School of Business

Edith Cowan University

Faculty of Business and Law

Unit Plan
Unit Code: MKT3606
Unit Title: Current Issues in Marketing
Semester: One
Year: 2015

How People Use Mobile

http://hbr.org/2013/01/how-people-really-use-mobile/ar/1

Faculty of Business and Law | Telephone: 134328 | Calls outside Australia (61 8) 6304 0000
Email enquiries@ecu.edu.au | Web: www.business.ecu.edu.au
MKT3606 Current Issues in Marketing

[The information below is optional if it suits the particular school processes. Claims as to authorship should be avoided. Unit plans
are prepared as part of the coordinating role and the intellectual property belongs to ECU.]

School of Business
Edith Cowan University
Faculty of Business and Law
Telephone: 134328
International: (61 8) 6304 0000
Email: businessandlaw@ecu.edu.au
Website: www.business.ecu.edu.au
CRICOS IPC 00279B
Prepared by: (Helen Cripps)
Version (2014v2)

MKT3606 Current Issues in Marketing

Lecture and Unit Coordinator
Name
Dr Helen Cripps

Room no
2.446

Contact number/s
Mb: 0418905704

Email
h.cripps@ecu.edu.au

Consultation times
By appointment

Lecture (s) and location

Day
Wednesday

Time
3:30 to 6:30

Room No.
JO 08.305

Other staff contacts

Name
Student Information
Office

Role

Room

Phone

Email

Student Information Officers

JO Bldg 6

134 328

businessandlaw@ecu.edu.au

Learning Advisor Contact details

Campus
Mount Lawley

Room no
ML 10.112

Joondalup

JO2.133

Resources
FBL Academic Skills Centre

Contact number
9307 6590
6304 2511 or
63045268

Email
fbllearning@ecu.edu.au
fbllearning@ecu.edu.au

The Faculty of Business and Law Academic Skills Centre offers a range of services which will complement
the discipline-specific knowledge you gain from this unit. These services include:
Unit- integrated skills workshops
Academic Skills workshops
Writing Plus Program
Assignment labs
Individual consultations
On-line support
You are strongly advised to access these services to assist in developing the academic and language skills
required to succeed in this unit.
A copy of the Workshops Timetable can be found on the Academic Skills Centre Blackboard site located
under My Communities on Blackboard. http://blackboard.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?

tab_tab_group_id=null&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id
%3D_558179_1%26url%3D
The contact details for the Academic Skills Centre are listed at the front of this unit plan.

Academic Misconduct
The Academic Skills Centre Blackboard site has some useful resources to help you develop your skills in referencing
and paraphrasing (and hence avoiding plagiarism). There is also information about how to use Turnitin.

Introduction
This unit investigates areas that are topical, current, and relevant to modern-day marketing practice. It promotes critical
thought and application of cutting edge concepts in both marketing and business. Of interest will be the way marketing
has developed over time in its role as the driving-force of the modern business. The unit therefore, focuses on the
theories and strategies adopted by the marketing profession.

Expectations of lecturers and students

This unit is conducted in accordance with the Student Charter (available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/prospectus/charter/).
Lecturers and students must all be mindful of common courtesies such as timely arrival to class, notification of absence,
ensuring mobile phones are switched off, and allowing each person the opportunity to contribute and to gain as much as
possible from the unit.

Teaching and learning approach

Selected current topics are explored by various means, such as, case studies, seminars, student presentations and field
projects. The unit is offered in a blended mode [on-campus and on-line]. The on-campus mode comprises weekly threehour seminars, incorporating lectures and in-class discussions. The on-line mode will be offered via the ECU Blackboard
site. The seminars will be a combination of multimedia presentation, group and class discussion. The material and its
delivery is designed to develop your ability to: communicate in class with your peers, critical appraisal information
presented; generate new ideas and incorporate a cross-cultural and international outlook into your application of the
concepts in a business setting. This is a highly interactive, workshop-oriented and discussion-oriented class that
depends upon student involvement, therefore, assigned readings should be read prior to attending class each week.

Revision to the unit based on student feedback

All the assessment in this unit is individual and is to be the students original work. The material is designed to be of
varying levels of complexity, so the student can develop the level of understanding required on a topic.

Annotated reading list

Please refer to the modules on Blackboard for the readings.

Other significant references and resources

Chaffey et al. (2012) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice (5th ed), Pearson Education Limited
Gillin, P. & Schwartzman, P. (2011) Social Marketing to the Business Customer: Listen to Your B2B Market, Generate
Major Account Leads, and Build Client (1st ed.) USA: Wiley & Sons
Leavy, J. D. (2011) Outcome-Based Marketing New Rules for Marketing on the Web (1st ed. ) USA: The McGraw-Hill
Companies
Strauss, J., & Frost, R. (2011) E-marketing (6th ed.) New York: Prentice Hall
.

