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 messages, but also to choose the right channels (those that maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your resource). 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. 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 brand, 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; • The role that a cross-cultural environment plays in marketing communication. Particular attention will be paid to inclusivity. • 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; • Calculate the main media planning KPIs; • Define the most appropriate advertising appeal for the specific communication plan; 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; • Understand if one medium is more effective or efficient than another in the context of a communication strategy and if a communication plan is professionally set up; • Students will also be able to judge if an advertising approach is consistent with the communication objectives and the strategy. 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, know where to find information and choose the most useful data sources for carrying out their work; • 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 and buyer personas; • Communication objectives; • Customer journey and touchpoints; • Paid, Owned and Earned Media: main characteristics; • Key media planning metrics (online and offline); • How to plan and buy offline and online media (focusing on digital advertising); • Advertising; • Cultural trends; • How to define a communication budget; • How to measure marketing communication effectiveness

The program for attending and non attendanding students is the SAME. All the students are required to study all the slides, handouts 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 (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; NON ATTENDANT STUDENTS 1. Pelsmacker P. De; Geuens M., Van den Bergh J. (2017) Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Prentice Hall; 6th Edition (chapt. 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: p. 122–145; Reference text: Katz, H. (2016). The media handbook: A complete guide to advertising media selection, planning, research, and buying. Routledge.

Frontal lessons, case studies, project work and formative assessment via online games such as Kahoot and Mentimeter.

For attending students: • continuous assessment—30% of the final grade: 3 quizzes on Luiss Learn (on Tuesdays on-campus lectures) • project work in groups—40% of the final grade: a marketing communication plan on a real case presented with a keynote and a report (to be delivered before the end of the course). The criteria used for the evaluation of the project work are expressed in a rubric with scores (maximum 31/30) provided at the time of the briefing. The topics of the project work will be defined during the course. 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 of the final written test. • final written test: 30% of the final grade (graded on a scale of 3): 30 minutes for 15 closed questions (worth 1 or 2 points each, if correct; worth 0 points if incorrect) and 3 open questions (with a maximum value of 3 points each). To pass the exam, the student must have scored at least 15 points on the written test. The written test aims to discover the level of knowledge and understanding of the course program. To pass the exam, students must have at least a grade of 18 or 30. Students are considered attendants if they follow at least 70% of the course (25 hours) For non-attending students: • final written exam: 50% of the final grade (grade on a scale of /30): 30 minutes for 15 closed questions (worth 1 or 2 points each, if correct; worth 0 points if incorrect) and 3 open questions (with a maximum value of 3 points each). The written test aims to discover the level of knowledge and understanding of the course program. • Oral exams (on the same day as the written test): 50% of the final grade. The oral test aims to discover the understanding and level of applied knowledge of the student and make judgments related to the topics of the course. To proceed with the oral exam, the student must have scored at least 15 points on the written test. To pass the exam, students must have at least a grade of 18 or 30.

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.