Lecture 1: Intro to Marketing Communications:Key concepts: Marketing communications (comm. Brand msgs) and IMC Brand concepts: Brand, branding, brand elements and brand equity Consumer perceptions: why is it impt for marketers to understand consumer perceptions explain consumer behvaiours, influence, alter msg to fit them Actual product vs communicated product Brand encounters: explicit/implicitly planned, and solicited/unsolicited planned Message sender and message distortion Models of communication: conventional, 2-step, new media communication New communication paradigm: more 2-way, pull than push Brand conversations: why is it important for mkters to engage in conversations with consumers and relevant stakeholders? How do marketers build and keep dialogues? Diff strategies and tools, SoLoMo, WoM, globalisation

Lecture 2: Consumer behaviours and marketing communications Comprehension Can you elaborate the two major perspectives of consumer behaviour as discussed in class? Social Being & Decision makers When does a need state arise? Do you understand five informational motivations and three transformational motivations? What is the hierarchy of needs? What does it mean, implications Explain four modes of consumer decision making: short or long-term, ELM MAAMs: Multi-Attribute Attitude Models Draw table to calculate effectiveness or likelihood to buy smartphone What is cognitive dissonance? What can marketers do to reduce this state? Reinforce the good decision that consumer made What is the hierarchy-of-effects model? Not always from awareness, can begin from behaviour How do social/environmental factors influence consumer behaviour? Class activity: Watched Digital Nation and discussed the changing media environment

Lecture 3: Positioning Positioning and STP Triad of competitive positioning Perceptual mapping Absolute and relative positioning !!!! Different positioning strategies Central dominant, competing parity, competing differentiated, innovative late entrant, etc Positioning tactics in different marketing situations For brand awareness and brand association For existing/emerging markets For mature markets Class activity: Application and analysis of Silverado

Lecture 4: Strategy and planningComprehension Define what IMC is and explain why marketing communications should be integrated Explain each step of CAMPAIGN planning framework and apply the framework to IMC campaign planning

Lecture 5: AdvertisingComprehension: Message strategies and tactics Do you understand the goals that advertising can achieve and the straategies that can be used to achieve different objectives Can you discuss various tactics used in advertising to grab attention and to enhance consumer learning/convictionComprehension: Media planning