Skip to main content
Unit outline_

MKTG3112: Marketing Communications

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study offers an introduction to an overview of current theory and practice in marketing communications. It will include aspects of advertising in the main media (television, radio, print, outdoor, cinema), sales promotion, personal selling and new media, such as the Internet. It will provide students with a sound theoretical/conceptual foundation as well as the strategic/practical perspectives of Marketing Communications planning and implementation.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Marketing
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
MKTG1001
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Stacey Brennan, stacey.brennan@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam (Open book) Type C final exam Final exam
Extended response questions
40% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Assignment Individual class projects
Written task
10% Week 06 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Presentation group assignment Presentation
Presentation
20% Week 11 15 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment group assignment Group class projects
Written task
20% Week 12 4000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Participation Participation and engagement
Participation
8% Weekly n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Research participation
Participation
2% Weekly 45 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
group assignment = group assignment ?
Type C final exam = Type C final exam ?

Assessment summary

  • Participation and engagement: The weekly quiz will assess students’ knowledge of that week's course content. Each student is expected to complete each week’s quiz within four days following lectures.
  • Individual class projects: Your task is to critique a marketing communications campaign for an organisation of your choice. You are required to select a campaign that has adopted an IMC approach.
  • Group class projects: Building on the individual class project, students are required to develop an integrated marketing communications plan for the assigned company. To complete this task students must work as part of a team. Your marketing communications plan should address the challenge(s)/issue(s) identified in the individual class project.
  • Presentation: Teams from the previous assessment are required to develop a persuasive presentation (pitch) for their integrated marketing communications plan. This assessment aims to test students’ ability to clearly and effectively communicate ideas to an external audience.
  • Final exam: The final exam will test students’ knowledge of marketing communications.
  • Research participation: Instructions on how to complete this assessment can be found on the new business research component site of students’ Canvas course dashboard. Students must choose to complete one of two options: 1. participating in a research study, or 2. research paper review.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to marketing communications (chapter 1 and chapter 2) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 02 Consumers and marketing communications (chapter 4) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 03 Planning for marketing communications (chapter 3 and chapter 7) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 04 Communication process (chapter 5 and chapter 6) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 05 Creative strategy (chapter 8 and chapter 9) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 06 Media strategy and IMC tools 1 (chapter 10, chapter 11 and chapter 12) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 07 IMC tools 2 (chapter 13 and chapter 14) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 08 IMC tools 3 (chapter 16 and chapter 17) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 09 IMC tools 4 (chapter 15) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 10 International marketing communications (chapter 19) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 11 Evaluating communications (chapter 18) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 12 Marketing communications review Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Belch, G.E., and Belch, M.A. (2018) Advertising and promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 11e Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand critical theories and concepts relevant to the study of marketing communications
  • LO2. identify and understand the relationship between the key elements of message strategy that can be practically applied to the development of an integrated marketing communications plan
  • LO3. identify the appropriate forms of media that can be adopted to efficiently, effectively and creatively deliver the communication message to the target audience
  • LO4. identify the role of integrated marketing communications in creating brand meaning to build appropriate consumer based brand equity
  • LO5. open new ways of thinking and appreciate the importance of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and reflection as the foundation for continuous learning
  • LO6. collaborate and communicate with people from diverse backgrounds with inclusiveness, open-mindedness and civility, and to communicate thoughts and opinions confidently and to a professional standard.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.