COMM 462 - Integrated Marketing Communication

Integrated: means we look at all the possible and reasonable ways to communicate. It is "media neutral" which means that we look at posters, TV, websites, employee communications, and email campaigns with no bias. At Sauder you may choose take a course on digital media, it is COMM 464. This course looks generally at all media as options and comes with the bias of integration is better than diverse projects.

Marketing: is our craft. Communication: is our topic. This course takes as a core principle that "everything communicates" - so it means every marketing effort, whether or not it intends to, communicates to your intended and unitended target audiences. This topic can - and should - take years to cover, so we cover specifically these areas:

• a reintroduction and deep dive into positioning as it deeply influences the intent and direction of all marketing efforts
• creative briefs as a core tool in the communication process
• consumer behaviour principles linked to communication in marketing
• understanding of how great creative and media plans are created, what those ideas mean and are implemented, and how they are linked together
• strong emphasis on application of the above ideas on exercises with real life clients

Learning objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be:

• skilled in critical thinking.
• skilled in analytical decision-making.
• able to integrate knowledge from relevant business disciplines when making decisions.
• effective communicators with the ability to prepare and deliver oral and written presentations using appropriate technologies.
• aware of ethical implications of business decisions and activities.
• prepared to apply sustainability management principles and practices to business.

Prerequisite: COMM 362.