Communication has always created value for people, businesses and organizations. In recent years, it has evolved enormously, thanks to technological development, becoming more and more complex to manage. Knowing how to communicate today means not only to find the right message, but also to choose the right channels (those that maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your resource), as well as crafting a consistent storytelling across them to promote your brand. This course will teach you exactly this: how to set up a compelling communication strategy able to both convince the recipient and make the best out of the available resources. Follow this course to learn how to develop realistic and actionable marketing communication plans, following the most recent theories and methodologies. You will also learn the basic components of storytelling and how to use it effectively in a branding perspective. Whether you want to become a successful entrepreneur or work in the marketing department of a multinational company, knowing how to set up a communication plan is essential for the success of any bran, nowadays. The course adopts a problem-based learning approach, therefore you will be given the opportunity to apply theories and models to real brands and companies in order to develop realistic and actionable communication plans. Attendance is mandatory and essential to properly prepare for the exam.

Knowledge and understanding: The course offers advanced theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand the concepts, strategies and means necessary to design and implement a coherent and integrated marketing communication campaign. By the end of the course, students will know: • The appropriate terminology to define marketing communication activities; • How does the marketing communication planning process work; • The characteristics of the different channels (Paid, Owned and Earned media) to plan effective and efficient communication campaigns; • How to make the message effective, taking into account the different touchpoints on which an integrated marketing communication plan is structured; • Deepen the relationship between culture, brand heritage and consumer behavior; • The role that languages in a multimodal perspective play in marketing communication of organizations. Particular attention will be paid to the different modalities and articulations that the investigation on languages can assume with reference to the marketing implications (Semiotics of marketing and business communication); • How to apply the research process of marketing semiotics to analyze brand equity and develop an effective content strategy: • Where to find the information to set up a communication budget. Applying knowledge and understanding: Upon completing the study program, students will be able to: • Set up a marketing communication strategy; • Define the communication objectives to achieve the business objectives; • Select the appropriate media for an effective marketing communication plan; • Use basic semiotic tools to analyze branding processes and evaluate the quality of creative ideas in relation to communication objectives; • Use marketing semiotics to support marketing communication actions taken by brands; • Set up a communication budget request document. Making judgements: Upon completing the study program, students will be able to: • Effectively research, collect and interpret data for the purpose of planning an effective communication marketing campaign. • Furthermore, students will develop a critical spirit to observe the role of marketing communication not only from the consumer perspective but also from the perspective of corporate reputation management. In order to encourage critical thinking, comparative analyzes of marketing communication campaigns and their impact on corporate reputation will be proposed. • They must also be able to understand if one media is more effective or efficient than another in the context of a communication strategy and if a communication plan is professionally set up. Communications Skills: Upon completing the study program, students will be able to: • Effectively communicate the result of research, data collection and content production in a clear, complete but concise way, using the most appropriate terminology. In particular, they will strengthen the skills necessary to produce comprehensive and effective analytical reports and presentations. Learning skills: Upon completing the study program, students will: • Acquire the analytical and creative skills necessary to evaluate and manage integrated marketing communication processes, also in a multicultural perspective; • Be able to orient themselves in the macro-sector of media planning, • Have a knowledge base that can easily allow them to update in a highly strategic and innovative sector.

Course topics: • From Marketing Mix to Communications Mix; • Integrated marketing Communication planning process; • How to define a communication target group; • Communication objectives; • Costumer journey and touchpoints; • Paid, Owned and Earned Media: main characteristics; • Key media planning metrics (online and -offline); • The media planning process; • How to measure marketing communication effectiveness; • How to define a communication budget; • Advertising; • The notions of sign, symbol, text; • The use of rhetoric in advertising: metaphor and metonymy; • The notion of narrativity; • Marketing Semiotics; • Cultural branding;

ATTENDING STUDENTS 1. Pelsmacker P. De; Geuens M., Van den Bergh J. (2017) Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Prentice Hall; 6th Edition (chap. 1; 4; 5; 7; 13). 2. Keller K.L., Bathra R. (2016). Integrating Marketing Communications: New Findings, New Lessons, and New Ideas. Journal of Marketing: AMA/MSI Special Issue Vol. 80: 122–145; 3. Oswald L. (2012) Marketing semiotics. Signs, strategies, and Brand Value, Oxford University Press (Introduzione e cap. 1; 2; 3) 4. Ruiz Collantes FX, Oliva M. "Narrativity approaches to branding". In: Rossolatos G, editor. Handbook of brand semiotics. Kassel: Kassel University Press; 2015, p. 89-150 NON ATTENDANT STUDENTS 1. Pelsmacker P. De; Geuens M., Van den Bergh J. (2017) Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Prentice Hall; 6th Edition (chap. 1; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 11; 13) 2. Keller K.L., Bathra R. (2016). Integrating Marketing Communications: New Findings, New Lessons, and New Ideas. Journal of Marketing: AMA/MSI Special Issue Vol. 80: 122–145; 3. Oswald L. (2012) Marketing semiotics. Signs, strategies, and Brand Value, Oxford University Press (Introduzione e cap. 1; 2; 3) 4. Ruiz Collantes FX, Oliva M. "Narrativity approaches to branding". In: Rossolatos G, editor. Handbook of brand semiotics. Kassel: Kassel University Press; 2015, p. 89-150 5. Etter M., Ravasi D., Colleoni E. (2017) “Social media and the formation of organizational reputation”. Academy of Management Review.

Frontal Lessons, Case study analysis, project work.

For attending students: • continuous assessment – 20% of the final grade: 2 quizzes on Luiss Learn and 2 group essays (on Thursdays on-campus lectures) • project work in groups – 50% of the final grade: communication and marketing plan & market research based on two different reports to be delivered in two different moments (1st report deadline: saturday, March 25th ; 2nd deadline: Friday, May 12nd). Groups ranking 1st, 2nd and 3rd (according to the teaching team and the company evaluations) will receive bonus points (2, 1.5 and 1, respectively) in the final exam – to be added to the grade in thirtieths. • final written exam – 30% of the final grade (graded on a scale of /30): an hour’s time for 15 multiple choice questions (worth 1 point each, if correct – worth 0 point if incorrect) and 2 open questions (with a maximum value of 7.5 points each) For non-attending students: • final written exam – 100% of the final grade (grade on a scale of /30): an and a quarter hour for 15 multiple choice questions (worth 1 point each, if correct – worth 0 point if incorrect) and 3 open questions (with a maximum value of 5 points each) based on extra material to be added to that set out for attending students (find the list on the Vademecum).

Requested requirement: Strong interest in marketing communication in the social web. To get the thesis the applicant must submit a written project including research methodology, index and basic bibliography.