MARK 3500

In recent years, marketing in the financial services sector has experienced significant growth. Marketers are challenged to keep pace. Fuelled by new technologies, tighter regulations, increased competition and heightened consumer expectation – the industry has undergone significant change. This course will take an in-depth look at Canada’s financial landscape. It will distinguish between banks and credit unions; it will dissect and analyze a variety of positioning and branding strategies used by both. In addition, it will explore how marketers develop a deep understanding of financial service segments, tailor products accordingly, and communicate via channels of the target market’s choice. The marketing mix for financial services will be covered, along with the concepts of marketing as they apply to the unique nature of services. An emphasis will be placed on traditional marketing concepts such as brand management and strategy development, as well are more intangible ideas such as loyalty, trust, ‘stickiness’, experiential marketing, customer acquisition and retention, and relationship management.