CIM Professional Diploma for those in Sports Marketing

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A world-leading community sport environment needs marketers who understand how to attract customers, change consumer behaviour, manage stakeholder relationships and generate further investment, sponsorship or revenue.

This is why Sport England supports the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma for those in Sports Marketing. It follows the same syllabus as the CIM's standard professional diploma but applied specifically to sport.

It gives people working in the sports industry the chance to understand how marketing theories, tools and techniques can work in their sector, at the same time as giving them a qualification recognised by the world’s largest body of marketers.

Natalie Munt, a member of the Team GB badminton team in the Athens Olympics, successfully gained her diploma while still competing. ‘I had a lot of time waiting for tournaments to start so the structure of the diploma appealed to me as you could work at your own pace.’

‘I managed to complete the diploma without it having a negative impact on my training or tournament results. In fact I think it actually had a positive impact as it took the pressure off me performing as I knew I was making the most of my spare time and setting myself up for life after badminton.’

Pete Brudenell, who is still taking the diploma, is hoping it will help him break into the sports industry. ‘The diploma has allowed me to combine my interest in marketing and sport,’ he says. ‘I have already learnt a lot and would recommend it to anyone else in a similar position.

The course usually takes 12 months to complete and is divided into four modules:

  • Marketing planning process
  • Delivering customer value through marketing
  • Marketing management
  • Project management.

Delegates complete each module with a three-part work-related assignment which assesses its application to sport.

Supporting materials

As a delegate you will receive:

  • Specialist sports marketing textbooks plus standard classic marketing texts
  • A choice of either distance learning study or intensive weekend courses for each module
  • Access to a specialist sports marketing micro website supporting the course with material downloads and access to research websites

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive both the CIM Professional Diploma and a Cambridge Marketing Colleges/Sport England Diploma.

The course is run by Cambridge Marketing Colleges, which has teaching centres in Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Guilford and Manchester. It costs £1,600 to complete the course by distance learning or £1,895 if you wish to attend weekend courses or Saturday seminars.

For more information go to the Cambridge Marketing Colleges website

Professional Certificate in Sports Marketing

The certificate is suitable for those with some experience in marketing and with limited academic qualifications or delegates with non-marketing degrees and limited marketing experience.

Duration

Each module requires 45 hours of study. Delegates should allow 6 – 8 hours home study per module per week. For executives in a fulltime position we would suggest the courses will take between 6 and 12 months to complete.

Study methods

Delegates can choose to study on a Distance Learning or a Taught Course basis or may combine the two and choose to do some modules by Distance learning and some by taught sessions.

Assessment

Assessment is by a combination of a 3-hour examination, case study and work-baseassignments.


For more information download the CIM Professional Certificate PDF

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