BA (Hons) Business and Marketing Management (with Foundation Year)

This is your introduction to the general principles of marketing. Through practical activities supported by lectures, you will learn to apply the tools and techniques used by professional marketers. You’ll gain understanding and appreciate the inter-relationships between different marketing and business concepts and be able to build upon the knowledge you develop in your subsequent second year modules.

You will gain the key management and leadership skills you’ll need in a marketing environment. You will actively engage with the study of key management and leadership approaches by being exposed to the essential characteristics of organisations operating in a global context and the role of management within this.

You will also explore the functions of business, their interrelatedness and the impact of management and leadership styles on their operations. By examining how theoretical concepts and frameworks are applied in practice, you will be exposed to a number of different scenarios which will build your awareness of how management decision making impacts business performance. You'll also look at and learn the skills successful managers and leaders use to meet the challenges of a dynamic marketing environment.

This module will support your transition from your school/college to studying an honours level undergraduate course. Through the lens of real business problems, you will acquire the necessary research, critical analysis, team working and communication skills that will be the foundation of your academic and future professional success. You’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills in specific areas, based on tutor feedback. This module will prepare you for your other first year modules, helping you to flourish in an academic environment.

To understand customer needs and market trends is intrinsic to the success of any business. On this module, you will look at the concepts and tools required by professional marketers to understand customer and market needs, including a brief overview of consumer behaviour. Through traditional and contemporary techniques, you’ll explore the process of marketing research and its role in gaining understanding of consumers and markets to meet organisational objectives.

You’ll learn the academic concepts underlying marketing research and develop practical research and analytical skills. You will gain sufficient grounding in marketing research techniques and data analysis, and its interpretation, to enable you to carry out projects involving marketing research and data analysis.

You’ll look at finance for marketing and focus on its importance in a variety of business contexts. You will learn how to interpret and analyse simple financial statements in order to assess an organisation's performance and its financial strength. You’ll understand the basics of planning and budgeting, as well as short-term decision making. You’ll also develop confidence in your ability to deal with the internal and external financial information that is important to marketing.

You are the marketers of tomorrow, so it is key you understand and are able to respond to the ethical and environmental sustainability challenges that will be faced. As such, your learning is tied to the Business School’s commitment to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management.

You will discuss the meaning of ethical marketing and key environmental issues, such as:

• global warming
• pollution
• biodiversity loss
• freshwater depletion.

You'll examine the role of marketing in causing, as well as responding to, such issues. You’ll look at a variety of stakeholder perspectives and frameworks to aid the analysis of marketing responses.

The communications environment is rapidly changing and you’ll look at contemporary approaches to integrated marketing communications in a wide range of contexts. You’ll also be introduced to digital asset management as a concept for curation of digital artefacts and assets in the context of marketing communications. This will build your understanding of marketing communicative methods.

On this module, you'll learn to identify and evaluate the latest developments in consumer behaviour. Including emerging consumer trends across various consumption contexts, using psychology and appropriate research methods and tools. You'll also build a deeper understanding of diversity, inclusivity, ethics, and sustainability, as well as skills in responsible marketing.

This module is designed to introduce you to the operational role and functions of people management and how it supports organisations to manage their diverse workforce in an international context. People management is an essential tool for all line managers as it provides them with the skills, knowledge and competencies that equip you to be effective in how you recruit, motivate and reward your staff. This module offers you an operational ‘toolbox’ that covers all the core, fundamental features of people management.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to identify the essential components of viable people management policies whilst also illustrating their effectiveness and engage in appropriate and accurate communications amongst different business contexts.

This is your introduction to marketing consultancy, through action (or experiential) based learning methods. In action learning, you’ll be part of a team to solve a real and relevant problem for a client. Through this approach to learning, you’ll experience and analyse marketing as it happens in a work-based context.

In the lectures, you’ll develop marketing theory, skills and knowledge to support you in the second part of the module (i.e. workshops, lab work and field work) to work on behalf of a client organisation.

This module introduces the interlinked concepts of Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as they are practised now. You will explore the strategic importance of these concepts to the modern marketer. You'll learn about their contribution to customer engagement and loyalty, as well as adding value to the product/service offering in order to create a competitive advantage. You’ll focus on the customer journey and how marketers can control and influence it to improve the customer’s overall experience.

