Marketing Communications

Course Director: Erik Modig

The purpose if this course is to improve the students’ understanding of how brand-initiated communication can impact people. The course has three main themes: consumers, brands, and society. By understanding how these three aspects of marketing communications impact each other, we learn how to build strong brands that can improve companies’ profits and serve as a point of departure for business development. We also touch upon if, and how, marketing communications can also have a positive impact on consumers and society.

Marketing communications are the tools that build brands. They include (but are not limited to) advertising, packaging, in-store displays, influencer collaborations, employees’ dress and behaviour, and social media campaigns. In this course, we try to understand how these different tools may be used by retailers and other companies to reach business goals. We focus primarily on communications between brands and consumers (rather than business to business). The course discusses marketing communications both as tools for long term brand-building and business development, and to improve short term sales.

The main topics of the course are:

1. The goals of marketing communications

2. Consumer goals and behaviours

3. Brands and brand building

4. Brand positioning

5. Messages and media

6. Marketing communications and society

Course contents and pedagogy
The course will be held physically at SSE in a standard lecture and seminar format.

The students are expected to have read the relevant literature for each lecture in advance, and be able to use it actively in class. The lectures will thus use literature as a point of departure for discussion and in-class work.

Attendance is mandatory for feedback seminars. If absent from such a seminar, the student will not be awarded points for the assignment.

Course administrators: Karl.Strelis@hhs.se, alexandra.svahn.alberts@hhs.se

After completing the course, the student should be able to…

1. Set relevant and measurable goals for marketing communications
2. Perform target group analysis on a strategic and tactical level
3. Analyze brands and make relevant propositions for brand development
4. Understand how brands are positioned and how this positioning shows in the brand’s marketing communication
5. Understand how marketing communications should be designed to reach the communication goals
6. Understand how marketing communications may impact consumers and society beyond brand-building.

General entry requirements.

• John Egan, Sage Publications, Third Edition, ISBN: 9781526646886
• Scientific articles available on Canvas

The examination will consist of three group assignments (worth maximum 10 points each) and a final take-home exam (worth maximum 70 points).

Please note that two of the group assignments are connected with seminars that require attendance.

In order to pass the course a student must obtain at least 35 points (50%) on the exam and 50 points (50%) on the course in total.

Find the course schedule in TimeEdit

Have you been granted educational support because of a documented disability? If so, please contact the course director as soon as possible so that adequate accommodations can be made.

Contact specialneeds@hhs.se if you have questions about being granted educational support or need a copy of your educational support certificate.

For more information, visit the Specific Educational Needs page on the Student Hub (login required).