Digital Marketing Communications

The Digital Marketing Communications major will provide graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be successful in the emerging digital marketing communication field. The successful digital marketing communication practitioner today must be able to create and plan strategically aligned campaigns to achieve marketing goals, select the best digital marketing platforms for the target audience, and be able to craft the message or experience that resonates with the target audience across a wide array of communication media. A Digital Marketing Communications major understands that today’s marketplace demands professionals who are proficient in marketing, technical, and creative skills.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Distinguish best practices in engaging customers through digital media
  2. Formulate digitally mediated integrated marketing communication strategies for companies
  3. Create impactful digital communication that enhances customer journeys
  4. Develop professional skills and relationships through industry experience

 

Major Requirements

  • MKT 1450 Principles of Marketing
  • MKT 2600 Consumer Behavior
  • MKT 2710 Integrated Marketing Communications
  • MKT 3620 Social Media Marketing
  • MKT 3725 Digital Marketing

2 electives in MKT over 2000-level or approved by department

  • COM 1410 Digital Photography or COM1212 Introduction to Video Production
  • VDA 2210 Digital Storytelling
  • VDA 2613 Graphic Design 1
  • COM 2630 Writing for Media
  • COM 3261 Interactive Media
  • COM 4899 Internship
  • COM 3680 Communications Research/Capstone

Minor Requirements

  • COM 2630 Writing for Media
  • MKT 1450 Principles of Marketing
  • VDA 2210 Digital Storytelling
  • MKT 2710 Integrated Marketing Communications
  • MKT 3620 Social Media Marketing
    • or MKT 3725 Digital Marketing
  • VDA 2613 Graphic Design 1
    • or COM 1410 Digital Photography
    • or COM 1212 Introduction to Video Production

Course Descriptions

Marketing is a key activity that enables businesses and organizations to achieve their goals by satisfying the needs of others through mutually beneficial relationships. This course will provide students with an understanding of important marketing theory and practices, including: the marketing concept; the marketing environment; market segmentation, product positioning; product and brand strategies; pricing strategies, marketing communication strategies; distribution strategies; consumer and business buying behavior; and electronic marketing.

A thorough understanding of consumer behavior is the bedrock of any successful marketing strategy. Some of the topics to be covered with respect to their effect on consumer behavior include consumer decision-making; attitudes and purchase intentions; cognition and emotion; cultural and social factors; learning theories; attention and perception of marketing stimuli; and involvement. Theories and concepts will be drawn from marketing, psychology, communication, and sociology.

This course introduces a model of the IMC (integrated marketing communications) planning process and the steps taken in developing a marketing communications program. Research-based examinations of organizations needs for programs that can meet the global challenges and their impact. Promotions Management, Communication Process, and Ethical Issues will be discussed.

Social media has changed the much of the playing field in marketing and advertising. Through social media, customers now have access to the vast experiences of other customers to guide their purchase behavior. Conversation and participation are the norms in social media and social communities. Marketers now must embrace this new relationship with customers to be successful. In this course, students will learn about the different types of social media, create social media marketing strategy, and create content and engagement strategies for various social media and sites platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and YouTube.

Digital marketing strategies and techniques are critical to success today. Businesses now spend more money on digital marketing strategies and related marketing technology than traditional advertising and promotion. Students will learn a variety of essential digital marketing strategies in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM and PPC), Digital Display Advertising, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Automation, and Email marketing.

PREREQUISITES: MKT1450

Fundamental visual art principles constitute the basis of effective visual communication. This hands-on course explores these fundamentals while applying the creative approaches unique to digital photography. Students will learn how to use advanced digital cameras (DSLR) to create an on-line portfolio, as well techniques to manage and archive media. In addition, students will develop a framework to analyze and evaluate photographs, whether created by themselves or others. PREREQUISITE: None

Students will learn how to communicate multilevel stories of a place, moment, person or time by creating multimedia projects. Working with text, still photography, video, music and audio, students will create digital stories and post them online. Students will combine timeless art principles (including viewpoint, composition, light, angle and setting) with literary fundamentals (such plot diagramming and character development) to create modern video projects.

In this introductory class, students with learn graphic design production skills. A focus will be on developing proficiency with the industry standard software tools of InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Students will learn the fundamentals of designing communication materials, including: how to effectively convey a message whether with typography, images or symbols. Logo design and branding will be covered. Students will create communications pieces that benefit the AIC community.

An introduction to the basic principles and techniques of writing for the media. Formats include informational, persuasive and entertainment content for a variety of audiences across different types of media and platforms. Students will write scripted material for traditional media (radio, TV, and print) and produce written content across various digital platforms, including podcasts, streaming audio/video, social media and other web-based industries. PREREQUISITE: None.

Digital multimedia projects in mass communication will be developed from among advertising, journalism, public relations, radio and television genres. The purpose of this course is for students to produce multimedia projects. In the process, students will use their individual writing, reporting, photographic and audio/video skills to develop a concept, produce separate elements and finally assemble the project. This project, whether burned to a DVD or posted on the web, will include text, graphics, photos, audio and video. Laboratory fee charged.

One of the strengths of the communication program is the close relationship the program enjoys with the local, regional, and national media. Communication students are required to take at least three credits of professional learning experience in the media and are encouraged to take as many as 12 credits. Students document their professional learning through a compilation of published stories, podcasts, blog entries and other forms of media. Students have completed internships at 91.9FM/New England Public Media, WWLP TV-22, Western Mass News,102.1FM/WAQY, as well in many local/regional video production studios, public relations firms, and marketing agencies. Summer internships can be arranged so that students continue their professional growth during recess and the program already has a proud record of graduates being placed in media jobs. PREREQUISITES: Permission of the department chair and approval of the dean of the School of Arts, Education and Sciences. PREREQUISITE: None

This course explains the basic concepts of media research. Included are measurement and methodologies for measuring the effectiveness and impact of mass mediated messages (from radio, newspaper and TV to web site hits). Recognition tests, recall and association tests, opinions and attitude ratings, projectile methods, laboratory testing, and content analysis are each explained and studied. Research applications focus mainly, but not entirely, on consumers of mass media. Quantitative as well as qualitative methods are discussed in detail.

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