MKT 618: Sustainable Marketing: CSR & Brand Activism
Contents
Sustainable Marketing is defined as the company’s social, environmental, and economic responsibility through its products and services, corporate practices, and values. Today, many corporations are including two forms of sustainable marketing in their marketing strategies: Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Activism. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) started taking shape as a marketing concept and being implemented by businesses after World War II, especially in the 1950s (Carroll, 2009; Farcane & Bureana, 2015). However, decades later, brands started going beyond CSR by taking public stances on socio-political causes, a concept known as brand activism.
This sustainable marketing course explores CSR and brand activism typology, characteristics, and communication strategies while discussing approaches of regional and international brands.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- understand the concept of sustainable marketing
- understand the principles and characteristics of two main types of sustainable marketing: CSR and Brand activism
- differentiate between CSR and Brand activism
- identify the efficacy and the authenticity of the two strategies and their related campaigns
Necessary prerequisites
–
Recommended prerequisites
Attendees of this course should be knowledgeable in marketing and communication strategies and have a basic understanding of sustainable marketing.
| Forms of teaching and learning | Contact hours | Independent study time |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 1 SWS | 4 SWS |
| ECTS credits | 2 |
| Graded | yes |
| Workload | 60h |
| Language | English |
| Form of assessment | About the assessment: Students will watch an ad or read an article and answer questions about the brand, ad, and strategy. Written exam Duration: 90 minutes followed by a discussion session |
| Restricted admission | yes |
| Further information | Student Portal (information on central registration process). |
Examiner Performing lecturer |  | Prof. Dr. Florian Stahl Souha Itani |
| Frequency of offering | Spring semester |
| Duration of module | 1 semester |
| Range of application | M.Sc. MMM, M.Sc. Bus. Edu., MAKUWI |
| Preliminary course work | – |
| Program-specific Competency Goals | CG 1, CG 2 |
| Literature | Readings will be shared with the students four weeks prior to the course. |
| Course outline | Sustainable Marketing 1. History and evolution Corporate Social Responsibility 1. A brief history 2. Definition and objectives 3. Principles and characteristics 4. Communicating and reporting CSR 5. Internal and external effects Brand activism 1. Definition and objectives 2. Typology and Characteristics 3. Communicating stances 4. Marketing efficacy 5. Brand activism and political ideologies Comparing CSR and brand activism Green and woke washing |