Develop a grounding in marketing in this 6 module online course

Whether you’re in your first marketing job, or want a grasp of the basics to support your work in other areas, AMA’s Essentials of Marketing will give you a solid foundation in the skills you need to succeed.

The course comprises of video tutorials, written resources, quizzes and practical challenges to help cement your learning. Over eight weeks you’ll explore key concepts and practical examples across six modules:

  • The Role of Marketing
  • Understanding your Audiences
  • Knowing your Brand
  • Campaign Planning
  • The Marketing Mix
  • Monitoring and Evaluation

And at the end of the course you’ll receive a certificate to show off your new skills.

Why do the Essentials of Marketing course?

The Essentials of Marketing modules work together to help you develop a rounded sense of what marketing is, with a focus on the arts, heritage and cultural sectors.

As well as providing you with practical skills and tools that you will use repeatedly throughout your career, it will also help you better understand the context and contribution of your work.

You’ll also be part of a cohort learning together, helping you to create your first supportive community of peers.

We encourage Managers to send team members who will benefit from foundational marketing skills, as this course will support the confident application of those skills in their work and lay the foundations for strategic thinking.

Taking the course

Essentials of Marketing takes place entirely online for eight weeks. A new module will be released each Monday throughout the course and participants will have a further three weeks after the release of the final module to complete it.

September to October 2026

  • Monday 7 September 10.30-11.30: Course launch with introductory live session
  • Monday 14 September: Module 2
  • Monday 21 September: Module 3
  • Monday 28 September:
    Module 4
  • Monday 5 October:
    Module 5
  • Monday 12 October:
    Module 6
  • Monday 19 October 10.30am-11.30am – live online Q&A session
  • Friday 6 November: End of course

November to January 2027

  • Monday 9 November 10.30-11.30: Course launch with introductory live session
  • Monday 16 November: Module 2
  • Monday 23 November: Module 3
  • Monday 30 November:
    Module 4
  • Monday 7 December:
    Module 5
  • Monday 14 December:
    Module 6
  • Monday 11 January 10.30am-11.30am: – live online Q&A session
  • Friday 29 January 2027: End of course

March to April 2027

  • Monday 1 March 10.30-11.30: Course launch with introductory live session
  • Monday 8 March:
    Module 2
  • Monday 15 March:
    Module 3
  • Monday 22 March:
    Module 4
  • Monday 29 March:
    Module 5
  • Monday 5 April:
    Module 6
  • Monday 12 April 10.30am-11.30am: – live online Q&A session
  • Friday 30 April 2027: End of course

The whole course takes place on an online platform, where you’ll be able to access all the course content and digitally network with other participants in your cohort through the platform’s messaging function.

We expect each module to take up to two hours to complete.

If you have any access requirements, please contact sophie@a-m-a.co.uk

Cost

Standard Member rate: £250 + VAT 

Small Organisation / Between Jobs Member rate: £150 + VAT 

Non-member rate: £395 + VAT 

November 2026 Cohort

Book now

March 2027 Cohort

Book now

Bursaries

Bursaries help make our events more affordable for individuals and organisations who might not otherwise be able to get involved. 

Thanks to the support from Arts Council of Wales, up to 10 fully funded bursaries are available for Essentials of Marketing delegate places: 5 for the November cohort and 5 for the March cohort.

Apply for a November cohort bursary
Apply for a March cohort bursary
Close up of 8 people's hands. They are in a circle with one hand on top of another.

The modules

Introductory live session

The course will launch with a live online session on Zoom. This session will introduce you to the course, explain how it will work and how to use our Essentials of Marketing online platform. It’s also an opportunity to meet the rest of the cohort and start building your professional network of peers.

Module 1: The Role of Marketing

Module 1 will help you develop an understanding of what marketing is and what its purpose is. You will explore the breadth of the marketer’s role and what it entails. You’ll also gain insight into the key areas we need to think about as marketers.

Module 2: Understanding your Audiences

This module looks at the role data plays in marketing and how it can help you understand your audiences. You’ll learn about how to collect data, the types of data marketers can collect and how they can use this data. We’ll explore the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, and you’ll also gain insight into segmentation, personas and empathy maps.

Module 3: Knowing your Brand

In Module 3 you’ll develop an understanding of what a brand is. Covering topics such as brand values, personality and positioning, you’ll explore the different elements of brand management and discover how you can support your organisation’s brand in your role.

Module 4: Campaign Planning

Planning a marketing campaign is a key part of a marketer’s role. In this module you’ll learn how to write a marketing campaign. You will develop skills to choose target audiences and craft key messages for them. You will also learn how to identify what channels to use for different audiences and how to monitor and evaluate them.

Module 5: Understanding your Audiences

Module 5 delves deeper into the Marketing Mix focusing on the key elements of ‘promotion’. You will learn about the AIDA model and develop the skills to decide what mix of marketing activities to use to achieve your marketing objectives and reach your target audiences.

Module 6: Monitoring and Evaluation

In this module you will learn the difference between ‘monitoring’ and ‘evaluation’, and the importance of building both into your marketing activity from the outset to help you assess whether you’re achieving your marketing objectives. You will discover the tools and framework you will need to turn the data you gather into actionable insight, and develop the skills to decide what data to evaluate and monitor and when.

Course completion deadline

To receive your course certificate you must complete all modules by the course completion deadline.

Any questions?

Please contact one of the team at info@a-m-a.co.uk, they’ll be more than happy to help.