BUSI2371: Managing Marketing Communications

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• This module aims to provide an in depth, critical examination of the complex, expansive and burgeoning marketing communications field. It explores the multifarious facets of marketing communication drawing on key theoretical concepts and principles. It provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to apply marketing communications in practice.

• The module introduces students to the changing world of marketing communications. It explores the traditional marketing communications tools: advertising; sales promotion; public relations, direct marketing and personal selling and examines the way in which the new digital technologies have created a myriad of alternative ways in which to reach audiences. The module critically evaluates a range of key communication theories and provides students with the fundamental conceptual knowledge and skills to develop an effective communications campaign. Specific topics will include:
• Models of marketing communication
• Marketing communication strategy
• Theories of marketing communication (AIDA; AIDAT;AISDALS Love; DAGMAR; ATR; DRIP; Hierarchy of Effects Models and others)
• Advertising theory and models
• Media Strategy
• Creative strategy
• Executing the message
• Sales Promotion and sponsorship
• Direct marketing and Personal selling
• PR and Corporate Communications
• Campaign Planning and Evaluation
• Web 3 and new technologies impact on communications
• Ethical and legal issues relating to marketing policies, procedures and practices.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of the relationship between marketing and consumer behaviour and evaluate how these are affected by new technology
• Knowledge and understanding of planning aspects of marketing and evaluate the effects of various contexts
• A critical perspective towards standard marketing concepts and principles, to be able to reappraise their effectiveness and relevance in the light of contemporary marketing issues, such as the digitisation of communications technology, the fragmentation of consumer markets, and the increasingly consumer-driven character of digital marketing activity.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Create an effective marketing communication campaign utilising a variety of traditional and digital marketing tools and techniques
• Develop a marketing campaign utilising the key theoretical principles that underpin message creation and execution
• Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing communications tools available to the marketer.

Key Skills:

• Ability to analyse market opportunities and select and justify appropriate marketing approaches
• Ability to describe and evaluate marketing tools
• Ability to evaluate the role marketing plays in supporting a brands marketing objectives
• Ability to identify and analyse social and ethical issues relating to marketing policies, procedures and practices.

• This module is delivered via a workshop which combines lecture style delivery alongside interactive practical activities. In addition, students will be directed to online self-directed materials which may include readings, audio visual materials, case studies and self-test activities. It is expected that students will complete some activities prior to attending the session and others following the class.
• The purpose of the module is to ensure that students can develop and deliver a marketing communications campaign for a specific project. During the module students will simulate working as a team within a marketing agency. They will be given a campaign brief and each week they will work to create an effective campaign. The formative assessment requires the group to submit a campaign brief for their project. The module tutor will take the role of the director at the marketing agency and advise and question students on their potential strategy.
• The summative assessment (part 1) requires students to pitch their campaign (in small groups) to an agency. This requires the production of all campaign materials, both traditional as well as digital. The students will give a live pitch.
• The summative (part 2) is an individual assessment and requires students to produce a written reflection that identifies how the marketing communications theory informed the development of their campaign.

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