Assessment Brief 2 Digital Marketing LSBM200 Index 1. Module Details 2 2. Assessment Structure 2 3. Learning Outcomes for the item of assessment 2 4. Assessment Grading 3 4.1 Assessment 1 Details 3 4.2 4.3 3 6 5. 6. Task Submission requirements Extensions and Mitigating Circumstances 7 5.1 5.2 7 7 Extensions Mitigating circumstances Word Limits Appendix 1: Grade Criteria Appendix 2: Declaration of Authorship Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 8 9 10 Page 1 1. Module Details Module Name: Module Code: Level Credit Value Module Leader: Delivery 2. Digital Marketing LSBM200 5 30 Nisreen Ameen 2018-2019 Assessment Structure Item of Assessment Simulation and Report using SimBound software Assessment Code BABM/LSBM200/1819 Weighting This assignment is worth 80% of the module grade Presentation Time The time limit for this assessment is 10 mins Word Limit The word limit for this assessment is 3,000 words Presentation 1 Period w/c 3 December 2018 Presentation 2 Period w/c 16 December 2018 Submission Deadline Monday/7 January 2019/3 pm Feedback and Provisional Grade1 due Feedback and provisional grades will normally be due 20 working days after the submission deadline Presentation Resit Period 6-10 May 2019 Resubmission Date Friday/10 May 2019/3 pm 3. Learning Outcomes for the item of assessment This item of assessment covers the following learning outcomes. For the full list of learning outcomes for the module, please refer to the Module Study Guide. 1 • Understand the digital landscape and explain how it differs from traditional marketing management. • Understand and explain the technology, tools and techniques utilised in the changing digital marketing environment including the drivers of consumers’ online behaviour. The grade is provisional until confirmed by the relevant assessment board(s). Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 2 4. • Subject-specific Skills • Identify and evaluate the evolving role of digital marketing within an organisation. • Explain the technology and management of data and analytics that drive digital marketing and underpin its success. • Plan, implement and control a digital marketing campaign making use of frameworks, tools and techniques current in the industry, with the aid of simulation software, and evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign. • Explain the facets of the digital consumer and the research tools that enable such an explanation. • Identify and evaluate the legal and ethical issues surrounding the capture, storage and use of customer data in a digital marketing context. • Work collaboratively to develop and implement a problem solving project. • Communicate (orally & in writing) concepts based on quantitative data. Assessment Grading Your work will be marked in grades rather than percentages. This is considered to deliver the most accurate and fair outcomes for students. Each assignment that you undertake will be assessed using the common grading system. Information about the grading system can be found in your Course Handbook. The Grade Criteria can be found in Appendix 1. Assessment 2 Details Task According to eMarketer (2017), “UK consumers are becoming ever-more comfortable using their mobile devices…for retail purchases.” So, with retail m-commerce in the UK forecast to be worth £58.50 billion by 2021 (Ibid.), the UK tablet market is likely to be buoyant for the foreseeable future. As an entrepreneur with a small electronics retail outlet in Tottenham Court Rd, London, I have benefited from this growing tablet market. However, with the astronomical commercial property rental costs, I cannot afford to expand my bricks and mortar business. I have hired your digital marketing agency to design and implement a digital marketing campaign lasting six weeks and with a budget of around £15,000. Your task is to use that budget to make as much profit online as possible using a range of digital marketing tools: search engine advertising, email marketing, and landing page development and optimisation. Sections 4.2.1 -4.2.4 below will explain how you can complete this task. eMarketer (2017) UK Consumers Increasingly Comfortable Buying by Smartphone. Available at: https://www.emarketer.com/Article/UK-Consumers-Increasingly-Comfortable-Buying-bySmartphone/1016015 [Accessed 20 July 2018] Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 3 4.2.1 The Simbound simulation Simbound is a digital marketing simulation in which your team competes with your peers in a digital marketing competition to gain the highest scores in a range of metrics, including return on advertising spend (ROAS), impressions, click-through rate (CTR), conversion and profit. You will gain practical experience of a range of digital marketing tools, as well as managing a campaign budget of £15,000. Some of the real world digital marketing challenges you’ll face are: 1. Optimal product mix: Your first choice will be what products to sell online. Do you sell all products available, sell only the top brands, or focus on the market followers? The answer will involve trial and error, analysis and judgment. 