Overview

This course introduces learners to the core responsibilities of the Trade Marketing function and explains how these responsibilities support business growth, retail execution, and shopper engagement. It gives learners a practical view of what Trade Marketing is expected to own, influence, support, and coordinate across the business.

The course begins by explaining the major responsibility areas within Trade Marketing. These include strategic planning, operational execution, market analysis, retailer and distributor engagement, compliance, Joint Business Planning, calendarization, merchandising, POS management, and in-store activation. Learners will understand how Trade Marketing contributes to both planning and execution, from building channel strategies and promotional plans to supporting product availability, displays, retailer programs, and performance tracking.

A major part of the course is responsibility alignment. Learners are introduced to the RACI matrix, a simple but powerful tool used to clarify who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed across projects and tasks. This helps reduce confusion, prevent overlap, improve collaboration, and strengthen accountability between Trade Marketing, sales, brand marketing, category management, shopper marketing, key account management, logistics, and finance.

The course also covers four practical responsibility blocks: market research, data analytics, promotion development, and cost management. Learners will see how Trade Marketing contributes to shopper insights, competitor analysis, promotional evaluation, retail partner analytics, planogram development, customer-specific promotions, POSM budgets, account-level costs, and channel/category investment planning.

By completing this course, learners will understand how Trade Marketing responsibilities must be clearly defined, aligned, measured, and connected to business outcomes.

What Students Will Gain

• A clear understanding of the major responsibility areas within Trade Marketing, from strategy and execution to analytics, promotions, compliance, and budgeting.
• Practical knowledge of how responsibilities are assigned using tools such as the RACI matrix.
• Better understanding of how Trade Marketing works with sales, brand marketing, category management, shopper marketing, KAM, logistics, and finance.
• A stronger view of how market research, data analytics, promotion development, and cost management support trade marketing performance.
• The ability to see Trade Marketing as a disciplined commercial function with ownership, accountability, and measurable business impact.