The IDM Diploma in Digital Marketing (Dip DigM)

Syllabus

The Diploma in Digital Marketing enables practitioners to direct the application of digital marketing technologies and techniques to support marketing objectives. The 11 modules address everything that’s happening in fast-moving world of digital marketing. Because of this, the final content may change to reflect developments.

Students will gain an applied understanding of:

• The strategic applications of digital marketing
• A structured planning process to ensure digital marketing is aligned with business objectives
• How, in practice, to effectively manage people, information and technology resources to implement their digital marketing plans

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Manage organisational resources needed to apply digital technologies and techniques for marketing
• Define a process to optimise the contribution of digital technologies to their organisation.

Modules

Module 1: The opportunities of digital marketing

Learning outcome

To assess the relevance of digital marketing to an organisation and its markets. Competencies developed:

• Distinguish between different applications of digital marketing
• Evaluate the impact and opportunities of online communications
• Assess the risks of implementing digital marketing programmes

Module 2: Understanding the online marketplace

Learning outcome

Understand approaches for evaluating an organisation's online marketplace to help develop digital marketing strategy.

Competencies developed

• Ability to assess the impact of internet technologies on an organisation's external environment paying particular attention to the competitive market place, customer journeys and competitors' strategies
• Ability to assess an organisation's current marketing capabilities including demand for, and barriers to, the use of digital marketing channels for the provision of online customers' goods and services
• Understanding the role of online intermediaries within a marketplace
• Ability to assess the impact of macro and micro factors that can affect digital marketing strategies and projects

Module 3: Digital marketing strategy development

Learning outcome

To review different types of objectives, strategies and tactics related to digital marketing planning.

Competencies developed

• To review the range of strategic options facing a digital marketing manager
• Set specific goals for digital marketing plans
• Select and define digital marketing strategies
• To align digital marketing strategies with marketing and business goals

Module 4: Financial analysis and performance development

Learning outcome

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of digital marketing initiatives and their performance in relation to other marketing channels.

Competencies developed

• Plan and assess the contribution of digital marketing to an organisation
• Assess the effectiveness of digital marketing campaign elements, including response and return-on-investment
• Plan web analytics based performance improvement programmes

Module 5: Using the digital channel to add value to brands

Learning outcome

Assess opportunities for digital marketing to redefine brand value.

Competencies developed

• Evaluate the options available to use digital channels to vary the marketing mix
• Understand the key aspects of the online brand experience
• Effective customer experience management

Module 6: Gaining customer knowledge and insight

Learning outcome

To enhance customer insights to improve digital marketing effectiveness.

Competencies developed

• Assess and improve the quality of customer knowledge
• Collect relevant customer data from own and external sources
• Devise approaches to segmentation and targeting

Module 7: Developing relevant customer communications using CRM

Learning outcome

To evaluate and improve the relevance of customer communications through CRM systems.

Competencies developed

• Review the effectiveness of existing customer contact strategies
• Developing customer communications strategies
• Review and select the best targeting techniques to achieve personalisation
• Ability to assess the relevance of CRM technologies for digital marketing

Module 8: Managing integrated marketing communications

Learning outcome

Integration of digital marketing objectives into the overall marketing communications plan.

Competencies developed

• Ability to create an integrated digital marketing communications plan
• Review the suitability of digital communications channels for different organisations

Module 9: Campaign control and coordination

Learning outcome

Review success factors for managing digital components of integrated marketing campaigns and continuous digital communications.

Competencies developed

• Assess a marketing campaign brief and plan for integration of digital marketing
• Review approaches to measure campaign effectiveness and optimise campaigns

Module 10: Digital channel management

Learning outcome

Understanding approaches to manage change in people, process and technology resources needed for integration of digital marketing within an organisation.

Competencies developed

• Assess the impact of organisational changes involved in digital marketing and develop strategies and processes to control change
• Manage people resources for digital marketing
• Ability to influence and facilitate the adoption of e-business technologies and practices to the benefit of the overall organisation

Module 11: The future landscape

Learning outcome

Assess best practice and innovative approaches from leading examples of digital marketing strategies and campaigns.

Competencies developed

• Evaluate campaign strategy and creative approaches in supporting marketing objectives
• Review applicability of innovative digital technologies and media

Study options

Intensive study

Ten days of intensive (non-residential) study takes place at the IDM's training centre in Teddington, Middlesex. This is split into 2x3 day sessions and 1x4 day sessions. Exams take place in June or December.

Day Release

Ten one-day modules at a Central London venue, with approximately one day out of the office per month. The exams will then be held in either June or December.

Online option

The IDM Diploma in Digital Marketing is also available online, which means we can include more interactive exercises and you can link directly to websites for research and assignments. Online learning is a convenient way to study at home or at work at your own pace wherever you are in the UK or overseas. You will have the support of a regional tutor while your self-study kit will include all study aids and textbooks for you to complete each module coupled with practical exercise and assignments. There will be tutorial support to ensure your progress during the course and prepare you for the final exams.