2. Landing page optimisation: You will learn how to quickly create keyword-targeted landing pages to drive web traffic. Each landing page will be scored based on the relevance of your keywords, your text and calls-to-action. You will be able to test the effectiveness of your landing page(s) throughout the game and implement different tactics to achieve optimal performance. 3. Keyword research: Learn how to find the best keywords that will drive the most traffic to your website while also keeping cost per click down to maximise your profit. The keyword research dashboard will have similarities to the Google Keyword Planner, thus providing another unique real world experience through the simulation. 4. Key performance indicators: Simbound provides a range of metrics that can help improve your digital marketing effort. But you’ll have learnt what these key performance indicators mean and how to use them to improve your campaign. 5. Competitor research: Learn how to perform competitor research on your peers to try and outrank their ads. 6. Email marketing: You get real-world experience in writing email copy that drives conversions, while also learning proper call-to-action key phrases that attract more email signups. Experiment through the simulation using A/B tests. 4.2.2 Group composition You will be working in groups of four (4) and you can choose your own team members. You will also need to name your agency – this will be the first test of your creativity! 4.2.3 How the Simbound game works Week 6 Before we start the simulation, I will be teaching you the fundamentals of digital marketing in the lecture. Subsequent classes will address Search Engine Marketing (SEM) (including organic and paid for search) and search engine optimisation (SEO), email marketing (including A/B testing) and landing page optimisation. In the workshop in week 6 we will enrol and get an overview of the game. Week 7 We get started! We will play 6 rounds overall. In the workshop we will set up and implement our Round 1 strategy. Round 1 will end the day before your next workshop (allowing you time to work on your strategy outside class) and the system-generated results will be available for you to review in the workshop in week 8. Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 4 Week 8 In the workshop, you will review the analytics from your round 1 campaign decisions and work on the strategy and decisions you must take in Round 2. Round 2 will end the day before your next workshop (allowing you time to work on your strategy outside class) and the system-generated results will be available for you to review in the workshop in week 9. Week 9 In the workshop, you will review the analytics from Rounds 1 and 2 and work on the strategy and decisions you must take in Round 3. Round 3 will end the day before your next workshop (allowing you time to work on your strategy outside class) and the system-generated results will be available for you to review in the workshop in week 10. Week 10 For week 10’s workshop, you should prepare a 10-minute Progress Report Presentation on your results from Rounds 1-3. The presentation should discuss what has worked so far and your plans for the remaining rounds. The presentation is worth 15% of your module grade: 5% for the quality of the slides and insight; 5% for group dynamics and 5% for individual contribution. All the group members must attend and take part in the presentation. In the remainder of the workshop you will work on your Round 4 strategies. Round 4 will end on the day before your next workshop (allowing you time to work on your strategy outside class) and the systemgenerated results will be available for you to review in the workshop in week 11. Week 11 In the workshop you will review the analytics from your Round 1-4 campaign decisions, and work on the strategy and decisions you must take in Round 5. Round 5 will end at 6pm and the results will be available by 8pm. The final round (Round 6) will end on Monday of week 12 at 5pm. Week 12 For week 12’s workshop you should prepare a 10-minute Progress Report Presentation on your results from Rounds 1-6, what has worked so far and what you would change if you had more rounds (15% of your module: 5% for the quality of the slides and reflection; 5% for group dynamics and 5% for individual contribution. All the group members must attend and take part in the presentation). Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 5 4.2.4 Your module grade is then calculated as follows: • 20% of the assessment grade is based on your success in the Simbound game. Your group’s success in the game will be assessed by system-generated metrics including return on advertising spend (ROAS), cost per acquisition (CPA), Profit and effective use of available budget. • 30% of the assessment grade is based on your two progress reports delivered in weeks 10 and 12. • 50% of the assessment grade is a 3,000-word report on a digital marketing element covered in the game (specific topics listed below): o o Choose one of the topics below: ▪ Search engine marketing ▪ The use of analytics in digital marketing ▪ Email marketing, including A/B marketing ▪ Other relevant topics can be studied in agreement with your tutor Structure of the report: ▪ Introduction to the topic ▪ Survey of current practice using industry examples and your own experience of the Simbound game to illustrate your answer. ▪ Conclusion and set of recommendations for effective implementation of the digital marketing element you chose. Submission requirements 4.3.1 Presentations Presentations (one from each group’s team leader) should be uploaded to Tii by 5pm the day prior to the seminar/workshop in weeks 10 and 12. Presentations will be delivered in the workshop of weeks 10 and 12. 4.3.2 Report You are required to submit this assignment by Monday/7 January 2019/3 pm. You must submit your assignment by using the Turnitin gateway in the module’s Canvas site. Please Note: The act of submitting your work electronically will be taken as an acceptance of the Declaration of Authorship (see Appendix 2). Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 6 5. Extensions and Mitigating Circumstances Applications for extensions and mitigating circumstances, with supporting evidence (such as medical certificates), should be made through the Student Self-service Portal (SSP). Extensions If a student experiences unforeseen circumstances that may prevent the student submitting an assignment at the first opportunity, it is possible to request an extension of up to two weeks. The length of extension requested will be evaluated by the Academic Administrator. The granting of an extension will depend upon the nature of the difficulty the student is experiencing, whether the difficulty could and should have been anticipated, and the extent to which the circumstances were outside of the student’s control. For example, health difficulties would usually provide legitimate grounds for an extension; last minute computer issues or clashing deadlines would not. If an extension of up to two weeks is not sufficient the student should make a claim for mitigating circumstances. NB: No extensions can be granted for TCAs and examinations. Mitigating circumstances If a student is unable to sit an exam or submit an assignment, the student may be able to claim mitigating circumstances, which, if accepted, would allow the student to complete the assessment for the first time at a later date, and receive an uncapped mark for it. The exam would be taken at the next sitting or the assignment would be submitted at the next submission opportunity, following the acceptance of the student’s mitigating circumstances. A claim for mitigating circumstances must be submitted before the original date for submitting the assignment or sitting the exam. Mitigating circumstances are defined as a serious or acute problem, or an event beyond a student’s control or ability to foresee, which has prevented completion of assignment/s or attendance at examination/s. If a student is experiencing unforeseen or unexpected events – such as serious illness or severe disruption to their personal life – that may affect the student’s ability to take assignment/s or sit examination/s, the student should meet with their Module Leader, Course Leader or a Student Success Advisor to discuss the available options. The University of Northampton’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy and Procedure document can be accessed through our Quality and Enhancement Manual: www.lsbm.ac.uk/sr-university-partners Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 7 6. Word Limits All written assignments include clear guidance on the maximum amount that should be written in order to address the requirements of the assessment task (a ‘word limit’). If the submission exceeds the word limit by more than 10%, the submission will only be marked up to and including the additional 10%. Anything over this will not be included in the final grade for the item of assessment. Abstracts, reference lists, and footnotes are excluded from any word limit requirements. Where a submission is notably under the word limit, the full submission will be marked on the extent to which the requirements of the assessment task have been met. Generally speaking, submissions under the word limit fall short of the requirements of the assessment task. Assessment Brief: LSBM200 - 18/19 Page 8 Appendix 1: Grade Criteria An outstanding Distinction A very strong Distinction A+ Work which fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but at an exceptional standard A A clear Distinction A- A Distinction B+ A very strong Merit B A strong Merit B- Work of distinguished quality which demonstrates strong, convincing and consistent evidence appropriate to the task or activity. Rigorous and authoritative command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work of very good quality which displays most, but not all, of the criteria for the grade above in relation to the learning outcomes. Work of highly commendable quality which clearly fulfils the criteria for