Module Handbook
Module Title:
Marketing in the Digital World
Module Code:
MN7032SR
Module Leader:
Prof. Koh Kee Lee
Session: 2024/2025
Teaching period: Summer, August 2024
Pre-requisites: N/A
Canvas URL: http://stanfort.instructure.com
Teaching Team
Module Description
Marketing is important for all organisations and is concerned with retaining customers and delivering value to stakeholders, that is, to everyone who is affected by a transaction. It directs organisations into new markets and opportunities while maintaining and developing existing customers. This module is intended to help develop knowledge concerning the nature and character of marketing as well as sales in an international context, capitalising on current and emerging technologies.
The interdependence of economies and increasingly globalised marketing reflects the trend of organisations designing, distributing and selling products and services in many markets around the world.
The primary role of marketing management in any organisation is to design and execute effective marketing programmes in local, international and global markets,
The module aims to:
Provide a solid appreciation of marketing as practiced in the international arena.
Enhance understanding of the relationships between an organisation, the markets it is serving and its key stakeholders.
Provide an integrated overview of marketing management, using topical issues, thought leadership and research findings.
Offer a broad platform of marketing concepts, theories and frameworks, which can be applied in practical situation
Explore the impact of the drive towards digital applications and delivery
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing this module, students will be able to:
Critically evaluate marketing activities and offer recommendations for improvement
Critically analyse potential markets for development, applying a systematic understanding of the marketing theories to complex situations while considering the impact of technology in effective marketing decision-making.
Communicate marketing messages in a creative and compelling manner while utilising the principles of Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.
Indicative syllabus
Indicative bibliography and key on-line resources
Textbooks:
Core Text:
Green M.C., and Keegan W.J, (2020) Global Marketing, 10e, , Pearson
Other Texts:
Solomon M.R., Marshall G.W, & Stuart E.W., (2019) Marketing: Real People, Real Choices Global Edition, 9/E, Pearson
Journals:
• European Journal of Marketing
• Academy of Management Journal
• Academy of Management Review
• Journal of Product and Brand Management
• Journal of Islamic Marketing
• International Marketing Review
• Business Strategy Review
• California Management Review
• European Management Review
• Harvard Business Review
• Journal of Business Research
• Journal of International Marketing
• Journal of Management
• Management Decision
• Sloan Management Review
• Strategic Management Journal
Websites:
• Digital brand engagement: www.digitalbrandengagement.ning.com
• McKinsey Digital Marketing: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/how-we-help-clients
• McKinsey Internet of Things : https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/ten-trends-shaping-the-internet-of-things-business-landscape
• The Institute of Direct Marketing: http://www.theidm.com
• The Direct Marketing Association: www.dma.org.uk
• The Chartered Institute of Marketing www.cim.co.uk
• Dave Chaffey: www.davechafey.com/students and www.smartinsights.com
• New Media Age: www.nma.co.uk
• Brand Republic: www.branrepublic.com/go/digitalmarketing
• i-advertising: www.i-advertising.com
• Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/technology
• Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media
• LED – The internet marketing discussion list: www.led-digest.com
• eMarketer: www.emarketer.com
Description of Assessment
Assessment 1: Weighting 40%. Group Report
Students will be required to analyse the given case, ComfortAir plc. and critically assess its current digital marketing activities and using appropriate theories suggest justified and measurable improvements.
Assessment 2: Weighting 60%. Individual Report
The second assessment requires the student to prepare a marketing plan for ComfortAir plc. In creating the marketing plan the student will address LO 2 and 3.
Submission Dates
For each assignment you will be given a deadline date and details of how to submit that piece of work. If you miss your submission opportunity without mitigating circumstances, your resit submission grade will be capped.
Assignment 1 and 2 Due Date:
Group ppt slides submission via Canvas start from 2 September 2024 @ 2359 hours (GMT+8 Singapore Time). Presentation commences on 9 September 2024. Arrangement to be advised by lecturer.
Individual Report submission via Canvas starting from 8 November 2024 @ 2359 hours.
How is your work marked?
To pass the module you must achieve an overall minimum mark of 50%. If you pass the module on re-assessment, the component you resit will be capped at a pass mark level of 50%.
