The Course Is Divided Into Three Major Parts

Adopted by a decision issued bythe Faculty Councilof
„International economics and politics” / Endorsed:
Protocol № / / Dean

CURRICULUM

Academic subject: / Communication policy
Subject code: / B33834C0643
Educational and qualification degree: / Bachelor
Status of the course / Compulsory, Department course
Field of higher education: / Social, Economic and Law Sciences
Professional: / Economics
Economics taught in English
Specialty: / Marketing and Strategic Planning
Faculty: / Management and Administration
Department: / Marketing and Strategic Planning
Total student academic load (average classes per course): / 60 (30/30)
Non-contact student academic load / 90
Credits: / 6
Lecturer of the course: / Associate Professor HristoKatrandjiev, Ph.D.,

ANNOTATION

The discipline “Communication policy” is focused on the changesthat are occurring in areas of marketing communicationsas well as on their influence on advertising and promotionalstrategies and tactics. The course is based on the perspective of integrated marketing communications. More and morecompanies are approaching advertising and promotionfrom an IMC perspective, coordinating the various promotionalmix elements with other marketing activitiesthat communicate with a firm’s customers. Many advertisingagencies are also developing expertise in directmarketing, sales promotion, event sponsorship, theInternet, and other areas so that they can meet all theirclients’ integrated marketing communication needs.The educational liguc of the course is built around an integrated marketing communicationsplanning model and recognizes the importanceof coordinating all of the promotional mixelements to develop an effective communications program.Although media advertising is often the most visiblepart of a firm’s promotional program, attention mustalso be given to direct marketing, sales promotion, publicrelations, interactive media, and personal selling.

CONTENT OF THE COURSE:

The course is divided into three major parts:

• Part I.In the first part the students study the role of advertising and promotion make an acquaintance with the concept of integrated marketingcommunications. The lectures belonging to this part provide an overviewof advertising and promotion and its role in modern marketing.In this part the attention is focused on the promotional program situationanalysis. It describes how firms organize foradvertising and promotion and examines the role of adagencies and other firms that provide marketing and promotionalservices.Attention isalso given to other types of marketing communicationorganizations such as direct marketing, sales promotion,and interactive agencies as well as public relations firms.
• Part II.The second part contains lectures that cover the decisions connected with the formulations of objectives and goals for integrated marketing communications programs. The budgeting decisions are also presented within the studied material.This part examines also the various promotional mix elementsthat form the basis of the integrated marketingcommunications program. The lectures encompass the principles of planning and development of the creative strategy and advertisingcampaign as well as the creative process. The attention is turned to to variants of creative strategy execution and to criteria for creative work evaluation. This part covers also the questions of media planning and media buying.
• Part II. The third part of the course is focused on the aspects of measuring communication effectiveness as well as some interesting topics of marketing such as international advertising, political advertising, ethical perspectives, and regulation.

LANGUAGE OF EDUCATION: English

4. CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM

А. LECTURES

№ / TOPIC / Classes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18 /

Part 1

Introduction to marketing communications.The principles of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).The Role of IMC in the Marketing Process.

Marketing Communication Program –Situation Analysis.

Analyzing the Communication Process: Source, Message, and Channel Factors.

Part 2
Budgeting for IMC Programs.
Creative Strategy – Planning, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.
Marketing Communications As an Investment.
Advertising Media Planning, Marketing Communications, and Marketing – Interconnections.
Advertising Media Planning: Evaluation of Broadcast Media.
Advertising Media Planning: Evaluation of Print Media.
Direct Marketing.
Internet and Interactive Media.
Sales Promotion.
Public Relation, Publicity, and Corporate Advertising.
Personal Selling.
Part 3
Measuring the Effectiveness of IMC Program.
International IMC.
Regulation of Marketing Communications.
Ethical aspects of Marketing Communication. / 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1

B. SEMINARS

№ / TOPIC / Student non-contact academic load
(number of classes)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 / Advertising Slogans – Principles of Creation and Evaluation
Marketing Communications and Branding
Methods for determining the media budget
Ethical Problems of Marketing communications – Discussion
The Use of Celebrities in TV Advertising
Women And Men in Advertising Messages
Sexual appeals in Advertising
Advertising and Children – Contemporary Strategies and Controversies
Digital Sales Promotion – Types and efficiency
Digital PR – Possibilities and Limitations
Political Advertising and PR – the Bulgarian Experience
Marketing Communications in Facebook, Twitter, and Other Social Media
Subliminal Advertising in Print and Broadcast
Mobile Advertising
Cultural Paradoxes and Marketing Communications / 6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

method / teaching strategy

The teaching is done trough the combination and expand of lectures with seminars, solving of cases. PowerPoint slides and other technical devices are used.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS

Course work is assigned on marketing communication problems to each student /20-30 pages.

