Syllabus: International Baccalaureate - Individuals and societies - Business management (Standard Level)
Module: Unit 4: Marketing
Lesson: 4.1 Introduction to Marketing
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Introduction
This article aligns with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Business Management Standard Level syllabus, specifically Unit 4: Marketing – 4.1 Introduction to Marketing. Designed for educators, SLT, and careers leads, it explores not just syllabus content but also the practical teaching opportunities, workplace relevance, and career connections embedded within this foundational topic. Marketing serves as the bridge between business operations and consumer needs, making it ideal for teaching commercial awareness and workplace readiness.
Key Concepts
According to the IB syllabus for 4.1 Introduction to Marketing, students are expected to understand:
The role of marketing in achieving business objectives
The difference between marketing of goods and services, including the characteristics of services
Market orientation vs product orientation
Commercial vs social marketing
Marketing objectives, such as increasing market share or launching new products
The importance of ethical marketing and societal considerations
These are not standalone topics, but gateways to understanding how organisations think strategically and how marketing aligns with finance, operations, and HR.
Real-World Relevance
Marketing is one of the most dynamic and visible aspects of business, with daily relevance for students. Consider:
Apple’s ethical marketing strategies when promoting environmental sustainability in its products
Greggs’ plant-based product campaigns, which demonstrate market orientation responding to consumer trends
Social marketing by the NHS, promoting public health messages like vaccine uptake—demonstrating marketing with societal aims
Teachers can also bring in recent examples like Spotify Wrapped, which merges personalisation with commercial branding, or the rebranding of Twitter to “X” as a case study in marketing strategy, risk, and stakeholder reaction.
How It’s Assessed
Assessment in IB Business Management at SL includes both external and internal components:
Paper 1 often involves responding to unseen case studies with real-world business scenarios
Paper 2 focuses on data response and structured questions related to syllabus content like 4.1
Students must use command terms such as analyse, evaluate, discuss, and explain
Answers are expected to apply marketing terminology accurately and integrate real examples where appropriate
Students must demonstrate both factual knowledge and the ability to apply concepts to novel contexts—making active learning techniques particularly effective here.
Enterprise Skills Integration
Marketing naturally integrates with multiple enterprise skills, including:
Decision-making and problem-solving: evaluating product positioning and targeting strategies
Stakeholder analysis: understanding how marketing decisions affect customers, communities, and shareholders
Commercial awareness: learning how marketing drives revenue and shapes consumer behaviour
Digital literacy: understanding the impact of social media and data in shaping marketing campaigns
Enterprise Skills’ simulations and tools like the Marketing Message Creator and Customer Persona Builder help students experience these skills in action.
Careers Links
Marketing is directly linked to multiple career paths and meets several Gatsby Benchmarks:
Benchmark 4 (Linking Curriculum to Careers): Marketing links easily to roles such as market analyst, digital marketing executive, and product manager
Benchmark 5 (Encounters with Employers): Students can engage with guest speakers from marketing firms or take part in employer-set challenges
Benchmark 6 (Experiences of Workplaces): Using simulations or work shadowing to experience marketing decision-making first-hand
Careers leads can use this unit to demonstrate progression into fields like advertising, retail strategy, data analytics, and brand management.
Teaching Notes
Tips for Effective Delivery:
Use real campaigns: Integrate live advertising and social media examples to bring concepts to life. Encourage critical thinking—“What message is this brand sending?”
Bring in employer voices: Guest speakers from local firms or virtual insights from professionals can make marketing tangible.
Incorporate active learning: Tools such as mini campaigns, peer pitching exercises, and case study debates boost engagement and comprehension.
Common Pitfalls:
Over-reliance on outdated textbook examples—ensure case studies are current and culturally relevant.
Students often confuse social marketing with social media marketing—clarify early.
Ethical marketing discussions can become too general—anchor them in real brand dilemmas.
Extension Activities:
Run a mini simulation where students act as a business launching a new product
Analyse the 7Ps of a local business and present improvement strategies
Compare product vs market orientation using household brands (e.g., LEGO vs Dyson)
