Segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) is the part of marketing that decides who you are for and why they should choose you. It is also the part most small businesses skip: they talk to “everyone”, compete on price and wonder why nothing sticks. If you are looking for a course on it, you will find free university courses, a Cornell certificate course, a FutureLearn course you can buy outright or try with limited access, and short paid courses like ours. They differ a lot in time, depth and price. This guide compares the main options as of October 2026, says who each suits, and is honest about where our own short course fits.
Who is looking for a segmentation and positioning course
- Small-business owners: you need to pick the customers worth winning, say clearly why you are the better choice for them, and stop spending money on people who will never buy.
- Marketers and product managers: you need a method to choose target segments with data, write a positioning statement and defend it to colleagues.
- Students and career builders: you want the STP framework explained properly, with assignments and a certificate.
Market segmentation and positioning courses compared
| Option | Type | Format and length | Price (as of October 2026) | Certificate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segmenting the Market with Jagdish Sheth (Kennesaw State University, on Coursera) | University course on a MOOC platform | 3 modules; beginner; 6 hours | Free to enroll; also included with Coursera Plus | Shareable certificate listed | Learners who want segmentation bases and positioning from a well-known marketing scholar |
| The “Who” of the Marketing Strategy: Segmentation & Targeting (IE Business School, on Coursera) | Short university course | 1 module; beginner; 1 hour | Included with Coursera Plus; price shown on Coursera at enrolment | Shareable certificate listed | A one-hour university-branded introduction to segmentation and targeting |
| Brand Positioning and Strategy (Minnesota State University, Mankato, on Coursera) | University course on a MOOC platform | 4 modules; beginner; 7 hours | Free to enroll; also included with Coursera Plus | Shareable certificate listed | Anyone whose main task is a positioning statement and brand promise |
| Strategic Marketing: Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (The University of Law, on FutureLearn) | University short course | 3 weeks at 3 hours a week; introductory | €49 one-off, or a FutureLearn Unlimited subscription; free limited access for 3 weeks (prices shown in euros for our location) | Certificate with the paid options only | Learners who like a weekly structure and discussion with other learners |
| Targeting and Positioning (eCornell, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business) | Instructor-led university certificate course | 2 weeks at 5 to 7 hours a week; fixed start dates; two prerequisite courses | Not shown on the course page | Stacks toward eCornell certificates such as Marketing Strategy | Marketing and product managers who want analytical tools and a Cornell name |
| Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Course (Easy Marketing School) | Short self-paced video course | 7 video lessons, about 40 minutes; lifetime access | $4.90 one-time | Certificate of completion | Owners and beginners who want STP and the USP explained with examples, fast |
All details come from each provider’s public page as of October 2026. Prices and start dates change; confirm on the provider’s page before you enroll.
Each option: what it is good for, and what it is not
Kennesaw State University: Segmenting the Market with Jagdish Sheth (Coursera)
Taught by Jagdish Sheth, the course covers the bases of segmentation (demographics, psychographics and lifestyles, plus segmentation by product and price), seven ways to differentiate, and a module on positioning as the key to successful marketing. It is six hours, beginner level, free to enroll, with six assignments and a shareable certificate, and it is part of a specialization on creating a differential competitive advantage.
Good for: the full logic from segment to position, from an academic authority, free. Less suited to: anyone who wants data analysis or worked examples for a very small business.
IE Business School: The “Who” of the Marketing Strategy (Coursera)
A single one-hour module on understanding the marketplace and consumers, defining a marketing strategy and turning it into an integrated plan. It has one assignment and a shareable certificate and is included with Coursera Plus. Unlike the other Coursera courses here, the page shows “Enroll now” rather than “Enroll for free”, so check the price at enrolment.
Good for: a quick, structured overview with a university name. Less suited to: depth; one hour is a starting point.
