Assessment

Task No.	Description of Assessment Task	Assessment Task TypeCoursework (CW)	Word Count +/- 10%	Task Weighting %
1	Individual critical evaluation of marketing communications in the Digital world	CW	2,500	60%
2

Task one Individual critical evaluation (worth 60%)

Critical evaluation essay format – third person language supported by reference and data sources

Consumers live in a digitally enabled world.  Marketing communications messages are received through mobile and online sources as well as through traditional channels. Consumers themselves generate content, giving and receiving ‘advertising’ messages and interpreting campaigns in a way that was unheard of before internet and mobile communications broke traditional boundaries. 

In this essay you should critically evaluate marketing communications in the digital world.

1. Explain how audience engagement with marketing communications messages has changed in the last ten-20 years, both on and offline.  (PAST – around 800-1000 words) 

2. Critically analyse how integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence. Give current examples of where marketing communications messages are effective. Identify examples where campaigns fail. Most importantly, explain why. (PRESENT around 1000 – 1200 words )

3. Identify trends and potential directions for marketing communications in the next five years, justifying and supporting your choices. (FUTURE – around 500 words)

Support your arguments with appropriate theories of marketing communications and reference current debate. (e.g. Integrated Marketing Communications and RACE framework)

Support all your statements with textbooks, academic journals, news media and specialist sources and examples. There are many ideas for sources in the reading list in this workbook.

You need to identify specific consumer/ audience segments rather than discuss ‘all consumers’, which is too vague.  You can apply your discussion to a product or service sector if you wish but you must explore the wider strategic implications for marketing communications as a whole as well as focusing on one product or service category.

Indicative word count 2500 +/- 10%  

What you write is more important than the word count.

Word count does not include contents list, tables, charts or references.

There will be interactive meetings and assignment workshops before the deadline to discuss your draft with tutors. 

You can choose to use elements from the RACE framework when you are evaluating successful or less successful campaigns as part of Task one essay.

TASK ONE INDIVIDUAL ESSAY	below 40%	40-49%	50-59%	60-69%	70-100%
Critically evaluate marketing communications in the digital world.	Inadequate / confused knowledge of marketing communications in the digital world.	Basic description of  marketing communications in the digital world.	Reasonable discussion of marketing communications in the digital world	Substantive critical analysis of marketing communications in the digital world	Exceptional critical analysis of marketing communications in the digital world.
Give current examples of how marketing communications works in practice	Very few or no examples of how marketing communications works in practice.	A few examples of how marketing communications works in practice.	Several examples of how marketing communications works in practice.	Many examples of how marketing communications works in practice.	Extensive and insightful examples of how marketing communications works in practice.
Critically analyse how integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence	Little or no discussion of  how integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence	Some  discussion of how integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence	Reasonable  discussion of  how integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence	Clear and well supported  discussion of  how and why integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence	Insightful and comprehensive evaluation of  how  and why integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaigns persuade and influence
Critique and apply analysis to theoretical models (e.g. AIDA, DRIP, RACE)	Little or no application to theoretical models.	Some application to theoretical models.	Reasonable  critique and application to theoretical models.	Clear critique and application to theoretical models.	Comprehensive critique and application to theoretical models.
Appropriate writing and clarity of structure and adherence to word countFollows APA referencing format	Unclear writing and lack of clarity and does not adhere to word count. Does not use APA referencing format	Reasonable clarity of writing and structure. Approximately meets word count. Mainly follows  APA referencing format.	Reasonably clear writing and structure and meets word count.Follows APA referencing format	Clear and well-structured writing that meets word count.  Follows APA referencing format	Clear, well-structured submission that meets word count and demonstrates excellent clarity of meaning and insight.  Follows APA referencing format
Support with relevant models, theories and data and academic underpinning.	Little or no support from theories and data, lacks academic underpinning.	Some generic support  from theories and data, some academic underpinning.	Reasonable support  from theories and data, reasonable academic underpinning.	Good support using relevant theories and data, good academic underpinning.	Excellent support  from wide range of theories and data, excellent academic underpinning.

