CIM MAE study plan
CIM MAE · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Marketing principles and customer behaviour
Define the marketing mix and the role of customer insight in commercial decisions, writing a one-line definition for each element
Explain how needs, wants and demand differ, using two original examples per concept
Map the consumer buying decision process and identify where marketers can intervene at each stage
Classify the main segmentation bases and justify which one suits a chosen product category
Your checkpoint
A one-page segmentation and buyer-behaviour summary for a product category of your choice, with three justified segment profiles
Marketing principles and customer behaviour
Compare the principal theories of buyer behaviour and state one practical implication of each
Distinguish business-to-business buying behaviour from consumer buying behaviour
Analyse how perception, motivation and attitudes shape response to a campaign
Apply the concept of customer lifetime value to a simple retention scenario
Your checkpoint
A 400-word comparative analysis of two buyer-behaviour theories applied to one real campaign you have observed
Marketing planning and campaign management
Structure a marketing plan using a recognised planning framework, section by section
Conduct a SWOT and PESTLE analysis and convert findings into three prioritised objectives
Write SMART marketing objectives that align with organisational goals
Distinguish strategic from tactical planning and allocate activities accordingly
Your checkpoint
A skeleton marketing plan with situation analysis, three SMART objectives and a prioritised action list
Marketing planning and campaign management
Set out the stages of campaign management from brief to evaluation
Select appropriate media and channel mixes against a defined target audience and budget
Build a campaign budget and schedule with clear phasing
Design control measures and success metrics for each campaign stage
Your checkpoint
A full campaign plan for a hypothetical launch, including brief, channel mix, budget, timetable and evaluation metrics
Strategic marketing and commercial decision-making
Explain the role of marketing in corporate and business strategy
Apply portfolio and growth-share tools to allocate resources across a product range
Distinguish cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategies and their marketing implications
Evaluate competitive positioning using a structured competitor analysis
Your checkpoint
A strategic appraisal of a chosen organisation, recommending one growth direction with supporting rationale
Strategic marketing and commercial decision-making
Assess the commercial impact of pricing, distribution and channel decisions
Interpret financial indicators relevant to marketing decisions, including margin and return on investment
Model a marketing investment decision using payback and return on investment calculations
Recommend a resource allocation with a documented risk assessment
Your checkpoint
A one-page business case for a marketing investment, with figures, assumptions and a stated risk position
Digital communications and sustainability in marketing
Evaluate digital channels and match each to a stage of the customer journey
Design a content and measurement framework for a digital campaign
Explain the principles of sustainable marketing and greenwashing risk
Embed ethical and sustainability criteria into a communications plan
Your checkpoint
A digital and sustainability communications plan for one brand, with journey mapping, channel selection and a measurement dashboard outline
Marketing principles and customer behaviour & Marketing planning and campaign management & Strategic marketing and commercial decision-making & Digital communications and sustainability in marketing
Consolidate all four domains into a single condensed revision sheet
Complete timed practice questions across every domain and mark them against the syllabus criteria
Identify and rework the three weakest topic areas from practice results
Rehearse structuring exam answers under time pressure with a clear opening and conclusion
Your checkpoint
A completed mock paper with self-marked scores per domain and a written remediation list
Milestones
Week 2: Explain the consumer decision process and two behaviour theories from memory, scoring at least 80 per cent on a self-set recall test
Week 4: Produce a complete campaign plan unaided within 90 minutes and check it against a planning-framework checklist
Week 6: Defend a marketing investment recommendation with correct calculations and be able to answer two challenge questions on assumptions
Week 8: Score at least 65 per cent on a full timed mock paper, with no domain below 55 per cent