Students

MKTG802 – Marketing Communications

2014 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MKTG696 or admission to MCom or MIntBus or MEc or MActPrac prior to 2011
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Marketing communications are an integral part of a company's overall marketing mission and play a critical role in determining its success in the market. It accommodates both creative and analytical processes guided by a company's targeting and positioning strategies. This unit aims to provide you with an understanding of the various decisions and principles that marketing managers have to consider when developing communications strategies and action plans. An integrated perspective is adopted for this unit that allows you to analyse, design and evaluate the different roles of advertising, direct marketing, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion and event marketing. Relevant and up-to-date theories, concepts and practices in marketing communications will be provided and discussed in classes.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • An understanding of the elements of contemporary marketing communications, including the decisions, the strategies, the tools and the trends
  • A capacity of identifying and analysing marketing communications problems as well as devising sound and practical solutions
  • An appreciation of the need to plan marketing communications in a comprehensive and integrated manner
  • Development of the analytical and creative skills necessary to prepare a marketing communications plan
  • An ability to effectively communicate each component of the marketing communications campaign in both oral and written forms

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Report 30% Week 5,8,11,13
Presentation 30% From Week 3 to week 10
Final Examination 40% Exam period

Report

Due: Week 5,8,11,13
Weighting: 30%

The task in this assignment is to prepare a marketing communications plan in response to a brief. To undertake this task students are required to work in a group consisting of approximately 4 members. There are 4 stages of work involved in this project, including reports and a group presentation. Detailed project brief will be provided as a separate document available on iLearn. A peer review will be conducted at the completion of this project, the result of which will help to determine individual scores for the group project. The peer review form is attached in Appendix I.

Any late submission will be subject to 10% discount for every 24-hour delay. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • An understanding of the elements of contemporary marketing communications, including the decisions, the strategies, the tools and the trends
  • A capacity of identifying and analysing marketing communications problems as well as devising sound and practical solutions
  • An appreciation of the need to plan marketing communications in a comprehensive and integrated manner
  • Development of the analytical and creative skills necessary to prepare a marketing communications plan
  • An ability to effectively communicate each component of the marketing communications campaign in both oral and written forms

Presentation

Due: From Week 3 to week 10
Weighting: 30%

This assignment is based on individual work. It brings real-life experiences to the learning about creative evaluation of advertisements, aiming to develop students’ critical, analytical and integrative thinking. Students will be randomly assigned to specific themes and present a rigorous and critical analysis of the advertisements that are chosen by students guided by the themes. Students are expected to develop logical and convincing arguments in regards to what are specific qualities that make this advertisement a good/bad one. Relevant theories/concepts in Marketing Communications may be applied as appropriate frameworks and perspectives in the discussion.

The presentation should be max. 4 minutes long, assisted by Powerpoint slides. Given the time limit, no more than 8 slides are recommended as manageable for the presentation. A hardcopy of the slides MUST be submitted on the presentation day before the presentation starts. A summary report must be submitted in class on the presentation day, which should be max. 2 pages, using single space, Times New Roman and font size 12. This assignment will be assessed on a combined base of presentation (20%) and summary report (10%). 

Any late submission will be subject to 10% discount for every 24-hour delay. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • An understanding of the elements of contemporary marketing communications, including the decisions, the strategies, the tools and the trends
  • A capacity of identifying and analysing marketing communications problems as well as devising sound and practical solutions
  • An ability to effectively communicate each component of the marketing communications campaign in both oral and written forms

Final Examination

Due: Exam period
Weighting: 40%

A final examination is included as an assessment task for this unit to provide assurance that:

  1. the product belongs to the student and
  2. the student has attained the knowledge and skills tested in the exam.

A 3-hour final examination for this unit will be held during the University Examination period.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • An understanding of the elements of contemporary marketing communications, including the decisions, the strategies, the tools and the trends
  • An ability to effectively communicate each component of the marketing communications campaign in both oral and written forms

Delivery and Resources

Delivery

  • Number and length of classes:  3 hours’ face-to-face teaching per week for 13 weeks, consisting of lectures and student presentations
  • Course materials, including lecture notes, supplementary readings, project briefs  and course-related announcements, are available on iLearn at http://learn.mq.edu.au.

