MC6084 - Driving Innovation in Marketing 

A growing body of academic and practitioner literature surrounds innovation and its management. It highlights the complexities and challenges in current marketing/competitive strategies and provides a valuable body of knowledge to inform future marketing managers

The module aims to:
• Critically evaluate the role of innovation in new product development process for managing and developing an organisation’s product portfolio to deliver ‘best value’ for customers in support of organisational objectives.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of the role of creativity and design in marketing and how it enhances business problem-solving and decision making.
• Explore the process for managing an organisations portfolio of products
• Recognise the key principles  and purposes involved in developing organisational  distribution strategies
• Assess the nature and scope of intermediaries in the distribution channel(s)

On completion of this module students should develop the following skills.
Oral presentation, researching and analysing data, problem solving,  team skill, creative skill; develop the skills to synthesise and evaluate a large body of concepts, ideas and theories related to innovation and marketing, individual research skills and referencing skills.

• Definitions and understanding of different dimensions of innovation
• Key features of an innovative organisation
• The creative climate of an organisation
The role of external networks in facilitating innovation LO1

• The role of the marketing function in supporting innovative practices
• How innovation networks can be applied to an organisation
• Create innovative marketing programmes LO2

• The concept and drivers of change across different organisational contexts
• Market-led change programmes 
• Strategies to engage stakeholders for organisational change LO3

The learning and teaching methods include:

Seminar work, practical case studies, guided learning, independent learning and guest speakers. Students will receive formative feedback, including through group presentations and discussions in seminars.

The module utilises WebLearn facilities to deliver module handbook, case studies, journal articles, study guides, coursework briefs, guidelines and feedback, as well as links to external web links.   Other more specialised approaches such as ‘flipped teaching’ and role playing are also employed to deliver the module.
Reflective learning is incorporated into the module and students are advised to keep a journal of experiences and personal development to analyse and reflect on the effectiveness of their learning.

List and number the learning outcomes.
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the factors and theories that facilitate and nurture innovation in organisations
• Apply the principles of innovation throughout the marketing function
• Develop appropriate plans for implementing effective marketing-led and innovation focused organisational change

The module assessment is designed to test the achievement of the module’s learning outcomes and requires students to analyse, evaluate, think critically, make recommendations and apply their specialist knowledge gained during the module. Accordingly, the module is assessed by two components of summative assessments:  group presentation & supporting evidence (30%) and Individual marketing report (70%).

Students will be required to engage with both the academic literature and practical industry insight, which provides an opportunity to assess learning outcomes numbered 1-3 above.

Arrangements for formative and summative feedback
The arrangement for formative and summative feedback is based on the university assessment framework and the QAA guidelines. You will be provided with both oral and written feedback of your assignment within 10 working days of submission. You are strongly encouraged to show your draft work to your tutor for comments. You will be provided with a detailed feedback both in-class and via Turnitin.