This course's objective is to give an overview of the major marketing communication theories, strategies and tools. While the focus will be on advertising, other communication tools will be considered as well and the need to integrate all these communication tools in a consistent way will be underlined. Both issues related to the sender (the creative process) and the receiver (targeting, message processing) of a communication message are addressed in the course. More particular topics such as media planning or international communications will also be covered. In order to connect the course with the "real life", some sessions will be taught by guest speakers.
PART 1: The context of marketing communications
Session 1: Introduction to Marketing Communication Integrated Communications (CH.1)
Session 2: How communication works. Classical theories. Consumer behavior and message processing (CH.3)
PART 2: The marketing communications plan
Session 3: Target groups and positioning (CH.4)
Session 4: Marketing Communication Objectives. Branding and image issues (CH.2 & 5)
Session 5: Advertising strategy and media planning (CH. 8)
PART 3: The marketing communications tools
Session 6: Advertising: the creation process (CH.7)
Session 7: Advertising research (CH. 9)
Session 8: Sales Promotions and brand activation (CH. 12)
Session 9: Public relations, sponsorship and event marketing (CH.10-11)
PART 4: Web marketing and digital communications
Session 10 (PD): Lead generation campaigns (CH. 13)
Session 11 (PD): Digital transformation (CH. 17)
Session 12 (PD): Social media and community building
A faculty member and two practitioners share teaching this course. As a consequence, both theoretical lectures and business cases intertwine. Moreover, invited practitioners from the communication world will present real-life cases related to companies in order to show how marketing communications actually works.
A balance is sought between ex-cathedra training, which aims at the systematic acquisition of paradigms, concepts and theories, on the one hand, and, interactions between students and the instructor, on the other hand, in order to enhance understanding through confrontation with everyday life cases and students’ personal experiences, as well as critical thinking. Videos, case studies and readings related to specific applications of the business world and scientific research will be used to document each part of the course.
The reference textbook is: De Pelsmacker, Patrick, Geuens, Maggie and Van den Berh, Joeri (2017). Marketing Communications: a European perspective, 7th edition, Prentice Hall.
Readings in the Journal of Marketing Research; International Journal of Research in Marketing; Journal of Consumer Research; Journal of Advertising; Journal of Advertising Research.