COURSE OVERVIEW

For brands to find, and reach, their audiences, they have to discover their place in the digital landscape. But not just anyone can conquer social media algorithms or create engaging, must-click content. Rapidly evolving technology has led to marketing becoming more immersive, interactive and inescapable, with the rules and opportunities changing as fast as the platforms. 

Digital marketing jobs were some of the fastest growing in the UK last year, according to data from LinkedIn, which shows a 52% rise in demand for such roles."
Marketing Week 2021

From entertainment, to education, to socialising with friends, we are increasingly living our lives online. With so much of our time spent on digital platforms like social media and streaming sites, the most successful brands know that’s where they need to be. For small start-ups, digital marketing provides an opportunity to be seen and heard which, in the past, would only have been available to established companies. For big brands, it’s about keeping up and standing out in a crowded market. An in-depth understanding of digital marketing can unlock exciting opportunities for you with all different kinds of brands, products and services - and our BA (Hons) Digital Marketing degree will give you exactly that.

Over three years of this digital marketing degree, you’ll gain a richly detailed understanding of digital marketing fundamentals and specialisms, exploring topics ranging from advertising and digital storytelling to data analytics and customer behaviour. We’ve balanced theoretical modules with practical experience, challenging you to put everything you learn into practice by creating content and mapping out digital strategies, culminating in an in-depth final project.

You’ll spend as much time at workshops and events with digital marketing professionals as you will at lectures and seminars, giving you an opportunity to learn from the specialists and see how everything is applied to the creative industry. Whatever your goals, by the end of the course you’ll be a master of online content - someone who knows how to reach and influence people through multiple digital platforms.

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Accredited Degree

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The CIM is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners. ICMP has joined forces with CIM to give you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM Accredited Degree partnership. CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, and the organisation's content is reflected in our own degrees. This ensures we'll equip you with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

 

Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) Accredited Degree

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The DMI is the proven global standard for digital marketing certification. Operating in 135+ countries, the organisation has over 200,000 members and more than 25,000 certified professionals. ICMP's partnership with the DMI gives you access to its considerable digital marketing expertise, gained through years of work with global marketing teams, blue-chip companies and the world's leading education brands.

 

This course is sponsored by our industry partners:

Bureau

Our supporting industry partners are:

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Alongside generously sponsoring courses, rooms and providing equipment, our industry partners offer ICMP students access to exclusive discounts, events and opportunities.

Why study at ICMP?

At ICMP, we know that succeeding in the creative industry is about more than talent; you need to understand everything from marketing and business management to how you can innovate, grow and disrupt in a crowded market. As leading creative educators, we’ve spent more than 30 years nurturing the industry’s rising stars, growing a global network of industry connections, and building state-of-the-art facilities, giving you access to valuable contacts and opportunities you won’t find anywhere else.

And we’ll use those contacts to help you find industry experience, internships and employment - or if you’re setting up a business of your own, you’ll be able to make the most of our specialisms in entrepreneurship, too. Add to that the small class sizes and close-knit campus that give our courses a supportive, family feel and you'll realise there's there’s nowhere better to study your creative undergraduate degree than ICMP.

Industry opportunities

Whatever your course, our enrichment events and industry bootcamps give you opportunities to tailor your learning and enhance your understanding. Our events are designed and updated each year to fit around our core undergraduate programme, so be sure to sign up to specialist workshops, talks and more for networking opportunities with industry professionals. You'll hear from entrepreneurs, UK brands and marketing agencies about influencers, gamification, PR, pay-per-click advertising (PPC), AI, copywriting and more.

Careers support

Our Industry and Careers Team will get you started in the world of work. Whether it's help with writing a cover letter or honing your interview technique, we'll advise you on a range of areas, including different career paths and revenue streams based on your qualifications. Browse job boards, book events and sessions with experts, and access a wealth of resources - all while growing your network. There's even funding available to support protects, pitches, workshops and creative work.

Fees & Funding

Course Fees: UK Students | EU/EEA/International Students

Please visit our Fees pages for information on access to Student Loans.

Full Fees Information | Full Programme Specification

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Successful completion of the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing course leads to the award of Bachelor of Arts degree by The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.

