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42Courses

Marketing Strategy

9h

Three things you can rely on.

A CPD-accredited Mini MBA.

Proper credit, real progress. Signed, dated, and easy to track.

Marked by humans, not bots.

A real person actually reviews your work and replies, usually within 24 hours.

Personalised to your role.

Our AI reshapes each lesson around what you do at work, so you can put it into practice straight away.


About this course

Welcome to the Marketing Strategy course.

This online programme digs into what makes marketing strategies work, and how strong teams turn ideas into results. You'll also pick up practical skills, plus templates you can use to plan, run, and review your own campaigns.

You'll work through the key hands-on methods, starting with the research stage, then moving on to setting objectives, choosing KPIs, mapping customer journeys, and finally writing the brief and evaluating what you've done.

And yes, the best part is that you'll learn from experienced strategic leaders. On top of that, you'll get exclusive inspiration from award-winning case studies and research papers.

Even better, this course is built to be enjoyable and straightforward. Everything is explained in plain English, no confusing jargon. You don't need any previous experience. If you pass, you'll receive a CPD-accredited certification in Marketing Strategy.

*Learning with 42courses

This short online course breaks down why marketing strategy matters and how it supports every successful brand decision.

Through videos from key contributors and standout examples, we've put together a course that covers the basics of marketing strategy. Then we go a step further, sharing useful techniques and clear principles you can apply to make your campaigns stronger.

The learning style is made for a modern digital world. Each topic is taught in small, manageable lessons you can fit around your schedule. At the end of every lesson, there's a quick quiz to check you've actually taken the learning on board.

As you go, you'll earn points and badges, so you can easily see your progress and compare it with other learners.

What level of learning is this?

  • All 42courses programmes focus on the fundamentals (so you finish with a real understanding of the topic and its key methods, models, and what works in practice).
  • Real tutors review your progress as you move through the course, and they'll guide you if you hit a wall.

How long does it take to complete a course?

  • You're looking at about 7-9 hours in total. There are no strict time limits, and each course is broken into short, bite-sized sections.
  • Because it's on-demand, you can start whenever you want and finish when it suits you. No more waiting around for coursework checks.

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What you'll learn:

  • Get to grips with a strategic framework that's easy to adapt
  • Spot useful insights and turn them into KPIs and objectives
  • Put together a marketing strategy that actually works
  • Understand the usual strategy terms without the head-scratching
  • Learn what makes a great brief

Who's it for

Built around you.

This is for you if you're:

  • Someone who wants a solid understanding of the strategy world
  • Looking to move into a marketing strategy role
  • A CEO or founder trying to grow the business
  • A current strategist who wants to sharpen and refresh their skills

A quick look behind the curtain.

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Inside a lesson

Short, engaging lessons that feel like a story, not a lecture. Each one takes around 15 minutes. You'll watch a video, read a piece with a strong narrative, and answer a question to confirm it's landed properly.

💡

AI personalisation

Shaped around your role and what you're aiming for. Tell us what you do and what you want to improve. Our AI rebuilds every lesson with practical takeaways for your day job. The frameworks and data stay the same; the examples shift to match you.

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Real feedback

A real person has your back. Some questions are reviewed by a member of our team. If you need a steer, you'll get one. And if you're stuck, we're also happy to jump on a call.

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The certificate

A Mini MBA certificate you can proudly display. CPD-accredited, signed, dated, and trackable. Our completion rate is over 80% compared with an industry figure closer to 10%.


42courses vs typical online courses.

Feature 42courses Typical platform
Marking & feedback by real people Within 24 hours Auto-quiz only
Personalised by role & sector AI rewrites every lesson Same content for everyone
Taught by working practitioners The people who wrote the book Often academics or actors
Average completion rate Over 80% 5 to 15% (industry average)
CPD-accredited Mini MBA certificate Every course Sometimes
30-day money back, no questions If you aren't happy, we aren't Usually a 7-day refund window

Questions you might be wondering about.