TASK TWO GROUP COMMUNICATIONS PLAN	below 40%	40-49%	50-59%	60-69%	70-100%
Devise and develop appropriate integrated marketing communications plan relevant for your client’s needs and target audiences	Little or no clear   integrated marketing communications strategy with little or no relevance for client’s needs or target audiences	Some marketing communications strategy with a little integration and relevance for client’s needs and  target audiences	Clear  integrated marketing communications strategy relevant to client’s needs and target audiences	Detailed  and clear  integrated multi-media marketing communications strategy with relevance for client’s needs  and clear target audiences.	Insightful and comprehensive  integrated multi-media marketing communications Plan with excellent relevance for client’s needs and excellent grasp of target audiences.
Apply SOSTAC Model for 12-18 month marketing communications plan for the client	Little or no outline of SOSTAC framework for 12-18 month marketing communications plan. Little or no application to client.	Some outline of  SOSTAC framework for 12-18 month marketing communications plan. A little application to the client.	Reasonable discussion of  SOSTAC framework for 12-18 month marketing communications plan. Reasonable application to the client.	Substantive critical use of SOSTAC framework for 12-18 month marketing communications plan. Clear and consistent application to the client.	Insightful and comprehensive use of  SOSTAC framework for 12-18 month marketing communications plan. Insightful and clear application to the client.
Situation Demonstrate understanding of the client’s Situation and marketing communications requirements.Identify a ‘hook’ /key concept for the campaign	Inadequate and confused knowledge of the Situation.  Inability to relate these to the client’s needs. No idea for ‘hook’ or key concept	Basic description of the Situation with limited analysis or application to client’s needs. Outline idea for  ‘hook’ or key concept	Reasonable discussion of the  Situation  that identifies client’s needs and opportunities. Some idea for  ‘hook’ or key concept	Substantive critical analysis that identifies  Situation and client’s needs and opportunities. Clear idea for  ‘hook’ or key concept	Exceptional critical analysis of  Situation and client’s communications needs that identifies opportunities and informs marketing communications strategy.   Credible and creative idea for  ‘hook’ or key concept.
ObjectivesAppropriate marketing communications objectives (SOSTAC)	Few or no communications objectives does not apply SOSTAC	Some general communications objectives does not apply SOSTAC	Clear and appropriate SMART communications objectives – follows SOSTAC framework	Detailed and SMART communications objectives – plan follows SOSTAC framework	Comprehensive, relevant and SMART communications objectives following SOSTAC framework in a professional and thorough way
StrategiesJustify and apply appropriate Business to Business (Push), Business to Consumer (Pull) and PR/media relations (Profile) strategies for the client.	Little or no understanding of Push, Pull and Profile strategies.Few or no identified strategies for the client.	Some understanding of Push, Pull and Profile strategies.Some identified strategies for the client.	Reasonable understanding of Push, Pull and Profile strategies.Reasonable number of  identified strategies for the client.	Clear presentation of communications strategies with justification for the client.	Appropriate clear and comprehensive communications strategies that are clearly identified and justified for the client.
Tactics Identify appropriateCommunications channels and platforms. Demonstrate creativity through creative concept and collateral (with examples)	Few or no identification of communications channels and platforms.  Little or no creativity in concept or collateral	Some  identification of communications channels and platforms.  Some creativity through outline creative concept  and/or some examples of collateral	Reasonable  identification of communications channels and platforms.  Reasonable  creativity through creative concept  and/or examples of collateral	good  identification of appropriate communications channels and platforms.  Clear demonstration of creativity through outline creative concept  and relevant examples of collateral	Clear and comprehensive identification of communications channels and platforms.  Excellent creativity through outline creative concept and range of relevant examples of collateral
Action and ControlMonitor budget and schedule.Control performance metrics and plan for contingencies	Little or no monitoring or evaluation of budget or schedule. Little or no consideration of control metrics or planning for contingencies	Outline monitoring of budget and schedule. Some consideration of control metrics and brief planning for contingencies	Reasonable monitoring and evaluation of budget and schedule. Some consideration of control  metrics  and planning for contingencies	Clear monitoring and evaluation of budget or schedule. Clear consideration of control  metrics  and good planning for contingencies	Excellent monitoring and evaluation of budget and detailed schedule. Clear and justified consideration of control  metrics  and detailed planning for contingencies
Write in appropriate style with clear structure for a proposal documentSupport with evidence	Muddled or unclear paper that lacks coherence or structureLittle or no supporting evidence	Reasonably clear  report that delivers the information but contains some errors or omissions. Some supporting evidence	Clear report that delivers the information with few errors or omissions.Some relevant supporting evidence	Clear and fluent report that delivers the information with few or no errors or omissions.Good level of relevant supporting evidence	Insightful report that delivers the information clearly without errors or omissions.Excellent range of relevant supporting evidence
Work effectively as a coordinated teamINDIVIDUAL N/A	Poor and disjointed team work. No Peer review submitted	Reasonable team coordination, with some omissions. Peer reviews submitted.	Reasonable team work.Peer reviews submitted	Effective and well thought out coordination as a team.Peer reviews submitted	Extremely dynamic and effective strategic team dynamics that is coordinated and efficient.Peer reviews submitted.