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In-company tuition - worldwide

The IDM also offers organisations an in-house option where we can deliver a flexible, bespoke programme on your own premises. The content for all study options is equally comprehensive, practical and highly relevant to today's marketing challenges.

While leading your students through the syllabus, our trainers will understand your marketplace and, where possible, develop individual exercises that link directly to your organisation's marketing programmes. In-company students still undergo our rigorous methods of assessment, including final exams, though we can compress their period of learning to suit. Email our team now for more information.

Study aids

Every Diploma student will receive complimentary online IDM membership which allows 24/7 access to digital and direct marketing resources. In addition to this, you'll receive a comprehensive study package with practitioner-written study notes, carefully selected texts, presentations, reading lists and supporting online documentation.

Diploma students will also get of a copy of:

Web Analytics 2.0 (Avinash Kaushik)
Celebrated web analytics thought leader Avinash Kaushik adeptly addresses how to shift to data-driven decision making and leverage the full power of web data. Web Analytics 2.0 helps you devise an actionable strategy, applying analytical techniques correctly, as well as solving challenges such as measuring social media and multichannel campaigns, achieving optimal success by learning from experimentation, and employing tactics for truly listening to customers.

Internet Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice (Dave Chaffey, Richard Mayer, Kevin Johnston and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick).
Internet Marketing is a comprehensive guide to how organisations can use the Internet to support their marketing activities and covers all aspects of Internet marketing - environment analysis, strategy development and implementation. Building on the successful and widely regarded first edition, this second edition of Internet Marketing has a completely revised structure and streamlined content, increasing the marketing orientation of the text by decreasing technical background about the Internet.

Why ambitious marketers choose the IDM Diploma

"On my IDM diploma course, I gained insights and understanding directly from frontline digital practitioners. I also acquired the skills which are already a necessity for any successful marketer in today's increasingly digital world. After graduating, I moved up to a marketing manager role. If you're thinking about a digital qualification there are alternatives out there, but if you want to give your marketing career a real boost, wouldn't you want to learn from the leaders?"

Jill Quick BA (Hons) Dip DigM, Marketing Manager, Grange Hotel Group

"The IDM’s Diploma in Digital Marketing is a must-do course for every marketing professional with responsibility for anything digital. It’s so packed full of insights, case studies and down-to-earth, pragmatic advice from leading practitioners, that I’d restructured my team even before I’d completed my studies! I’m now acutely aware of the enormous potential of digital, both solus and in a multi-channel environment – and know how to benefit."

Andy James Dip DigM, Head of Customer Marketing Direct, Allianz Retail

"Enrolling in the IDM's Diploma in Digital Marketing started me off on a new learning curve. The lectures were interesting and informative and the assignments helped me dig even deeper into the material. And, with the stimulation of regular informal meetings with a small group of students, I have slain the dinosaur and emerged confident in digital marketing. I was thoroughly impressed with the course and highly recommend it."

Duncan Muller, Dip DigM, Previously Brand Director at Publicis

"The IDM qualification in digital marketing has boosted not only my marketing skills in this area but also my career. An IDM qualification in digital or direct marketing which will ensure that you are kept up-to-date with the ever evolving marketing landscape and continually developing technologies - I would have no hesitation in recommending the IDM courses, whatever someone's level of marketing experience."

 Claire Baumforth Dip IDM, Dip DigM, Director of Marketing, Hammicks Legal Information Services

Tutors

Dr Dave Chaffey Hon F IDM is a tutor on the IDM Digital Marketing Diploma qualification and delivers the one day course on Developing Digital Strategy. Dave is CEO of SmartInsights.com a portal providing best practice resources and software to help companies succeed online. He is known for his practical advice on digital marketing in his bestselling books Emarketing Excellence and Internet Marketing:Strategy,Implementation and Practice. He is also proud to have been recognized in 2004 by the Department of Trade and Industry as one of 50 leading individuals who have provided input and influence on the development and growth of E-commerce and the Internet in the UK over the last 10 years."

Mike Berry Dip DM, F IDM is an independent consultant and trainer, who draws on his extensive experience of online and offline marketing to work with a range of clients in B2B, B2C, public and charity sectors. He is also Partner at Aprais, a global agency/client relationship management consultancy.

Mike is the author of 'The New Integrated Direct Marketing’, published by Gower, and writes a regular blog on marketing and technology and he has over 3,600 Twitter followers. He is both passionate and knowledgeable about digital marketing and his classical marketing training and integrated background makes him ideally qualified to train marketers in digital skills.

Beverly Barker is an entirely over qualified communications planner having started in the business as a broadcast buyer with Ogilvy & Mather in 1984 and, after moving through a succession of agencies that were assortedly acquired and merged to make the large conglomerates of today, spent from 1992-2002 as Head of Direct and Interactive at Carat Direct.

She now combines academia with practical commercial operations, working as a senior lecturer in Marketing at London SouthBank University and a regular tutor for the IDM, and provides a strategic customer insight consultancy to both UK and International clients in customer management, customer insight, proposition development and integrated communications planning.

Beverly was recently awarded the prestigious IDM Educator of the Year Award for her exceptional contribution to direct and digital marketing education.