Begin your application here

UCAS CODES

Key facts

  • Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and Digital Marketing Institute (DMI).
  • One of the most current digital marketing courses in the UK.
  • Gain insight from entrepreneurs, UK brands and marketing agencies working at the cutting edge of digital marketing.
  • Become a master of online content - someone who knows how to reach and influence people through multiple digital platforms.
  • Gain a detailed understanding of marketing and its specialisms, including advertising, digital storytelling, data analytics and customer behaviour.
  • Contains both theoretical modules and practical experience, challenging you to put what you learn into practice by creating content with digital strategies in mind.
  • Study digital marketing in London – a key international hub with endless opportunities to develop your marketing skills.
  • Your time will be split between workshops and events with digital marketing professionals, as well as at lectures and seminars.
  • Learn in small groups in our world-class industry-standard facilities, with a high number of class-contact teaching hours.
  • Membership to CIM funded by ICMP for your final year, allowing access to resources and collection of CIM qualification.
  • Apply Now

Professional Qualifications

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This course is accredited by both the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI). Upon completion of your first year, you will receive a 'Certified Digital Marketing Associate' (CDMA) professional qualification from the DMI. Upon graduation, you'll be eligible to receive CIM's Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing qualification, in addition to your BA (Hons) degree. This means you'll graduate with three industry-recognised awards.

COURSE DETAILS

YEAR 1 (LEVEL 4)

YEAR 2 (LEVEL 5)

YEAR 3 (LEVEL 6)

From the very basics of marketing through to content planning and research methodologies, your first year on the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing is a richly detailed introduction to the subject. You’ll learn about the history of advertising, and where it fits in today's industry, how different social media platforms inform a content strategy, and why thorough market research is the key to a successful campaign. You’ll also discover the world of entrepreneurs and get hands-on experience in content creation.

INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MARKETING

This comprehensive introduction to digital marketing covers everything you need to know about the purpose of marketing, best practice techniques for attracting your target audience, managing your reputation, working with influencers, and analysing your online performance through data.

We’ll also touch on wider principles of general marketing, teaching you about its role in building relationships with customers, and explain how to understand — and satisfy — those customers’ needs. You’ll discover the power of customer insights, and learn how market research can help you to plan a more effective and targeted strategy. And towards the end, we’ll show you how to apply all that knowledge to a digital context, using product, service, pricing, distribution, and promotion strategies to attract attention and drive action.

ADVERTISING: A DYNAMIC INDUSTRY

Advertising has been around for centuries, but it was in the mid-20th century, with the advent of television, when it truly boomed. Since then, it’s continued to evolve, adapting to every leap in technology and shift in public attitudes. In this module, that’s just what we’ll explore: how has advertising changed, and where will it go next?

We’ll start with a brief history of advertising, looking at different cultural, political, sociological, technological, and economic contexts. You’ll then explore the different ways advertisers have communicated their messages since the 50s, evolving from traditional media like print and television through to the more interactive and ever-present formats of the modern day.

We’ll consider how culture and public opinion influences advertising creative, and vice versa. Finally, you’ll look to the future: in the context of current affairs, public attitudes, and technology, what do you think might happen next?

CONTENT CREATION & SOCIAL MEDIA

Your online presence, and the content you create, are intertwined; in the digital world, making and posting content shows you’re active and helps you to connect with your audience.

In ‘Content Creation & Social Media’, we’ll teach you how to create assets and content that fit your goals and suit your audiences. You’ll consider why a compelling online presence is now such an important part of any business’s marketing plan and explore the various social and digital platforms, considering how content should be tailored to fit. You’ll also learn about the technical side of social — management tools, analytics, social listening, outreach, and more — and learn how SEO (search engine optimisation) and digital and social advertising can help your content to reach a bigger, and more specific, audience.

Finally, you’ll touch on social media governance and reputation management, and look at creative ways to stand out and get noticed online. In the end, you’ll have the tools and understanding you need to attract the attention of your audience and tell them what to do next. And to expand your practical content marketing skills in your second year, there’s the ‘Digital Storytelling’ module, too.

EXPLORING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Social media, blockchain, 3D printing: behind every brilliant invention and unique idea, there’s an entrepreneur — someone who stepped off the beaten path and created something of their own. It’s not just technology billionaires or maverick inventors; every self-employed person is an entrepreneur, too.

Here, we’ll explore what it means to be an entrepreneur, considering how new ideas are formed; the process of turning those ideas into reality; and what makes some people better entrepreneurs than others. We’ll look at where entrepreneurs fit into commercial, non-commercial, start-up and established organisations, and teach you about the challenges of entrepreneurship at individual, organisational, and societal levels.