It's around eight hours of material, broken into lessons that are roughly 15 minutes each. Most people complete it in about two weeks, but there's no deadline. You can pause whenever life gets in the way.
No. We start with the basics and then build from there. You'll get a fresh way to think about the subject thanks to insights from major voices in the field, whether you're just beginning or you've been doing this for years and want to level up.
Every lesson ends with a short question to test what you've understood. In each course, certain questions are marked manually by our team. If you need guidance, a real person will respond with notes to help you move in the right direction. And if you're ever stuck or just want to talk it through, you can also get in touch for a call.
You get 30 days from enrolment to request a full refund. No hoops, no awkward exit interview, and no back-and-forth email chains. We handle refund requests within 24 hours, and often faster. If you're not happy, we take that seriously too.
The books cover the theory. This course is focused on applying it. The lessons are tailored to your role and goals, so you finish with practical takeaways for every single part of the programme.
Yes. Learners have used it across tech, healthcare, retail, banking, government, charities, and education. Our AI personalises each lesson to your role and goals, so the examples and activities fit your situation rather than feeling generic.
Yes, usually. Most learning and development budgets can cover it without an issue. If you need it for procurement, we can provide a VAT-friendly invoice on request. Just email us at groundcontrol@42courses.com . For groups of 10 or more, check Team plans .
It's a CPD-accredited certificate, accepted across the UK and internationally as evidence of continuing professional development. It's personalised with your name, signed, dated, and trackable. You can add it to LinkedIn, your CV, your next performance review, or anywhere you keep proof of your growth.

Tools You'll Explore

David Tiltman

David Tiltman

David Tiltman is Head of Content at WARC. He's been writing about media and marketing for over ten years, including six years at Haymarket Media Group. There he served as Features Editor for Marketing magazine in London, before moving to the Hong Kong office to become Managing Editor of Campaign Asia. Website : warc.com

Amanda F've

Amanda F've

Amanda F've is a partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Anomaly Amsterdam. She works with clients to shape how brands communicate and behave, helping unlock growth in a world that feels increasingly complex and crowded. Since joining Anomaly in 2012, Amanda has led strategic thinking for clients including Converse, Johnnie Walker, T-Mobile and IKEA. Website : anomaly.com

Mick McCabe

Mick McCabe

Mick is Chief Strategy Officer for Publicis Worldwide, supporting the North American and Global teams. Before this, he was CSO for North America at Leo Burnett, and he's also held CSO roles at Deutsch and KBSP. Website : www.publicis.com

Amy Winger

Amy Winger

Amy is global Chief Strategy Officer at VMLY&R. She's a strong believer in effectiveness and thinks the wider advertising ecosystem should rally around the right purpose. Website : vmlyr.com

Gurdeep Puri

Gurdeep Puri

Gurdeep is a founding partner at The Effectivness Partnership, and previously led Effectivness at Leo Burnett. He's helped clients win more than 60 creative effectiveness awards across the globe. He's also a qualified Econometrician. Basically, he's pretty sharp when it comes to planning and effectiveness. Website : theeffectivenesspartnership.com

Michael Chadwick

Michael Chadwick

Michael is Chief Strategy Officer for Dentsu across Asia Pacific. He's helped build a modern planning approach that supports brands in today's economy. He's responsible for the strategic capability of 30+ offices across 17 markets in the region. Website : dentsuaegisnetwork.com


What we'll cover, in order.

An Introduction to Marketing Strategy

Understand what marketing strategy is, how it works, why it's important and what you'll be getting up to in this course.
What is strategy?
Why is it important?
What is the role of a strategist?
What is the strategic process?

Analysis: Where are you now?

Here we show you how to do the research so you can find the right answers and insights for your brand.
Why bother with analysis?
Know your business
Know your market
Know your customers
Know your context
Insights
Creating Your Strategy

Setting KPIs and Objectives: Knowing where you want to go

Here we'll show you how to work out and set the right KPIs and objectives for your marketing.
A quick recap
KPIs
Why setting objectives is important?
How to set S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Making your plan: How to get there

A simple guide so you can create and use customer journey maps to better plan your path to success.
An Intro to Journey Planning
The Customer Journey
The Customer Journey - Part 2

Implementation: Putting things into practice

Learn how to make great briefs and work with different teams smoothly to give your strategy the best chance of victory.
The importance of briefing
How to write a good brief
Getting buy-in and working with partners
How to feedback on creative ideas
R.A.C.I. - A framework to help you work with partners
Pre-Testing

Evaluating success: How effective was your strategy?

What does success look like? How to define it? What are the different ways to measure it?
The basics of effectiveness
Econometric Modelling
Short-term vs. Long-term
Making your case (study)

Sharpening your strategic edge

A look at the skills you need to develop to become a strategic genius.
Advice for becoming a better strategist
Be ruthless with your focus
Develop your curiosity
Be a clear communicator
Have Empathy
Think Critically
The Future of Strategy

Certification Process

1

Complete all the classes

Attend classes, ask questions, and finish your homework. We check your activity and support your learning journey every step of the way.

2

Get the Summary Notes

Receive high-quality supporting documents, summary notes, and recommended readings. Ensure you have access to all tools and resources.

3

Complete 100% Impact

Complete the final assessment to validate your learning. Earn your certificate and share your achievement with your professional network!

Marketing Strategy
Free

This Course Includes:

Level Access
9h of Content
Certificate of Completion
English

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