The marking process makes sure that our marking of your work is fair and transparent. There is a first marker responsibility for giving your formal feedback and making an initial assessment of the standard of your work by giving it a provisional mark. After this there are two further layers of checking and assurance. It is worth noting that this process means that you are unable to appeal your final marks and/or grades on the grounds of academic judgement.
You will be marked, graded and assessed according to the following PG criteria:
Appendix 1
Assessment 1, Case Study
ComfortAir plc.
Case Study Briefing
Few inventions have changed how people live and experience the world as much as the invention of the airplane. During both World Wars, government subsidies and demands for new airplanes vastly improved techniques for their design and construction. Following the World War II, the first commercial airplane routes were set up in Europe. Over time, air travel has become so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without it. The airline industry, therefore, certainly has progressed. It has also altered the way in which people live and conduct business by shortening travel time and altering our concept of distance, making it possible for us to visit and conduct business in places once considered remote.
The airline industry exists in an intensely competitive market. In recent years, there has been an industry-wide shakedown, with far-reaching effects on the industry's trend towards expanding domestic and international services. In the past, the airline industry globally, was at least partly owned by governments. This is still true in some countries, but increasingly all major airlines have come to be privately held. The industry has many characteristics e.g:
International - 130+ seat planes that have the ability to take passengers just about anywhere in the world. Companies in this category typically have annual revenue in excess of $2 billion.
National - Usually these airlines fly smaller planes and have revenues between $100 million and $1 billion.
Regional - Companies with revenues less than $100 million that focus on short-haul flights.
Cargo - These are airlines that generally transport goods. Many global companies like Amazon, have developed their own cargo fleets
Airport capacity, route structures, technology and costs to lease or buy the physical aircraft are significant in the airline industry. Other substantive issues are:
Weather - Weather is variable and unpredictable. Extreme heat, cold, fog and snow can shut down airports and cancel flights, which costs an airline money.
Fuel Costs - According to the Air Transportation Association (ATA), fuel is an airline's second largest expense. Fuel makes up a significant portion of an airline's total costs, although efficiency among different carriers can vary widely. Short haul airlines typically get lower fuel efficiency because take-offs and landings consume high amounts of jet fuel.
Labour - According to the ATA, labour is an airline's No.1 cost; airlines must pay pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, dispatchers, customer service and others.
Landing Slots – These present another significant expense for airlines who fly to popular destinations.
Your brief: You are to take on the role of a marketing consultant for a new passenger airline: ComfortAir plc
The airline is based in the UK and plans to operate on the European passenger sector having secured landing slots from January 2024 in the following Cities : London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Athens, Istanbul, Brussels, and Amsterdam. More landing slots could be added in future years.
ComfortAir will use a fleet of smaller planes of 150 seats, built in China. Designer fitted using quality materials in the cabin, with luxurious look and feel, and intent to serve healthy gourmet sandwiches and fresh fruit juices
READ CAREFULLY
Tasks
In your assessment you need to address the following tasks:
Assessment 1: 40% of module marks
Market Analysis. Analyse the business environment: You should provide a thorough, logically structured analysis of the market, using actual and current information sources to support your analysis.
You will need to consider internal and external influences (including industry dynamics such as competition, regulatory environment, fuel crisis, staffing) and use facts and figures, where appropriate, to provide evidence to support your analysis.
The analysis should be based on current market data use audit tools such as Porter’s Five Forces. This needs to be kept as brief as possible for ComfortAir’s Leadership team. Up to 10 slides and 500 words (excluding one slide with Executive Summary -not an introduction -and one for Bibliography)
Key issues the company faces: Based on your analysis, you should identify what are the main challenges and barriers and what are the key drivers for ComfortAir to succeed. The key issues should be relevant to marketing and be supported by the reliably sourced facts from your business analysis.
Assessment Submission Structure
Assessment 1:
Submit PowerPoint slides for group presentation to clearly address the findings required by the brief above (Maximum of 10 slides and 500 words, excluding Executive Summary, bibliography/references). Group of 3 to 4 members
Note : This is a practical assignment and marks are awarded for addressing the consulting brief, providing evidence of market research, and market sizes specifically. ComfortAir needs a recommended solution from you, not an outline of the theories…
Appendix 2
Assessment 2, Case Study
ComfortAir plc.