The module has been designed to help develop your knowledge and understanding as well as the related skills and capabilities associated with enterprise in its broadest sense. This module addresses the subject of entrepreneurship in a holistic manner, one in which the range of contexts, from entrepreneurship to intrapreneurship, and from high tech spin out to social and public enterprise, is considered. The module focuses on both macro and micro dimensions to help you understand both the dynamic nature of the entrepreneurial economy and their own employment opportunities within it.

On successful completion of this module, you will:

• understand the theoretical underpinnings of enterprise and entrepreneurship
• be able to identify the perspectives required for entrepreneurial success
• be able to evaluate the contribution of government policies designed to develop an enterprise culture.

This is your introduction to the world of digital marketing in a global context. It builds on your earlier module, Contemporary Marketing Communications, and will help give you insights into a range of contexts, including mobile advertising, in-game advertising and user generated advertising.

This will help to prepare you for your final year modules and will also enhance your employability skills with the opportunity for you to engage with practical and written assessments linked to creative industry scenarios.

This is your introduction to the nature, scope and characteristics of the various marketing and sales strategies used in the retail industry. You'll explore how these strategies are evolving, in line with changing customer buying habits and expectations.

You will look at the drivers impacting on the sector and the interaction between digital platforms and physical outlets, combined with new technologies, to enhance the customer experience and bring new efficiencies to retail sales and marketing. You’ll build your knowledge of how these various factors can combine to create the ideal Omnichannel retail experience for the customer.

Supply chain management is concerned with managing and controlling the activities along a chain of supply, from procuring materials to delivering finished goods that satisfy customer orders.

This module will help you study, in a global context, the processes necessary to strategically manage the flow of materials and products in order to achieve a competitive advantage. You’ll examine how effective logistics and purchasing systems can become key business enablers. You’ll also look at how the management of international supply chains must form a significant element of the strategy of any organisation operating on a global basis. By the end of the module, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the various threads in a supply chain and that an improved supply chain can be of a significant benefit for a whole business.

On this placement, you will be able to access a 40-52 week work-based learning or placement opportunity to help develop your employability and enterprise skills. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your own work-based targets and reflect upon your progress in the role you have on your placement. Halfway through your placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises your gained knowledge on your placement and the tasks you have/will complete in your placement role.

This is an opportunity for you to study Business topics abroad in order to experience a different national, educational and business culture and to build on your knowledge, understanding, skills and competencies you have acquired during the earlier part of your course. This will help you to develop those skills to a higher level and to acquire new skills. All the topics studied will be relevant to your degree.

You will undertake an international study exchange at a university outside the UK, arranged by the University’s exchanges office. This international study exchange lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of studies (Level 5).

This 24-week placement is your opportunity to develop your employability and enterprise skills, within the UK or Europe. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your work-based targets and reflect upon your success in your placement role. At the end of the placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises the knowledge and skills you have developed on your placement.

This module aims to begin to develop Pre-Master’s students’ academic reading, research and critical thinking skills in preparation for postgraduate study and to support the development of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literacy skills.

The three main purposes of the module are to:

1. begin to develop academic reading skills to prepare for postgraduate study in the UK
2. to begin to develop skills in locating, evaluating and using appropriate sources with appropriate citation, and
3. to begin to develop the skill of responding critically to the content and context of reading.

Harness your knowledge of brands, communication strategies and business types gained through your degree. This module will help you to understand your potential future career paths, based on your strengths, skills and interests. You’ll get the support to be focused, differentiated and successful in planning your future career, through developing your:

• personal brand purpose
• brand story
• brand communication plan.

You'll do this in a way that is consistent and authentic. You’ll also look at theoretical and professional perspectives relating to management, professional ethics and other areas relevant to careers in business, marketing, events and more.

You'll focus on the critical understanding of issues and dilemmas related to organisational business and marketing strategies. You will explore the ever-evolving dilemmas faced by marketing practitioners. These issues include but are not limited to:

• ethics
• sustainability
• equality
• privacy
• security.

To address these issues, you will engage with various case studies that highlight the dilemmas organisations have to face. Examples of this include collecting personal data for profits, or maintaining the impact of businesses on the environment. This will help you to look at business and marketing practices with different perspectives.

