D376 sits in the second term of WGU's Master of Science in Marketing (3 competency units).
WGU says it teaches the core concepts for integrative marketing strategies that meet the needs of an organization and its customers: new product development, product management, value proposition and customer experience management.
The voice of the customer is central, with the aim of building a customer-centric culture and meaningful interactions across the entire customer journey. The competencies add pricing strategies that enhance customer value and promote ethical pricing.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course | D376 Product, Price, and Customer Experience |
| Program | Master of Science, Marketing (both specializations) |
| Credit | 3 competency units, second term |
| Subject area | Product management, pricing, customer experience |
What D376 Covers
| Competency (summarized) | What it involves |
|---|---|
| How products and services are developed and managed to meet needs and goals | Stages, life cycle, portfolio |
| Pricing strategies and tactics for customer value and ethical pricing | Cost, value and rival-based pricing, fairness |
| A customer experience strategy across the journey | Journey maps, touchpoints, customer voice |
Key Concepts Explained
Value Proposition
A value proposition states who the customer is, the problem solved and why your offer is better than alternatives. It guides product features and price.
Pricing Approaches
Cost-plus adds a margin to cost; value-based pricing sets price by what the customer will pay for the benefit; competitor-based pricing watches rivals. A good answer explains which fits the product and market, and addresses fairness.
Example: A subscription app costs $2 per user a month to serve. Cost-plus at a 50 percent margin gives $3, but users save about two hours a week, so value-based pricing could support a higher figure. The recommendation should be tested with customers and checked against competitors.
Journey Mapping and the Voice of the Customer
A journey map lists stages from awareness to loyalty with customer actions, emotions and pain points. Voice-of-the-customer data, such as surveys, reviews and support logs, shows where to improve first.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Product strategy analysis | Development and management | Apply life-cycle and portfolio ideas to a real product |
| Pricing recommendation | Strategy and ethics | Compare methods and justify the choice |
| Customer journey map | Experience design | Show stages, pain points and improvements |
| Strategy summary | Integration | Tie product, price and experience to one customer promise |
Product Life Cycle and Portfolio Decisions
The first competency covers how products and services are developed and managed. Learn the stages of development, from idea generation and concept testing to launch, and the stages of the life cycle: introduction, growth, maturity and decline.
| Stage | Typical focus |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Awareness, trial, matching price |
| Growth | Build share, reach, stand out |
| Maturity | Defend share, loyalty |
| Decline | Harvest, reposition or retire |
Apply the model to a product with a clear story, and say what evidence shows the stage, such as growth rate, competitor entry or margin pressure. Then connect the stage to a pricing and experience decision so the three parts of the course form one argument.
Building a Journey Map That Earns Credit
A journey map is only useful if it leads to action. Use a simple grid for one customer segment.
| Stage | Customer action and pain point | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Sees an ad; the offer is unclear | Simplify the message |
| Purchase | Buys online; checkout is slow | Cut extra steps |
| Support | Contacts help; long wait | Add self-service help |
| Loyalty | Considers a repeat buy; no reminder | Timely follow-up offer |
Support each pain point with evidence from the voice of the customer, such as survey comments or review themes. Then prioritize the fixes by impact and effort so the plan is realistic.
Self-Check Questions
Before submitting, ask whether your pricing recommendation states the method, the reasons and the fairness considerations. Ask whether your journey map is based on evidence about a specific segment, and whether the product, price and experience decisions all support the same value proposition.
If one of them points in a different direction, revise it or explain the trade-off.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Treating price as a number only. Explain value, fairness and customer perception.
- Generic journey maps. Base them on a specific customer segment.
- Features over benefits. Describe what the customer gains.
- Disconnected parts. Show how product, price and experience support each other.
Study Tips for D376
- Pick one product you use and analyze its life cycle, price and experience.
- Collect real customer comments to practice identifying pain points.
- Draw journey maps by hand first, then tidy them.
- Keep ethics in mind: transparent, fair pricing builds trust.
How We Help with D376
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Frequently Asked Questions
New product development, product management, value proposition, pricing and customer experience.
Yes. WGU highlights customer experience management and the customer journey.
The second term of the standard path.
Cost-based, value-based and competition-based, plus ethical pricing considerations.
Customer feedback and data used to guide improvements.
Yes, we can give feedback on logic and clarity.