Unit rationale, description and aim

Digital marketing has become a vital pillar of modern commerce, reshaping how brands engage with increasingly digital-first consumers. This unit provides a contemporary, foundational understanding of the internet marketplace, equipping students with dynamic tools to create and execute compelling digital strategies. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical applications, learners will develop the skills to design innovative online campaigns and effective digital marketing strategies.

By engaging with critical platforms such as web analytics, generative AI, search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, and online reputation management, students gain hands-on experience in data-driven decision-making and agile content creation. The unit emphasises both strategic planning and tactical execution, ensuring that digital approaches are creative, effective, ethically sound, and inclusive.

Students will explore the integration of emerging technologies and digital trends, preparing them to anticipate and adapt to rapid industry shifts. Graduates of this unit will be prepared to become proficient digital marketing specialists, ready to drive customer engagement, enhance brand visibility, navigate an evolving digital environment, while taking into account ethical practices, consumer privacy and vulnerable groups.

2026 10

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  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
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  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
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  • ACU Term 2Online Unscheduled
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Critically analyse key concepts and theories that ...

Learning Outcome 01

Critically analyse key concepts and theories that underpin digital marketing practice.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC9, GC11

Evaluate digital marketing strategies based on the...

Learning Outcome 02

Evaluate digital marketing strategies based on their effectiveness in creating a differential competitive advantage.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC4, GC9, GC10, GC12

Apply digital marketing strategies to existing mar...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply digital marketing strategies to existing marketing activities taking local and global perspectives into account
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC4, GC8, GC12

Critically analyse how marketers can minimise adve...

Learning Outcome 04

Critically analyse how marketers can minimise adverse impacts of digital marketing on vulnerable consumer market segments
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC8, GC11

Content

Topics will include:

  • Digital marketing foundations
  • Principles to design a digital space
  • Generative AI in digital marketing
  • Digital marketing metrics
  • PESO framework
  • SEO applications onsite and offsite
  • Digital advertising and promotion tolls and strategies 
  • Social Media and consumer privacy
  • Online reputation management
  • Digital strategy implementation and evaluation

Assessment strategy and rationale

To pass this unit, students must demonstrate mastery of all learning outcomes and achieve an overall mark of at least 50%. Each assessment is marked against rubrics aligned with the learning outcomes.

The assessments progressively develop students’ digital marketing knowledge and skills:

  • Assessment 1: Measures understanding of core digital marketing principles through a digital portfolio of practical and theoretical activities.
  • Assessment 2: Evaluates application of digital marketing assets and the ability to develop practical recommendations.
  • Assessment 3: Requires creation of an industry-ready digital marketing campaign addressing real-world challenges with innovative strategies.


Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Digital Marketing Portfolio I...

Assessment Task 1: Digital Marketing Portfolio

In this assignment, the student will actively engage with a range of digital marketing activities throughout the semester, culminating in the creation of a digital marketing portfolio. This portfolio serves as both a reflective and evidentiary resource that showcases growing expertise in digital marketing.

Throughout the unit, the student will participate in practical exercises that simulate real-world marketing challenges. Students are expected to gather and curate examples of their work, such as social media campaign designs, search engine optimisation reports, content marketing initiatives, and other creative digital assets. These pieces should illustrate student's ability to apply theory to practice in a dynamic digital environment. The portfolio should be presented in a modern, digital format.

Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Digital Portfolio

Artefact: Portfolio evidencing digital marketing learnings

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC9, GC10, GC11

Assessment task 2: Digital Marketing Audit This ...

Assessment task 2: Digital Marketing Audit

This assessment task requires students to complete an 8-minute presentation of a digital marketing audit to simulate a digital marketing agency.

Working as a group, students will undertake a comprehensive PESO audit—evaluating Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media—of a company’s digital assets. The company will be introduced through an industry partner, offering real‐world context to apply cutting-edge digital strategies.

With this task, students will hone problem-solving skills and deepen strategic thinking within a fast-evolving digital landscape. Students are expected to critically analyse the organisation’s current digital presence, identify optimisation opportunities, and develop actionable recommendations to enhance overall performance.

The audit invites students to apply a data-driven approach while remaining attuned to industry trends and contemporary best practices.

Submission Type: Group

Assessment Method: Digital Marketing Audit

Artefact: Digital audit presentation with accompanying slides

Weighting

25%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC4, GC10, GC12

Assessment Task 3: Digital Marketing Plan This a...

Assessment Task 3: Digital Marketing Plan

This assignment requires students to produce a 2000-word digital marketing project plan for a company introduced by an industry partner. Building on the gaps and recommendations identified in Assessment 2, students will use the digital marketing framework and a set budget to develop a comprehensive digital strategy.

