Professional skills and expertise
This module is designed as a business laboratory, which means that students learn competencies and skills related to designing and implementing digital marketing strategies and campaigns in lecturer-coached team projects.

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

• develop a digital marketing strategy and a digital marketing plan for acquiring and/or engaging international customers (focused on awareness, customer relationship, and sales goals)
• choose adequate digital marketing channels and tools for digital marketing campaigns
• plan a digital marketing campaign (including content/message design and the design of the digital customer experience)
• evaluate the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns

• create messages that are specifically tailored to a certain target audience (communication skills)
• teamwork skills related to the joint development of international digital marketing strategies

• explain how digital tools can be used for achieving marketing objectives on international markets
• make well-argued choices between different digital tools and channels for international marketing
• apply selected digital marketing tools in practice

None

This module covers the following topics:
I. Digital marketing strategy development
• Key elements of a digital marketing strategy
• Strategic analysis in digital markets (e.g., customer characteristics on international target markets, competitor analysis)
• Multichannel communication and distribution strategy
• Goal-setting for international digital marketing (awareness, customer relationship, and sales goals)
• Creating a digital marketing plan for international markets
• The marketing mix in digital marketing
• Aligning digital marketing and sales
• Selected legal issues in digital marketing (e.g., data security, privacy, copyright)
II. Digital marketing channels and tools
• Key types and specifics of digital marketing channels, technologies and tools (including, for example, social media channels, search engine marketing (SEA/SEO), e-mail marketing)
• Digital tools for customer acquisition
• Digital tools for customer engagement and retention
• Emerging trends in digital marketing (e.g., augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, big data)
III. Planning and implementing digital media campaigns
• Segmenting and targeting, buyer personas
• Analyzing the customer journey and designing the digital customer experience
• Content strategy and message development
• Working with intermediaries in digital marketing (e.g., digital marketing agencies, affiliate marketing programs)
IV. Evaluating digital marketing performance
• Digital metrics/KPIs, analytics, and reporting
• Experimentation and testing methods

Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2022). Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
Hanlon, A. (2021). Digital Marketing: Strategic Planning & Integration. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications.
Kingsnorth, S. (2022). Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing. 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page.
Smith, P. R., & Zook, Z. E. (2024). Marketing Communications: Integrating Online and Offline, Customer Engagement and Digital Technologies. 8th ed. London: Kogan Page.

• Lecture and discussion (in-class or online)
• Self-study (asynchronous learning)
• Group project work with coaching by the lecturers

Integrated module exam (final examination character):

• Group project
• Reflection paper