Case Study Briefing
Few inventions have changed how people live and experience the world as much as the invention of the airplane. During both World Wars, government subsidies and demands for new airplanes vastly improved techniques for their design and construction. Following the World War II, the first commercial airplane routes were set up in Europe. Over time, air travel has become so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without it. The airline industry, therefore, certainly has progressed. It has also altered the way in which people live and conduct business by shortening travel time and altering our concept of distance, making it possible for us to visit and conduct business in places once considered remote.
The airline industry exists in an intensely competitive market. In recent years, there has been an industry-wide shakedown, with far-reaching effects on the industry's trend towards expanding domestic and international services. In the past, the airline industry globally, was at least partly owned by governments. This is still true in some countries, but increasingly all major airlines have come to be privately held. The industry has many characteristics e.g:
International - 130+ seat planes that have the ability to take passengers just about anywhere in the world. Companies in this category typically have annual revenue in excess of $2 billion.
National - Usually these airlines fly smaller planes and have revenues between $100 million and $1 billion.
Regional - Companies with revenues less than $100 million that focus on short-haul flights.
Cargo - These are airlines that generally transport goods. Many global companies like Amazon, have developed their own cargo fleets
Airport capacity, route structures, technology and costs to lease or buy the physical aircraft are significant in the airline industry. Other substantive issues are:
Weather - Weather is variable and unpredictable. Extreme heat, cold, fog and snow can shut down airports and cancel flights, which costs an airline money.
Fuel Costs - According to the Air Transportation Association (ATA), fuel is an airline's second largest expense. Fuel makes up a significant portion of an airline's total costs, although efficiency among different carriers can vary widely. Short haul airlines typically get lower fuel efficiency because take-offs and landings consume high amounts of jet fuel.
Labour - According to the ATA, labour is an airline's No.1 cost; airlines must pay pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, dispatchers, customer service and others.
Landing Slots – These present another significant expense for airlines who fly to popular destinations.
Your brief: You are to take on the role of a marketing consultant for a new passenger airline: ComfortAir plc
The airline is based in the UK and plans to operate on the European passenger sector having secured landing slots from January 2024 in the following Cities : London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Athens, Istanbul, Brussels, and Amsterdam. More landing slots could be added in future years.
ComfortAir will use a fleet of smaller planes of 150 seats, built in China. Designer fitted using quality materials in the cabin, with luxurious look and feel, and intent to serve healthy gourmet sandwiches and fresh fruit juices
READ CAREFULLY
Assessment 2 : 60% of module marks
The Marketing Plan Proposal ;
Provide marketing objectives: Your objectives must include market-share forecasts based on your strategy and may also relate to other goals such as passenger satisfaction, repeat custom, branding etc. They should be formulated in a specific and measurable manner (SMART). The marketing objectives should be linked to the key issues facing the company.
Discuss and critically evaluate your Customer Value Proposition, based on your Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP): Indicate how value is to be created, to which passenger segments and why. In addition, you should recommend how the Comfort Air brand should be positioned considering the competitors in the international market.
You should base your proposals on tools and theory discussed in this module. Provide a rationale to support your recommendations.
Provide detailed recommendations for the marketing mix elements which will enable ComfortAir to achieve its desired objectives. Justify your proposed implementation with a comprehensive rationale and support with theoretical frameworks or tools.
Provide detailed controls and measurements that will enable the ComfortAir to monitor its recommended marketing mix and thereby help ensure it achieves its plans with an appropriate timescale.
Assessment Submission Structure
Prepare a marketing plan with 2000 words (+/- 10%) - using academic concepts to base the market practice to support your plan, applying the following, suggested, structure:
Cover / title page
Contents page
Executive Summary – Your findings (not an introduction) over one page (bullet points can help)
Marketing plan:
Summary of the Marketing Analysis findings / Key issues
Marketing objectives
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning / Quantify all dimensions
Customer Value Proposition (what exactly are you offering)
Marketing mix recommendations (based on your research implementation)
Outline of Controls and measurements
A reference list / bibliography (not included in the word count)
Appendices (not included in the word count)
Important Note : This is a practical assignment and marks are awarded for addressing the consulting brief, providing evidence of market research, and market sizes specifically. ComfortAir needs a recommended solution from you, not an outline of the theories…
