The purpose of this course is to aid the students in designing, developing, completing and presenting their research work on a selected issue/topic in a specialised research area.

The research will be based on relevant theoretical framework and use of appropriate analytical approach.

Course objectives

This course is designed to accommodate special-interest topics that relate to the profile of the student body. It is founded on latest psychological insights related to consumer behaviour, contemporary events and/or disruptive developments in theory or practice. Students will be empowered and encouraged to assume an active role in their training, advance their self-learning competence and develop a critical stance towards current events and/or emerging theories. Prerequisites: Agile and sustainable marketing strategies; Value-based marketing.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course students are expected to be able to:

• Understand how behaviour insights can be adapted to marketing practise.
• Analyse and reflect on the drivers of consumer judgements and decision-making.
• Understand behavioural interventions for steering consumer choices.
• Critically assess the ethical dimensions of steering consumer choices and decisions.
• Evaluate the implications of psychological insights beyond traditional marketing practices and towards reputation, management and policymaking.

Course content

• Key principles of Human Judgement and Decision-Making.
• Points of reference and Anchors.
• Understanding the underlying motivations of consumption choices.
• Quick versus calculated decisions.
• Following the majority
• Consumption choices based on emotions.
• Principles of persuasion and their application.
• Cognitive mistakes and implications to policymaking for consumer empowerment.

Course objectives

The purpose of this course is to provide students, that have elected the industry project option, with the knowledge, tools and skills required for a successful completion of a small-scale consulting project for an organisation.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course students are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of consulting practice through practical experience and real-world consulting project.
• Critically assess the reasons for the utilisation of consultants in the various organisational contexts by engaging in knowledge-sharing and collaborative discussions.
• Emphasise the importance of effective communication and understanding clients' needs as integral components of successful consulting practice.
• Analyse and critically evaluate complex consulting process frameworks considering both insider (client) and outsider (consultant) viewpoints.
• Develop comprehensive proposals and work plans for consulting projects that reflect a high level of strategic thinking and problem-solving.
• Master advanced research skills relevant to the consulting field.

Course content

• Foundations of Consulting Practice: Nature, Purpose, and Concept
• Experiential Learning Cycle and Active Learning Strategy
• Consulting Industry Overview
• Strategic Marketing Consulting Essentials
• Consultant-Client Relationship Dynamics
• Consulting Process Overview
• Client Business Capability Audit
• Evaluating Business Opportunities and Alternatives
• Consulting Process: Implementation and Integration
• Consulting Process Conclusion: Evaluation and Reporting
• Consulting and Change Management in Organisations
• Ethical Responsibilities in Consulting Practice.

Course objectives

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the skills to design and implement an academic research project based on empirical analysis of real data.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Critically think and analyse scientific literature
• Identify and formulate pertinent and operationalisable research questions
• Design and implement independent small-scale empirical research
• Use research methods of data collection and analysis
• Learn and utilise analytical software for data elaboration and processing
• Present research outcomes based on scientific academic standards.

Course content

• Development of Research Design
• Design of Research Questions
• Review of the Literature 
• Building Theory
• Construct hypotheses and operationalisation
• Design of methodology
• Qualitative tools of data collection and analysis (e.g. in-depth interviews, focus groups)
• Quantitative tools of data collection and analysis (e.g. Online questionnaires, statistical techniques)
• Writing of final report.

Course objectives

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of creating, managing, and distributing digital content. It covers the strategic and practical aspects of content production, from ideation and planning to optimisation, performance analysis, and ethical considerations. Students will develop skills in using a range of digital tools and platforms to execute a professional content strategy.

Learning outcomes

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

• Develop and execute a strategic content plan aligned with brand or organisational goals.
• Create engaging and effective content tailored to diverse digital platforms (e.g., blogs, social media, video).
• Utilise content management systems (CMS) and digital tools to organise, publish, and optimise content.
• Analyse and interpret content performance data to inform strategic decision-making.
• Apply ethical, legal, and professional standards to content creation and distribution.
• Collaborate effectively in teams to plan, produce, and manage content projects