the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relation to the relevant learning outcomes. Work of commendable quality which demonstrates good, robust and convincing evidence appropriate to the task or activity. Strong command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work of good quality which contains most, but not all, of the characteristics of the grade above in relation to the learning outcomes. A clear Merit C+ Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills. A Merit C A very strong Pass OR Bare/Basic Merit C- A strong Pass D+ A Pass D A bare Pass D- A marginal Fail F+ Work which indicates some evidence of engagement with the learning outcomes but which contains some significant omissions or misunderstanding, or otherwise just fails to meet threshold standards. A Fail F Evidence included or provided, but missing in some very important aspects. A comprehensive Fail F- Academic Misconduct AG Late submission LG Work submitted but given an LG grade due to late submission. Work of nil value NG Work submitted, but work comprises no value. Non-submission/Nil attempt G Work of sound quality which demonstrates evidence which is sufficient and appropriate to the task or activity. Sound command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work of capable quality which contains some of the characteristics of the grade above in relation to the relevant learning outcomes. Work of satisfactory quality which demonstrates evidence of reliably achieving the requirements of the learning outcomes, but to a limited degree. Acceptable command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work of broadly satisfactory quality which demonstrates evidence of achieving the requirements of the learning outcomes, but to a limited degree. Broadly acceptable command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work of bare pass standard which demonstrates evidence of achieving the requirements of the learning outcomes, but only to a limited degree. Broadly acceptable command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Poor command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Negligible or inappropriate evidence. Unsatisfactory command of academic / professional conventions appropriate to the discipline. Work submitted, but academic misconduct proven and penalty given was to award AG grade. Nothing presented. Appendix 2: Declaration of Authorship By submitting this work electronically to LSBM and the University of Northampton, I/we confirm that I/we have read and understood the Declaration and Definitions below: Declaration of Authorship: 1. I/we hold a copy of this assignment which can be produced if the original is lost/damaged. 2. This assignment is my/our original work and no part of it has been copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made. 3. No part of this assignment has been written for me/us by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorised and as detailed in the Assessment Brief. 4. I/we have not previously submitted this work for any other course/module. Definitions I/we understand that: 5. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is one’s own. It is a form of cheating and is a serious academic offence which may lead to expulsion. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form, including electronic data, and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited. 6. Collusion is working with someone else on an assessment task which is intended to be wholly your own work. 7. Contract cheating/Commissioning is where you contract out academic assessment to writers and purchase back the finished work and submit it as your own. 8. Duplication/Replication is submitting the same material more than once for the purposes of obtaining academic credit. 9. Fabrication refers specifically to the falsification of data, information or citations in an academic exercise, typically an assignment. This includes false excuses for missing deadlines and false claims to have submitted work. It may be specifically referred to as falsification. 10. Your completed assignment is submitted and checked for plagiarism through the use of plagiarism detection software called Turnitin. The Course Leader’s decision based on the plagiarism report is final; no appeal may be made by a student once such a decision is made. Please note: Submitting work which is not your own [and cheating in exams] can be considered as fraud2 and handled in accordance with the Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy. Penalties can include: Reduction in grade for assignment. Grade for module reduced to AG [fail for academic misconduct] and right to repeat module withdrawn. Termination from studies. Further information on plagiarism can be found in your Course Handbooks Section 13.10. 2 If a student is suspected of commissioning (e.g. paying someone to write an assignment for them), this could be classed as fraud under student disciplinary procedures, separate to academic misconduct procedures. If proven, the consequences would be severe, including removal from their course of study.