Module: MCO5001-20 Promotional Media

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Matthew Freeman

Module Tutor Contact Details: m.freeman@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Examining the role of promotional media materials such as trailers, idents, social media, movie reviewers, ARGs, branded leisure attractions, PR, and the type of online user-generated content circulating between and beyond the main media products of creative industries, this module investigates the role of such promotional media on informing audience behaviours and fandoms amongst contemporary audiences. Stressing dialogues between the academic study of promotional media and the practical application of these concepts, this module examines both industrial practices of promotional media and sites of promotional audience engagement.Students will also learn to reflect on successes and failures of marketing campaigns.

Students will apply strategic, research-informed understandings of promotional media to real-life campaigns, working on live industry briefs while learning to conduct rigorous audience research, develop user journeys, and brand media materials.

2. Outline syllabus

● Module Introduction: Thinking Promotionally About Media

● Understanding Media Brands

● Entertainment Industries: Promotion for Film, TV & Games

● Community Industries: Promotion for Charity, Education & Heritage

● Immersive Industries: Promotion for Virtual & Augmented Reality

● Ephemeral Promotion: Trailers, TV Spots & Idents

● Social Media Promotion: Interactivity & Connectivity

● Participatory Promotion: User-Generated Content

● Ethics of Promotional Media

3. Teaching and learning activities:

In the first half of the module students examine a range of key concepts and practices of promotional media, spanning different industry contexts. Seminars will be used to further analyse the codes, conventions, practices and functions of particular forms of promotional media across different platforms and creative industries. These include entertainment, charity, education and immersive. Students will also consider how to conduct rigorous audience research online and offline so to better understand how audiences engage with promotional materials. In the second half of the module, we will move on to consider a series of platforms as promotional case studies, including social media, trailers and user-generated content, and seminars will become group steering meetings where students will work collaboratively where they apply theoretical understanding of promotional media to a real campaign.

Students will select a live industry brief of their choice and produce an individual Strategy Report (50%), which draws together an analysis of similar marketing and communication campaigns, original audience research, user journeys, and plans for marketing the chosen industry brief. Students will then work in groups to co-create a PR Box (50%) that promotes that industry partner and its work, using ideas from the Strategy Report to inform a range of media materials to sit inside this PR Box.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Strategy Report (2500 words)

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: PR Box (2500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50%