Faculty of Business and Law
Module Title: Marketing and Markets in a Digital Age
2022/23
Module Code: PGBM127
Module Leader: Karen Wharton
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FACULTY OF BUSINESS, LAW & TOURISM
Postgraduate Programme
Level: 7
Module: Marketing and Markets in a Digital World
In the digital age, marketing and markets have been transformed by the widespread adoption of digital technologies and the proliferation of the internet. Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, such as social media, websites, email, and mobile apps, to reach and engage with consumers.
One of the key characteristics of digital marketing is its ability to target specific segments of the population through the use of data and analytics. By collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior and demographics, businesses can create more personalized and effective marketing campaigns.
Another characteristic of digital marketing is its ability to track and measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts in real-time. This allows businesses to quickly adjust their marketing strategies based on how well they are performing and make data-driven decisions about how to allocate their marketing budgets.
In addition to traditional marketing techniques, such as advertising and promotions, digital marketing also includes new forms of marketing, such as influencer marketing, which involves working with social media influencers to promote products or services, and content marketing, which involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
Module Code: PGBM127
Module Leader: Karen Wharton
DUE DATES:
Assessment Thursday 3rd February 2023
Latest submission time: 11.59 p.m. via Turnitin
Contribution to unit assessment: 100% weighting
ASSESSMENTS:
Assessment 001: Individual Case Study & Report
N.B. These are individual pieces of work
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:
Knowledge
K1 demonstrate a critical understanding of key marketing concepts & theories and the related academic literature
K2 demonstrate a critical understanding of markets and their different contexts
K3 evaluate and provide an overview of the key drivers of change for markets & marketing in the digital age
Skills
S1 demonstrate the ability to apply critical Assessment and strategic thinking skills
S2 demonstrate the ability to identify, select, analyse, synthesize and interpret credible information whether from academic or the
trade press sources
ASSESSMENT BRIEF: 4,000 words 100% weighting
This assignment assesses K1, K2, K3, S1 and S2
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Context
Generation Z consists of people born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest of this generation are reaching 25 years of age. In the UK,
this usually means they’ve been using digital technology since a young age, they’re social media natives and they’ve grown up with
the power the internet.
According to research, Gen Z is one of the most passionate, engaged and motivated audience segments in the charity sector
(Goldstraw, 2019). According to Vivaldi (2020) Gen Z consider sustainability to be important and when purchasing support brands
that are driven by a social purpose.
All too often, charities overlook engaging with a younger audience as traditionally fundraisers and donors tend to be older, or
they’re more interested in focusing on legacy donations, therefore younger people aren’t really their target audience.
Many current brands large and small are engaging with sustainability and support charities (an online search will provide many
examples).
In our lecture in Week 3- Lecture 2 it is noted that Gen Z believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and
social issues. When it comes to social, lifestyle, attitudes and values, Gen Z consumers, who account for 40% of global consumers are
more committed to environmental and ethical causes than any previous generation, they are also the most technology enabled
generation. They use mobile devices to connect with brands and in doing so technology enables them to supporting causes, signing
online petitions, adding the campaign wallet pass apps to smartphones. Whilst these apps provide updates and rewards to
participants and an expectation to share with friends; marketeers must ensure that to create value for both parties, technological
integration must align with the buyers mindset.
As a newly appointed Marketing Manager for a brand of your own choice*, your role is to develop a new ‘cause related’ product
or product range the profits from which will make a monetary contribution and create added awareness for a charity. You are to
design a marketing strategy to engage with the appropriate Gen Z audience. You must select your charity from the list below.
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*Note: the ‘brand of your choice’ must have a website and there must be and English version of the website available.
Action for Conservation ACTION FOR CONSERVATION
Kidscape Help With Bullying (kidscape.org.uk)
Football Beyond Borders Football Beyond Borders
Fight Back https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064991790119
References
Goldstraw (2019) Why Your Charity Needs to Embrace Gen Z. Available at Why your charity needs to embrace Generation Z (givepenny.com)
(Accessed 01.09.22)
Vivaldi Group (2020) Is your brand Ready to take on Gen Z. Available at: Is Your Brand Ready to Take On Gen-Z (pages.services) (Accessed
01.09.22)
Guidance on the word count is indicated for each section below.
Assessment Overview
Choose one of the above charities listed above.
Part 1. Case Study – You are to write a short case study focusing on how your brand creates value for its customers through its
marketing.
Part 2. Report – You are to write a report recommending a relevant marketing strategy for your new ‘cause related’ product or range
of products. The aim of which is to increase your brands engagement with the Gen Z target audience and also raise the profile and
profitability of the chosen charity.
A key theme of both elements will be discussion on how marketing activity and the market is influenced by current technology.
Part 1: Case Study – Charity (600 words)
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Format –the case study must critically evaluate and incorporate the following aspects. The sources of your information together
with academic marketing theory must be referenced using the Harvard Referring System.
• Brief company overview and mission statement.
• Evaluate the core offering, ‘’needs and wants, ‘jobs to be done’, and how are these currently satisfied through the provision of
the marketing mix.
• With reference to the 4.0 and MarTech technologies studied on the module critically evaluate to what extent technology
influences the delivery of value through the brand’s marketing approaches.
Part 2: Individual Business Report (3,400 words)
Your task is to compile a business report recommending how to market your charity to the Gen Z audience.
Main report
1. Executive Summary – summarise the report in its entirety, including your recommendations. (100 words)
2. Introduction – Briefly outline what you are aiming to achieve. Why your chosen charity aligns with your brand. (100 words).
