MKTG07114 2021 Marketing Communications

Create a Marketing Communications Plan for an organisation and understand the elements of the Marketing Communications mix 

Demonstrate an understanding of the key players in the Irish Marketing Communications environment and the importance of Brand Management 

Design a brochure, write a press release and consider publicity in relation to event management and public consultation processes.

Understand how on-line communications, Direct marketing, Sponsorship, Sales Promotion, Corporate Identity Development may be integrated into the Marketing communications plan 

Understand the benefits and importance of Exhibitions and trade fairs

3 hourly lectures per week

1 hour Tutorial per week

Continuous Assessment     40%

The student will be required to put together a Marketing Communications Plan for a small Business and present their project to the group.

Final Exam                           60%

Project and Exam

Syllabus Content:

1.      Communications Theory                                                                              

• Examine the communications process and the obstacles to effective communication.

• Examine the concepts of semiotics.

• Critically assess some of the more popular communications models.

• Review the role of marketing communications in influencing individuals as they progress through the above processes.

• Introduce the elements of the Marketing Communications Mix.

2.     Key Players in the Irish Marketing Communications Industry

• Identify the main components of a marketing communications brief and how a marketing communications agency works.
• Identify the main roles in the marketing communications agency, how firms select marketing communications agencies and how agencies are paid for their work.
• Examine best practice for managing agency/ client relationships.
• Consider the external forces and regulatory bodies impacting on the marketing communications industry in Ireland.

3.       Planning for Marketing Communications                                                                

• Identify the stages in the process of planning effective marketing communications.

4.       Media Strategy and Planning            

• Evaluate the main media options available to advertisers.
• Recognise the role of analysis as a prerequisite to effective media planning.
• Investigate the concepts used by media planners when devising and evaluating media plans.

5.         Advertising                                                                                                    

• Examine the different types of advertising, and different advertising appeals.
• Recognise the role of creativity and marketing research in advertising.
• Examine the process of creating developing and making advertisements.
• Consider a framework for recognising good advertising.

6.       Public Relations                                                                                  

• Examine the process of building good media relations and writing a news release.
• Review the many tools available to organisations when preparing publicity material. 
• Designing and preparing brochures.
• Reviewing the role public relations in crisis management.

7.        Sponsorship and Corporate Identity Development

• Review the different forms of Sponsorship, reasons for it's growth, risks associated with sponsorship and objectives which may be achieved through sponsorship.
• Examine the different methods of measuring the effectiveness of sponsorship activity.
• Investigate why companies might change their corporate identity and the steps involved in creating and implementing a corporate identity program.

8.        Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing                                             

• Investigate Sales Promotions aimed at consumers, the trade and sales forces.
• Examine the down side of sales promotion activity
• Outline a framework which assists in the implementation of effective sales promotion activity.
• Examine the objectives which direct marketing can fulfil and the various direct marketing media.
• Assess the role of technology and effective database management in direct marketing.

9.         Personal Selling, Exhibitions and Trade Fairs

• Outline a sales presentation and the role of personal selling in the marketing communications mix.
• Planning for trade fairs and exhibitions and evaluating the effectiveness of participation.

 10.      On-line Marketing Communications

• Explain Marketing considerations in the design of a web site.
• Brand Building on the web, e-communications objectives and tools.
• Key success factors in web design.
• The use of Social media in marketing communications.
• Tracking the effectiveness of e-communications.

 11.     Ethical Issues in Marketing Communications  

• Examine the issue of Ethics in Marketing Communications.

12.       Brand Management and the role of Marketing Communications

• Benefits of  branding, brand characteristics, the strategic role of branding.
• Brand Equity, business to business branding.