Duringthe first part of the course, we reflect on ‘the context of marketing’. A discussion of    changes in how marketingis and has been viewed in the literature is initiated. In relation to this, the terms mental models and dominant marketing logic is introduced to highlight the active role that companies’ executives, corporate managers of marketing inclusive, have in setting the scene for how marketing is conceptualized and realized. Furthermore, we discusshow to understand consumers’ attitudes and behavior towards market innovations andthe implication of sustainability, as representing and important emerging mega trend in business and societyonthe practice of innovation and marketing management. In a second part we explore and discuss the meaning of creativity and perception in the management of innovation, creativity and marketing processes, as compared with approaching innovation from a traditional market learning (discovering) perspective. Additionally, we explore various creative techniques for identifying new market opportunities and for implanting a proactive view on markets and marketing within and outside the marketing function. Thereafter, in the third part, the course turns to the following key terms of the SMC concentration: corporate entrepreneurship, innovation management, NPD and co-creation. It begins with exploring the meaning (-s) in the literature of these terms and their relatedness. This is followed by a discussion of what sets innovation driven and design conscious companies apart from their counterparts. When discussing the latter, we ‘look into’ evolvement and new ways of managing innovation processes of products, brands and of market channels. Finally, a fourth theme in the course deals with the challenge of managing exploitative and explorative innovation simultaneously. We thereby discuss how different innovation strategies affect company performance. In other words, the course ‘Marketing, Creativity and Innovation’ consists of the following four highly related parts:

• Marketing logicsstrategic leadership for innovation
• Consumers’ values and innovative behavior and implication on marketing and innovation of the sustainability trend and value orientation.
• Managing innovation as a key business process and co-creation as a business philosophy
• Exploitative vs. explorative innovation, and effect on company performance

Progression
‘Marketing, Creativity and Innovation’ and ‘Strategic Leadership and Brand management’ constitute the foundation of the concentration. This means that the issues, terms and concepts that are introduced during the course will be further explored and elaborated during courses that run concurrently or subsequently during the first and second semester.

• Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want, 2014, Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory Bernarda, Alan Smith, Trish Papadakos, Wiley 
• Blue Ocean Strategy, 2015, W Chan Kim and Renée Maubourgne, HBS Press
• Strategic Innovation Management, 2014, Joe Tidd and John Bessant, Wiley
• Strategy for Sustainability, a business manifesto, 2009, Adam Werbach, Harvard Business Press
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A competency Framework, 2015, Charles H. Matthews, Ralph Brueggemann, Routledge

Plus a selection of articles in the field of marketing, innovation and creativity management: