TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING: USING EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY MARKETING CLIENT BRIEFS TO FOSTER AWARENESS, APPLICATION AND ACTION

ABSTRACT

This paper reports a study coauthored with second-year undergraduate students that examines student experiences of undertaking real-life, client-set marketing assessments with an equality and inclusion remit. Students were set a marketing assessment with an explicit social justice focus, thereby prompting them to reflect on their own backgrounds and unconscious biases whilst addressing issues of societal injustice. This study explores the impact on students of closely engaging with this material and how the assessment, which involved them interviewing experts and developing actionable recommendations, altered their views and career plans. Data were generated via focus groups with students who undertook the assessment, supplemented by some alumni and client interviews. The findings are presented as a “3A” framework of Awareness, Application, and Action: first, the assessment raised “Awareness” of broader societal issues and fostered transformation in terms of personal views; second, students developed core skills and networks they could “Apply” in their future careers; and third, “Action” describes the way students felt empowered to make a positive difference to their client and wider society. The 3A model provides simple design principles that educators could implement if they want to introduce transformational experiences based on social justice issues into the marketing curriculum.

Introduction

As the world continues to respond to a mandate for positive change prompted by global social justice movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the #MeToo campaign, it is crucial that students learn how to make business more inclusive, equitable, and diverse. It is incumbent on universities to ensure future marketing professionals can confidently consider and meet the needs of different end-user groups and respond to a myriad of different customer needs and personal circumstances. To effectively address equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) issues in the classroom, we suggest that a powerful and impactful way to change mind-sets and raise awareness is to directly foster student involvement with social-justice-related topics and content via an experiential assessment. By engaging with, and responding to, real problems presented by external clients and requiring actionable outcomes, students were challenged to directly engage with EDI marketing content.

This paper reports on a project where students were provided real-life client briefs with a social justice-focused marketing problem as their final assessment, thus aligning diversity and inclusion activities in the marketplace with marketing education practice (see Appendix 1 for the assessment outline and example briefs). The research project generated reflections from students who undertook the assessment. Data were generated via focus groups with students who had recently completed the marketing module and supplemented by a small number of interviews with alumni of the module and clients. Ultimately, the project explored how designing a module that explicitly used content and assessment to unpack students’ own unconscious biases might assist them in not only recognizing the implications of these biases, but how they might take this learning and experience forward in their careers. In line with several aims of this special issue, we argue that assessment and marketing tasks can be designed to introduce students to content that directly engages them with inclusion and diversity issues within the marketplace and society in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

Firstly, this paper addresses a lacuna in scholarship about how marketing education and business schools should respond to global crises and anxiety (Nicholls & Hair, 2016). Despite scholars arguing that students should be engaging with issues of corporate social responsibility, diversity, ethics and social justice in their business curriculum (see Jackoway, 2014; Stern, 2008; Wright & Clarke, 2010), Grier (2020, p. 62) claims, “the pedagogical research around diversity and marketing is relatively limited.” We research the impact of providing students with real client briefs with EDI challenges as their assessment. Our findings suggest that there is tangible impact and value when students engage with social justice issues directly as part of their formal learning. The module discussed in this paper engages with EDI marketing problems provided by real-life clients. Its assessment places students in an unfamiliar assessment context, i.e. expecting them to interview people working in a relevant industry area, conduct research into the specific issues, and then produce recommendations in a written individual report. We argue that social-justice focused assessments within marketing education can help extend learning and foster personal transformation well beyond the period of the assessment.

Secondly, by engaging students as coauthors, we also respond to calls for deeper student partnership and collective action in pedagogic research (Bovill, Cook-Sather, & Felten, 2016; Healey, Flint, & Harrington, 2014) and seek to foster engagement beyond what Cornwall (2008) has labeled “tokenistic” student representation. It is rare for undergraduate students to genuinely coauthor papers where they design, develop, and deliver a project built around their recent learning experiences (Hill, Healey, West, & Déry, 2021; Maunder, 2021), and yet it can be transformative (Johansson & Felten, 2014). Consequently, we have responded to Lubicz-Nawrocka and Bovill’s (2021) call to foster transformation in students by more closely engaging them in all aspects of education development (also Walkington, 2015). Partnership with students as coauthors is central to our methodology because it offered an “insider sense check” (Hellawell, 2006); thereby ensuring the findings rang true for students who had completed the second-year undergraduate marketing module.

