BCS Written Marketing study guide
BCS Written Marketing · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BCS Written Examination in Marketing is an essay-based professional assessment for candidates who need to demonstrate applied marketing judgement rather than recall of definitions. It suits practitioners moving into marketing management, analysts broadening into commercial roles, and graduates building a credential alongside work experience. The BCS Written Marketing study guide has 8 sections and about 2,883 words.
01Marketing Concepts: Core Ideas, Orientations and the Value Exchange
Start from the definition: marketing is the activity of creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society. Every question in this domain tests whether you can move between concept, orientation and application .
338 words, about 2 min02Marketing Environment and Consumer Behaviour
Candidates must handle the microenvironment (company, suppliers, intermediaries, customers, competitors, publics) and the macroenvironment using PESTLE - political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental. Know the difference between scanning, monitoring, forecasting and assessing .
320 words, about 2 min03Marketing Information, Research and Demand Forecasting
A marketing information system (MIS) has three streams: internal records , marketing intelligence and marketing research . Know the research process: define the problem and objectives, develop the research plan, collect data, analyse, and present findings.
329 words, about 2 min04Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning
Segmentation divides a heterogeneous market into homogeneous groups; targeting selects which to serve; positioning creates a distinct place in the target's mind. Candidates must know the criteria for effective segmentation : measurable, accessible, substantial, differentiable, actionable (MADSA or similar).
322 words, about 2 min05Product and Brand Management, including New Product Development
Know the three levels - core benefit, actual product, augmented product - and the classification : convenience, shopping, specialty, unsought; durable versus non-durable; consumer versus industrial. Understand the product mix (width, length, depth, consistency) and the product line decisions (stretching, filling, modernising, featuring).
336 words, about 2 min06Pricing Decisions and Strategies
Price is the only mix element that generates revenue. Candidates must know the three pricing approaches : cost-based (cost-plus, markup, target-return), demand-based (perceived value, value pricing) and competition-based (going-rate, sealed-bid).
309 words, about 2 min07Distribution Channels and Logistics Management
A marketing channel is the set of interdependent organisations that make a product available to consumers. Know the levels: zero-level (direct), one-level (retailer), two-level (wholesaler and retailer), three-level (agent, wholesaler, retailer).
318 words, about 2 min08Integrated Marketing Communication and Promotion
Integrated marketing communication coordinates all promotional tools so the audience receives a consistent message. The promotion mix : advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct/digital marketing.
611 words, about 3 min