IMC 616
Workload: (8-10 hours per week)
Acquire the tools to give prospects quick and easy ways join a profitable conversation with you, the marketer. You’ll explore direct and digital marketing from an IMC perspective including database marketing, direct and digital message strategies across multiple media, direct and digital marketing metrics, and the role of direct and digital marketing in IMC campaigns. You’ll learn how to turn suspects into prospects…prospects into customers…and customers into advocates.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of IMC 616, students will be able to:
- Discuss the historical roots of direct and digital marketing and understand the reasons for the continued growth of the field.
- Explain the importance of testing and show how the results of direct/digital marketing campaigns can be measured and applied.
- Construct quality decisions based upon return on investment (ROI) using proper analytical metrics.
- Define and segment target markets based on marketing communications objectives.
- Demonstrate the importance of databases in direct and digital marketing and their use in CRM.
- Describe the various applications of digital media in direct marketing.
- Understand the role of creative strategy in direct and digital marketing and create the promotional tactics commonly used in the field.
- Plan, strategize, design, and defend a direct marketing program including allocating a budget.
Course Topics
- Introduction to Direct/Digital Marketing
- Research, Analysis, Testing and Budgeting
- Consumer Analysis, Lists and Offer Strategies
- Direct/Digital Marketing Databases/CRM
- Message Strategies and Creative Applications
- Media Strategies and Budget Allocation
- Putting it all Together: The Direct and Digital Marketing Plan
Top 3 Course Takeaways
- How to use direct and digital marketing to gain leads and sales and optimize long-term customer value.
- How to segment markets and target specific groups and individuals.
- How to integrate course learning in a professional-level marketing plan.
Student reactions to IMC 616
"I chose IMC 616 Direct Marketing as one of my specialty courses because I had absolutely no experience with the subject; I didn’t even know what direct marketing was! It turned out to be the most enriching class I’ve taken. Planning an entire direct/interactive campaign, developing an idea for a catalog, proposing a relational database with CRM software, designing measurable tests, and creating direct marketing tactics has given me experience I’ll absolutely use in my future work. With the guidance of Professor Jones, who was extremely involved and gave valuable critiques (and praise!) on my discussions posts, writing assignments, and final project, I now have an in-depth understanding of direct marketing and feel confident I’ll use everything I learned in the future.”
“My experience with our professor and the overall coursework was excellent. At times, the assignments and materials were challenging, but this encouraged me to dig deeper into the topics and learn more. Professor Jones was very involved in the course and passionate about the subject matter. She engaged regularly on the discussion board and was quick to respond if we had any questions or concerns about the assignments and overall course materials. In addition, each student was treated with respect in a professional manner.”
“This course stresses quantitative testing in digital/direct marketing, a powerful tool that will guide me in developing future campaigns. It upholds the IMC program’s learn it today, use it tomorrow tradition. The professor is a direct and interactive marketing Subject Matter Expert who is both a distinguished educator and practitioner. She was fully-engaged throughout the eight-week course. She promptly responded to emails and provided feedback on assignments that improved the learning process. She is one of the most professional I’ve encountered in my 25-year career.”