Resources

  • Prescribed Textbook
    • Ang, Lawrence (2014), Principles of Integrated Marketing Communications, Cambridge University Press

The prescribed textbook can be purchased from the Macquarie University Co-op Bookshop.

  • Recommended Texts
    • Hill, Sam and Glenn Rifkin (1999), Radical Marketing, HarperPerennial
    • Bedbury, Scott and Stephen Fenichell (2002), A New Brand World: 8 Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century, Penguin Group
    • Kim, Chan and Renee Mauborgne (2005), Blue Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business School Press
  •     Supplementary readings

For updated details of the lecture timetable, check the link of Macquarie Timetable at https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2014/.

Any Change

The lecture structure and assessments remain the same as the last offering. But a new textbook is used in S2, so the lecture content will be changed accordingly. 

Unit Schedule

Week

Lecture

Readings

Tutorial

Part I Overview of Marketing Communications

1 (5th Aug.)

Introduction to the course

 

Introduction to Marketing Communications: its role in business, challenges and decisions

Chapter 1, Textbook

Breaking the ice

2 (12th Aug.)

How to gain consumer insights?

Chapter 2, Textbook;

 

 

Supplementary readings

Grouping

 

IMC campaign brief for the group project

 

Briefing on Advertising Critique;

 

Allocation of themes for Advertising Critique;

 

 

Part II Planning Marketing Communications Campaigns

3 (19th Aug.)

How to plan an IMC campaign: Positioning strategies for building brand equity

 

Chapters 3, 13, Textbook

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (advertising for FMCG)

Part III Marketing Communications Tools and Evaluations

4 (26th Aug.)

What to consider for an advertising campaign I: Media strategies in advertising

Chapters 4, 5, Textbook

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique

(advertising in business-to-business marketing)

 

5 (2nd Sept.)

What to consider for an advertising campaign II: Creative strategies in advertising

Chapters 6,7, Textbook

 

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique

(application of appeals of humor, fear and sex in advertising)

 

Submission of Stage One report of major group project

6 (9th Sept.)

How about direct marketing, personal selling and sales promotion?

 

Chapters 10,11, Textbook

 

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique

(creativity in advertising)

 

Feedback to Stage One Report

7 (16th Sept.)

How about public relations, sponsorship and event marketing?

Chapter 9

 

Supplementary Readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (advertising surrounding event sponsorship)

 

Mid-Semester Break ( 20th Sept.---6th Oct.)

 8 (7th Oct.)

Alternative marketing

Chapter 8, Textbook

 

Supplementary readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (use of celebrity)

 

Submission of Stage Two report of major group project

 

9(14th Oct.)

Marketing Communications campaign evaluation

Chapter 12, Textbook

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (advertising for social marketing)

 

Feedback to Stage Two report

Part IV Special Topics in Marketing Communications

10(21th Oct.)

Opportunities and challenges of New Media

Supplementary readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique

(advertising with new media)

Part V Group Presentations

11(28th  Oct.)

 

Group Presentation on IMC Project (Stage 3)

 

Part VI Course Review

12 (4th Nov.)

Course Review

Feedback to Stage 3 presentation

13(11th Nov.)

Brief on the final exam

Submission of Final report of the group project

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • An understanding of the elements of contemporary marketing communications, including the decisions, the strategies, the tools and the trends
  • An ability to effectively communicate each component of the marketing communications campaign in both oral and written forms

Assessment tasks

  • Presentation
  • Final Examination

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A capacity of identifying and analysing marketing communications problems as well as devising sound and practical solutions
  • An appreciation of the need to plan marketing communications in a comprehensive and integrated manner
  • Development of the analytical and creative skills necessary to prepare a marketing communications plan

Assessment tasks

  • Report
  • Presentation
  • Final Examination

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A capacity of identifying and analysing marketing communications problems as well as devising sound and practical solutions
  • Development of the analytical and creative skills necessary to prepare a marketing communications plan

Assessment task

  • Report

Research and Practice

Students will be required to complete a research-intensive paper as part of their group assignment. Journal articles published in relevant topical areas will be used in lectures as supplementary readings.