We can all learn from the creativity, determination, conduct, and commercial acumen of people who run their own businesses. When you finish the module, you’ll have a better idea of entrepreneurship, from taking risks to managing money, problem-solving and creative thinking.

MARKET RESEARCH

The best digital marketing plans are rooted in thorough and thoughtful research. With the right insights you’ll know where to find your audience, and what to say to them; which customers are worth pursuing; and what they think about your brand, product, or service. Without them? Your content might not get results.

That’s why market research is so important. In this module, we’ll teach you about the steps of market research, including problem formulation, research design, data collection instruments, data analysis methods, and how to present your findings. You’ll learn how to design quantitative and qualitative research, and explore different data collection and analysis techniques. And most importantly, we’ll look at how to use all the insights you collect as the foundation for your marketing plan, turning all the data into information that informs your strategy.

CREATIVE CONTENT MARKETING

Building on your previous modules on content creation and digital marketing, this module will show you how to put creative content to work as part of a campaign. It explores where content fits into your digital marketing strategy; how to develop effective content for social media and other digital platforms; and what makes a successful content plan.

Over the course of the module, you’ll develop valuable skills in producing and managing digital content, building brands, and running digital marketing campaigns. We’ll teach you how to devise a strategy and what factors you should consider, from business goals and budget to how best to reach your target audience.

At the end, you’ll create a social media content plan for a high-quality digital marketing campaign, putting everything you’ve learned into practice. In your second year you’ll move onto the ‘Digital Storytelling’ module to begin creating content of your own.

Now you have a broad understanding of the core principles of digital marketing, your second year delves into the details. You’ll take your first look at the legal side of content creation, and you’ll conceptualise, script, and film your own video as you learn how to turn marketing insights into engaging stories. With deep dives into organisational behaviour, marketing communications, campaign planning, and data analytics, you’ll finish second year primed and ready to tackle your final project.

UNDERSTANDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

A creator’s intellectual property (IP) is their unique work and style. It’s what sets them apart from others in their industry and allows them to make a living. So when that IP is stolen or copied — whether that’s a photograph, an illustration, or an innovation — it can both damage their reputation and lose them business.

That’s why, in this module, we’ll show you how to understand and protect your own rights as a creator, or your clients’ rights and avoid copyright infringement. It’s an introduction to the three main areas of intellectual property law: copyright, patents, and trademarks. You’ll learn how to manage your rights and protect your work — and we’ll show you what to do if it’s stolen or copied.

You’ll explore real life case law examples from the industry, looking at how creators use and defend their copyrights. And we’ll also explain the importance of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Advertising Codes, which protect the rights of individuals and organisations in advertising.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Attracting the attention of your audience is only the first step. Once your customer is looking in your direction, you need to ensure you send the right message, in the right way — and that means carefully planned marketing communications.

A brand’s marketing communications can include advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, guerrilla promotion and more, all of which can take place online. In this module we’ll explore all those aspects of digital marketing communications and discuss how, and when, to use them. 

We’ll also look at how best to achieve different marketing objectives through those communications, whether the goal is to convert to a sale, change perception, increase brand recognition, or develop customer relationships. On completion of this module, you’ll understand the broad range of comms that go into a brand’s marketing plan and how they work together. Next, the ‘Digital Marketing Strategy & Campaign Planning’ module will take a focused look at where marketing comms fit into a digital strategy.

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

What’s it like to work in an organisation? And how can you use your understanding of people and environment to work better with others — or even manage a team? In this module, part of our theoretical pathway, we’ll look at how organisations and the people within them behave, exploring the major psychological processes of personality, perception, motivation, and satisfaction.

We’ll look too at communication, teamworking, leadership and negotiation, which are the four factors that underpin and influence working relationships. It’ll give you a clear understanding of how organisations work; what affects their behaviour, decisions, and culture; and how you can use that information to work better.

DATA ANALYTICS & DECISION MAKING

With good data, you’ll make better marketing decisions. Building on your introduction to market research and data analysis techniques in your first year, this module looks at how to collect, process, and analyse consumer and market data, and explores how that data can then drive your strategy.

Overall, it’s a much more detailed look at the world of data analytics, particularly focusing on social media analytics. You’ll learn about the technical language, concepts, and models, and explore how industry standard analytics tools can help you measure the success of your digital marketing. You’ll examine real-life scenarios and problem-based case studies, looking at how data could be used to find a solution. In the end, you’ll have a thorough understanding of how to turn data into meaningful insights, and turn those insights into actions.

