ASSESSMENT BRIEF AND MARKING RUBRIC
Module title: Marketing in a Digital Age and Corporate Social Responsibility
(MK7040)
Assessment point: Assessment point 1 (Week 6)
Assessment task: Marketing project report
Word count limit: 3000 words +/- 10% (excluding references and appendices)
Width: 50% of overall module grade
Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause (extenuating circumstances)
If you believe that:
• your performance in assessment or reassessment has been impaired, or;
• you were unable to attend for an assessment or reassessment, or;
• you were unable to submit assessed or reassessed work by the scheduled date due to illness or
other valid cause (as defined in the Procedures Governing Extenuating Circumstances), may submit
an application for extenuation for the relevant component(s) to Unicaf Extenuating Circumstances
team ([email protected]).
*Once a component has been capped, extenuation does not uncap it.
Academic misconduct including plagiarism
Ensure that you are familiar with the relevant regulations regarding academic misconduct. By
submitting the assignment, you declare that it is your own work and that the material and sources of
information used, including internet sources, have been fully identified and properly acknowledged.
In addition, you confirm that the presented work has not been submitted for any other assessment.
You also acknowledge that the faculty reserves the right to investigate allegations of plagiarism and
other forms of academic misconduct which, if proven and dependent on the severity level of the
offence, may result in a penalty that could affect your progress.
By submitting your work, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed with the above statements.
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General Guidance
Your assignment should be MS Word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted), using
Times New Roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student number
printed as a footer on every page. Note this is a report supported by academic research so you should
adhere to the appropriate referencing guidance. The word limit stated for this assignment excludes the
list of references at the end of the assignment but includes all text in the main body of the assignment
(including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables, diagrams and graphs). Please be aware
that exceeding the word limit will affect the academic judgement of the piece of work and may result
in the award of a lower mark. Appendices are not considered a supplement and will not be assessed as
part of the content of the assignment. As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded; however,
it may be appropriate to use an Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the
reader. Please note that appendices are not included in the word count. The majority of references
should come from secondary sources (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although
you can also utilise area specific textbooks. You must ensure that you use the Harvard style of
referencing. Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.
Marking and assessment
This assignment will be marked out of 100% and contributes to 50% of the total module mark. The
pass mark is 50%. Nevertheless, in order to pass this module, you must both achieve an aggregate
mark of 50% and also meet the assignment threshold marks. For the purposes of passing a module
each assignment has a threshold mark of 40%. The marking rubric is attached, which offers guidance
on the assessment criteria and weighting.
Late Submission
There will be a stipulated deadline date for all assignments. All assignments will need to be submitted
by the set time on the stipulated deadline date. Assignments submitted up to 24 hours late will be
accepted, but the assignment mark will be subject to a deduction of 5 marks from the mark awarded.
Learning outcomes applied in this assessment
1. develop a critical understanding of major concepts, frameworks, and methods in marketing
and corporate social responsibility, and assess their application in the business environment,
including brand value. (IC) (SID) (EID)
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2. examine the role digital marketing and media play in contemporary marketing and business
practice, and the social impact of these practices. (IC) (DP) (SID) (CID) (EID)
3. identify key issues and problems related to the lack of responsibility in the approach to
corporate business operations, and the risk that unethical corporate conducts poses for our
society. (IC) (SID) (CID) (CC) (UGB)
Thinking skills
4. critically evaluate marketing strategies, including digital marketing solutions – in different
business contexts, and address their implications including ethical issues, and reflect on the
significance of key historical events. (IC) (DP) (SID) (CID) (CC)
Subject-based practical skills
5. make strategic marketing decisions based on facts and market research; and to commission
marketing communication campaigns, including digital marketing solutions. (IC) (SID) (DP)
6. critically assess currently implemented corporate social responsibility solutions and recognise
the links between the adoption of certain solutions and the performance of business
operations. (IC) (SID) (CID) (CC)
Skills for life and work (general skills)
7. adopt a persuasive argumentation; and present it in verbal or written communication. (UGB)
(EID)
8. collect, analyse and synthesise data; and take a problem-solving approach to strategic
thinking, and creativity. (UGB) (IC)
Assessment guidelines
Produce a 3000-word marketing project report (+/- 10%) (excluding the list of references) which
offers students the ability to demonstrate their developing knowledge and application of the teaching
and learning material covered in weeks 1 to 5. It also encourages students to develop their thoughts
and perspectives on contemporary business issues, and be intellectually creative (underpinned by
credible resources).
Task
Students are required to produce a report (LO8/LO7) on the following case:
The role Cambridge Analytica played in the latest American presidential election and the Brexit
referendum in the UK.
Political marketing and the use of digital media in political campaigns is not new; however, the way
Cambridge Analytica used Facebook users’ data to target users with influential contents that can lead to
favourable results to the promoted parties was labelled unethical and illegal. Were developed of key
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players from SCL Group, the Republican Party establishment and Christopher Wylie the later whistleblower.
Micro-targeting methods were used as the company managed to acquire its dataset from social media
platforms. CA rise to prominence for high profile and right-wing causes is explained as a consequence
of successful test runs in the 2014 US mid-term elections. The impact of Cambridge Analytica is
described in terms of the two most controversial campaigns linked to the company with the BREXIT
referendum and the 2016 US Presidential Election, as well as the other company activities. Finally,
the company’s downfall is followed chronologically through several damning newspaper articles,
culminating in the public hearing of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in early April 2018.
