Module: Digital Marketing

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Digital Marketing
Module Code	MAD1007 (ITS: MG329)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module will develop students' knowledge of digital marketing, and allow them to develop tactical and strategic digital marketing strategies.

Learning Outcomes

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2. Develop tactical and strategic digital marketing plans;
4. 8,11,9,10
5. 1
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7. Appraise the role of search on the digital marketing mix and develop appropriate SEM strategies
9. 11,10
10. 2
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12. Develop a content marketing strategy and critically evaluate the role of CM in the digital marketing mix
14. 8,11,9,10
15. 3
16. 1DDFDF1B-8172-0001-4FB7-48C0F84D6880
17. Critically evaluate current social media and identify emerging options in the social space
19. 11,9,10
20. 4
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22. Create a social media plan identifying appropriate platforms for the target audience
24. 8,11,9,10
25. 5
26. 1E37D7E8-D531-0001-399F-10201C401622
27. Evaluate current and emerging issues in eWoM strategies (including the role of Influencers)
29. 11,10
30. 6
31. 1DDFDF1B-87A3-0001-AF1A-10F365601231
32. Evaluate the political and ethical issues surrounding digital media
34. 11,9,10
35. 7

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	24	Contact Hours
Independent Study	25	Class preparation
Professional Practice	15	Preparation for and taking 2 professional certifications
Class Presentation	14	Presentation on influencer marketing plan.
Group work	14	Social Media Marketing Plan
Assignment Completion	33	Development of a detailed digital marketing plan for a SME firm.
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20672	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Ahmed Al Asheq	Module Teacher	John Connolly, Marija Grishin, Naoimh O'Reilly

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Professional Practice	External Certification: Students should complete two external digital marketing certificates (offered by either Google or HubSpot or or Semrush or LinkedIn Learning or any recognized academy/platform)	20%	Week 6
Group project	Students will be assigned groups Each group will design a social media marketing plan for a start-up.	10%	n/a
Group presentation	Each group will prepare a presentation to pitch the influencer marketing plan.	20%	n/a
Assignment	Detailed Digital Marketing Plan: Each student will be required to develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan for their chosen business firm.	50%	Week 12

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Digital Marketing Fundamentals
Introduction: Introduction to MAD1007, expectations and deliverables; introduction to the overall landscape of Digital Marketing.

Digital Marketing Plans
The SOSTAC model, developing your digital marketing plan

Social Media Marketing
Using Social Media; Key trends in Social Media; The four zones of Social Media; The Big Players: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok. Developing a social media marketing plan.

Influencer Marketing
Social media marketing and their categorization, prominent theories around influencer marketing and introduction to AI-driven (Virtual) influencer marketing.

Content & Email Marketing
Developing a content strategy; distributing content, and the 5 T's of email marketing

Search Engine Management
Search Engine Optimisation; Search Engine Advertising; Introduction to Google Ads

Performance Evaluation
Goolge Analytics and Meta Business Suite

Ethical Issues
GDPR & EU AI Act

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Dave Chaffey,Fiona Ellis-Chadwick,Majd Abed-Rabbo: 2025, Digital Marketing, 9th, Pearson, UK., 978-1-292-73808-6
Tracy L. Tuten: 2023, Social Media Marketing, 5th, Sage Publications Limited, UK., 978-1-5296-2382-6
Simon Kingsnorth: 2025, Digital Marketing Strategy, 4th, Kogan Page Publishers, UK., 9781398622050
Alan Charlesworth: 2022, Digital Marketing, 4th, Taylor & Francis, 9781000770568

Articles:

Any: 0, Any, Journal of Advertising Research, 524860
0: Any, 524861, 1
Any: Harvard Business Review,

Other Resources

1: Database, WARC For practice cases and articles,