Global Marketing Communication is a system of promotional management which coordinates global communications across both countries and promotion disciplines, regardless of whether a standardized or adaptive strategy is employed.

As we knew it just a decade back has undergone a metamorphosis in the sense that there is a general decline in the relative effectiveness of mass-media advertising. This has resulted from a change in the marketing context like – increase in competition, increasing brand parity (reduced differentiation), increase in the touch-points for audience where brand information is available, and changes in channel power. On the other side, technological developments like instant communication, social media and digital marketing have thrown open new opportunities in marketing communications in the global marketing environment.

Integrated marketing communications is therefore the new approach evolving in substitution to advertising of yester years.

There are many definitions of marketing communication and similarly there are many approaches to the marketing communication  process in business. Loosely structured, marketing communication is a tool that businesses deploy for communicating in the market-arena. The foundations for the process integrate an organisation’s major goals, policies, decisions and sequences of action into a cohesive whole. It can apply at all levels in an organisation and pertain to any functional area of management. This course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the nature of competitive marketing communications management and points to the need to adopt new communication practices in order to meet the demands of emerging business opportunities globally.

The course will focus exclusively on consumer markets and will address in greater depth many of the consumer marketing communication concepts introduced in the core marketing course(s). Cases/examples/videos will focus primarily on consumer products and technologies, services, fashion, and entertainment.

The skills and insights developed through this course will be of practical value to you as a business decision maker regardless of your future direction.  The skills and insights transfer well to other subjects.

1. This course provides participants with real-life examples on how marketing communication evolves across global markets 

2. Digital and online media in recent cases demonstrate how businesses and start-ups can communicate and interact seamlessly across the digital landscape of today's consumer habits

3. Cultural differences and its impact on marketing communication

4. An understanding of the most relevant global and future integrated marketing communication developments

5. Insights on interdependencies within fragmented markets

6. How businesses can maintain continued relevance, engagement and progression to answer global/diverse consumer needs

Please note that the first and last session are mandatory. If you do not attend the first session, you will be de-registered from the course. In order to obtain a grade for the course, students must attend at least 80% of the course. An absence of 4 hours  (1 session)  is  permitted. 

To develop and test participants understanding and skills, the course centres on class discussion and participation, rather than simple lecturing. This course proceeds using a combination of lectures, conceptual discussions, group-discussion, video based discussions, problems & case assignments. Active and meaningful class participation is encouraged and expected.

Individual class attendance, assignment and participation (25%)

Students will be assigned a set of questions to answer in relation to the case/class lectures and essential readings. This will enable students to develop an understanding about the concepts and obtain marks for class participation. They will be expected to prepare ahead of class to ensure higher performance.

Group Presentations – 25% (20%project presentation + 5% confidential peer rating)

Students will be working in groups on an IMC Campaign Development as a project (2-3 persons in each group). This will present a successful marketing communication strategy of a European/American product/brand in an emerging market (like India/China etc). The product category can be finalized after discussion with the instructor.

There are a number of key points you must pay attention to as you prepare your presentations:

1. The presentations will last 20-25 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes dedicated to questions and discussion around the topic. The presenting team will be assessed on the basis of their presentation and the quality of their responses to questions.

2. The format of the assessed presentation is entirely up to you but must be interactive – be as creative as you like, but you must ensure you cover the main theoretical material and demonstrate its application/use in marketing practice in emerging markets. You could also show videos or introduce other relevant activities. Use your imagination to bring your topic to life in a thoughtful way. You will be assessed on this aspect of the presentation.

3. All presentations must be using Microsoft PowerPoint only, and you must submit your slides to your tutor before your presentation.

4. Free riders will not be tolerated. A formal peer evaluation process will be introduced in cases where there an individual fails to display collaborative competence to achieve group objectives

Individual Essay (25%)

The students are required to produce a 3000 words individual essay on an assigned topic (to be announced in session 1)

Key Points to note in relation to the essay:

1. Information as to when the essay is due will be announced in due course. Please submit your Microsoft Word document to kirti.sharma@mdi.ac.in

2. In order to do justice to the topic assigned, you must provide a discussion using the academic literature. You are expected to build on your work using additional material, e.g., news report, statistical information from databases.

3. You are expected to integrate both academic and non-academic sources wherever appropriate.

4. The word limit is 3000 words. There will be penalties for essays exceeding this word limit.

5. Essays must conform to the following format: Times New Roman Font; 12 point font; double spaced; Margins 2.5 cm; page number at the bottom; no other headers or footers.

6. No extensions will be allowed for the submission of coursework except in the case of certified illness or another substantial cause.

Quiz 10% (Individual)

In-Class exercise 15% (Group)

Total 60% - Individual & 40% - Group component of assessment

N/A

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Kirti.sharma@mdi.ac.in

All the lectures, powerpoint, readings will be made available on the online learn@wu platform