Syllabus: Pearson Edexcel AS Business
Module: Marketing Mix and Strategy
Lesson: 1.3.5 Marketing Strategy

Introduction

This Pearson Edexcel AS Business lesson on Marketing Strategy is part of Theme 1: Marketing and People, within the broader module Marketing Mix and Strategy. It draws together elements from earlier lessons – product design, pricing, promotion, and distribution – and applies them to strategic decision-making. This is where students begin to think like marketers, considering how to position a product successfully in competitive markets.

Understanding marketing strategy is key for AO1 (knowledge), AO2 (application), and AO3 (analysis). It also prepares students for synoptic questions where they must evaluate how and why certain strategies work in real businesses.

Key Concepts

The syllabus focuses on how businesses build and adapt marketing strategies, particularly by aligning with customer needs and market conditions. Core concepts include:

• The Marketing Strategy Process: Setting objectives, identifying target markets, selecting tactics (via the 4Ps), and monitoring outcomes.
• Mass vs Niche Marketing: Strategic choices between targeting a broad customer base or a specific market segment.
• Business Context and Strategy:
  • New vs established products
  • B2B vs B2C marketing
  • The role of digital channels
• The Boston Matrix: A portfolio tool used to categorise products as stars, cash cows, question marks, or dogs – helping firms prioritise resources.
• Product Life Cycle: How marketing strategy shifts through introduction, growth, maturity, and decline phases.
• Influences on Strategy: Internal factors (e.g. finance, production capacity) and external ones (e.g. competition, consumer trends).

These build on 1.3.1–1.3.4, ensuring students understand how tactical decisions form part of a wider strategic picture.

Real-World Relevance

Good strategy meets a need, tells a story, and evolves with the market. Consider:

• Greggs repositioning with healthier product ranges and digital ordering, showing how strategy adapts with changing social trends.
• Netflix using the Boston Matrix to manage content – releasing new shows (question marks), nurturing hits (stars), and retiring underperformers (dogs).
• Tesla leveraging niche positioning in early years to build a premium brand, before expanding toward mass-market models.

You can also discuss brand flops like New Coke – where ignoring consumer expectations led to a strategic U-turn. These examples help students understand that strategy isn’t theory – it’s survival.

How It’s Assessed

Marketing strategy tends to appear in Theme 1 questions, especially in Paper 1.

Typical command words and question formats include:

• “Analyse” how a business might use the Boston Matrix to inform strategy (6–8 mark questions).
• “Evaluate” the suitability of niche marketing for a new product launch (10 or 12 marks).
• “Explain” why a business may adjust its marketing strategy during product maturity (4 marks).

Past papers often wrap this content into case studies, requiring students to apply knowledge to unseen scenarios. Encourage practice with questions that move from descriptive (AO1) to evaluative (AO3), as this is where many students underperform.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This lesson is a prime opportunity to build decision-making, problem-solving, and adaptability:

• Students evaluate which strategy fits a given market scenario – just like in real business pitches.
• Use MarketScope AI to explore the impact of pricing shifts or new distribution channels on market share.
• With tools like the Pitch Deck Analyser, students can test how their chosen marketing mix holds up under stakeholder scrutiny.

These skills aren’t extras – they’re what make business education practically valuable.

Careers Links

This topic aligns with Gatsby Benchmark 4 by clearly linking classroom learning to career pathways, such as:

• Marketing Manager: Makes daily decisions about positioning, pricing, and branding.
• Brand Strategist: Uses tools like the Boston Matrix to manage product portfolios.
• Entrepreneur: Must create and adapt strategies to gain traction and funding.

Use real job descriptions from platforms like Prospects or Indeed to show students how marketing strategy underpins roles across sectors – from tech startups to retail giants.

Teaching Notes

For Teachers
From the empathy maps, we know time is tight and you want adaptable, impactful resources – not gimmicks. Here’s what works:

• Starter Task: Students classify well-known products into the Boston Matrix and justify their choices. Great for retrieval and real-world application.
• Main Task: Give students a business scenario (e.g. launching a new soft drink). Ask them to choose between mass and niche marketing and justify their 4Ps strategy.
• Stretch Task: Introduce conflicting objectives (e.g. ethical concerns vs profit maximisation). Ask students to adapt strategy while maintaining brand credibility.

Pitfalls to Watch For:

• Students often confuse marketing mix (tactics) with marketing strategy (the bigger picture). Emphasise the difference early.
• The Boston Matrix can become a box-ticking task. Push students to explore why a firm would treat a ‘dog’ product differently to a ‘cash cow’.

For SLT and Careers Leads

• This lesson supports whole-school priorities around employability, real-world relevance, and cross-disciplinary skills.
• Use it as a touchpoint for enrichment – invite alumni working in digital marketing or product strategy to talk about how these models play out in real life.