Marketing Communications

Marketing Communications

About the Level 4 Marketing Communications Certificate

A company’s marketing strategy is a vital to its success, and marketing communications make up a significant portion of this strategy. In general, marketing communication is classed as any mess-sages that a given company deploys to the media, other businesses or the outside world as a whole. For example, things like advertising, branding, packaging, PR activities, blogging, sales and sponsorships all fall under the umbrella of marketing communication.

Almost all successful companies employ individuals to implement and maintain effective and innovative marketing strategies, so there is no better time to get qualified. During the course of this Level 4 distance learning qualification, you will get to grips with all of the different elements of marketing communication. By examining advertising concepts and analysing media techniques, you will be setting yourself for a successful future in an already booming industry.

Who should study this course?

This online course is perfect for anyone who wants to work in marketing communications or study a marketing-related subject at a higher level. The qualification is also useful for individuals who already work in a business environment and want to expand on their knowledge within the marketing sector.

As with most of our home learning courses here at learndirect, you won’t need any previous experience or prior qualifications before you enrol. You can sign up at any time of year and study the material at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.

What happens after the course?

On successful completion of this online marketing course, you will have a fundamental under-standing of how marketing communications work. If you like, you may choose to build on this knowledge by studying further online courses, or even by applying to study at a higher level.

Alternatively, you may want to use your new skills to progress directly into employment. While many employers may request a degree, there are many marketing-based roles which are open to applicants without a university-level qualification. Some of these roles may begin at an apprenticeship or internship level. Relevant roles include but are not limited to:

• Content writer
• Social media executive
• PR executive

For more information about this course, give us a call on this number: 01202 006 464

Modules

Unit 1: Marketing Communications: Nature, Purpose and Process

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Exchange Processes and Marketing Communications
• Marketing Communications Mix
• Managing and Planning Marketing Communications: Key Tasks
• Communication Theory: Models of Communication
• Buyer Information Processing
• Factors Affecting Buyer Information Processing
• Summary
• Further Reading

Unit 2: Advertising

• Introduction
• Objectives
• What is Advertising?
• Theories and Models
• Message Design
• Media Planning
• Elements of Media Planning
• Concepts and Techniques in Media Planning
• Evaluating and Controlling Advertising
• Summary
• Further Reading

Unit 3: Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Overview of Sales Promotion
• How Sales Promotion Works
• A Strategic Approach
• Sales Promotion Methods
• Other Issues in Sales Promotion
• Personal Selling
• Sales Force Management
• Summary
• Further Reading

Unit 4: Sponsorship, Public Relations, Direct Marketing and Interactive Tools

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Public Relations
• Nature, Purpose and Uses
• PR Methods
• Conventional PR Tools
• Newer PR Tools
• Planning and Managing PR
• Sponsorship
• Types of Sponsorship
• Planning and Managing Sponsorship
• Direct Marketing and Interactive Communications
• Direct Marketing
• Methods of Direct Marketing
• Future of Direct Marketing
• Interactive Marketing Communications
• Summary
• References
• Further Reading

Unit 5: Planning Marketing Communications

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Integrated Marketing Communications
• What does an Integrated Approach Mean?
• Advantages of Integration
• Problems in Achieving an Integrated Approach
• Achieving Integration
• Marketing Communications Planning Framework
• Applying the Framework
• A Concluding Note
• Summary
• Further Reading

Unit 6: Further and Future Issues

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Ethical Issues in Marketing Communications
• What is Ethical?
• Schools of Thought in Business Ethics
• Criticisms of Marketing Communications Ethics
• Internal Marketing Communications
• Growth of Internal Marketing
• Uses of Internal Marketing Communications
• Planning and Implementing Internal Marketing Communications
• Communications Industry
• Agencies in the Industry
• Industry Regulations: Issues and Concerns
• International Marketing Communications
• Coping with a Different Environment
• Standardisation Versus Adaptation
• Growth of a Global Industry
• Summary
• Further Reading

For a more detailed syllabus on this course, click here

Entry Requirements

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

What's Included

• All study materials
• Study Guide
• Full Tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £30.00).

Course Textbooks

For this course you will be required to purchase the following textbooks:

• Marketing Communications: Contexts, Contents and Strategies, Chris Fill (1999) second edition, Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall Europe.
• Principles and Practice of Marketing, David Jobber, second edition, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill (1998)

At the end of this course successful learners will be given the option to receive a Certificate of Achievement from the Quality Licence Scheme and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course).

Level 4 Marketing Communications Certificate of Achievement

The course has been endorsed under the Quality Licence Scheme. This means that learndirect has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to a regulated qualification* but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills gained. The Learner Unit Summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this subject. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 4 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

The course itself has been designed learndirect to meet specific learners’ and/or employers’ requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. The Quality Licence Scheme endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

The Quality Licence Scheme is part of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations that share similar values and objectives. With more than 100 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group’s strategic partnerships create opportunities to inform, influence and represent the wider education and skills sector.

The Skills and Education Group also includes two nationally recognised awarding organisations; Skills and Education Group Awards and Skills and Education Group Access. Through our awarding organisations we have developed a reputation for providing high-quality qualifications and assessments for the education and skills sector. We are committed to helping employers, organisations and learners cultivate the relevant skills for learning, skills for employment, and skills for life.

Our knowledge and experience of working within the awarding sector enables us to work with training providers, through the Quality Licence Scheme, to help them develop high-quality courses and/or training programmes for the non-regulated market.

*Regulated qualification refers to those qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual / CCEA / Qualification Wales

To view a sample of the Certificate of Achievement, please click here.