MRK 3503 Marketing Communication

MRK 3503 Marketing Communication

Course code: 
MRK 3503
Department: 
Marketing
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Klemens Knöferle
Course name in Norwegian: 
Marketing Communication
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor of Marketing Management - Programme Courses
Semester: 
2025 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Even the best products and services don't sell themselves. To create and sustain demand, marketers need to communicate with their customers, consumers, and other stakeholders. This course introduces students to the state of the art of marketing communication and prepares them to successfully communicate in today's cluttered and ever-evolving online and offline environments.

The course is highly practical and feedback-based. Students work in groups to develop a communication plan for a real client organization. Throughout the course, all groups receive repeated, detailed feedback from our teaching team to strengthen their proposed solutions prior to the final hand-in. The academic lectures and guest lectures explicitly link to the term project and provide the necessary knowledge and skills.  

We will explore topics linked to strategic planning (e.g., insight, positioning, media and creative strategy, measurement and testing) and tactical execution (e.g., persuasiveness, virality, sensory marketing). We will also consider the psychological foundations of marketing communication and discuss their strategic importance relative to cutting-edge but often perishable (digital) technology and trends. To improve understanding of the course contents, students will get to analyze, develop, and evaluate marketing communication strategies and executions.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

By the end of the course, students should:

  • know key concepts and theories in marketing communication as well as the structure of today's marketing communication industry
  • know what distinguishes well-planned and well-executed marketing communication from unexceptional communication
  • know features and limitations of important digital and traditional communication channels and their associated performance indicators
  • know of important digital tools used in marketing communication
Learning outcomes - Skills

After finishing the course, the student should be able to:

  • critically analyze and evaluate marketing communication strategies and executions
  • develop effective marketing communication strategy and execution based on relevant data, insights, and theory, using online and offline channels
  • present a communication plan or campaign to an audience
General Competence

After finishing the course, the student should be able to:

  • work with others in a team
  • consider ethical issues related to marketing communication
Course content

The topics below are exemplary and subject to change.

  • Psychological models of how marketing communications work
  • The structure of the marketing communication industry
  • Developing a communication plan
  • Budgeting considerations
  • Determining communication objectives
  • Generating and leveraging insights
  • Positioning
  • Media strategy in digital and traditional media
  • Creative strategy
  • Integrating marketing communications
  • Message strategies and execution
  • Multisensory marketing communication
  • Persuasion tactics
  • Measuring impact and testing
  • Important digital tools
Teaching and learning activities

The course combines lectures and various individual and group assignments (both in-class and out-of-class).

E-Learning

Where the course is delivered as an online course, the lecturer will, in collaboration with the study administration, arrange an appropriate combination of digital learning resources and activities. These activities will correspond to the stated number of teaching hours delivered on campus. Online students are also offered a study guide that will provide an overview of the course and contribute to course progression. The total time students are expected to spend completing the course also applies to online studies.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.

Required prerequisite knowledge

.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Portfolio Assessment PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Group (3 - 5)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Portfolio
Exam code: 
MRK 35032
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Submission PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Reflection
Exam code: 
MRK 35033
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
30 Hour(s)
Classroom hours
Digital resources
12 Hour(s)
Asynchronous contents (videos, exercises)
Student's own work with learning resources
78 Hour(s)
Group work / Assignments
70 Hour(s)
Term project group work
Feedback activities and counselling
10 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.