Marketing

Whatever a student’s future business career, there are certain basic professional skills and expertise that are required in the workplace. This module provides opportunities to acquire and apply essential skills for academic success, while also developing ‘soft skills’ that are a prerequisite for a successful career. Students will practice, and build confidence in wide ranging skills, as part of their transition into higher education.

This module will help students develop basic research skills as part of individual work on a topic of their choice. They will also enhance their communication and negotiation skills; and increase awareness of the importance of evidence-based thinking and reflective practice.

The emergence of the digital economy has unlocked new opportunities for businesses, whilst creating new modes of competition in both traditional and new sectors of the economy.  The aim of this module is to impart an understanding of digital business together with the practices and processes required to develop effective digital strategies.  Identifying multiple technologies for integration into business, juxtaposed with the development of new digital strategies is central to corporate success, however, this is often a complex task.  This module provides insight into the emergence of digital business, key concepts, technologies, and strategic organisation to develop a multidisciplinary appreciation of how new technologies can directly shape businesses and processes.

This module develops a practical understanding of the design and production principles of digital publishing.  Students will apply the principles of design layout, interactivity and images for online and traditional publications. Students will learn the basic toolsets of relevant software from the Adobe Creative Suite. Technical support will be provided, and students will be expected to practice skills as guided independent study in order to create outputs for both the formative and summative assessments. Students will consider UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production in terms of the broader issues concerning the sourcing and processing of materials and printed outputs.

This module develops the core skills that will enable students to secure a fulfilling, enjoyable and challenging graduate career. By establishing and pursuing a personal development plan, students develop self-awareness, communication skills, team work, management skills, results orientation, stress management, personal responsibility, coaching and feedback skills.  Whilst there will be a focus on constructing outstanding CVs and professional LinkedIn profiles, much of the module will instil self-awareness through peer coaching and peer feedback whilst stressing the vital importance of taking responsibility for one’s own career. Students will be able to plan and develop career goals based on a clearer idea of preferred career options and an understanding of what they need to do to achieve these goals.

This module equips non-accounting students with the basic financial skills they will need to progress through their management-related degree studies. Students will learn the fundamental processes behind the production of historic financial information, allowing them to conduct analysis of financial statements. Additionally, students will develop knowledge of cost behaviours and forecasting, allowing them to make decisions such as how to price their product. The module allows students to bring together their financial skills by preparing extracts from a business plan as part of an application for finance. Emphasis will be placed on practical skills relevant to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

This module provides an introduction to the concepts, theories and practices of marketing.  The meaning and scope of modern marketing will be discussed in depth; considering its role as both a management philosophy and a business function. Traditional marketing concepts such as the marketing mix will be explored, examining the need to create synergy between marketing mix components and the wants and needs of the market place.  Students will be encouraged to develop critical marketing perspective considering the impact marketing has on the economy, society and the environment.

This module introduces content marketing, examining how contemporary brands create and use content to strengthening audience understanding of mission and values, and commercial offerings via cross channel promotion.  Students will be introduced to methods of content strategy planning in alignment with brand objectives and audience profile. Methods and techniques for developing written, video and visual content will be explored alongside techniques for search engine optimisation, content scheduling and measurement/analysis. Issues of responsible consumption and production will be considered in relation to content marketing.

This module introduces the principles of responsible management including those in the United Nations PRME and Global Compact frameworks. The module draws on and engages with on-going debate concerning the social, economic, environmental, moral and ethical dimensions of business in a global world. Students will identify key stakeholders in organisations, and how responsible management is applied in different industry sectors. They will begin to reflect on their own personal and professional values and their contribution to creating future sustainable business value.

This module aims to provide a foundation for students to develop their understanding of marketing research methods for academic and professional purposes. Students will explore a number of areas of marketing research including; the use of both primary and secondary data; an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research; and creating research samples. In addition, students will develop an appreciation of ethical implications of the research process to facilitate responsible research practice. The module provides an introduction to the market research industry and relates research skills learned in the module to real-life application in business.

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the techniques used within marketing research through an applied and practical approach. Students will learn about some of the most common approaches of data collection in the form of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups etc. The module will cover how these marketing research instruments are designed and distributed. In addition to this, students will learn how to analyse the data that results from these research instruments. Through this module students will develop several research skills further aiding their academic ability and employability.

This module explores contemporary consumer behaviour theory and examines its application and relevance within marketing management, decision-making and societal contexts.  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.

This module is designed to give students a critical appreciation of the strategic and operational issues underpinning the implementation of responsible relationship marketing strategies.  Students develop a critical appreciation of techniques that build, maintain and sustain effective relationships with a variety of different stakeholders.  During this module students critically evaluate the appropriateness and ethics of relationship strategies considering how relationships can be managed to add value to customers and organisations.  Students will also consider the limitations of a relationship approach and as applied in a variety of contexts via extensive use of mini-cases to embed the theory in practice.

This module considers both the theoretical and practical aspects of integrated marketing communications. Theories of communication influence are explored, with emphasis on how the communication tools (advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and digital marketing) can be synthesized to enable the delivery of consistent brand messages across multiple marketing channels.   Students will be encouraged to identify the salient characteristics of target audiences to facilitate the utilisation of relevant communication tools in order to amplify vital marketing messages.