Course content

• Foundations of Content Strategy & Planning
• The role of content in the digital landscape (SEO, brand building, lead generation).
• Targeting audience: user personas, audience research, and the customer journey.
• The content lifecycle: ideation, creation, publication, promotion, and analysis. Tools and best practices. Auditing existing content and identifying gaps.
• Content Creation:  Writing for the web, scannability, tone of voice, and structure.
• Blogging best practices. Content syndication and repurposing.
• SEO fundamentals: keywords, meta descriptions, and on-page optimisation.
• Principles of visual communication:   Creating effective graphics and infographics
• Introduction to video content: types (e.g., short-form, tutorials), storyboarding, and basic production principles.
• Content Management Systems & Publishing: WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and enterprise solutions.
• Optimising content for different platforms (social media, email newsletters, etc.).
• Principles of a successful content launch.
• Performance Analysis & Optimisation: The Role of Analytics, Key Performance Indicators for content (reach, engagement, conversions).
• Web analytics tools: Understanding key metrics.
• Using Data to Drive Decisions.   Analysing user behaviour and content funnels.     A/B testing and    content optimisation strategies based on performance data.
• The Ethical & Legal Landscape of Content:     Copyright, fair use, and plagiarism.     Data privacy and its impact on content.     Disclosure of sponsored content and influencer marketing guidelines.
• The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in content creation.  Ethical considerations of AI-generated content.
• Emerging trends: podcasting, live streaming, virtual reality (VR), and personalised content.

Course objectives

This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to drive marketing success. Students will gain practical skills in analysing and interpreting marketing data, utilizing machine learning and AI techniques to optimize campaigns, and making data-driven decisions to improve marketing strategy. The course also emphasizes ethical considerations, the creation of impactful data visualizations, and the ability to effectively communicate insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Through hands-on experience and real-world applications, students will be prepared to leverage advanced analytics tools in the digital era.

Learning outcomes

By successfully concluding this course the students should be able to:

• Apply Web Analytics: Use Google Analytics to measure website traffic, conversions, and user behaviour; design and evaluate KPIs.
• Evaluate Social Media Performance: Use SEMrush, Social Blade, and A/B testing to optimize digital campaigns.
• Demonstrate Data Collection Skills: Employ web scraping tools to gather marketing data and critically assess quality and ethics.
• Apply NLP Methods: Conduct sentiment analysis and topic modelling to analyse consumer-generated content.
• Integrate Analytics: Design integrated, data-driven marketing strategies that optimize customer engagement and conversions.
• Address Ethical Issues: Recognize and evaluate issues of privacy, bias, and regulation (GDPR, CCPA).
• Communicate Effectively: Present reports and deliver professional presentations tailored to technical and managerial audiences.

Course content

• Introduction to AI & Data Analytics in Marketing: Data-driven marketing & AI’s role; Structured vs. unstructured data; Industry case insights.
• Ethical Issues & AI in Marketing Analytics.
• Data crawling and pre-processing. Example: Crawling the web.
• Data summarisation and visualisation. Topic modelling of posts, reviews and comments
• Building classification and prediction models. Example: Sentiment analysis of reviews, comments and posts.
• User profiling via AI techniques. Example: Construction of user profiles based on posts and interactions.
• Web Analytics: Customer journey mapping, Linking analytics insights into strategy.

Course objectives

The course provides the philosophical foundations of the whole MSc program and prepares students for their postgraduate studies and careers as reflective and responsible scientists and/or professionals in marketing communications and digital marketing. This differentiates the program from all other digital marketing and marketing communications courses as it focuses on Sustainability and is designed to provide the simultaneous development of strategic thinking and soft skills through a systematic study of the major contemporary challenges (such as the global permacrisis, VUCA business environments, financial and health crises, global warming, geopolitical power shifts, social turbulence etc) and methodologies for addressing them efficiently and effectively. It goes past Corporate Social Responsibility and prepares future managers for sustainable prosperity.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:

• Understand the classical and contemporary theories and models related to: value and values, virtue, ethics and ethical culture development, stakeholder identification and power evaluation, marketing, communication, media relationships, research ethics, customer relationship management, risk assessment, sustainability and organisational and marketing agility
• Apply, in an effective manner, methodologies and state-of-the-art tools for moral decision-making and mindfulness.
• Analyse the environmental and societal effects of business decisions and actions and manage the consequences responsibly.
• Promote digital wellbeing and maintain correct netiquette in all communications.
• Use appropriate change management methods and techniques.
• Apply in an effective manner, Future Management and Sustainable Prosperity principles.
• Analyse all aspects of business and organizational problems, identify their parameters, and make informed decisions that stand the test of morality and time.
• Use Debate in the phygital environment.
• Employ Critical and creative thinking.

