Digital Marketing and Analytics

The focus of this module is on the effectiveness of strategic marketing in the context of digital transformation. This module will introduce students to the evolution of marketing, from traditional forms of marketing to digital forms of marketing, and finally to future influences such as Transformative Marketing, The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Industry 4.0. Students will develop a critical appreciation of the marketing environment with an emphasis on drivers of digital transformation and marketing innovation. Students will gain a practical insight into contemporary and future marketing approaches with an emphasis on digital marketing strategy. Students will develop a theoretical appreciation of current marketing thinking and anticipate the future of marketing.

This module explores contemporary consumer research and analysis techniques and examines its application and relevance within a marketing innovation context. The module is designed to help students understand the factors that influence consumer behaviour and will examine the development of consumer behaviour in the marketplace from different disciplinary perspectives spanning the social sciences, evolving through an exploration of the contributions from; economics, psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology that reveal the motivations underlying consumer behaviour. It will also appraise in detail, the new and emerging forms of consumer research and insight generating methodologies and the ethical dilemmas that may arise within this context.

Web design and analytics will introduce students to effective and contemporary website design, give them an informed appreciation of the role that an organisation’s website can play in its digital marketing strategy, and apply a range of analytics options for measuring the effectiveness of web marketing. Students build a WordPress (or equivalent) website. The first part of the module will concentrate on the principles of designing and building a website along with creating and organising targeted content. In the second part of the module students will learn how to implement Google Analytics (or equivalent) to evaluate and improve the User Experience through (UX).

The theoretical basis for this module frames marketing communications as a strategic marketing tool. Innovations from traditional communications forms such as broadcast and print as well as non-traditional forms such as ambient marketing and digital media will be reviewed; providing students with the theoretical knowledge and skills to create an engaging brand presence in an increasingly muddled media landscape.  Creative workshops are an explicit feature in this module providing scope to develop creative solutions for a variety of marketing scenarios. This module has a global perspective, where students will develop both practical transferable skills as well as a detailed theoretical awareness of communication design.

Marketing communications play a vital role in supporting and maintaining a brand. Marketing has now become ‘multilogue’ with the exponential growth in word-of-mouth social media marketing. This module will introduce students to the key concepts of social media marketing. Students will learn how to understand, critically evaluate and apply conceptual social media frameworks, theories and approaches relevant to their marketing and promotional mix. They will discover how social media networks are used as part of the marketing strategies of a variety of different organisations. They will be able to harness the key metrics tools in order to listen, monitor and manage communications. The module also aims to develop students’ strategic understanding of how to build and manage a social media marketing communications campaign which impacts on the identified target audiences and integrates with all other relevant media.

This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of digital marketing data analysis methods and statistical techniques including the use of the latest analytics software packages and their application to consumer and B2B contexts. Students will manipulate data from various industry databases and analyse and interpret primary and secondary data. The module will also help them to evaluate methods for data analysis for business research. In today’s competitive setting marketers need to be numerate and analytically-minded, and to have a clear understanding of different sets of data and how to use these within strategy formulation. Students will use their new knowledge and skills linked to key industry software packages.

This module is designed to provide students with the knowledge and tools required to develop and undertake research in any area of business. Students will evaluate and synthesise research philosophies, develop research strategies, and select research methods using secondary and/or primary sources appropriate to particular research questions, relating these to existing business theories.

The module provides the foundation for further development of research skills through a dissertation by independent study.

*Students will have a choice between the Dissertation module OR the Consultancy Project module.

The dissertation enables students to specialise in an area of interest by conducting an independent, in-depth research project, guided by research-active tutors. Students will evaluate and synthesise research philosophies, develop research strategies, conduct research using secondary and/or primary sources and analyse their findings in relation to existing business theories.

The dissertation is of interest to potential future employers, demonstrating critical abilities, research expertise and business knowledge. It can also prompt student interest in conducting further research, whether in a consultancy role or in continued academic research at PhD level.

*Students will have a choice between the Consultancy Project module OR the Dissertation module.

In this module students undertake a consultancy project, relevant to their specific Master’s programme, for a client organisation. Students are expected to undertake research into an issue relevant to the programme’s learning outcomes and to the business case, and to develop conclusions and recommendations that are intended to benefit the client. The project focuses on the rapid collection and assimilation of data as to gain a detailed understanding of the client’s needs and their issues. This is essential in any work-based assignment regardless of the nature of the work or the functional area of expertise being applied. Students will be expected to interact with the organisation as if it were a real commercial relationship which will include recording activities and reporting to the client. By the end of the project, students should have developed a set of skills that they can apply in a consistent, professional and confident manner.