20756 - DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Students should possess a good knowledge of the role of digital channels in the customer purchasing journey and the meaning of the main digital analytics. Non marketing management students are invited to read the following propaedeutic materials: Hemann, C., & Burbary, K. (2018). Digital marketing analytics: Making sense of consumer data in a digital world (second edition). Pearson Education.

The course aims to offer an advanced knowledge on communication strategies adopted by companies in the digital scenario. The students will learn how to leverage the potential of the new technologies defining cutting edge communication strategies in order to seize new business opportunities, increasing customers’ engagement and loyalty in an omnichannel perspective. Next, students will understand how digital communication strategies need to be adapted according to companies and brands’ goals, type of industry and market (b2b and b2c), context and available technologies.

The main topics treated in the course include:

•          Digital communication trends

•          Overview of digital communication channels

•          Digital communication plan

•          Communicating through technologies

•          Digital communication goals: branding and performing 

•          Digital communication strategies

•          Programmatic advertising

•          Data-driven content creation

•          Influencer marketing

•          Reputation and crisis management

•          Social media editorial plan and content categories

•          Industry deep dives: ad hoc digital communication strategies

• Understand the opportunites of the main digital communication channels and technologies

• Recognize the correct digital communication strategies to be adopted according to the specific company's goals and contexts

• Clearly distinguish the difference between branding and performing goals

• Learn how to define the right digital media content grounded on real data

• Identify possible crisis management strategies in the digital perspective

• Illustrate the multiple influencer marketing initiatives

• Correctly read and interpret a digital communication plan

• Reproduce a digital communication plan
• Develop the appropriate digital content grounded on real data
• Design potential digital communications strategies
• Implement potential crisis management strategies in the digital perspective
• Plan various infuencer marketing campaigns
• Create a social media editorial plan and editorial lines

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments

1. Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance): This method consists of deep dives on digital communication strategies of specific industries (e.g., luxury, B2B, services...) thanks to guest companies speakers. Moreover professional experts are also invited to talk about relevant and update topics (e.g., programmatic)
2. Case studies: teachers will use real cases and examples to demonstrate how to identify and implement the right digital communication strategies according to the companies goals and contexts.
3. Group assignment: a company launches a group project brief on how to build its digital communication plan for the next year

Grades will be computed as follows: 

1. Written examination: 50% of the overall grade

2. Group project: 50% of the overall grade

The final grade will be calculated averaging the group assignment grade with the final written exam grade. Only the final grade will be rounded up.  

Additional +1 point if the student completes the online courses on 100-101 Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate Exam. In order to obtain this extra point the student has to pass all the 16 free tests and will have to upload all the 16 certifications on Bboard within May the 15th 2024. Link: https://www.facebookblueprint.com/student/collection/238354

1.  Written Exam 

In-class, closed-books final exam. The exam consists of a series of conceptual questions, multiple choice questions and exercises covering the whole course program, based on the material provided by the instructor for Attending Students. 

2.  Group project 

The assignment consists of the development of a Digital Communication Plan referred to a specific case study. This assignment gives the students the opportunity to apply the course contents to a specific company situation. The evaluation of the group assignment will encompass the quality standard of the Digital Communication Plan and the quality of the presentation. The instructor will grade the group assignment and will give a grade per each group. The instructor may also use peer evaluation to assess each member’s contribution to group grade. The grade referred to the group assignment will be valid for the three exam sessions within the current academic year. 

1. Final written examination: 100% of the overall grade. 

Additional +1 point if the student completes the online courses on 100-101 Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate Exam. In order to obtain this extra point the student has to pass all the 16 free tests and will have to upload all the 16 certifications on Bboard within May the 15th 2024. Link:

https://www.facebookblueprint.com/student/collection/238354

Written examination: this text will verify the knowledge and applied knwoledge of the students. Indeed the written exam consists of a series of conceptual questions, multiple choice questions (both useful to verify the knowledge of the key concepts) and exercises/applied open questions (useful to concretely demostrate how to apply the theoretical concepts) across the topics covered by the textbook for Non Attending Students (all the chapters have to be studied, excluding chapter 7 and chapter 10).

• Material prepared by the instructors
• Articles
• Recorded videos

• Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2022, eight ed.). Digital marketing. Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Pearson UK (all the chapters have to be studied, excluding chapter 7 and chapter 10)