3. Market Trends Analysis – Using relevant sources provided justify the market opportunity. Research should cover key
characteristics of Gen Z customers and their disposition. Your brands sector and key sector trends. The charity sector, key
sector trends. Your research should conclude with a short summary identifying the new product / product range opportunity.
(1000 words).
4. Recommendations on Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) – make recommendations on the STP strategy, you
must reference STP academic marketing theory and make application to Gen Z to support your discussion. (300 words)
5. Customer Persona Based on the STP discussion and your understanding of the Gen Z customer develop one target customer
persona. (Embedded jpg image including text, not included in word allocation – appropriate and relevant text) This should
provide intricate detail about your customer. This detail is important as your recommendations (marketing
mix approaches) must align with this customer’s profile. This should be based on information provided in the Market Trends
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Analysis section concerning the Gen Z customer and their disposition to charitable causes, products etc.
6. Recommendations – critical application to all elements of the the marketing mix. Critical discussion demonstrating marketing
mix decisions for a value driven marketing strategy identifying how the brand will engage with Gen Z .This should be
underpinned with explanation and reference to academic marketing theory to support and justify your recommendations as
well as consider the Gen Z customers. Gen Z are the most tech savvy generation the marketing mix must consider
technological integration to support a great customer experience.
(1,400 words)
7. Customer Journey Mapping –A short section linked to CJM academic theory demonstrating that you understand the benefits
of CJ Mapping together with applied discussion relating to your map and what it sets out to achieve. (300 words)
8. Detailed Customer Journey Map – Depict the customer journey in accordance with your recommendations. It will consider
marketing touchpoints and should aim to also consider the customer’s ‘cognitive’ journey (these are the questions customers
may ask as they move through the purchasing journey). You could also aim to include the emotional journey – how the
customer is feeling.
(Embedded jpg image including appropriate and relevant text) (200 words)
9. References List -To demonstrate application of marketing theory, organisational and contextual accuracy, the case study and
report should be supported with referenced evidence from a range of credible academic and practitioner sources.
Appendices if appropriate Note elements of the marketing mix may not necessarily require an equal word count,
allocation will depend on your recommendations.
Notes
You must use one of the charities listed and this should be the same charity for both elements – the case study and the report.
To demonstrate application of marketing theory, organisational and contextual accuracy, the case study and report should be
supported with referenced evidence from a range of credible academic and practitioner sources. You must use the HARVARD
referencing system – see ‘Cite them right’ -https://library.sunderland.ac.uk/find-resources/referencing/
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Relevant theory from the module must be applied to develop the analysis and Assessment. Logical conclusions should be drawn.
Assessment Format
Front Page:
• Module Code and Module Title
• Title of Assignment
• Module Leader’s Name
• Your Tutor’s Name
• Your name (Family name underlined / in capital letters)
• Your Student Number
• Date of Submission
File submitted to Turnitin should be entitled with your full name and PGBM127
Format Papers to be 4,000 words (+10) – excluding appendices, reference list, and bibliography. See assessment brief for word count
guidance.
Make your assignment easy to read – some guidelines
• Make all general typeface 12pt Arial, Calibri, Tahoma
• You should use line spacing of 1.5
• All pages should be numbered
Please note:
• correct spelling, punctuation and grammar are also expected
• grammar/spell check and proofread your work
Submission Details
YOU MUST SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY BY THE DEADLINE Friday 3rd February 2023, through PGBM127 Canvas module page for
checking with ‘Turnitin’
a. Accessible in the assessment section
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b. Students may submit drafts prior to submission and generate reports.
i. The last submission prior to the deadline is deemed to be the final submission for assessment purposes
ii. Non-submission through Turnitin: Students who do not submit their work through Turnitin will automatically
receive a 0%
iii. Please refer to your programme Handbook for the Student Guide to the Academic Regulations
Plagiarism/Infringement Statement
All Assessments are subject to the University’s Policy on ‘Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism’. Students found guilty of this
are subject to severe penalties.
These are INDIVIDUAL pieces of work – If there is evidence that the work is not wholly attributable to you, the University’s
policy on ‘Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism’ will be applied
Link to University Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy: Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct – A Guide
Extenuating Circumstances
If you are affected by any extenuating circumstances and cannot submit your work, for example illness or severe personal
difficulties, you must inform your Programme Leader, personal tutor, module leader or module tutor immediately.
Important – ‘Fit To Sit’
Any student who presents themselves at an examination and takes that examination, or who submits a piece of coursework,
or attends and takes part in a presentation, practical session, or any other form of assessment cannot then put in a later
request for extenuating circumstances. They will be deeming themselves ‘Fit to Sit’ if they thereby engage in the assessment
and no allowance will be made for any difficulties, they later wish to claim affected their results.
For information or to discuss an issue you are having, please contact the programme leader or personal tutor in the first
instance.
Please refer to your programme handbook for the link to University Extenuating Circumstances Policy
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Word Limit:
The word count must be stated on the front page of your assignment – the University of Sunderland standard word count policy
will apply for assignments that are outside the recommended word count of 4,000 words plus/minus 10%
Summarising and compressing the information in your assignment into the word limit is one of the skills that students are
expected to acquire and demonstrate as part of the assignment process.
Please note, in-text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. “dib-dab nonsense analysis” (Smith, 2011
p.123)] are included in the word count.
The Use of Tables:
Tables included should not include large amounts of text which represent the main discussion and arguments, as these should be
included in the main body of your work.
If tables are used inappropriately in this way the wording in question will be deemed to be part of the main body of the work and
included in the word count (with the relevant penalty imposed where the maximum word count has been exceeded).
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