BSc Management / Course details

Year of entry: 2027

Course unit details:
Marketing Communications in the Digital Age

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN24352
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Alliance Manchester Business School
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course builds on students’ marketing knowledge from previous courses with a specific focus on marketing communications and the digital environment. The course will introduce students to a diverse range of marketing communications tools and encourage students to critically consider their application in the digital environment. Academic understanding will be supported by practical application through the use of case studies and a practice-oriented assessment task.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Principles of Marketing BMAN10101 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, ITMB, IM and IMABS. Core for BSc Management with Marketing Specialism and BSc ITMB with Marketing Specialism.

Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, ITMB, and IM. Core for BSc Management with Marketing Specialism.

 

Aims

The course introduces students to the role and importance of marketing communications in the contemporary marketing landscape. This involves a focus on digital communications tools alongside offline marketing communications tools, at both the strategic and tactical/operational level.

Learning outcomes

Students will develop a critical understanding of how and when academic models and theories do and do not apply in practice and will thus be encouraged to demonstrate a reflective approach to the study of marketing communications in the digital age.   

In addition to domain knowledge of marketing communications, with its many implications for understanding the commercially infused world we all live in, students will be asked to develop their critical thinking skills for analysing the likely effectiveness of different communications methods. These will create a useful foundation for any students who go on to work as a marketing communications professional, or who have to help organizations with communications work. 
 

Syllabus

•    Integrated marketing communications (IMC) and branding
•    Competitive Market Analysis in the Digital Age
•    IMC campaign planning
•    IMC in the digital age: practitioner’s perspective
•    Theories of communications
•    Marketing Communications Mix 
      o    Advertising
      o    Social Media and user generated media 
      o    Search engine optimisation (SEO)
      o    Public Relations
      o    Sponsorship
      o    Direct marketing
      o    Sales promotions
•    Media planning and evaluation

 

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures: 22 (Includes a drop-in assignment clinic)

Workshops: 10 - Practical key skills in applied contexts.

Independent study hours 168

Methods of delivery: lectures and workshops. Additional, supporting materials (e.g. links to My Learning Essentials workshops/online resources) will be signposted on Canvas each week.

 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the contemporary marketing communications environment, including the opportunities and challenges posed by digital technologies. 
  • Describe the strategic value of a range of marketing communications tools and demonstrate how they can be integrated to produce an effective marketing communications campaign. 

Intellectual skills

  • Reflect on the learning experience of developing an integrated marketing communications campaign plan 

Practical skills

  • Evaluate given marketing communications situations and apply knowledge of a range of integrated marketing communications theories to suggest creative and feasible solutions. 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Be able to develop an integrated marketing communications plan.
  • Communicate academic and applied knowledge, concepts and ideas professionally and creatively.  

Employability skills

Other
Through guest lectures from industry practitioners, students will also develop a critical understanding of how and when academic models and theories do and do not apply in practice and will thus be encouraged to demonstrate a reflective approach to the study of marketing communications in the digital age.

Assessment methods

Formative Assessment Task

Bullet point outline of plan for group project.

Informal feedback in workshops – Class activities.

Summative Assessment Task

1) 40% group coursework.

Peer scoring will be used in severe cases of group non-contribution to a maximum of +/- 20% of marks and will not exceed 20% of marks 


2) 60% individual coursework

Please note that this assessment requires AI use as part of the assessed task (Category D: AI-integrated).

 

 

Feedback methods

•    Informal formative feedback and discussion during lectures and workshops.
•    Summative feedback on group and individual assignment
•    Responses to student questions via Canvas, padlet and emails.
•    Formative feedback provided on tasks provided outside of lectures and workshops

Recommended reading

The following set texts are proposed for core reading each week, in addition to a reading list of journal articles:

  • Pelsmacker, P. de, Geuens, M. and Bergh, J. van den. (2018). Marketing communications: a European perspective. Sixth edition. Harlow, England: Pearson.
  • Smith, P.R. and Zook, Ze. (2020) Marketing Communications: Integrating online and offline, customer engagement and digital technologies. 7th Edition, Kogan Page.
  • Chaffey, D. & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation & Practice, 7th Edition, Pearson. 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Practical classes & workshops 10
Independent study hours
Independent study 168

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Alexander Gunz Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Other staff involved: Dr Giselle Bate and guest speakers from industry as appropriate.
Pre-requisites: BMAN10101 Principles of Marketing
Co-requisites: None
Dependent courses: None
Programme Restrictions:
BSc Management/Management (Specialisms)
BSc International Management
BSc ITMB
Core: BSc Management (Marketing)

Please note: AI forms part of the assessment method for this course unit.  For more information, please see:

Return to course details