| Unit name | Contemporary and Emerging Issues in Marketing Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0153 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Marikyan |
| 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?
Marketers are persistently faced with changing internal and external contextual issues. This unit provides students with an opportunity to explore the dynamic nature of the marketing environment and the challenges it presents for marketing managers. Given the global challenges the world has experienced, such as the pandemic, marketers must grasp the impact of such events on marketing practices and the importance of conducting marketing activities in accordance with ethical guidelines.
Students will engage with the latest marketing theories and practices developed in response to social, economic, environmental, political, legal, and technological changes. Aligned with the contemporary and emerging focus of the unit, topics covered may vary from year to year, encompassing issues in consumer behavior and consumption, branding and brand cultures, social marketing, ethical and sustainable marketing, marketing technology and innovation, as well as analytics and insights.
Throughout the course, students will refine their critical thinking skills by evaluating contemporary and emerging issues, and they will be encouraged to actively contribute to debates.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Contemporary and Emerging Issues in Marketing Management play a crucial role in enhancing students' understanding of various marketing and management theories and tools essential for marketing managers confronting global challenges. This course offers an opportunity to explore how real-world companies/brands devise strategies to attract consumers in a turbulent environment. Weekly activities, such as case studies and group debates, are designed to cultivate students' strategic thinking and analytical skills.
An overview of content
Contemporary and Emerging Issues in Marketing Management cover a range of topics, including consumer behavior, social marketing, digital marketing, branding, and EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion). Importantly, students will explore how theories and frameworks are applied by real-life brands and companies, particularly when confronted with global challenges. They will gain insights into the latest theories and practices adopted by companies operating in turbulent environments. Each week, students will engage in structured learning activities related to the week's topic and receive feedback from the instructor.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Given the pressure on marketers to innovate their skills and adapt their practices amidst global challenges, it becomes vital to learn how theories and practices can be applied in turbulent environments. Students will develop their critical thinking skills in evaluating contemporary and emerging issues and will be encouraged to contribute to debates. They will gain a basic understanding of different subdomains of marketing, such as consumer behavior, social marketing, branding, and digital marketing, and will learn the ethical implications that marketing practices entail in these subdomains.
Furthermore, students will learn to critically evaluate how companies utilise knowledge from the field of consumer behavior to attract new consumers or enhance the loyalty of existing ones. The unit will provide opportunities to explore how innovative technologies, such as Smart Technologies or Blockchain-based technologies/services, can revolutionise the current business models of companies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
ILO1: Analyse the competitive, technological, environmental and other challenges that force organisations to seek new, innovative, marketing techniques;
ILO2: Critically examine the principles, importance and applications of various marketing sub-disciplines in different organisations;
ILO3: Critically evaluate the importance of ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility for marketing strategy.
The teaching of this unit is intensive, spanning a duration of 6 weeks. It is structured around lectures (2 hours per week), lectorials/seminars (2 hours per week), and asynchronous learning activities (structured activities each week). The content of the unit includes an introduction to marketing and various marketing sub-disciplines such as consumer behaviour, digital marketing, ethical/sustainable/social marketing, branding, and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). To help grasp the theoretical knowledge from all sub-disciplines, which are increasingly important in marketing practice, students will be provided with case studies on real-life brands and encouraged to explore a range of sources including academic journals and practical magazines. Students will work autonomously as well as interactively within groups, with the former enhancing independent learning skills and the latter helping to develop teamwork, negotiation, and influencing skills. The combination of autonomous and group activities dedicated to each unit topic will help students immerse in the learning experience, thus contributing to higher learning outcomes and the effective development of skills, which are essential in the work environment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students' engagement in weekly seminar activities and independent learning tasks will help them learn and prepare for summative assignments. Seminar activities and independent learning tasks related to the key concepts and theories covered during lectures may involve analysing case studies and discussing the application of theories/concepts to real-life marketing and business scenarios. Participation in both types of activities will elicit feedback from lecturers aimed at providing formative assessment, guidance, and reflecting on students' progress.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1. A multiple-choice questionnaire (20%). This will test students’ understanding of a variety of contemporary and emerging issues (ILO1) and comprehension of the importance, applications, and implications of different types of marketing (ILO2 and ILO3).
2. Submission of a 3000-word report (excluding references) (80%). Students will be required to construct a report relating to the principles, importance and application of various marketing sub-disciplines in an organisation or industry of their choosing (ILO2), and critically analyse the importance of ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility for marketing strategy in an organisation or industry of their choosing (ILO3). Report requires a critical evaluation of key literature, identification and discussion of relevant theories and conceptual frameworks, and consideration of implications for practice.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If a student fails the multiple-choice questionnaire, they will need to retake another multiple-choice questionnaire, (20%) [ILO1-3].
If a student fails the report, they must submit a new 3000-word report (80%) [ILO2-3].
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. EFIMM0153).
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 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.