Minnesota State University, Mankato: Brand Positioning and Strategy (Coursera)
Focused on the “P” of STP. You define a brand position by identifying audience, category and differentiation, write a positioning statement and brand promise, and test them for clarity, credibility and competitive strength. Seven hours, four modules, eight assignments, free to enroll.
Good for: anyone who has chosen a target and now needs to say why they win. Less suited to: learning how to segment a market in the first place.
The University of Law: Strategic Marketing: Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (FutureLearn)
An introductory course of three weeks at three hours a week, built around the three pillars of STP, with discussion between learners on every step. The page offers three ways to take it: buy the course outright (shown as €49 for our location, with printed and digital certificate), subscribe to FutureLearn Unlimited (digital certificate), or join free with access limited to three weeks and no certificate. To earn the certificate you complete 90% of steps and all assessments.
Good for: learners who want a paced course from a UK university, with a certificate if they pay. Less suited to: anyone who wants to finish in an evening.
eCornell: Targeting and Positioning
The most rigorous option here: an instructor-led Cornell course of two weeks at five to seven hours a week, authored by Professor Stijn van Osselaer of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. You choose target segments with the Importance-Performance Model and other analytical tools, then position a product for them. It requires two earlier courses (Key Performance Indicators for Marketing, and The Customer Journey and Segmentation), runs on fixed start dates, and lists entrepreneurs and small-business owners among those who should enroll. It stacks toward eCornell certificates such as Marketing Strategy and Integrated Marketing 360. No price is shown on the course page.
Good for: managers who want analytical rigour and a Cornell credential. Less suited to: anyone who needs an answer this week or a low budget.
How to choose: a short checklist
- Know which step you are stuck on. Not sure who your customers are? Start with segmentation. Know your target but sound like everyone else? Start with positioning.
- Decide how much rigour you need. A small business usually needs a clear, sensible choice; a product team may need data and a defensible model.
- Look for examples. STP is easy to understand and hard to apply. Courses with real examples, including unique selling propositions, transfer better to your own business.
- Check the time format. Self-paced courses fit around work; instructor-led and weekly-paced ones keep you moving but have start dates.
- Check what earns the certificate. On some platforms the certificate needs a paid option; on others it comes with completion.
- Write your positioning statement as you go. Whichever course you take, finish it with one sentence: for whom, what you offer, and why you are the better choice.
Where our course fits, and its limits
Our market segmentation, targeting and positioning course is the short option for owners and beginners who are talking to “everyone”. It has seven video lessons, about 40 minutes in total: segmentation analysis, what a unique selling proposition is, USP examples, positioning in marketing strategy, what STP marketing is, the whole STP approach, and STP decoded with examples. It costs $4.90 as a one-time payment, with lifetime access and a certificate of completion, and the first lesson can be watched free without signing up.
What it is not: it is a concise introduction with examples, not an analytical course. It does not teach data-driven segmentation (clustering, survey analysis) or the analytical targeting models eCornell uses, it has no assignments, and it is not accredited and carries no CEUs or college credit. If you want depth for free, Kennesaw State’s course is the natural next step; if you want a credential, eCornell or FutureLearn. For applied examples, see our articles on why defining customer segments comes first and positioning a business in a saturated market.
Frequently asked questions
What is STP in marketing?
Segmentation, targeting and positioning: split the market into groups with different needs, choose the groups you can serve best, and decide how you want those customers to see you compared with the alternatives.
Is there a free market segmentation course?
Yes. Kennesaw State’s Segmenting the Market and Minnesota State Mankato’s Brand Positioning and Strategy are free to enroll on Coursera, and FutureLearn offers free limited access for three weeks without a certificate.
How long does it take to learn segmentation and positioning?
The basics take under an hour in a short course; a thorough grounding takes six to nine hours; eCornell’s instructor-led course takes two weeks at five to seven hours a week, according to the providers’ pages.
Do small businesses really need segmentation?
Yes, and they gain the most from it. With a small budget you cannot afford to reach everyone, so choosing one or two segments and positioning clearly for them is often the cheapest marketing improvement available.
