not structured as a comprehensive overview of basic marketing concepts from A to Z; rather, the course provides a focused treatment of three highly “actionable” areas, which collectively cover a solid range of practical, contemporary marketing challenges. Barbara Kahn gives a broad overview of branding principles and strategies; Peter Fader covers “customer-centric” marketing methodologies that analyze the customer base and actively exploit its heterogeneity; and David Bell describes up-to- the-minute go-to-market strategies that directly confront the challenges of competition in an online world. (His take on how traditional businesses can cope with customers who shop in person and buy online is especially compelling.) The lectures are crisp and professional, and the optional readings are all interesting and well chosen; it would be a mistake to skip them. The exams are not difficult if you’ve studied the material. Overall a valuable and highly enjoyable course.” For additional reviews, click here.

Additional Background: For read Laurie Pickard’s intensive review of this course, click here.

This course is part of a four course specialization from Wharton called “Business Foundations.” To learn more about these courses and register for them, CLICK HERE.