ASSESSMENTMETHODS

During the semester the students prepare ​​individual assignments, participate in team assignment and have to take an interim test.

Assessment is done through an integral final grade which is based on the following elements:

• Presence and ActiveParticipation (PAP) of the student in classes – it is assessed on a 6-grade scale and its relative importance in the final assessment is 10%.
• Individual Assignment (IA) - it is assessed on a 6-grade scale and its relative importance in the final assessment is 10%.
• Interim Test 1 (IT1)-it is assessed on a 6-grade scale and its relative importance in the final assessment is 20%.
• Interim Test 2 (IT2)-its relative importance in the final assessment is 20%.
• Final Exam (FE)– it is done during the session and its relative importance in the final assessment is 40%.

The final grade is being calculated by the following formula:

FG = 10%*PAP + 10%*IA + 20%*IT1+ 20%*IТ2 + 40%*FE

whereFG = Final Grade

PAP = Presence and active participationin the class

IA = Individual Assignment

IT = Interim Test

FE = Final Exam

The final gradeis a 6-grade scale.The minimum grade for the successful completion of the training is Fair /3/.

A compliance assessment with the European system of credit transfer is as follows:

Excellent /6/ / Very good /5/ / Good /4/ / Fair /3/ / Poor /2/
A / B / C / D / E / FX / F
Credits are awarded as provided for in the plan / No credits are awarded

EXPECTED RESULTS OF THE ACADEMIC TRAINING

The course Communication Policy will give students possibility to acquire following knowledge and skills:

• What kind of activities includes the Communication policy?
• What are the connections among Communication policy and the rest of the elements of marketing mix?
• What are the main stages of planning marketing communications programs?

The knowledge and skills delivered by the course of Communication policy are part of the professional education of bachelors in Marketing and are required for education in Master’s degree.

DISSEMINATION OF THE COURSE

Course / University / Country
1. Marketing communications / University of Birmingham / United Kingdom
2. Kommunikationspolitik / TechnischeUniversität Dresden
LehrstuhlFϋrbetriebswirtschaftlehre / Germany
3. Communication Marketing Intégrée / Université Paris-Dauphine / France
3. Integrated Communication Planning /

University of Bologna

/ Italy

TOTAL STUDENT ACADEMIC LOAD

Type of classes/academic load / Overall student academic load / Student academic load,
average classes per week / Student non-contact academic load / Total
Lectures / 30 / 2 / 30
Seminars / 30 / 2 / 35 / 65
Laboratory training
Practical training
Term paper
Individual assignment / 20 / 20
Team assignment
Interim exam/test / 20 / 20
On-going assessment
Exam / written / 15 / 15
Total / 60 / 4 / 90 / 150

RECOMMENDED LITERATURE

А. BASIC

Belch, G., Belch, M., Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 9 ed., 2011.

B. ADDITIONAL

1. Shimp, T., Andrews, Craig, Advertising, Promotion and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, Cengage Learning, 9 ed., 2013.

1. Caywood, C., The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications, McGraw-Hill; 2 ed., 2011.

1. Clow, K., Baack, D., Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications, 6th ed., Prentice Hall, 2013.

1. Smith, P., Zook, Z., Marketing Communications: Integrating Offline and Online with Social Media, Kogan Page; 5th ed., 2011.

DRAFTED BY:

HristoKatrandjiev, Ph.D., Associate Professor ………………….

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT:

PenchoIvanov, Ph.D., Associate Professor …………………

DEAN:

Margarita Harizanova, Ph.D., Professor …………………..

1

Идентификация на статуса: ОДНК_7.1.3-3/ Версия 01/Изменение ____/______; стр. __/__

Ниво на достъп: □ общодостъпен □ за служебно ползване □поверителен □секретен