• Course objectives

• The course provides the philosophical foundations of the whole MSc program and prepares students for their postgraduate studies and careers as reflective and responsible scientists and/or professionals in marketing communications and digital marketing. This differentiates the program from all other digital marketing and marketing communications courses as it focuses on Sustainability and is designed to provide the simultaneous development of strategic thinking and soft skills through a systematic study of the major contemporary challenges (such as the global permacrisis, VUCA business environments, financial and health crises, global warming, geopolitical power shifts, social turbulence etc) and methodologies for addressing them efficiently and effectively. It goes past Corporate Social Responsibility and prepares future managers for sustainable prosperity.

• Learning outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:
• Understand the classical and contemporary theories and models related to: value and values, virtue, ethics and ethical culture development, stakeholder identification and power evaluation, marketing, communication, media relationships, research ethics, customer relationship management, risk assessment, sustainability and organisational and marketing agility
• Apply, in an effective manner, methodologies and state-of-the-art tools for moral decision-making and mindfulness.
• Analyse the environmental and societal effects of business decisions and actions and manage the consequences responsibly.
• Promote digital wellbeing and maintain correct netiquette in all communications.
• Use appropriate change management methods and techniques.
• Apply in an effective manner, Future Management and Sustainable Prosperity principles.
• Analyse all aspects of business and organizational problems, identify their parameters, and make informed decisions that stand the test of morality and time.
• Use Debate in the phygital environment.
• Employ Critical and creative thinking.

Course objectives

The purpose of this course is to equip students with the skills and mindset of marketing and communications professionals by providing them with the tools and methods to cut through the media clutter and utilise technology effectively along with their imagination and empathy to effectively engage modern media meshing, multitasking, and overstimulated audiences. Its objective is to provide a holistic perspective on the latest developments in the fields of advertising and public relations.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course students are expected to be able to:

• Criticise contemporary theories and methodologies related to public perceptions, image and reputation enhancement and restoration, traditional and digital public relations
• Apply techniques and tools for interpersonal and mass media communications through state-of-the-art digital technologies
• Apply effectively value proposition communication
• Develop effective media, advertising and communication plans
• Use immersive and engaging brand and corporate communications
• Build and manage media and stakeholder relations
• Analyse the current media ecology and landscape.

Course content

• Organisational reputation cocreation
• Perception Management
• Interactive, immersive, and viral advertising
• Guerrilla approaches to brand engagement generation
• Earned media and encouraging live content sharing
• Social media streams to amplify the effect of communicative products
• Personal selling and negotiation
• Public Relations and branded events management
• The contemporary media landscape
• Media relations
• Publicity generation
• Crisis communications

Course objectives

The course Value-based Marketing offers a deep dive into contemporary marketing practices that prioritise creating, delivering, and communicating value for both customers and organisations. It examines how the concept of value has evolved in marketing, transitioning from a traditional product-centric focus to a more customer-centric and service-dominant approach.

Through experiential, creative, and collaborative practices, students learn how value is shaped through innovation, branding, service quality, and stakeholder engagement. The course explores key theories, including service-dominant logic, consumer culture theory, and value co-creation, and applies them to practical strategies for delivering exceptional customer experiences.

By the end of this module, students have a comprehensive understanding of value creation and management. They are equipped with the skills to drive innovation, build customer loyalty, and foster ethical and sustainable business growth in today's competitive marketplace.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Develop an advanced understanding of value-based marketing principles, including service-dominant logic, consumer culture theory, and the role of co-creation.
• Apply experiential and creative design thinking to create and manage service processes that enhance customer value.
• Analyse the role of innovation and new product development in value creation, with a focus on co-creative strategies.
• Examine how branding and integrated marketing communications contribute to the communication of value to customers.
• Critically assess service blueprinting and quality management practices, including strategies for addressing service failures and preventing value co-destruction.
• Understand the importance of internal marketing and stakeholder management in ensuring alignment with customer value propositions.

Course content

• Overview of key concepts, shift from product-centric to value-centric approaches.
• Critical, creative and experiential design thinking
• Service –dominant logic and value cocreation
• Consumer Culture theory
• Branding and brand management
• Enhancing brand personality and brand equity through Value-based Marketing
• Innovation and new product development
• Integrated Marketing Communications and its alignment with SDL
• Internal marketing
• Value-based Marketing for non-profit organisations