Study Schedule
This schedule provides a guideline on the topics covered and activities required each week.
Monday Week
23 Feb
2 Mar
9 Mar
16 Mar
23 Mar
30 Mar
6 Apr
13 Apr

Topics Modules

Assessment

The digital evolution from old to marketing

1
communication mix
2
Search engine optimisation
3
Digital platforms
4
Digital tools mobile cloud eg sales force
B2C, two way communication, social media email
5
marketing
6
C2C tools and platforms
MID SEMESTER BREAK
Assessment 1: Friday
17th April

B2B tools and platforms

20 Apr
27 Apr
4 May

8
9
10

Content marketing tools for inbound marketing

Self Study Week
Digital advantages and disadvantages

11 May

11

Digital strategy and digital marketing plan

18 May
25 May

12
13

Past present future

Assessment Preparation

Assessment 2 Friday
the 29th May

Assessment information
Assessment

1. Trend Analysis Video: (Individual or group no

more than 2*)
2. Report: Commercial Application of Trend :
(Individual or group no more than 2*)

Date (due)

Marks/Weighting

Week 7 (Online Wiki/USB) Friday 17 April

35%

Week 13 (Online turnitin) Friday 29th May

65%

*Group assignments will be marked harder and permission must be obtained for a group assignment.

Turnitin
Developing High Quality Research and Writing Skills: Avoiding Plagiarism.
As a part of your learning journey, it is critical that you develop high quality research and writing skills that will add to the
repository of knowledge in your chosen field and enhance your employability. Whilst you will be researching previous
and current academic and contemporary information sources, you are required to paraphrase, analyse, synthesise and
appropriately reference this work in order to provide evidence in your assessments on the subject matter. In order that
you appropriately develop these skills, the on-line tool Turnitin will be used in this unit. Turnitin is an on-line tool that
assists students in the prevention of plagiarism by comparing a submitted student assignment (i.e. essay, report,
brochure, PowerPoint slides etc.) to an extensive database of published articles and papers, as well as to all other

student assignments that have been submitted to this site. Plagiarism refers to a process of presenting other peoples
work as your own without attributing it (i.e., referencing) correctly (ECU, 2008).
Source: Edith Cowan University. (2008). Plagiarism: Academic Tip Sheet. Retrieved from
http://www.ecu.edu.au/CLT/tips/docs/plagiarism.pdf

Assignment 1: Video:
Submission Information
Weighting
Date/Week
Time
Place
Format

This assignment accounts for 35% of the assessment in this unit.

Week 7: online
5 pm, Friday, 17 April
Blackboard Wiki; USB; YouTube; Vimeo;
Video presentation (narrated powerpoint, quicktime, media player )

Learning outcome/s and Graduate Attributes

Completing this assignment will help you achieve the following learning outcome/s and ECU Graduate Attributes:
1.
Critique the current marketing strategy of a company you have selected to work on.
2.
Present how that company could apply a new marketing trend/strategy you have identified.
3.
Evaluate the benefits and drawback for the company in adopting your proposed strategy.
4.
Apply theories and practice developed in other units.

Preparation
Before starting this assignment, you should have to:

Select a company for which you are going to make the video presentation and prepare the application
report (Assignment 2)

Critique the companys current marketing strategy and identify a marketing trend that could be applied.

If the company is know to you interview a representative using questions in the survey at this link
https://ecuau.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cVlHzXtcGbhjrSJ

Conduct a search of academic articles and current industry material to identify an additional marketing
trend that could be successfully applied to your selected company.

Though research identify companies that are implementing the suggested strategy as an example.

Assignment instructions
For this assignment, you are required to prepare a video presentation of at least 4 and no longer than 8 minutes for the
CEO if your selected company to:

Background to the current marketing strategy

Gap in the marketing strategy you have identified

Explain the trend or strategy you are suggesting to address that gap

Its application of the suggested strategy by other companies and the benefits they have derived from
using it,

How you suggest the trend be implemented at the CEOs company, and

The benefits and possible drawbacks of your proposed strategy.

Format: Video, narrated PowerPoint slides, imove must include images, voice and sound.

Marking criteria
Video/Presentation of marketing Trend Analysis 35 Marks
Professional presentation that communicates the importance and relevance of the proposed marketing strategy.
Evidence of research and analysis of company and its current strategy
Explanation of the strategy and how it will address the gap in the companys current strategy
Examples of how other companies have applied the suggested marketing strategy.
Explanation of the possible risks and benefits of the proposed strategy
Total

5
5
10
10
5
35

Assignment 2 Report: Commercial Application of Marketing Strategy

Submission information
Weighting
Date/Week
Time
Place
Format

This assignment accounts for 65% of the assessment in this unit.

Week 13
Turnitin link on Blackboard by 5pm on Friday, 29th May on Week 13
Via Turnitin (Black Board) no hard copies are required.
3,000 Word document

Learning outcome/s and Graduate Attributes

Completing this assignment will help you achieve the following learning outcome/s and ECU Graduate Attributes:
Evaluate a contemporary issue in marketing and its adaptation by relevant businesses and organisations.
Apply theories and practice developed in other units
Development of piece of work of industry quality.