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY & CAMPAIGN PLANNING

This module is a culmination of all the tools and principles you’ve learnt from our other modules, and allows you to see the bigger picture - your digital marketing strategy. Within this, we’ll show how to bring together every single communication, message and piece of content to achieve your objectives.

We’ll first teach you about how to build a successful strategy, touching on value proposition development, customer acquisition and conversion. We’ll then share how to engage your audience, looking at segmentation, targeting and brand positioning, and how to use this information to plan an effective campaign.

Finally, we’ll explore converting your audience, and how to build a competitive advantage. For more on the strategic side of digital marketing, you will study ‘Brand Development and Management’ in your final year. You’ll take a more comprehensive view of the different types of marketing comms, and how they might feed into a digital strategy, in our ‘Marketing Communications’ module.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING

In this project-based module, you’ll get hands-on experience of creating your own content, learning both the theoretical and practical sides of digital storytelling. Beginning with an introduction to the effect of various digital media and technologies, we’ll look at how they impact consumers, creators, distributors, publishers, brands, and platforms.

You’ll explore how people communicate and engage with storytelling in the digital domain, and learn about digital strategies and social networking. Then, on the practical side, we’ll teach you about video editing and how to construct a compelling narrative, giving you the opportunity to experiment with digital content.

In the final project you’ll put all you’ve learned into practice, producing an engaging video blog that shows you can turn information into an engaging narrative that connects emotionally with others. Then, in your final year you’ll explore how storytelling is applied in the world of advertising in the module ‘Digital Advertising’.

You’ll complete your degree by examining how digital marketing fits in with an organisation’s strategy; learning how your consumers’ behaviour can influence brands and campaigns; and exploring what’s involved in building and managing a brand. Last of all, you’ll bring together everything you’ve learned into a final project — a chance to solve real life marketing problems with strategic thinking and creative flair. Once finished, you’ll have all the foundational skills and experience you need to take your first step in a marketing career.

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Whether it’s a social media advertising campaign or digital PR, every part of your marketing activity should align with the business strategy of your organisation — and that’s exactly what we’ll explore in this module.

A business strategy is, in essence, a company’s overarching roadmap: the objectives, plans, actions, and decisions that help it to compete and succeed. We’ll teach you about the four, interconnected dimensions of business strategy: content, context, process, and purpose.

You’ll learn how to develop a business strategy; why it’s different from other functional strategies like marketing, HR, and finance; how it can be influenced by a company’s market, industry, and country; and how organisational and environmental issues can feed into strategic decisions. At the end of the module, you’ll know how and why a company needs a business strategy, and understand why it’s valuable in the context of digital marketing.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

When crafting a digital marketing strategy or planning online content, you need to understand the consumer: how they think, what motivates them, what they buy, and more. That means getting to know your target audience — because it’s only by knowing the consumer that you can decide how to reach them.

While you will have touched on target audiences in other modules, in this module we’ll dive much deeper, teaching you about consumer demographics, consumer psychographics, perception, consumer learning, and consumer culture. You’ll then learn how to use this understanding to inform digital marketing and brand positioning, ensuring you present an organisation, product, or your personal brand in a way that connects with the right people.

BRAND DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT

A brand is much, much more than a logo. It’s the public manifestation of an organisation, product, service, or individual, and comprises everything from name, language, and visual identity to behaviour and values. And however a brand looks and whatever it represents, it must work within industry regulations and stay true to the company’s strategy.

In this module, we’ll show you what’s involved in building and managing a brand in the creative industry. You’ll learn about the different models of brand building and what makes up a brand’s architecture, including the name, visual identity, messaging, positioning, values, and more. We’ll also examine celebrity brands; look at how brands are launched and change over time; learn how to create native ads and content for a closed network; consider the role and impact of regulatory bodies; and explore international brand strategies. Finally, we’ll discuss the importance of personal branding — what’s your brand, and how is it perceived by others?

DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Advertising is a fast-moving, creative, and multi-faceted discipline — and with the wealth of formats and platforms online, it’s even more so in the world of digital marketing. Here, we’ll look at both the academic and practical sides of advertising, from understanding regulatory bodies to putting together a creative pitch.

Focusing specifically on online advertising, you’ll study theoretical topics like social and ethical issues; advertising around the world; and how advertising is regulated. And on the practical side, we’ll show you how to conceptualise, implement, and manage integrated advertising projects from a client perspective. That includes pitching ideas and strategies, following briefs, the importance of brand guidelines, and how to plan advertising campaigns.

