Promotional Cultures in Consumer Society
| Module title | Promotional Cultures in Consumer Society |
|---|---|
| Module code | CMMM010 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Zizheng Yu (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
This module critically examines promotional media in a range of international contexts, including the UK/US, Europe, North America, and China. Drawing upon a range of advertising, branding, PR, and marketing strategies you will examine numerous campaign case studies and gain an advanced understanding of major debates in the study of promotional media, consumer activism, digital marketing, and communication studies.
There are no pre-requisites or co-requisites for this module, and no specialist knowledge, skills, or experience are required to take it.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to:
- Analyse the complex role played by promotional media in our consumer society.
- Examine complex relationships between consumers, digital technology, and different types of organisations in various cultural contexts.
- Enable you to reflect critically on the centrality of digital technologies to the everyday lives of consumers.
- Help you more effectively evaluate key challenges, ambivalences, and dilemmas between consumer activism and digital media.
- Provide you with the critical ability to study consumer agency in a hybrid media environment and consumer society, helping you rethink your relationship to promotional media – as consumers, marketers, and media practitioners.
- Equip you with an in-depth understanding of promotional culture within a global, economic, cultural and political framework.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the field of promotional cultures, and relevant scholarly literature in this field.
- 2. Critically evaluate the complex links between promotional media and neoliberal culture, consumer activism/practice and social justice.
- 3. Demonstrate advanced proficiency in employing semiotic analysis to dissect and interpret the signs, symbols, and meanings conveyed in promotional content, showcasing a thorough comprehension of advertising and promotional materials and strategies.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Effectively develop and structure an original argument backed up with evidence
- 5. Develop consistency in referencing and appropriate bibliographic skills
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Conduct an independent literature search (beyond the modules reading list)
- 7. Apply theories and concepts in the field to assess and analyse real world issues relating to promotional media.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content of the module may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following themes:
- Promotional Convergence
- Audiences and Consumers
- Semiotics and Advertising
- Globalization and de-globalization
- Promotional cultures and resistance
- Consumer Activism
- Celebrity Advocacy
- PR and Branding
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 11 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 11 | Seminars |
| Guided independent study | 22 | Study group meetings and preparation |
| Guided independent study | 70 | Seminar preparation (individual) |
| Guided independent study | 186 | Reading, research and assignment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Analysis Plan | 500 words | 1-7 | Written |
| Essay Plan | 500 words | 1-7 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Analysis | 30 | 1500 words | 1-7 | Written |
| Essay | 70 | 4000 words | 1-7 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Analysis (1500 words) | Case Analysis (1500 words) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Essay (4000 words) | Essay (4000 words) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e., a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Davis, A. (2013). Promotional cultures: The rise and spread of advertising, public relations, marketing and branding. Polity.
Hollenbeck, C.R. & Zinkhan, G.M. (2010). Anti-brand communities, negotiation of brand meaning, and the learning process: The case of Wal-Mart. Consumption Markets & Culture, 13(3), 325–345.
Lekakis, E. J. (2022). Consumer activism: Promotional Culture and Resistance. London: SAGE.
Powell, H. (2013). Promotional culture and convergence: Markets, methods, media. Routledge.
Sobande, F. (2024). Big brands are watching you: Marketing social justice and digital culture. Univ of California Press.
Treré, E., & Yu, Z. (2021). The evolution and power of online consumer activism: Illustrating the hybrid dynamics of “consumer video activism” in China through two case studies. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 65(5), 761-785.
West, E., & McAllister, M.P. (Eds.). (2023). The Routledge Companion to Advertising and Promotional Culture (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Yu, Z. (2021). An empirical study of consumer video activism in China: Protesting against businesses with short videos. Chinese Journal of Communication, 14(3), 297-312.
Yu, Z., Hou, J., & Zhou, O. T. (2023). Short video activism with and on Douyin: an innovative repertoire of contention for Chinese consumers. Social Media+Society, 9(1), 20563051231157603.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 26/03/2024 |
| Last revision date | 26/03/2024 |