Preparation
Before starting this assignment, you should have:
Researched examples of the commercial application of the trend relevant to the company you have selected.
Select a marketing trend which you feel would benefit your selected company and improve its marketing
performance.
Incorporate any feedback you receive from the presentation of your strategy via video in week 7.

Assignment instructions

Write report to be presented to the marketing manager or CEO of a commercial company explain the current trend
in marketing which you believe the company would benefit from adopting or integrating into their business.
Include in the report cover page, table of content and an executive summary.
Explain the marketing strategy using research and examples of its application in a commercial setting.
Highlight the benefits and possible drawbacks of the application of the trend to the business.
Suggest ways to integrate the trend into the businesss current marketing strategy.

Format: an original Word-processed Times New Roman 12 point, 1.5 spacing, headings & subheadings, expression,
grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional look (nicely inserted images with headings). All external material must be
referenced including websites according to the ECU referencing guide. All submissions are individual and will be
submitted through Turnitin to check the originality of the work.
Document Format (suggested)
Cover page with your name and student number and the name of the business you are writing about
1. Executive summary
2. Table of contents
3. Explanation of the marketing strategy from current research
4. Examples of its application in a commercial setting
5. Explain how it can be impellent by the company you have selected
6. The benefits and possible drawbacks of applying this trend to the business
7. Summarise the ideas and proposal.

Resources
Modules on Blackboard; online research and peer reviewed academic articles and publications.

Marking Criteria
Report: Commercial Application of Trend 65 Marks
Correctly format and professional presented including cover page, index and Executive Summary.
Evidence of ability to synthesis and explain of research and information about the selected strategy in a format
suitable for a commercial application for the selected firm
Use of examples and other material including images where appropriate, to illustrate the application of the
strategy by other companies, linking the examples to the current company
Clear strategy for the implementation of the suggested trend into the companys current Marketing Strategy
Explanation of the possible risks and benefits of the proposed strategy to the company and options of how the
risks can be reduced
Ability to summarize and present information about the trend in a commercially applicable format with clear
English
Total

Addenda
Note: Addenda may be posted to Blackboard as separate docs and need not be included in the unit plan.

10
10
10
15
10
10
65

Email protocol
All emails should be sent from your student email account or via Blackboard, otherwise anti-spam filters may prevent it
from being delivered to your lecturer.
When using email to communicate with lecturers or tutors, you should always make sure that your message contains the
following:
1. A subject that contains the unit code, and clearly describes the nature of your query or request.
Your lecturers receive many emails a day, and may also teach more than one unit, so if your email does not contain
the unit code, it is not possible to place your message in context. If the subject does not indicate the nature of the
message, it may well remain unanswered.
2. Change the default setting on your email program to include previous messages in replies, and make sure that
previous messages are included in an ongoing exchange. Your lecturer deals with many students. Having a copy of
the previous exchanges included in your message will expedite a response. You should still make sure that the
subject indicates what the email is about.
3. Address your lecturer appropriately by name.
4. State your question or request clearly and concisely.
5. Insert a signature at the end of your email that contains:
a. your name in full as it appears in SIMO
b. your student number
c. the campus at which you attend classes for the unit in question
(also indicate if you are an off campus student)
Your lecturer will inform you if there are additional requirements for communicating by email.
While lecturers cannot be available on line all day, in normal circumstance your lecturer will reply within 2 working
days.

Unit and Teaching Evaluation (UTEI)

At the end of the semester, all students will be requested to complete the ECU UTEI online survey. This survey will ask
questions concerning your level of satisfaction with the unit, your lecturer and your tutor. Your feedback is needed to
help us to improve the quality of our courses. We endeavour to use the feedback we receive from the UTEI survey to
improve the quality of the unit when it is next run.
Towards the end of the semester you will receive an email notification about how to complete the UTEI survey. Please
take the time to complete it for us. There are small incentives offered to encourage participation and your feedback is
anonymous and confidential.

UTEI dates for Semester 1 & 2, 2015

Semester 1,
Semester 2,

3 weeks beginning 12th May

3 weeks beginning 21st October

Assignments

Extensions for submission dates

Any student who wishes to defer the submission of an assignment must apply to the lecturer before the due date for an
extension of the time within which to submit the assignment. The application must be in writing and must set out the
grounds on which deferral is sought.
An assignment submitted after the fixed or extended time for submission shall incur a penalty to be calculated as
follows:
where the assignment is submitted not more than 5 working days late, the penalty shall, for each working day that it
is late, be 5% of the maximum assessment available for the assignment;
or
where the assignment is more than 5 working days late, a mark of zero shall be awarded.

Failing a unit
Failing a unit 3 times may result in you being excluded from the unit, the major to which the unit belongs, or even the
course. Clarification and further assistance can be obtained by contacting the Student Information Office, Joondalup
campus building 6 or Mt Lawley campus building 10 or by email at businessandlaw@ecu.edu.au.