INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Testo in Inglese (Text in English) Communication has always created value for people, businesses and organizations. In recent years, thanks to technological development, it has evolved enormously, becoming increasingly complex to manage. Today, knowing how to communicate means not only identifying the right messages, but also choosing the most appropriate channels from multiple online and offline alternatives, to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of available resources. This course will teach you exactly that: how to set up a communication strategy that can convince the recipient and make the most of available resources. Follow this course to learn how to develop realistic marketing communication plans, following the latest theories and methodologies. Whether you want to become a successful entrepreneur or work in the marketing department of a multinational, knowing how to set up a communication plan is essential for the success of any brand. The course adopts a problem-based learning approach, offering you the opportunity to apply theories and models to real brands and companies, in order to develop concrete and practicable communication plans. Attendance is mandatory and essential to adequately prepare for the exam.

No prerequisites

Knowledge and Understanding The course offers advanced theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand the concepts, strategies and means needed to design and implement a coherent and integrated marketing communication campaign. At the end of the course, students will know: - The appropriate terminology to define marketing communication activities; - How the marketing communication planning process works; - 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 communication plan is structured; - The role that an intercultural environment plays in marketing communication, with particular attention to inclusiveness; - Semiotic theory and methodology to develop an effective content strategy; - Where to find the information to set a communication budget. Application of Knowledge and Understanding At the end of the study program, students will be able to: - Set up a marketing communication strategy; - Define communication objectives to achieve business objectives; - Select appropriate media for an effective marketing communication plan; - Calculate the main KPIs of media planning; - Define the most appropriate advertising appeal for the specific communication plan. Judgment Skills Upon completion of the study program, students will be able to: - Effectively research, collect and interpret data for planning a marketing communication campaign; - Understand whether a medium is more effective or efficient than another in the context of a communication strategy and whether a communication plan is professionally set; - Judge whether an advertising approach is consistent with communication objectives and strategy. Communication Skills Upon completion of the study program, students will be able to: - Effectively communicate the results of research, data collection and content production in a clear, complete but concise manner, using the most appropriate terminology. In particular, they will strengthen the skills needed to produce analytical reports and complete and effective presentations. Learning Skills Upon completion of the study program, students will: - Acquire the analytical and creative skills needed to evaluate and manage integrated marketing communication processes, also in a multicultural perspective; - Be able to navigate the macro-sector of media planning, know where to find information and choose the most useful data sources to carry out their work; - Have a knowledge base that will allow them to easily update themselves 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 and buyer personas; - Communication objectives; - Customer journey and touchpoints; - Paid, Owned and Earned Media: main characteristics; - Main media planning metrics (online and offline); - How to plan and buy offline and online media (with a focus on digital advertising); - Advertising; - Cultural branding; - Semiotics of marketing; - How to define a communication budget; - How to measure the effectiveness of marketing communication. The program for attending and non-attending students is the SAME. All students are required to study all slides, distributed materials and other materials provided during the course and available on the eLearning platform.

ATTENDING STUDENTS 1. Pelsmacker P. De; Geuens M., Van den Bergh J. (2017). Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Prentice Hall; 6th Edition (chapters 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 (Intro and chap. 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-ATTENDING STUDENTS 1. Pelsmacker P. De; Geuens M., Van den Bergh J. (2017). Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Prentice Hall; 6th Edition (chapters 1; 4; 5; 7; 9; 11; 12; 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 (Intro and chap. 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 Testo di Riferimento: Katz, H. (2016). The media handbook: A complete guide to advertising media selection, planning, research, and buying. Routledge.

Lectures, case studies, exercises, project work.

For attending students: - 30% continuous assessment (individual + group): multiple choice questions for the planning part + 1 group submission related to the content part; - 40% group project work: communication and marketing plan and market research based on two different reports to be submitted at two different times. The first part of the project related to planning will be submitted halfway through the course and evaluated according to a PASSED or FAILED. The last step of submission involves the union of the planning part with the marketing semiotics part. Bonus points are provided for the winning groups (+1 for the first group; + 0.75 for the second group; + 0.5 for the third group), to be added to the percentage of the project grade; - 30% written exam: one hour for 15 fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice questions (worth 1 point each, if correct - worth 0 points if incorrect) and 2 open questions (with a maximum value of 7.5 points each). For non-attending students: - 100% final written exam: (grade on a scale of /30), one hour and a quarter for 15 fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions (worth 1 point each, if correct - worth 0 points if incorrect) and 3 open questions (with a maximum value of 5 points each).

Required requirement: Strong interest in marketing communication in the social web. To obtain the thesis the candidate must present a written project including research methodology, index and basic bibliography.