MKTG209 - Digital Marketing: The Connected Space

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Teaching organisation

150 hours over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period

Unit rationale, description and aim

E-Business has emerged in the last several decades as a new 'approach' to doing business, as opposed to the traditional non-digital approach to doing business. Digital marketing is a subset of e-business. This unit will give students both the theoretical and practical understanding of the Internet marketplace necessary to adapt to the many changes while also equipping them with the skills they will need to perform vital daily functions as a digital marketing specialist. The unit also ensures that the use of technology to facilitate marketing activities does not disadvantage vulnerable consumer segments in the marketplace. Some of the key concepts students would study in this unit are: web analytics, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media marketing and online reputation management.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Understand and identify the key concepts and theories which underpin the practice of digital marketing (GA4, GA5) 

LO2 - Identify digital marketing strategies in terms of their ability to create differential competitive advantage (GA5, GA8)

LO3 - Apply digital marketing strategies to existing marketing activities taking local and global perspectives into account (GA5, GA6) 

LO4 - Critically analyse how marketers can minimise adverse impacts of digital marketing on vulnerable consumer market segments (GA3, GA5)

Graduate attributes

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

Content

Topics will include:

• Digital marketing foundations
• Principles to design a digital space (eg website, app) 
• Digital marketing metrics
• SEO applications onsite and offsite
• Digital advertising and promotion tolls and strategies 
• Social Media and consumer privacy
• Online reputation management
• Digital strategy implementation and evaluation

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy is based on student engagement in the learning process by participation in workshops or equivalent and practical activities designed to reinforce learning. Workshops or equivalent activities support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge both individually and in small groups. This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the development, knowledge and processes utilised by organisations in designing, and implementing digital marketing strategies. The learner is able to explore the knowledge base underpinning digital marketing theory, concepts and practices in a series of workshops or equivalent and practical activities. These workshops or equivalent and practical activities are designed to support students to actively participate in the development of their knowledge, both individually and in groups. By participating in these workshops or equivalent and practical activities, students will develop an understanding of the different types of digital marketing approaches, and the key activities performed by digital marketers. This unit takes a collaborative learning approach through a series of lectures, discussions and examples. This approach is designed for students to develop critical and reflective skills in an independent and group environment.

Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.

Attendance Mode

In an attendance mode, students will require face-to-face attendance in specific physical location/s. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops, most students report that they spend an average of one hour preparing before the workshop and one or more hours after the workshop practicing and revising what was covered. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.

Blended Mode

In a blended mode, students will require intermittent face-to-face attendance determined by the School. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.

Online Mode

In an online mode, students engage in asynchronous learning and participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge, while developing their knowledge. Students are required to participate in a series of online interactive activities to enhance their learning including knowledge checks, discussion boards and self-paced exercises. This approach allows flexibility for students and facilitates learning and participation for students with a preference for virtual learning.

ACU Online

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate mastery of all learning outcomes and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking of each assessment task will be in accordance with rubrics specifically developed to measure student level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each assessment item. A final grade will be awarded reflecting the overall achievement in the Unit. The assessment strategy for this Unit allows students to sequentially develop their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to the point where they can identify and diagnose an organisation’s possible digital marketing weaknesses and propose solutions for them. In order to develop this capability, students will demonstrate knowledge of digital marketing theory, concepts and practices throughout the three assignments.

Assessment 1 is designed to determine the extent to which students understand and appreciate the rudiments of digital marketing through combination of engagement in the unit via in-class activities, discussion board questions, responses to postings and evidence of successful engagement in online asynchronous and offline synchronous activities.

Assessment 2 is designed to assess the students' understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) and its impact on the digital marketing strategy by performing a typical SEO audit on a website to improve its organic search rankings.

Assessment 3 is designed to assist students in identifying and discussing how marketers can minimise adverse impacts on vulnerable consumer segments even as they strive to improve their companies' performance by using the digital marketing framework.

Academic integrity will be assured by presenting students with a different context every year to prevent the possibility of recycling past assessment papers. For example, the type of website for analysis would change every year, thus making it difficult for students to recycle the materials but at the same time, ensuring that the concepts and theories can be assessed.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Larson J & Draper S, 2020 Digital Marketing Essentials: A Comprehensive Digital Marketing Textbook, Stukent, Idaho Falls, USA. The textbook can be accessed at http://home.stukent.com.  

Aslam K, 2017, The Seven Critical Principles of Digital Marketing, Stone Soup Hustler Publications, USA

Barker, M S, Barker D I, Bormann N F, Zahay D, and Roberts M L, 2017 Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach, 2nd Edn, Cengage Learning, US

Chafey D and Chadwick F E, 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy, Implementation and Practice, 6 ed Pearson UK

Kingsnorth S, 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing, Kogan Page Ltd, UK

Sponder, M and Khan, G.F 2018, Digital Analytics for Marketing, Routledge

Current Scholarly Articles

Hoyer, W D Kroschke, M, Schmitt, B, Kraume, K; Shankar, V. 2020 Transforming the Customer Experience Through New Technologies, Journal of Interactive Marketing Aug, Vol. 51, p57-71. 15p.

Zhao, H; Jiang, L; Su, C 2020 To defend or not defend? How Responses to Negative Customer Review Affect Prospective Customers' Distrust and Purchase Intention. Journal of Interactive Marketing. May, Vol. 50, p45-64. 20p. 

Riquelme, I P, Román, S, Cuestas, P J & Iacobucci, D. 2019 Journal of Interactive Marketing. Aug, Vol. 47, p35-52. 18p. The dark side of good reputation and loyalty in online retailing: When trust leads to retaliation through price unfairness.

Wang, W, Li, G, Fung, R Y K & Cheng, T C E 2019 Mobile advertising and traffic conversion: The effects of front traffic and spatial competition Journal of Interactive Marketing. Aug, Vol. 47, p84-101. 18p

Yuan, S & Lou, C 2019 How Social Media Influencers Foster Relationships with Followers: The Roles of Source Credibility and Fairness in Parasocial Relationship and Product Interest. Journal of Interactive Advertising July 133-147

Xie, W. & Karan, K 2019 Consumers' Privacy Concern and Privacy Protection on Social Network Sites in the Era of Big Data: Empirical Evidence from College Students Journal of Interactive Advertising Sep, 187-201

Bingley, I P & Leonhardt, J M 2018 Extremity Bias in User-Generated Content Creation and Consumption in Social Media Journal of Interactive Advertising  Sep, 125-135

Lou, C & Yuan, S 2019 Influencer Marketing: How Message Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of Branded Content on Social Media Journal of Interactive Advertising  Feb 2019, 58-73

Rosenkrans, G & Myers, Keli, 2018 Optimizing Location-Based Mobile Advertising Using Predictive Analytics Journal of Interactive Advertising  Vol, 18, Issue 1, 43-54.

Chang C. 2020 How Branded Videos Can Inspire Consumers and Benefit Brands: Implications for Consumers' Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Advertising Oct-Dec2020, Vol. 49 Issue 5, p613-632. 20p

Extended Readings

Journal of Interactive Marketing

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing

International Journal of Online Marketing

Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing