Strategy and Marketing

Marketing Communications

Module code: N1506
Level 6
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Workshop
Assessment modes: Take away paper, Coursework

In this module, we look at marketing communications from a strategic perspective with an emphasis on integrated marketing communications. We examine the interlinking of corporate, marketing and promotional strategies and internal and external communications. The aim is to ensure consistency in strategies and messaging. We develop an understanding of the elements of communications - from advertising, Public Relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling, to online and new media. We also explore the current theories and practices of integrated marketing communications and examine the role of marketing communications in brand building, customer retention and corporate branding. We learn how to construct a marketing communications plan and how to analyse the plans of different organisations in a range of different contexts.

Module learning outcomes

• Critically evaluate different approaches to marketing communications in terms of their key assumptions about users and their effectiveness in achieving strategic brand outcomes.
• Critically evaluate different approaches to advertising effectiveness.
• Evaluate how firms combine tools to ensure an integrated marketing campaign (IMC) across digital and real world platforms.
• Critically evaluate how different contexts (cultural, socio-economic, normative) can impact on message effectiveness