This inspiring module allows students to demonstrate an advanced understanding of identity and design principles via the deconstruction and creation of a fresh brand identity. Brand aesthetics and semiotics play an important part in creating identity and image within a social and cultural context.  Students explore theories and practices relating to brand design as an emotive tool and change agent and are then able to gain hands-on experience in reimagining a brand.  Commercial aspects of brand: identity, personality and value are explored via the interpretation and realisation of a creative brief, gaining a practical appreciation of how to manage the creative design process. Finally, there will be discussion and analysis of considerations on the contribution of brand identity design to sustainability and consumer lifestyles, as outlined in UN Sustainability Goal 12.

This module will concentrate on contemporary marketing theories, concepts and techniques relevant for understanding and contextualising marketing management in modern organisations. Students will develop an ability to appraise theoretical perspectives of marketing management and their application to multiple organisational contexts.  The module will provide an overview of the analytical marketing principles relating to: marketplace understanding (market and competitor analysis techniques); designing market-driven strategy (market development, managing innovation) and marketing management decisions relating to brand management and internationalising.  The module’s analytical and applied emphasis will prepare students for further study of this discipline at a strategic level.

• Creativity, Design and Innovation - 15 credits

• Employment Experience - An optional year long work placement can be taken between Level 5 and 6

The Part-time Work Placement module requires students to work in partnership with host organisations in the private or public sectors with an interest in educating students for the demands of the complex world of work. Students undertake a skills audit before being accepted on to the scheme and will only be considered for this module if they have an attendance record in year two of at least 80%. The outcomes from this, and the availability of appropriate placement and academic supervisors, will determine whether students can proceed with this module. Decisions on suitability will rest with the Programme Leader. Students will be involved in the tracking of employability skills and in personal development planning. The placement will require students to spend 30 full working days in the placement organisation.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

This module provides the opportunity for students to research an area of particular interest to them that is relevant to their studies.  For students undertaking a year-long work placement the dissertation may be set in the context of the host organisation.  The module contributes to the continued professional and academic development of students in the application of research knowledge and skills acquired throughout their programme.  As students are required to manage the research project, the dissertation provides a vehicle for them to demonstrate the extent to which they have managed the transition from tutor-led to student-centred learning.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

This module aims to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate approaches to research and data analysis relating to contemporary management issues faced by organisations operating in a global and diverse context.  Students will have the opportunity to select research and critically assess a range of contemporary management issues in depth.  Enquiry-based learning methods will be used to explore the nature and implications of these issues with emphasis placed upon how managers can contribute to the effective management of these issues in practice.

*Students must opt for one of the following modules: Dissertation; Researching Contemporary Issues in Management; Part-Time Work Placement

This module will explore a range of ethical issues in marketing theory and practice. Specifically, the module will examine issues concerning the ethics of markets and marketing, ethical marketing and decision-making, ethical consumption and the ethics of consumption, power relationships between producers and consumers, as well as ethical philosophy and frameworks that facilitate the analysis of ethical issues in marketing. The aim of the module is to enable students to recognise and reflect upon complex ethical problems with a view to enhancing their analytical and decision-making skills within a collaborative and non-judgmental learning environment.

This module takes a strategic approach to branding management.  It considers a broad range of tools, techniques and theories that help build equity and drive brand performance. The module is broadly structured around four main areas; i) the constituent parts of a brand and how these individually and collectively add value to an organisation and thereby represent a competitive advantage; ii) diagnosing the health of a brand by considering its positioning in the market, relative to the competition, and evaluating the performance of the brand through brand metrics that encapsulate various dimensions of the brand iii) managing brand portfolios and assessing alternative brand leveraging strategies and finally iv) how brand custodians can pursue commercial objectives whilst also being mindful of principles stemming from the SDG’s (notably 8, 9 and 12) so as to appreciate that the commercial imperative must be seen in context of broader societal and environmental concerns.

This module will prepare students to practice digital marketing in the workplace. Digital marketing tools, models, frameworks and concepts will be considered within the context of the future of marketing, specifically the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab 2019) and Transformative Marketing (2016). Digital Marketing topics will be applied and evaluated including the evolution of digital marketing, the digital macro-environment, digital marketing strategy, digital media and the marketing mix, relationship marketing and digital platforms, the digital customer experience, content marketing, and digital marketing analytics.

Marketing strategy concerns how an organisation identifies market opportunities and seeks to create a sustainable advantage over its competitors.  This requires a detailed understanding of changing customer needs, competitor activities, and the organisation’s own marketing resources.  The challenge is to find the most attractive markets and be able to offer products and services which competitors cannot match.  To be effective contributors to strategic marketing decisions, marketing managers need to understand strategic marketing concepts and be able to apply these in practice.

Whilst students may understand several areas of marketing they need to be able to measure the return on investment. The plethora of marketing data available due to digital advances means this is an increasingly complex area of management. This module aims to develop understanding by introducing students to digital marketing analytics. From the marketing objectives that drive a business, to decision making, students will learn about the variety of data sources available to them and which metrics can be useful. Through lectures, seminars and workshops, students will enhance their analytical skills and gain practical insights for academic and professional endeavours.

• Marketing Development in a Volunteering Context - 15 credits
• Social Media Marketing - 15 credits
• Managing Change - 15 credits
• Innovation Management - 15 credits