The plan should propose innovative digital marketing tactics that leverage current trends and tools. Additionally, students are required to create mock content, such as sample posts, campaign visuals, or interactive media that demonstrates how these tactics can effectively engage audiences. In doing so, ensure that students' approach is inclusive and does not disadvantage vulnerable consumer segments.

This assessment is designed to bridge theory and practice by challenging students to apply digital marketing expertise to solve a real-world problem. Collaborate, innovate, and think strategically to deliver a plan that not only meets budgetary constraints but also positions the company for sustained digital success.

Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Digital Marketing Plan

Artefact: Project plan with mock content

Weighting

45%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC8, GC9, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy centres on active student engagement through workshops and practical activities designed to reinforce key concepts in digital marketing. These sessions encourage students to construct and synthesise knowledge individually and collaboratively, fostering critical and reflective thinking.

This unit adopts an active learning approach, guiding students through the processes organisations use to design and implement effective digital marketing strategies. Through interactive workshops and practical tasks, students explore foundational theories, concepts, and real-world applications, developing a deep understanding of diverse digital marketing approaches and the core activities of digital marketers.

Collaborative learning is further supported through lectures, discussions, and case examples, promoting independent and group-based critical analysis. Additionally, the unit incorporates ethical considerations in digital marketing by teaching students how to use AI tools responsibly and thoughtfully within assessment tasks.

Mode of delivery: This unit is delivered in both “Attendance” and “Online” modes to accommodate diverse learning needs and preferences, ensuring students progressively build their skills and maximise effective participation throughout the semester.

Representative texts and references

Larson J & Draper S, 2020 Digital Marketing Essentials: A Comprehensive Digital Marketing Textbook, Stukent, Idaho Falls, USA. The textbook can be accessed at http://home.stukent.com.  

Aslam K, 2017, The Seven Critical Principles of Digital Marketing, Stone Soup Hustler Publications, USA

Barker, M S, Barker D I, Bormann N F, Zahay D, and Roberts M L, 2017 Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach, 2nd Edn, Cengage Learning, US

Chafey D and Chadwick F E, 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy, Implementation and Practice, 6 ed Pearson UK

Kingsnorth S, 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing, Kogan Page Ltd, UK

Sponder, M and Khan, G.F 2018, Digital Analytics for Marketing, Routledge

Current Scholarly Articles

Hoyer, W D Kroschke, M, Schmitt, B, Kraume, K; Shankar, V. 2020 Transforming the Customer Experience Through New Technologies, Journal of Interactive Marketing Aug, Vol. 51, p57-71. 15p.

Zhao, H; Jiang, L; Su, C 2020 To defend or not defend? How Responses to Negative Customer Review Affect Prospective Customers' Distrust and Purchase Intention. Journal of Interactive Marketing. May, Vol. 50, p45-64. 20p. 

Riquelme, I P, Román, S, Cuestas, P J & Iacobucci, D. 2019 Journal of Interactive Marketing. Aug, Vol. 47, p35-52. 18p. The dark side of good reputation and loyalty in online retailing: When trust leads to retaliation through price unfairness.

Wang, W, Li, G, Fung, R Y K & Cheng, T C E 2019 Mobile advertising and traffic conversion: The effects of front traffic and spatial competition Journal of Interactive Marketing. Aug, Vol. 47, p84-101. 18p

Yuan, S & Lou, C 2019 How Social Media Influencers Foster Relationships with Followers: The Roles of Source Credibility and Fairness in Parasocial Relationship and Product Interest. Journal of Interactive Advertising July 133-147

Xie, W. & Karan, K 2019 Consumers' Privacy Concern and Privacy Protection on Social Network Sites in the Era of Big Data: Empirical Evidence from College Students Journal of Interactive Advertising Sep, 187-201

Bingley, I P & Leonhardt, J M 2018 Extremity Bias in User-Generated Content Creation and Consumption in Social Media Journal of Interactive Advertising  Sep, 125-135

Lou, C & Yuan, S 2019 Influencer Marketing: How Message Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of Branded Content on Social Media Journal of Interactive Advertising  Feb 2019, 58-73

Rosenkrans, G & Myers, Keli, 2018 Optimizing Location-Based Mobile Advertising Using Predictive Analytics Journal of Interactive Advertising  Vol, 18, Issue 1, 43-54.

Chang C. 2020 How Branded Videos Can Inspire Consumers and Benefit Brands: Implications for Consumers' Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Advertising Oct-Dec2020, Vol. 49 Issue 5, p613-632. 20p

Extended Readings

Journal of Interactive Marketing

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing

International Journal of Online Marketing

Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing

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