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Sustainability Marketing Communication

Course developers

Prior knowledge

Ekon5137, Marketing Research and Market Forecasting

Course abstract

The course provides an in-depth knowledge and understanding of synergy between the marketing communication system and sustainable development goals and the achievement thereof at the individual, business and institutional levels. Students gain an expanded understanding of the latest professional approaches to marketing communication and to dealing with systemic problems with interaction between the socio-economic and the environmental fields. The course develops skills to design a system of marketing communication elements aimed at sustainable consumption and socially desirable behaviour in order to implement marketing functions in companies and institutions, as well as to conduct marketing research studies on the implementation of solutions to sustainable development in practice. Upon completing the course, students acquire competence in promoting products that contribute to sustainable consumption and social responsibility through designing an appropriate marketing communication strategy.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students will be able to demonstrate:
1. An in-depth knowledge and understanding of synergy between the marketing communication system and sustainable development goals and the achievement thereof at the individual, business and institutional levels; knowledge of means and instruments of communication, communication channels, their choice and suitability; knowledge and understanding of the role of strategic planning of sustainable marketing communication in setting and achieving the goals of an enterprise/institution by applying analysis methods, planning principles, target audience analysis, as well as implementation evaluation methods to achieve the goals in the context of sustainable development in the business and institutional environments; an expanded knowledge of the problematic aspects of customer behaviour in the interdisciplinary interaction of behavioural economics and socio-psychological and cultural anthropological theories.
Examination.
2. Professional skills to identify competitiveness factors affecting products contributing to sustainable development and socially desirable behaviour that are underpinned by particular facts and purposefully integrate the factors into marketing communication for such products; critically select the most effective sustainable marketing communication instruments based on the theoretical knowledge acquired and independently develop an integrated marketing communication plan in accordance with the goals of an enterprise/institution. Independent/practical assignment.
3. Competences to critically assess the entry of products contributing to sustainability and social responsibility into the market and develop an appropriate integrated marketing communication strategy; design an effective sustainable marketing communication plan/ strategy for achieving the goals of an enterprise/institution based on the social value system and sustainable development initiatives,
logically underpin their own proposals based on the latest scientific research findings. Case study. Discussion. Independent work.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Discourse on marketing goals and objectives in the processes of transformation of social values.
2. Development of new marketing conceptions due to changes in consumer generations, lifestyles and values.
3. A marketing mix for a product that promotes sustainable development.
4. Theoretical discourse on the conceptions of competition and competitiveness and an understanding of responsible competition in today’s global economy.
5. Problems with the competitiveness of products promoting sustainable development and socially desirable behaviour and the possibilities of increasing the competitiveness.
6. Possibilities of using elements of behavioural economics to promote a product.
7. The role of research on customer behaviour factors in achieving the sustainability goals of an enterprise/organization.
8. Elements and instruments of marketing communication in achieving the goals of sustainable performance.
9. Marketing communication channels, their possibilities and limitations in achieving sustainability goals.
10. The role of integrated marketing communications in the sustainable development of an enterprise/organization.
11. Responsibility of enterprises/institutions for the impacts of marketing communication on the social value system; marketing ethics.
12. Designing, management and assessment of a marketing communication/strategy for increasing the economic, environmental and social values of the institution.

Requirements for awarding credit points

The cumulative score for the student’s performance on the examination, a case study in group work practicals, independent work and a presentation must be at least 40%.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The practical assignments are intended to in depth examine the theoretical matters of the course in groups and individually (case studies, video analysis, data collection and interpretation) on the following topics:
1. Assessment of competitiveness factors contributing to a sustainable and socially desirable product/ attitude.
2. Interdisciplinary examination of consumer behaviour issues.
3. Methods and techniques for promoting goods in the market that contribute to sustainable development.
4. Case studies on integrated use of marketing communications to achieve the sustainability goals of an enterprise, an analysis of the effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages.
5. Development of a sustainable marketing communication plan by applying the competencies/theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the course – the preparation and presentation of the results of individual independent work.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The final mark for the course is based on five pieces of assessment: two pieces of individual independent work and a presentation (20% each), two practical assignments for a group (10% each), a written examination (40%).
10% are equal to one point on a 10-point marking scale.

Notes

Restricted elective course for the ESAF academic master programme Economics, specialization Sustainable Territorial Development and Marketing