Foreword by Professor Andrew Chan, Chi Fai, CUHK

With the changing nature of marketing in the business world, more and more companies are adopting “direct marketing” as an effective tool to reach their target customers. Professional Diploma in Direct Marketing is especially designed to help you keep up with the latest advances and best practices in direct marketing.

Taught by experienced teaching staff from the Faculty of Business Administration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and also by leading experts in the profession, this program—unique as it is in Hong Kong—provides the cutting-edge knowledge to meet challenge in today’s competitive business environment.

Foreword by Mr Eugene Raitt, Board member of Direct Marketing Association

The Professional Diploma in Direct Marketing offered by The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong is an outstanding example of the marriage of direct marketing and academic rigour. Students will receive a thorough grounding in direct marketing, experience both the practical and the academic, to ensure deep understanding and effective application. This program will greatly enhance your professional value and position you for rapid personal and professional growth.

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Direct Marketing Association and member of the Executive and Education Committees, it gives me great pleasure to see the expansion of educational opportunities in direct marketing for students and companies in Hong Kong. I would recommend this course to any student or company as a way to ensure high competence in the practice of direct marketing. I commend the Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association, APIB and CUHK for introducing this course to the Hong Kong market.

Introduction

Direct Marketing is a high-growth industry worldwide, and it's no wonder why this is so. More and more companies have discovered that including direct marketing in their overall marketing mix drives top-line revenues, and especially BOTTOM-LINE revenues, dramatically higher. This course is designed for companies and individuals alike who are already using direct marketing methods and who want to ensure the highest level of competency in this discipline. It is also designed for companies and individuals who are considering the use of direct marketing and wish to understand the scientific foundations of direct marketing, the strategic applications, profit opportunities and commitment necessary to build a successful direct marketing operation or career.

Program Objective

Distinguished Teaching Staff from CUHK

Program Director: Prof. Andrew Chan, Chi Fai, JP, Director of Executive MBA and Professor, Department of Marketing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Lecturers: Teaching Staff from the Faculty of Business Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and guest speakers in the related industry.

Language Medium and Methods of Instruction

The program will be mainly taught in Cantonese. English will be used as a supplementary medium. Methods of instruction include lectures, case studies, seminars and projects.

Time and Place of Class

Commencement Date: January 2007 Time: 6:45 p.m - 9:45 p.m. on Thursday evenings, except public holidays Venue: North Point Training Centre (Hongkong Post)

Admission Requirements and Selection

Enrollment is limited, so participants are selected on a competitive basis. Applicants must have the following qualifications:

• Proficiency in Chinese and English and

• Either be a Bachelors Degree or be a F.5 graduate with at least 4 years of executive/working experience in a related industry.

Grading Systems and Graduation Requirements

To be awarded the PDDM, participants must:
1. Attend at least 75% of the class sessions, and
2. Attain a grade point average of 1.70 (C-) or above for the entire program, and
3. Pass at least 6 out of the 8 modules.

Program Fee

Tuition fee: HK$27,000

• HKDMA members and CUHK/APIB alumni will enjoy a 20% discount.
• Hang Seng Bank credit card holders may enjoy the 12-month interest-free Installment Scheme. (Only for students who pay $27,000.00)
• The course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses for CEF purposes.

Application Procedures

A completed application form must be accompanied by the following items:
1. Photocopies of academic achievements, examination results and professional qualifications;
2. Documentation of past and current working experience;
3. A non-refundable application fee of HK$150 by crossed cheque payable to "The Chinese University of Hong Kong";
4. A photocopy of Hong Kong Identity Card Passport;
5. 2 recent passport-size photos.

Modules

A. Direct Marketing Essentials (15 hrs)

The course discusses the objectives and underlying principles of Direct Marketing. Case studies of success and failure in Direct Marketing will be presented.

1. What is Direct Marketing
2. Objectives of Direct Marketing
3. Underlying principles of Direct Marketing
4. Case Studies of Direct Marketing
5. Assessment

B. Marketing Strategy and Direct Marketing (15 hrs)

Through the discussion of cases and current business practice in Direct Marketing, the course focuses on the framework of Strategic Marketing and where Direct Marketing fits in. The key theories, models and tools of marketing strategy will be covered with a strong emphasis on their application to Direct Marketing. The students will learn how Direct Marketing can serve as building block for market success.

D. Consumer Behavior and the Application of Direct Marketing (15 hrs)

Market success highly depends on understanding our customers and applying marketing tools to meet their needs. We need to identify and target different customer groups. Each group can have distinct characteristics and behavior: no one marketing strategy will fit all. Segmentation and positioning strategies need to be considered. Knowing customer behavior, we can target our marketing program by applying Direct Marketing techniques accurately.

E. Market Communication and Direct Marketing (18 hrs)

The course aims to teach students effective market communication skill in Direct Marketing. This can help to conduct business analysis, recruit club members, convince customers, persuade staff, and build a long-term customer relationship. Fundamental concepts and theories will be emphasized. Communication strategy and promotional mix will be discussed. Real business cases will be used for illustration and discussion.

F. Database Marketing and CRM Database management (18 hrs)

This course teaches database management, and how to build and grow the customer database. By calculating the “customer lifetime value”, students will learn about the company’s greatest asset, namely, its customer database. Customer Relationship Management will be emphasized. The use of customer information in data mining will also be discussed. Students will learn how to apply Direct Marketing in Customer Relationship Management through case studies.

G. Executive Seminars: Creative Development and Media (6 hrs)

Knowledge of contemporary business practice in Direct Marketing is important for the practitioner. The issues and problems relating to copyright, call center operations, postal mail and internet will be discussed. Executive seminars will allow experience sharing and the development of practical skills in these areas. They will be conducted by scholars and business executives with rich experience in Direct Marketing.

H. Action Learning Project (18 hrs)

This provides an opportunity for the students to apply what they have learned to solve real business problems. It will be led by a panel of APIB lecturers and senior business executives from the supporting organizations.

• Project Briefing: Participants will attend project briefing and selection activities, followed by planning and project orientation sessions.  Companies can send teams to work together on a project of interest to the senior management.
• Project Supervision: A minimum of three to five students are required to form a project team, under the joint supervision of one lecturer of APIB and/or one business executive of the supporting organizations.
• Project Topic: The project topic will be given by the supporting organizations.
• Project Duration: The project will last four months. Students are expected to average half a day a week for their team work. Students are encouraged to use the internet to communicate with their supervisors.
• Project Review: At the midpoint of their project, students/groups will review their project during a half day meeting with their advisors. 
• Final Presentation and Critique: The project should lead to a real Direct Marketing application. The project will be graded for (1) presentation/critique and (2) a written report. The panel will attend the final presentation and provide critiques. The written report will be graded by the project supervisors.
• Post program Workshop: Advisors will follow up with each team to evaluate its progress in implementing its action plan and provide some guidance.

Total 120 hrs

Enquiries

Acknowledgement

This program is endorsed by Mr. Eugene Raitt, member of the Board of Directors of the Direct Marketing Association.

Special acknowledgement:

	Hongkong Post

	Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association