The main data generation method comprised of four mixed student focus groups (all participants were students who completed the assessment module in 2020/21), supplemented by a few interviews with industry clients and alumni (students who did the module the year before, in 2019/20). The research investigated the impact of engaging with real-life marketing client briefs with an EDI focus and explored students’ sense of work readiness and career aspirations. The objectives shaping the research were:

1. To assess how engaging in social justice projects as part of their marketing curriculum influenced the views, career aspirations, and employability intentions of undergraduate business students

2. To explore the impact and value of undertaking real life marketing client briefs with an EDI focus as a formal assessment

3. To advance knowledge about the broader societal benefits experiential active learning and assessment can offer when embedded as part of an undergraduate marketing curriculum

4. To collaborate with students as coauthors to design research that examines student views on the benefits and challenges of engaging with real life EDI client briefs.

The literature review focused on three key areas: the concept of employability and how EDI is perhaps not always valued and effectively fostered within a marketing curriculum; scholarship on the value of students engaging with real-life marketing projects and assessments; and, finally, how equality and diversity issues have been taught and theorized in marketing education. Literature on student partnership and coauthorship has also informed the methodology (given the centrality of student engagement in the project and focus on the value of insider perspectives).

Employability and Skills Development in Marketing Education

Studies on employability in pedagogic research, led by champions such as Yorke and Knight (2004), have highlighted the overlap between what employers’ value in graduates and the elements of a “good” degree. Yet, concerns remain over whether business graduates are leaving with the cultural competencies and traits sought by employers (Davies, Misra, & Van Auken, 2002; Saito & Pham, 2019). Concerns raised by Dacko (2006) about a mismatch of developed skills, and later by Ardley and Taylor (2010, p. 848) who argued “marketing education does not take sufficient account of experiential-based learning methods,” are picked up by Yeoh (2019) in their mapping of skills required by the industry against those acquired on courses. Unfortunately, priorities have tended to be informed by government-prescribed indicators of labor market “success” such as salary, as opposed to acquisition of the global skills that students need to become responsible, reflective leaders who can consider EDI issues and tackle global social justice challenges (McArthur, 2016). Furthermore, Finch, Nadeau, and O’Reilly (2013) argued that marketing education must evolve to develop high-priority skills, listed as “the ability to creatively identify, formulate, and solve problems; the ability to write in a business environment; and the ability to set priorities.” The challenge is therefore to identify the approaches that foster the people skills necessary for future leaders to be able to take a human-centered approach (Giacomin, 2014; Yeoh, 2019).

Defined as “effective learning resulting from active student involvement with an experience and subsequent reflection on that experience” (Camarero, Rodriguez, & San José, 2009, p. 84), experiential learning has been widely recognized as an effective pedagogic tool in developing key skills (Billett, 2009; Gremler, Hoffman, Keaveney, & Wright, 2000; Karns, 2006). The specific adoption of experiential learning in the marketing curriculum has generated significant research, with Gray, Peltier, and Schibrowsky (2012) noting that it has been a “signature pedagogy” for the discipline (with much justified using Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory). Although an effective pedagogy in the development of skills, it is somewhat surprising just how little work has focused on how educators can use this approach to help students effectively and meaningfully engage with EDI issues (Grier, 2020).

Engaging with Industry Problems and Real-life Projects in Marketing Education

To meet the employability agenda, universities have increasingly turned to work-based learning in the form of work placements and internships. However, their resource-intensive nature has often meant that such opportunities are not universally available, despite Basit et al. (2015, p. 1003) suggesting engagement with industry must be an “integral part of higher education activity rather than a supplementary pursuit.” Studies on engagement with industry have tended to focus on learning and knowledge acquired in a workplace, but this may be a rather narrow focus on the benefits of industry collaboration: opportunities for all students to engage with real-life assessments cannot be met through work-based learning alone, but increasingly via purposely designed employer engagement in the curriculum through consultancy type projects (Ardley & Taylor, 2010) and real-life client-based work or live marketing projects (Camarero et al., 2009; Inks, Schetzsle, & Avila, 2011). In marketing education, consultancy-based approaches where an industry partner employs a student within a more structured curriculum-based framework have increased, although there can be a tension between the requirements of the employer and the university i.e. practical solutions as opposed to meeting academic learning outcomes and threshold concepts.

Despite an almost evangelical commitment in the pedagogic literature to experiential learning with an industry component, Ackerman and Hu (2011, p. 281) suggest that “active learning assignments are not the universal key to success for everyone to learn in a marketing class.” Brennan’s (2014) critique warns that despite the apparent value of such pedagogic approaches, marketing consultancy projects can place an excessively high cognitive load on students, and adds that some experiential learning leads to superficial experiences, with several studies failing to demonstrate the superiority of experiential methods over conventional ones. Despite projects being regarded as effective ways of developing the skills for tackling complex problems (Wright & Clarke, 2010), Brennan’s (2014) analysis offers a more pessimistic view, as does Hunter-Jones (2012) who finds a sense of “learner disengagement” and “formulaic learners” in an experiential learning task in a marketing module. In designing a module that heeds the warnings and responds to the concerns laid out by scholars such as Brennan and Hunter-Jones, it should be possible to ensure experiential learning opportunities provide meaningful impact beyond the assessment. Empirical research is needed into what solutions and practices in marketing education can truly benefit students, ensure EDI competencies are developed, and in turn, make a difference to wider society.

Marketing and Equality and Diversity in the Classroom

Equality and diversity have been on the marketing education agenda for some time in relation to responding to consumer needs and cultural differences (Mitchell & Vandegrift, 2014). For example, Cui (1996) explored strategies to integrate issues of ethnic diversity into marketing education. However, the question about “how” we integrate equality and diversity issues and experiences into the classroom (physical and virtual) remains very much under-explored. This special issue offers a chance to examine how students might best develop long-lasting critical perspectives on diversity and social justice (Stern, 2008; Wright & Clarke, 2010). Even recently, Rivera, Arrese, Sádaba, and Casado (2020) found little on the development of courses centered around issues of inclusion and diversity in marketing, despite previous calls by Hartwell et al. (2017) to better explore student attitudes toward diversity in marketing. Concerns continue to emerge about whether graduates can develop effective marketing strategies and harness the power of marketing unless they are exposed to real-life societal challenges (Poole & Garrett-Walker, 2016).

Grier (2020, p. 59) outlines the benefits of integrating diversity and equality using a problem-based project into a marketing course, arguing that, “it is imperative that all students are educated to engage with diversity issues.” In thinking about the role of universities in fostering positive student attitudes toward inclusive marketing, Rivera et al. (2020, p. 39) suggest that students learn inclusiveness through action learning and the “context should facilitate diverse and peer-to-peer interactions and incorporate pedagogical tools that facilitate empathy with people from different backgrounds and characteristics.” Literature suggests that far more intensive and immersive experiences are required to foster awareness with diversity issues, as opposed to simply adding an appropriate case study into a class (Finch et al., 2013). Although such immersive activities were less commonplace when Allan and Wood (2009) were writing, it is clear the marketing curriculum can do more to help develop responsible business leaders. Consequently, given the limited guidance about how to effectively integrate social justice perspectives into marketing education (Grier, 2020) and broader social justice education (Bell & Adams, 2016), this paper provides an empirically rich, student-led investigation into the value of focusing on these issues using a marketing assessment focused on a social justice issue provided by a real client.

Methodology

Given the focus on social justice and inclusion, it was imperative to align the methodology to the principle of “nothing about me without me” so prevalent in inclusive research approaches (Nind, 2017). Consequently, this project involved working with students as co-researchers in a business school based in a research-intensive university in the south-east United Kingdom with around 3,500 students and 150 faculty. An open call to the 120 students who had completed the module in 2021 was undertaken, and seven students who expressed interest in co-writing a paper were recruited as coauthors. Although a self-selected group, they had all completed one of the client briefs, felt they had the time to support the project, were on four different management undergraduate programs, and came from six different countries.

Fassinger and Morrow’s (2013, p. 70) work on social justice perspectives recognizes that users of qualitative personal methods infuse their investigations with values that render those investigations non-neutral, “enacted by human beings who bring their own unique lenses to each research endeavor,” and, although potentially a source of criticism, in this case it was important that researchers had lived experience of the module. In accordance with Freire (1970) who asserted that there must be reflection and action upon the world to transform it, we argue that multi-layered active engagement with students is key to transform marketing curricula. As Healey et al. (2014) states, it is important that students and staff make decisions together where all benefit from a range of perspectives, experience, and knowledge in a cocreation exercise, and where students are equal partners, thereby offering valuable insights into the educational experience.

To fully reflect the impact of the module on students, it was deemed crucial that students were involved in the whole process as co-researchers (Madan & Teitge, 2013), and particularly drawn in as providing an “insider” perspective (Bovill, 2019; Bovill et al., 2016). Although inclusive research in higher education should act critically on the relationship between those who research and those who are researched (our students), a degree of educational myopia – i.e. the “we know what’s best for students” attitude – remains prevalent in institutions, blinding us to the reality of our student’s lived experience (Maunder, 2015). The value of working with students to counter hierarchical institutional norms and pursue projects of co-construction is deemed valuable (Abbot, 2017; Cook-Sather, 2015), although even in diversity marketing education, student authors are often marginalized to the acknowledgments section (e.g. Grier, 2020).

The main data-generation method involved four focus groups comprised of students who had all completed the assessment and module in 2020/21 (120 students on the module and 20 volunteered to take part). These were moderated by the lead author. Focus groups formed the central pillar of the research given the desire to generate in-depth rich insights (whilst using peers to encourage each other with responses) and were used effectively by Ardley and Taylor (2010) in their analysis of a student consultancy project. However, as a light-touch check of findings, these data were supplemented with a small number of interviews (lasting an average of 40 minutes) with industry clients and with some students who completed the module two years ago in 2019/20 (interviews rather than focus groups were used, given these students were not easily contactable and available at the same time). The groups are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. The research population.

Main data source	Method	Sample
Students on module 2020/21	Focus groups	20 (4 mixed groups of 4–5 students)
Supplementary data sources
Students on module 2019/20	Interviews	3
Client brief providers	Interviews	2

Bovill et al. (2016) has recommended that pedagogic work move from student consultation to genuine co-creation and partnership (Bovill, Cook-Sather, & Felten, 2011). Given that transparency was central to our methodology, we used a file-sharing site where each author could edit and review the paper and research tools. The outcome was a truly co-created research project – from conducting interviews and writing questions, to the data analysis and the write up. Questions were developed by all authors using a shared document and regular project meetings. Ethics approval was secured from the university’s central ethics committee. Specific attention was placed on mitigating issues of power in relation to the academic member of staff – data generation commenced after the assessment period to avoid issues of “double agency” (Ferguson, Yonge, & Myrick, 2004). All recordings were erased once anonymized transcripts had been produced, and informed consent with permission to record the sessions was obtained from all participants. In terms of renumeration, student authors confirmed that having a journal paper published in their name was adequate compensation for their time and work.

The focus groups generated four hours of qualitative data, and interviews with the previous year’s students supplemented these data with around two hours of content. Analysis of the transcripts (focus group and interviews) was completed independently and systematically by each coauthor (without consultation with the rest of the group at first) using a thematic analysis framework based on Braun and Clarke (2006). On the few occasions where the student focus group participant was also a coauthor, the author was not given their own (anonymized) group transcript. Thematic analysis was adopted because it enables identification and organization of emerging themes found within and across qualitative data sets (King, N, 2004). It has also been accepted as a more accessible form of analysis, particularly for those early in their research career (Braun & Clarke, 2006), with Nowell, Norris, White, and Moules (2017, p. 2) suggesting that “researchers who are relatively unfamiliar with qualitative methods may find that thematic analysis is easily grasped and can be relatively quick to learn, as there are few prescriptions and procedures” – which makes it ideal for undergraduate students.

Once initial themes had been identified by each member of the team, they were compiled together and a process of identifying themes was undertaken as a group. The team developed a methodical and rigorous approach using a systematic approach of linking themes back to the interview and focus group transcripts (Attride-Stirling, 2001). Respondents were anonymized and given codes to attribute quotes more easily in the transcripts. Given that students are provided with several briefs every year, the “project focus” column indicates the brief they completed, and a person identification code is used (Table 2). The briefs included a British LGBT organization (coded: LGBT), a social justice football charity for young people (coded: Football), a charity seeking to disrupt the social media feed to empower young women (coded: Social media), and a brand campaign for Black History month (coded: BHM). Once core themes had been agreed by the team, groups of 2–3 coauthors were given a section of the findings to analyze independently.

Table 2. Research participants and identifying codes.

Focus Group (students 2020/21)	Project focus	Gender	Code (used in quotes)
1	Social media	F	1A
	Social media	M	1B
	Social media	F	1C
	Social media	F	1D
2	Social media	F	2A
	Social media	F	2B
	BHM	F	2C
	Social media	F	2D
	Social media	F	2E
3	Football	M	3A
	Social media	F	3B
	Social media	F	3C
	BHM	F	3D
4	Football	F	4A
	BHM	F	4B
	Social media	F	4C
	Social media	F	4D
	Social media	F	4E
Interviews (2019/20 alumni)
	LGBT	F	5A
	LGBT	M	5B
	LGBT	M	5C
Client Brief Providers
	LBGT & BHM (Sarah)	F	Client1
	Football (Timi)	M	Client2

Findings and Discussion

The most dominant overarching themes were centered around the personal benefits students felt they gained from an EDI-focused assessment set by a real client. Despite a wide range of coded themes, the main findings have been conceptualized into a “3A” assessment framework (Figure 1). First, the EDI briefs raised “Awareness” of social justice issues and fostered a transformation in terms of the personal views and perspectives about the role marketing has in delivering positive change. Second, there was a strong desire to “Apply” learning and knowledge, summarized in the perceived value of the skills learnt for future employment and in developing meaningful networks to help shape their career; and, finally, data emphasized the importance of “Action” – students felt empowered to make positive and long-lasting changes for the benefit of others. We suggest that the “3A” framework offers principles for educators wishing to design assessments that help students “make the world a better place” within an experiential learning structure. The limited supplementary interviews with previously graduated students and two clients supplemented the core findings, with many concentrating on the benefit of EDI-focused briefs for society, for businesses, and the value of generating new perspectives from students.

Figure 1. The 3A Assessment Framework: Awareness, Apply and Action with sub themes.

Awareness: Gaining New Perspectives

The assessment challenged perceptions, with issues of personal values, a desire to empathize with the brief’s protagonists, and a realization that marketing can be used to do good surfacing in the data. This “awareness” was characterized by a realization that personal views were altered through close engagement with the issues, “I am grateful for this realization as it not only reminded me that there is always so much more to learn on things that you feel fairly well versed on, but also, I now feel confident about understanding some of the more niche aspects of LGBTQ+” (5A). This change in perceptions was also noted by others, “we were actually able to make a leap from just having the awareness of inequality and just being aware of the bias towards it and so making the leap from … sort of like change it in a practical way by writing this report which then will actually be used in in the company or organization” (4C); this was echoed by 4B, “We just assume people have the same reality that we do … I think it’s great for them to realize that actually people have different experiences than I do, and even though I’ve worked with women, and ethnic minorities, I hadn’t realized how much their lives are different and you have to take that into consideration” (4B). Others noted:

There’s still really relevant and real issues that many people face. Even though personally I don’t think I am a victim of these social justice issues as much, I feel like we should still be informed. I think the first step in resolving these issues is to educate people and raise awareness. (2D)

I gained a bigger insight into how we can actually affect these kinds of processes within businesses. (2A)

It’s such an important thing to be able to take into account different perspectives what whatever you’re doing, not just in marketing or not just that you need just generally in life. It’s such an important skill to have. (1B)

A strong sense of empathy with others less fortunate and privileged than themselves was expressed by many students, with several suggesting they not only had to consider what they thought about EDI issues, but how they might put themselves into the position of others. As 5A expressed, “I think it is extremely important that I am educated on these issues so I can leverage my privilege for the benefit of groups who aren’t treated the same as I am” and highlighted how the assessment helped her “make a conscious and consistent effort to acknowledge the misconceptions or misunderstandings you may fall victim to as someone in the out-group of that community” (5A). Student IB stated, “the most important skill that I drilled into my head was a constant and relentless checking in with myself to be reminded of how my own place in society effects the way I will perceive these issues,” and 2E highlighted an empathy-informed personal transformation:

I was actually 100% that I will do it because that brief actually touched my heart and I wanted to change and I wanted to make a difference when I write it … when I was writing it, I found myself changing my perspective. I’m not 100% the same when I like wrote it before and now. (2E)

Student comments seem to advance research such as Hurtado (2005) who found that students who engage in diversity-focused courses gained greater social awareness and self-efficacy in terms of addressing the need for cultural diversity. As 5B explained, “the thoughts that my sources shared with me still resonate today and much deeper than secondary research into the topic. I also got to explore examples of previous campaigns and that has impacted my own affinity to certain brands going forward.” Others also noted, “I feel like this is the first step if you change; as 2E also said, if you change your perspective, your behavior, your actions, it’s already an advantage for EDI” (2C).

Students confirmed work by Rashedi, Plante, and Callister (2015) that suggested organizations should demonstrate explicit consciousness toward global issues. We argue it is therefore imperative universities develop leaders who can tackle the world’s most exigent problems and design learning that enables students to address real-world concerns (Nijhuis, Segers, & Gijselaers, 2005; Struyven, Dochy, Janssens, & Gielen, 2006). Given that learning is “highly dependent on the context in which the task is being experienced” (Schmidt, 2020, p. 61), these kinds of challenging briefs offer much deeper learning experiences because they are situated within a broader societal context (Baeten, Kyndt, Struyven, & Dochy, 2010; Felder & Brent, 2005). This was voiced by Student 4E, “it feels like it [the assessment] has a bit more weight behind it. It feels kind of more like it means something … like what you’re doing could actually have an impact and maybe actually changed something.” When assessing students’ approaches to learning, data indicated attention should be placed on tasks that align to student values. For example, 2A claimed, “I chose The Female Lead because I personally found a connection to this topic,” thus highlighting their genuine interest in female empowerment.

Different backgrounds and contexts meant students were motivated by a range of emotional, intellectual, and altruistic intentions. In terms of emotional motives, respondents commented on personal connections with the briefs, “I grew up in a very conservative country, namely Saudi Arabia, it’s a very gendered country, so that’s why it connected to me” (2B) and “it is something that I feel quite passionate about being a minority myself. It’s something that nobody should ever have to encounter” (3D). Such reflections demonstrated the positive effect of experiential learning which encouraged deep self-reflection (Camarero et al., 2009). However, intellectual motives were also demonstrated in a desire to understand the topics, with some students expressing practical appreciation of the assessment, as noted by 2B, “Another aspect was looking at the algorithms (…) which was really interesting (…) even in my report I focused on that aspect much more” and others took it as an opportunity to learn how EDI-could be incorporated into marketing, “I didn’t know how it was being approached from the marketing perspective. And that was my initial motivation to choose the brief” (2C).

Students also shared an altruistic commitment toward the tasks, leveraging their own privilege for the benefit of vulnerable groups being treated less favorably because of a specific protected characteristic such as gender, sexual orientation, or race: “I chose the LGBT Awards brief because as an individual who has a lot of privilege in society as a straight white woman, I think it is extremely important that I am educated on these issues so I can leverage my privilege for the benefit of groups who aren’t treated the same as I am.” (5A). The briefs seem to encourage joint actions, consistent with the findings of Michael, Sebanz, and Knoblich (2016) that individuals were more willing to contribute when they saw others committed to a cause. This was expressed by 3D, “I am activist myself, so this is the perfect outcome of, I mean, the perfect platform for me to just contribute and put my input in it. So that was one of the reasons why I chose it,” and also by student 1B who reflected on how society (and he was) contributing to the problem:

They’re showing all these, you know, beautiful women that are quite thin. I never really considered how they were contributing to that problem and it was only kind of when I started working behind the scenes. And, you know, talking to models and seeing their unhealthy lifestyle that I was like, why are we giving them a platform and why are we letting them like? Why are we contributing to that problem and kind of questioning? Questioning the ethics behind that. And like the role of the firm in promoting that unhealthy stereotype or unhealthy ideal. And exactly so I just wanted to delve into that topic and see how I could do a better job in that role.

Stern (2008) found that students can develop long-lasting critical perspective on diversity and social justice through intrinsically triggered motives (see also Wright & Clarke, 2010), and this was certainly the case when students reflected on the value of marketing. The inclusion of real-life client briefs enabled this change in perspective, with many students realizing that marketing could facilitate social good, rather than just generate sales and profits, “being presented with companies that actually are there to make a change showed me that it’s a lot easier to get involved” (4B). The social causes in the assessment helped students challenge the perception of marketing as being excessively commercial and manipulative, and instead see it as something that can initiate social action (Grier, 2020). This conscious thinking was conveyed by Student 1C, “ … because it has such a strong power and influence on people. Having that ability to be able to influence people in a good way,” further supported by 4B, “when you’re shown something again and again, especially (…) [concerning] social issues, it does make a difference. It does have an impact.” This realization about marketing being ethical was reinforced by opposing examples, and disappointment where firms were not using their platform for “good.” This was raised by Student 2C, “I learn[ed] how up until today the marketing industry is very brainwashed … it was very disappointing to see that even in the 21st century, 2021 (…) people are still not portraying the reality, not being fair.” This sense of dejection and disappointment in marketing was common:

“I’m hopeful that somebody like us come along and make some changes and make that kind of a better space for young woman, but on the whole definitely kind of disappointed and dejected that companies don’t make more of an effort to consider women in their marketing at all. Seems like it was designed by men for men” (4E). Several students said it forced them to look at marketing beyond the corporate lens, building understanding of its inherent value, “I thought that marketing was such a corporate thing to have. I didn’t know that it has this value to it, like it can empower this value to its customers” (2E), and “I’m not learning this because I need to know it. I’m learning this because this is something that is a highly relevant” (3D). The epiphany that ethical marketing could shape society was further noted by 3D, “ … marketing doesn’t have to be for profit, and instead it can actually promote healthy behaviors and charitable causes, [it] doesn’t have to be about selling products that you don’t need.”

Student sentiment mirrored Rivera et al. (2020), who found EDI in the curriculum can positively influence student attitudes toward inclusive marketing strategies. This realization of shared-value principles and inspiring behavioral was further articulated by 2E, “The perspective of how marketing can change our world and gets you to gain a new perspective (…) this project (…) brought to light the aspects of marketing that were really good and the ways that companies can actually be sort of more ethical and be transparent with what they’re doing as well.” The Alumni participants also vocalized this view with the power that businesses hold in “[influencing] to create systemic change from within that can drive social justice agendas at a rate far beyond individual efforts … Marketing has the ability to create or reinforce societal expectations” (5A). The focus then shifted on how to ensure they would be at the center of this change as future leaders.