On this module, you’ll have the opportunity to develop, evaluate and implement both traditional and contemporary marketing strategy theories in as realistic a situation as possible. In parallel with lectures, you will be involved in workshop format sessions that will further consolidate and deepen your understanding of strategic marketing theory and concepts. In your workshops, a marketing strategy simulation game will run throughout the semester. Within the simulation, you will work in teams running brands that are competing with each other. This will help you to shape and implement strategic marketing plans with an innovative solution-oriented mindset within the context of a competitive environment.

This is your introduction to Experiential Marketing and how it combines digital platforms, new technologies and Artificial Intelligence to engage with its customers in unique, emotional, and immersive ways. You'll learn about its engagement with customers across both physical and digital (hybrid) settings.

You’ll explore how Experiential Marketing has evolved from the product and service focus of the traditional marketing mix to the point where customers and businesses are co-creating new products and immersive experiences. You will examine the effectiveness of Experiential Marketing in real businesses and, in doing so, apply theory to practice.

Enhance your ability to design, plan, and execute marketing campaigns that are both evidence based and practical. You'll undertake academic research through a literature review, critically assessing theory and marketing trends to inform strategic campaign development. Alongside this research, you'll put your insights into practice by responding to live client briefs from guest speakers in the marketing industry.

The authentic, real-world briefs will cover a variety of sectors and marketing types, including B2C, agencies and social marketing, offering you first-hand experience of professional marketing challenges. You'll develop professional skills in pitching, presenting, and communicating ideas effectively to stakeholders.

By combining academic research with practical campaign development and direct engagement with industry, you'll be equipped to perform confidently in professional marketing roles, showcasing both strategic insight and practical skills.

Through this module you'll take a comprehensive and critical examination of the principles, theories, and practices central to marketing sport sponsorship. You'll learn how to design and execute partnerships to meet key branding, communication, and engagement goals. Examining in detail, sponsorship as a core marketing communication function.

You’ll receive appropriate supervision and guidance as you study a topic in depth that you have selected from your course. You will engage in research and employ methodologies which will progress your understanding of the process of research. You’ll also use material that is at the forefront of the topic you’ve selected.

This module provides you with an in-depth focus on the skills involved in evaluating business ideas, the practical steps involved in launching a business and the necessary processes of winning the finance. The module also addresses those issues that ventures must consider when planning an exit strategy and so focuses attention on the purpose of business enterprise. In Semester 1, this module explores contemporary theories of entrepreneurship and applies them to real life case studies. In Semester 2, the module focuses upon the preparation of a complete plan for a new business, capable of attracting funding.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• apply appropriate analytical concepts to provide support for untried venture proposals
• understand the range of technical issues faced by those in start-up ventures
• reflect on application of entrepreneurship theory, based on experience in a practical setting.

Business to Business (B2B) marketing is increasingly operating on digital platforms and it is predicted to further grow but also to rapidly and continuously evolve. You may go into employment in a B2B context, for example at an Advertising agency, and therefore it is very important for you to understand and evaluate how the Marketing concepts, that we normally refer to the consumers, are applied to the Business-to-Business environment. On this module, you’ll gain analytical skills and develop a data analysis mindset. This will help you to evaluate the various stages of an effective marketing process and mediate between theory and reflections on significant case studies in B2B marketing.

You will explore the main concepts and theoretical models that underpin Public Relations (PR) and crisis management. Also you’ll look at the role of PR campaigns to influence and change consumer’s behaviour and consider what goes into creating a successful PR plan. Examining how organisations manage and respond to crises. You will learn how to conduct a crisis audit, and plan a response strategy across different communication channels.

An effective society is arguably one where people are civically engaged. It is one where they not only know about and are conscious of social and environmental issues and imbalances, but are also motivated to step forward. This could be through managing nonprofit organisations, leading social campaigns, or through consumer behaviour, such as donating, volunteering or boycotting.

On this module, you will deepen your knowledge of the role of marketing in strengthening engagement with the nonprofit sector. You'll also examine how behaviour change is achieved through social marketing campaigns.

The module aims to develop critical thinking in evaluating the application of change management theory and normative practices to challenges taking place in organisations and wider society. The literature used in the module draws on a breadth of sources including the mainstream and contemporary literature on change management. It aims to increase personal reflexivity and self-awareness.

After completing this module, you will have an understanding of the nature of change and key theories, frameworks, principles and practices relevant for the management and leadership of change. You'll be able to evaluate critically the actions taken by those leading change. You will be better prepared to lead and manage change in your own managerial careers and have an increased awareness of your own potential for ongoing personal development in leading and managing change.