| Unit name | Contemporary Issues in Marketing |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0129 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Raffaello Rossi |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The marketing discipline is developing quickly. ‘Commercial marketing’ is only one of the various forms of marketing. It serves as the basis for new marketing streams such as sustainability, social and institutional marketing. Moreover, the advent of digital technologies and their penetration into marketing management has created new opportunities and challenges for marketing practitioners.
It is therefore important to offer you the opportunity to understand the different social, cultural and ideological perspectives and norms that underpin current marketing theory and contemporary practice.
In this core unit, you will explore the evolving marketing environment and the challenges this poses for marketers. This has necessitated a change in how marketing is perceived by organisations. You will engage with the latest theory and practice of marketing techniques that have been, and are being, developed in response to changes in customer wants and the wider social, legal and political environment.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
In this unit, we will consider developments in the areas of marketing technology and innovation, marketing regulations, sustainable marketing, and marketing ethics. We will also review advances in, and uses of, marketing outside of commercial organisations (for example, social marketing), as well as internal marketing, and branding. This is a fast-changing and constantly evolving field. You are encouraged to contribute by raising contemporary issues of particular interest to you or by highlighting examples of the latest developments or trends.
In total, a range of 9 contemporary marketing topics will be covered, which will help to expand your knowledge of this discipline. Providing you a rapid overview of these various different marketing topics will help you to lay important foundations for your second teaching block, but will also offer you some ideas and perspectives that you can follow up in your MSc dissertation at the end of your course.
An overview of content
In this unit, you will engage with nine contemporary topics of marketing. Each week will cover a new and exciting topic, delivered by an expert in the field. Amongst these areas are Marketing Ethics, Social Marketing, Social Media Marketing. Advertising & Regulations, and Innovation and Marketing technology.
For each topic, you will learn the main theories, discuss several key case studies, participate in group-work activities to delve deeper into the topic, and then critically evaluate whether the marketing practices raise any ethical, sustainability-related or other concerns.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Upon completion of this unit, you will gain a broader and contemporary understanding of the developments in marketing over the past years. You will also be equipped to cut through the "noise," deciphering the complexities behind marketing techniques, which will foster a more critical mindset. This enhanced perspective will enable you to promptly recognize potential concerns that certain marketing techniques or campaigns may pose to society and the environment.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the unit, students will be able to:
ILO1 Critically analyse the competitive, technological, environmental and other challenges that force organisations to seek new, innovative, marketing techniques.
ILO2 Examine the principles, importance and applications of various types of marketing, in addition to commercial marketing, and be able to apply these in the context of an organisation.
ILO3 Critically evaluate the importance of ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility in building organisation’s marketing strategy.
Teaching will be mainly delivered through weekly lectorials. These lectorials are three hours long and include a mixture of student-centred learning approaches, including interactive lectures, tutorial-style activities, and structured learning and application activities. This will enable you to learn the theoretical foundations of a topic before applying it to real-life examples and critically discussing any issues surrounding this practice. Additionally, there are regular drop-in sessions where you can come to discuss the content or any issues you encounter. Finally, a variety of online resources and learning opportunities will be offered through Blackboard. This includes discussion boards, case studies, and videos.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The formative assessment has two parts which are designed to help you prepare for your summative assessment. In the first part, you are required to write a 500-words piece where you show your skills in critical writing. In the second part, you are invited to prepare a 1-page skeleton plan for your final (summative) assessment. This can include the key literature in this area; what industry/case study will this theory be applied to; how this is relevant to marketers; and what some ethical challenges surrounding this topic choice could be. Both parts are due in week 5 and 6. You will receive peer and/or individual feedback on both parts of the formative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,000 word report covering one of the contemporary marketing topics covered in the unit (100%) [ILO 1-3]
In the report, you will be required to focus on evaluating principles, importance and application of one topic of your choice featured in the contemporary issues unit in relation to an organisation or industry of your choosing, and discuss any issues this might raise in relation to marketing ethics, sustainability or corporate social responsibility-related theories.
When assessment does not go to plan
Students who are eligible for a reassessment will be required to submit a 3,000 word report on a different contemporary marketing topic and industry/case study (100%) [ILO 1-3]. It is not allowed to revise the same submission that failed in the first attempt based on the feedback provided. However, the provided feedback from the first attempt, will help you to gain a better understanding on which aspects of their work need to be improved towards the resit submission.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0129).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
