What will I learn on this module?
Branding and digital marketing are two crucial tools for business success as they help establish a strong online presence, enhance brand recognition, and build customer relationships. They enable businesses to develop ideas that encourage the evaluation and critical analysis of various strategies to meet the demands of different industrial sectors.
Taking the above into consideration, this module will encourage you to explore how firms use digital marketing strategies including situational analysis, objectives and KPIs, strategy models and implementation, SEO, paid search, social media marketing, email and display advertising, Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO). Further, you will also learn on different brand-related strategies including identities, image, personality, positioning, architectures, and equity. These tools will help the students to address the ongoing issues which firms face when developing, designing, and delivering strategies that are useful for firms’ survival in today’s digital world, as well as producing and delivering products and brands effectively and efficiently. With this in mind, you will learn the following:
• Introduction to Digital Marketing: This will be an introductory session where we explore the concept of digital marketing, its essentials, and strategy models, implementations, challenges and opportunities.
• Digital Marketing Strategy: This session will address the situational analysis, models of digital marketing, KPIs and objectives, and SOSTAC model to understand the digital strategy.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Students will go through a thorough understanding of SEO, its operations, different keyword planners and how to evaluate a web page using different techniques. Paid search, such as social media marketing and pay-per-click will also be explored in this session.
• Email and Display Advertising: This session will focus on email marketing techniques, email copywriting, and how to stay away from landing in the spam folder. Furthermore, we will also discuss the display and banner advertising techniques.
• Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO): The students will be introduced to the CRO, i.e. how to enhance the conversion from existing customers and what the techniques are.
• Introduction to Branding: This will be an introductory session where we explore the concept of branding, including its history, significance, challenges, and opportunities.
• Brand Identity, Image, Personality, and Equity: This session will cover brand identity, image, personality, and equity, highlighting their importance and presenting a few relevant theoretical models.
• Brand Positioning: Students will be introduced to the STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) framework. The discussion will also cover brand positioning guidelines and criteria.
• Brand Elements: This interaction will focus on brand element tactics. It will cover different types of brand elements and the criteria that firms use to introduce them to the market.
• Brand Architecture and Extensions: Students will learn about various types of brand architectures and extension strategies that contribute to a brand's success. The session will also highlight the significance of each approach.
How will I learn on this module?
The module is built around a two-day workshop, designed to offer students the opportunity to apply learned theories in practical settings. This will be achieved through in-class workshops on digital marketing around CRO, SEO, paid search, and other relevant topics. Furthermore, it will be achieved through the use of contemporary case studies, published news articles, academic journal readings, multimedia resources (audio/video), ethical dilemmas, and group discussions.
Further information and context for both parts of the module will be made available via Blackboard. An online portal will be created to host lecture materials and provide weekly updates through emails or audio/video messages. The portal will also include reading lists, details of assessments, and other relevant resources.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
You will be fully supported throughout this module by both the module and seminar tutors. Additional support will be available from other academic and non-academic staff at Northumbria University. Staff will assist with learning materials and provide academic guidance both on-campus and remotely.
Communication will be maintained through emails, Blackboard, and other digital platforms to ensure timely updates and ongoing support.
All relevant instructions, lecture notes, and seminar materials will be accessible online and via mobile through the e-Learning Portal (eLP).
Panopto recordings will be made available for selected sessions, including those related to assessment preparation, to support your learning and revision.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
• [MLO 1] Develop and critically evaluate your knowledge on the related concepts of digital marketing and branding, and apply them to a range of relevant practical contexts [PLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6]
• [MLO 2] Identify the value associated with developing digital marketing and branding strategies and how to use this information to develop appropriate strategic plans and then effectively apply them to ongoing businesses [PLO 1, 2, 4, 5].
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• [MLO 3] Utilise appropriate applications to present, analyse, and dissect digital marketing and branding topics and be able to present them in your work and practices effectively [PLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,]
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• [MLO 4] Will be able to apply the concepts to a wider market, including international markets, by understanding their cultural and ethical factors influencing marketing strategies [PLO 5].
• [MLO 5] Demonstrate your ability to critically apply theories to develop digital marketing and branding strategies and apply them in wider contexts for effective marketing decisions (PLO 2, 3 5, 6].
How will I be assessed?
Summative assessment: The assessment will be structured as follows:
Students will be asked to write a 2,500-word report based upon their own organization. The report shall include recommendations and suggestions on how the chosen organisation can enhance its branding and digital marketing strategies. These recommendations shall take into account current macro and micro environmental factors.
Students will be expected to illustrate the significance of their recommendations using relevant facts, figures, and theoretical frameworks.
The purpose of this assessment will be to encourage students to think critically, reflect deeply, and develop solutions to real-world problems currently faced by the industry, aligning with the overall aim of the programme.
The students will be given in-class tasks, which will prepare them for the final report. They will be given feedback on the preparation as well as on the real assessment, i.e., as they progress in the class.
Formative feedback will be offered throughout the block teaching sessions and in the virtual sessions convened to support your learning and development.
Pre-requisite(s)
NA
Co-requisite(s)
NA
Module abstract
One of the key responsibilities of marketers is to deliver customer value through distinctive brands and innovative digital platforms. In light of this, the purpose of this module is to introduce students to the core concepts of branding and the dynamics of digital marketing. The module will provide comprehensive knowledge of essential concepts, theories, and frameworks in the field. Furthermore, it will adopt the Harvard approach to learning, integrating real-world examples to demonstrate how firms strategically build impactful brands and digital platforms that leave a lasting impression on the market.
By the end, students will be able to explore and apply various analytical tools, with a strong emphasis on developing skills in brand building and digital marketing. The knowledge gained through this module will enable students to apply these techniques within their own organisations, offering creative solutions to complex real-world challenges through critical thinking.
Overall, this module will serve as a starting point to begin and advance their managerial skills, equipping them to propose robust policies and drive meaningful transformations.
Course info
Credits 15
Level of Study Postgraduate
Mode of Study 2 years Part Time
Department Newcastle Business School
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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