MSc Digital Marketing / Course details

This elective provides detailed coverage of marketing theory, processes and outcomes pertaining to responsible co-creation of service(s). Key topics in this course include evolution of the services sector and theories pertaining to contemporary services marketing, specifically: service management, managing people (employees) responsibly, service quality and equitable service recovery, customer behaviour issues in services, service design for well-being and inclusivity, management of relationships and customer experience, conscientious use of technology in services delivery (AI and service robots), and socially responsible services marketing designed to improve sustainability of services.

In order to achieve learning outcomes, students are encouraged to engage in the critical evaluation of theoretical literature and key texts, and secondary data available from service organizations.

In terms of employability, students intending to collaborate with service organisations, work in the service sector (e.g., information technology, advertising and marketing research, hospitality and retailing, management consultancy, charity and public services) or for an organisation with a strong commitment to service management or customer service, will find this course relevant.
 

BMAN70252 Programme Req: BMAN70252 is only available as an elective to students on MSc Marketing and MSc Digital Marketing

BMAN70252 Programme Req: BMAN70252 is available as an elective to students on MSc Marketing or MSc Digital Marketing who have completed the core semester 1 courses for these programmes.

Students on other PGT courses can join the course ONLY with written permission from ALL THREE of the following: (1) Their own programme director, (2) The programme director of either the MSc Marketing or the MSc Digital Marketing (3) One of the Course Directors of BMAN70252. In order to gain this permission, you will need to present a CV or evidence demonstrating significant experience of Marketing either in a work context or via previous study of relevant marketing courses.

 

To provide an appreciation of the challenges inherent in managing and co-creating services, the fastest growing sector in most economies amidst the grand challenges facing organizations and individuals.

To provide an understanding of some of the state-of-the-art service tools (key theory and processes) that help address these problems; key aspects of management and strategy in the services sector to include: value co-creation, managing people responsibly, service quality and equitable recovery, inclusive service design, management of customer relationships, customer experience management, socially responsible services and digital interactions in service design and delivery.

To sensitise students to a customer-oriented, responsible, service logic thinking, delivering customer experience solutions (outcomes).

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

1. Explain how the characteristics of services differ from tangible goods, and how these impact on the design and execution of responsible marketing strategies for services.

2. Define and illustrate the main components of service(s) marketing and management theory/frameworks.

3. Apply this theory to critically analyse services marketing problems and develop responsible processes and ultimately sustainable solutions for contemporary market contexts.

4. Understand the challenges faced by service managers and assess the various tools managers might employ to improve employee and customer engagement and customer experience, responsibly, in order to deliver customised customer experience solutions (outcomes) in specific contexts.

5. Present material relating to the topics verbally and in written form.

Formal Contact Methods

Minimum Contact hours: 20
Delivery format: Lectures (and embedded exercises), online content and Action Learning session for formative feedback.

• Submit ONE group presentation (worth 60% of the overall course mark)
• Submit ONE individual reflection (worth 40% of the overall course mark
• We implement an optional peer assessment process within the group work to monitor equitable engagement in the work by all group members.

 

Formative feedback will be provided orally in teaching sessions, via in-class action learning, and via online discussion board.

Summative feedback will be provided in the form of a final mark, brief comments on the final presentation and via indication on a marking guide.

Students provide feedback by contacting the course coordinator in class, by email, via online discussion board, or by dropping in during the Office Hours which are notified in advance. Additionally, students are encouraged to complete a course survey towards the end of the course.

Core text: 
Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C. (2022) Services marketing: People, Technology, Strategy, 9th edition, NJ, USA: World Scientific Publishing (or previous editions).

Supplementary Textbooks:
Bordoloi, S., Fitzsimmons, J. and Fitzsimmons, M. (2018) ISE Service Management- Operations, Strategy, Information Technology, 9th edition, London: Mc Graw Hill

Buttle, F. and Maklan, S. (2019) Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and

Technologies, 4th edition, Abingdon, Routledge.

 

Recommended Journals:
• The Journal of Service Research
• The Journal of Services Management
• The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
• The Journal of Services Marketing
• Journal of Marketing
 

Informal Contact Method

Students can contact the course coordinator via online discussion board, by email, or by dropping in during the Office Hours which are notified in advance

Sustainable Development Goals

Significant United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals covered in this course include (but are not limited to): (10) Reduced inequalities and (12) Responsible consumption and production.