This module is intended to establish the importance of the customer or end user during the production of your creative work. This is not necessarily a given as when work includes aesthetic, craft or technical codes, values and stakeholders there can be powerful alternative interests and requirements. Creative producers need to balance, determine possible areas of trade-off and occasionally deny or defend against commercial or cultural considerations. This module therefore problematises the cultural consumer, investigates their needs and behaviours, and analyses and discovers how (interactive) communication can be established with them, including consideration of ethical practices within the sector. A multi-channel perspective will be adopted with particular emphasis on digital consumer decision journeys and the creation of social media brand advocates.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
The teaching and learning experience is designed around three types of interaction. Tutor-led sessions where theory is introduced and critically examined and sector practice is evaluated. Seminars designed to test and develop the previously introduced theories and projects, longer duration briefs involving collaboration either with other students in the faculty of with clients introduced by the module leader. As fits the ethos of the degrees, the students will be given seminar tasks and project briefs that enable learning through making and doing. Understanding of user research introduced and worked on in the Design Thinking module (HA 4303) will be deepened and practiced, digital communications will be analysed and then importantly designed creating prototypes of webpages and social media campaigns. Depending on the workload created by the client briefs brought in by the module leader, students will also be encouraged to enter pitching and creative marketing competitions such as Creative Shootout.
The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on business and management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Tutor-led sessions and workshops | 48 |
| Guided independent study | Preparation for workshops Project work in the studio | 252 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Assessment strategy is designed to maximise the feedback created through making and doing. Summative assessment will be divided into two projects weighted at 50% of the overall mark.
The first summative assessment is to design and carry out customer research into a product, service or issue. This will involve organising observation (where appropriate), focus groups and interviews using current images and prototypes of messaging. This will be carried out in pairs. The assessed output will be a record of the research, the design, decisions taken and outcomes. This will be presented in a combination of text, sound and image as a customer research report. Summative assessment will be provided through a scheduled project surgery by both the tutor and fellow students.
The second summative assessment will be to design and run a social media campaign for an issue or organisation. This will either be a development of the customer analysis carried out in assessment one or will be provided by an organisation with a need to develop a visual marketing campaign. This will involve producing a marketing communications plan and prototype, creating visual messaging and copy and establishing metrics for evaluation of impact. This will be in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4. Summative assessment will be provided through a scheduled project surgery by both the tutor and fellow students (and representatives of the firm if relevant).
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) To identify and categorise the needs and wants of users, visitors and audiences | Customer research report Marketing communications plan and prototype |
| 2) To select and target particular customer groups | Customer research report Marketing communications plan and prototype |
| 3) To model different types of consumer decision journeys | Marketing communications plan and prototype |
| 4) To design and prototype a social media marketing plan | Marketing communications plan and prototype |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Customer research report (2,000) | Coursework | 50% |
| Marketing communications plan and prototype (1,500) | Coursework | 50% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Works cited are for initial reference only. Module leaders will further enhance and focus it depending on project and assessment tasks.
Troilo, G. (2015). Marketing in the Creative Industries: Value, Experience and Creativity. Palgrave: London.
Fuggetta, R. (2012). Brand Advocates: Turning Enthusiastic Customers into a Powerful Marketing Force. John Wiley & Sons: New York.
Boncheck, M., and France, C. (2017). What Creativity in Marketing Looks like today. Harvard Business Review, March.
Edelman, D. C., and Singer, M. (2015). Competing on Customer Journeys. Harvard Business Review. November.
Kolb, B.M. (2016). Marketing Strategy for Creative and Cultural Industries. Mastering Management in the Creative and Cultural Industries. Routledge: London.
Godin, S. (2012). All Marketers are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works, and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All. Penguin: London.
Pine, B.J., and Gilmore, J.H. (2011). The Experience Economy. Harvard Business Press: Boston, Mass.
Ries, A., and Trout, J. (2000). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. McGraw Hill: New York.
Rowles, D. (2013). Mobile marketing: how mobile technology is revolutionizing marketing, communications, and advertising. Kogan Page: London.
Wheeler, A. (2012). Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team. John Wiley & Sons: New Jersey