You are requested to watch the video, provided in the material of this week (Facebook’s role in
Brexit — and the threat to democracy | Carole Cadwalladr), research the case of Cambridge
Analytica and write a report that reflects on and answers the following questions.
Task 1
Stand in the shoes of CEO Alex Nix: What could have been done better BEFORE the scandal in
2017 and earlier? What could have been done better AFTER the scandal broke (early 2018)?
(Consider the following areas: marketing communication strategy and message, marketing
content and communication channels, corporate social responsibility and corporate
reputation, the impact on brand awareness and brand trust)
(LO1/ LO2 /LO3)
Task 2
Explain the work and service Cambridge Analytica provided Trump’s campaign. Apart from
the legal side, in your perspective, was it right for Cambridge Analytica to provide this work
for Trump? How do public goodwill/license to operate and data-driven technology companies
interrelate?
(LO4/LO5/LO6)
Task 3
Facebook continues to face major ethical and legal challenges. What challenges Facebook
brand is facing today? And what implications these challenges and the case of Cambridge
Analytica have for the future of Facebook from your perspective?
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(LO 6/LO 7)
Write a 3000-words report (10±) answering the above questions. Build clear arguments in
your answers. Strengthen these arguments with sufficient evidence from the case study, your
research into the market and the company and from the marketing and corporate social
responsibility literature as appropriate.
Well established media (e.g. BBC, Financial Times, New York Times, etc) may be used to develop
the context of the discussion, but the material used to underpin the research and analysis should be
from academic books and/or peer reviewed academic journals.
Report Format
What is a report?
A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence
are presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a
clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate
and follow.
When you are asked to write a report, you will usually be given a report brief which provides you with
instructions and guidelines. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience and problem or issue
that your report must address, together with any specific requirements for format or structure. This
guide offers a general introduction to report writing.
What makes a good report?
Two of the reasons why reports are used as forms of written assessment are:
• to find out what you have learned from your reading, research or experience;
• to give you experience of an important skill that is widely used in the work place.
An effective report presents and analyses facts and evidence that are relevant to the specific problem
or issue of the report brief. All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout, in
accordance with the preferred method of your department.
The style of writing in a report is usually less discursive than in an essay, with a more direct and
economic use of language. A well written report will demonstrate your ability to:
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• understand the purpose of the report brief and adhere to its specifications;
• gather, evaluate and analyse relevant information;
• structure material in a logical and coherent order;
• present your report in a consistent manner according to the instructions of the report brief;
• make appropriate conclusions that are supported by the evidence and analysis of the report;
• make thoughtful and practical recommendations where required.
The structure of a report
The main features of a report are described below to provide a general guide. These should be used in
conjunction with the instructions or guidelines provided by your department.
Title Page
This should briefly but explicitly describe the purpose of the report (if this is not obvious from the title
of the work); remember to add your name and student number/assessment number, and which
assessment it pertains to.
Contents (Table of Contents)
The contents page should list the different chapters and/or headings together with the page numbers.
Your contents page should be presented in such a way that the reader can quickly scan the list of
headings and locate a particular part of the report. You may want to number chapter headings and
subheadings in addition to providing page references. Whatever numbering system you use, be sure
that it is clear and consistent throughout.
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Introduction
The introduction sets the scene for the main body of the report. The aims and objectives of the report
should be explained in detail. Any problems or limitations in the scope of the report should be
identified, and a description of research methods, the parameters of the research and any necessary
background history should be included.
Methods
Information under this heading may include: a list of research methods used (e.g. literature review
using ProQuest resources and the filter criteria applied for each search) and other sources of
information and details of selection/rejection; reference to any problems encountered and subsequent
changes in procedure.
Discussion
The main body of the report is where you discuss your material. The literature and evidence you have
gathered should be summarised, analysed and discussed with specific reference to the problem or
issue. If your discussion section is lengthy you might divide it into section headings. Your points
should be grouped and arranged in an order that is logical and easy to follow. Use headings and
subheadings to create a clear structure for your material. Use bullet points to present a series of points
in an easy-to-follow list. As with the whole report, all sources used should be acknowledged and
correctly referenced (remember to use the most credible resources available).
Conclusion
In the conclusion you should show the overall significance of what has been covered. You may want
to remind the reader of the most important points that have been made in the report or highlight what
you consider to be the most central issues or findings. However, no new material should be introduced
in the conclusion. Remember to specifically answer the initial questions posed.
Appendices
Under this heading you should include all the supporting information you have used that is not
published. This might include tables, graphs, questionnaires, surveys or transcripts. Refer to the
appendices in the body of your report.
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List of References
A key feature of academic writing, the list of references should list – in alphabetical order by author –
all published sources referred to in your report. There are different styles of using references so be
sure to refer to the study guide and check your departmental handbook for guidelines.
Note the suggested structure for your essay:
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Section/aspect Content to cover Marks available
Introduction General background on the topic 10 Marks
300 words you are going to discuss. Possible
definitions for terms relating to the
question. What the report will
include and/or leave out (scope).
What themes the essay will discuss
and the order they are presented.
What the report will
argue/demonstrate (thesis
statement).
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appropriate academic
conventions regarding in-text
citations and
referencing.
_____________________________
60 Marks
15 Marks
15 Marks
10
Total: 3000 words 100
Marks
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Masters Grading Scale

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