FINAL PROJECT

After three years studying digital marketing, your final project brings together everything you’ve learned. It’s an opportunity to research and solve real life marketing problems from start to finish, including research design, data analysis, and full-scale implementation of a strategy.

You’ll draw from each of your digital marketing modules to design quantitative and qualitative research, including sampling techniques, surveys, interviews, and focus groups, then outline the steps necessary to succeed in a new market with a go-to-market strategy (or GTM).  Altogether, it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in the interconnected disciplines of digital marketing, and prepare for a career in the creative industries. 

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

You’ll be taught at our campus in Kilburn, using live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities as well as classrooms and lecture rooms. While you're a student at ICMP, you'll have access to these facilities outside of class time to study and, if you're also a musician, you're welcome to rehearse and record your music here, too.

You’ll have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding and more. You’ll also have access to our Professional Development team, ‘The Hub’, who provide you with bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities. 

TEACHING AND LEARNING

On the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing programme, you’ll be taught through a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small tutorial groups, workshops, hands-on technology laboratory tutorials, group work and student-led classes/presentations.

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions, you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.

In your first year, you'll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, seminars, and workshops for typically 9-10 hours a week, you’ll also have personalised one-to-one tutorials scheduled throughout the year.

You'll undertake more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3, but can typically expect 9-10 hours of timetabled classes per week in your second year and 6-8 hours of timetabled classes per week in your third year.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants will typically have A Levels, BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma, International Baccalaureate equivalent to 80 UCAS points, or an ICMP Higher Diploma.

In addition, you should hold a GCSE Grade C or 4 or above in English and Maths, or suitable equivalent, such as Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants who may have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate their suitability for study through appropriate skills and experience.

International students will typically hold a relevant equivalent qualification – please check your qualification with our Admissions team. In addition, you should hold a relevant English language qualification equivalent to CEFR Level B2.

All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

UCAS code BADMUni code I25

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply via the "APPLY NOW" link below.

At any time during the application process if you need help or further advice just contact our Admissions team who will be happy to assist you. 



By phone:
020 7328 0222

By email:
enquiries@icmp.ac.uk

or

Tutors

Beatrice FerriDigital Marketing

Beatrice is a marketing and communications expert with 10+ years of working in digital marketing across different countries and cultures. She has a background in arts and media communications, backed up by several marketing roles for international brands (Amazon, Adidas, Nivea) and digital projects in the arts industry, as well as being a certified DMI Digital Marketing Professional. She believes that a peer-to-peer and engaging approach to teaching, combined with empathy and an open heart are key to giving students the tools to thrive as digital marketing professionals and as humans.
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Eric KarsentyDigital Marketing

Eric Karsenty is a music obsessed marketer with 20 years’ music industry experience. He has delivered successful global marketing campaigns and partnerships for multinationals in music such as Warner Music, Ubiquity Records, Apple Music, Yamaha and Sonos. In 2016, Eric founded Bridge The Gap, an artist management and label services company. Bridge The Gap helps independent musicians release their music with a clear understanding of the market and their audiences, giving them the tools to tell their story efficiently to as many people as possible.
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Darja BardoDigital Marketing

Darja Bardo is a performer and PR manager, with a breadth of industry experience. She works at ICMP as a programme tutor. Darja started her career as a performer and PR manager for the International Fund of Culture in Latvia. During this time, she worked with leading Latvian culture, events and media organisations across the country. In 2009, she moved to the UK and quickly found her niche in the Construction industry - founding a support line company in this field. Darja held her role in this company until 2017. Darja also works as a consultant for a variety of influencers and brands.
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Berlin AsongMusic Business

Berlin is a Fellow in Management and Marketing. He teaches on the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing, BA (Hons) Digital Marketing & Music Management, BA (Hons) Music & Entrepreneurship and MA Music Business programmes. Berlin taught, assessed, and led on courses, including Strategic Management, Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Brand Management, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Communications, and Business Management at nurmerous UK Universities.
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Marta CeccatoDigital Marketing

Marta Ceccato is an award-winning digital marketing and marketing technology specialist with 15+ years of experience helping brands like Johnson & Johnson, PayPal, Tesco, Heineken, etc. implement and adopt future-facing digital marketing and data solutions. In 2018, Marta won the TechWomen100 Award for being a role model to other women in tech and excelling in her career. Alongside her role at ICMP, Marta is also a digital marketing consultant and a STEM ambassador. Marta is a qualified coach and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
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