Students

MKTG802 – Marketing Communications

2015 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Yimin Huang
stephanie.huang@mq.edu.au
Contact via 9850 8496
E4A room 450
TBA on iLearn
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MKTG696
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 Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Advertising Critique 30% Week 3 to Week 10 No
IMC Campaign Development 30% Week 5, 8, 11 and 13 No
Final Exam 40% Examination period No

Advertising Critique

Due: Week 3 to Week 10
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

This assignment is based on individual work that requires students to present and submit a report on advertising critique. 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. This assignment will be due weekly from week 3 to week 10. Students are required to submit a softcopy of their presentation slides as well as a hardcopy of the presentation report before the lecture starts on the day of the presentation. Late submission will be subject to a penalty of 10% per 24 hours. Extension will not be considered until an application is submitted at least one week before the due date.
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

IMC Campaign Development

Due: Week 5, 8, 11 and 13
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

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 and complete four stages of work, including written reports and a group presentation. Group reports will be due on the lecture day in week 5, 8, 11 and 13. Students are required to submit a hardcopy of their group reports. Late submission will be subject to a penalty of 10% off every 24 hours. Extension will not be granted on all conditions.  
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 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

Final Exam

Due: Examination period
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

A 3-hour final examination for this unit will be held during the University Examination period. No early examination will be granted.
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

This unit will be delivered through 3 hours' face-to-face teaching per week for 13 weeks, consisting of lectures and tutorials. The textbook prescribed will be Principles of Integrated Marketing Communications by Lawrence Ang (2014). In addition, supplementary readings, including cases and journal articles, will be used in lectures.

 

Technologies Used and Required

Course materials, including lecture notes, project briefs and supplementary readings, will be available on iLearn at www.mq.edu.au/ilearn.

Students who experience technical problems accessing this page should contact Onehelp.

Timetable

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at:http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/ 

Unit Schedule

Week

Lecture

Readings

Tutorial

Part I Overview of Marketing Communications

Week 1 (27th July)

Introduction to the course

 

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

Chapter 1, Textbook

Breaking the ice

Week 2 (3rd Aug)

How to gain consumer insights?

Chapter 2, Textbook;

 

 

Supplementary readings

Forming groups

 

IMC campaign brief for the group project

 

Briefing on Advertising Critique;

 

Allocation of themes for Advertising Critique;

 

 

Part II Planning Marketing Communications Campaigns

Week 3 (10th 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

Week 4 (17th 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)

 

Week 5 (24th Aug)

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 for IMC campaign development

Week 6 (31st  Aug)

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

 

Briefing on Stage Two Report

Week 7 (7th Sept.)

How about public relations, sponsorship and event marketing?

Chapter 9

 

Supplementary Readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (advertising surrounding event sponsorship)

 
  Mid-session Break (14th Sept.--25th Sept.)    

 Week 8 (28th Sept.)

Social media and alternative marketing

Chapter 8, Textbook

 

Supplementary readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (use of celebrity)

 

Submission of Stage Two report for IMC campaign development

 

Week 9(5th Sept.)

Marketing Communications campaign evaluation

Chapter 12, Textbook

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique (advertising for social marketing)

 

Feedback to Stage Two Report

Briefing on Stage Three presentation for IMC campaign development

 

Part IV Special Topics in Marketing Communications

Week 10(12th Oct.)

Opportunities and challenges of New Media

Supplementary readings

Individual presentation on Advertising Critique

(advertising with new media)

Part V Group Presentations

Week 11(19th Oct.)

Group Presentation on IMC Project (Stage 3)

Briefing on Stage Four Report for IMC campaign development

Part VI Course Review

Week 12 (26th Oct.)

Course Review

Feedback to Stage 3 presentation

Week 13(2nd Nov.)

Briefing on the final exam

Submission of Final Report for IMC campaign development

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/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

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

  • Advertising Critique
  • IMC Campaign Development
  • Final Exam

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

  • Advertising Critique
  • IMC Campaign Development

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
  • 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

  • Advertising Critique
  • IMC Campaign Development

Changes from Previous Offering

This unit will continue to use the same textbook, but a different set of supplementary readings and cases will be used to update the course content.

Research and Practice

This unit will refer to latest research findings in lectures and include journal articles in the list of supplimentary readings. Students are required to complete a research-intensive report as part of the requirement for the group project.