Apply: Building Employability and Future Career Skills

The “Apply” theme reflects the many comments about employability and the acquisition of new skills and networks. Students acknowledged that a degree should be accompanied by employability skills to give them a competitive edge (Moreau & Leathwood, 2006). This was highlighted by 2B, “When we go into our own industry and get our own jobs the biggest advantage one can have is knowledge. And this course helped us understand different perspectives and put a social justice lens onto some marketing campaigns,” “I felt like this has given a competitive edge” (4A), and “Doing your own research in terms of EDI, picking out key themes and then actually applying it to real-life solutions, I think it’s a great module and skills that you gain from it are really beneficial or use them later on in life” (1A). Such comments reinforce McKinsey (2021) future work survey which placed “fostering inclusiveness” and “empathy” high on the list of key future skills, and echoes Finch, Peacock, Levallet, and Foster (2016), who noted that graduates need to develop people skills in a hyper-competitive job market driven by increasing supply. Additional reflections on skills developed included:

… it sort of gave me that confidence that I could apply what I have learnt in the classroom to actual real life and I could have an impact. (1A)

So it was also trying to address it in the appropriate way to different people and respecting their interests. Their opinions are used to then translate all that information within a report in the right way. I think that was one great skill that I developed through this module. (3B)

Uhm, and I feel like now going forward if I ever have to write a brief for any client, I will feel more confident with it because I know I’ve done this before. I’ve interviewed people before. I kind of know how to structure everything now and going from there. (3C)

There was a sense that the assessment gave students a competitive advantage over peers, “The module has undoubtably given me specialized knowledge within LGBTQ+ marketing and how to appropriately address the community in a business setting, which I know will come up in my professional life” (5A).

The degree to which students felt like “changed people” (4B) was unexpected at the start of the process. Although the researchers expected some new skills to be developed, it was surprising just how empowered students felt because of the assessment task. Students expressed an overwhelming confidence about being responsible future leaders, with some now seeing themselves as future “changemakers” able to make conscious decisions that would help others. For example, 5A expressed, “With this awareness, I hope to be one of the business leaders that has a positive effect on marginalized groups and diminish the effects of those who don’t quite understand how to effectively deliver the message,” and “In terms of my future career, I think I will definitely make my decisions more responsibly because I just realized the impact of each decision, so I will definitely be a more responsible professional” (2A). The briefs facilitated engagement with work with a greater purpose; where students felt it was more than about an assessment grade, “After this module, I’m pretty sure that I want to focus mostly on something that will provide a good social impact and where my work can actually be beneficial to others” (2B), and “I actually feel like I’m doing something great, not only for the company but for other people. Kind of leaving my mark” (2A).

Although employers’ expectations are heterogeneous, there is significant consistency in graduate attributes defined as “key” (Griesel & Parker, 2009), with diversity awareness featuring highly (Hinchliffe & Jolly, 2011). Client 1 underlined this need for graduates who understand EDI, “Having a basic understanding of what the importance around and equity diversity inclusion is really important, and it would give you that edge and that step up beyond and above the average.” As Griffiths (2003, p. 7) argues, “we need to know how to work well with other people. … [we] need to know how to act fairly, intelligently and with humanity,” thus organizations are increasingly prioritizing the recruitment of EDI-conscious candidates into their recruitment, “you’ve got an awareness around that because it’s so important now and it’s a priority for a lot of organizations now” (Client 1). Given some employers want to recruit EDI-conscious students, it seems that students’ belief that this work gave them a competitive edge was well aligned with employer priorities.

Building professional networks was a strong theme, with students indicating that the assessment encouraged them to interact with industry professionals and finding it not only helped them build connections, but also establish long term networks for their future, “I thought it was really rewarding because the challenge actually turned into a good outcome … it’s been really inspiring, and it actually went beyond the assessment and when it came to the interviews because it was more about building your own networks and knowledge” (2E) and “this project really pushed me out of my comfort zone; to actually reach out to people that I don’t know and talk to them from an academic standpoint.” (4B). Students gained appreciation for the types of people they were able to work with, “I felt I managed to network with great minds.” (5B). Ultimately, it was felt important to widen one’s horizon and develop as wider network as possible, “you take away many different skills, sort of like the networking skills so that you’ve actually reached out to other people.” (Client 1). Although there is work such as Peterson and Dover (2014) who found that building online networks increased student proactiveness and visibility, we were surprised by just how many students built long-lasting networks and relationships through the assessment.

By encouraging students to reach out to new networks, they are exposed to real-life situations, which helps build cultural competency (Sandell & Tupy, 2015). The briefs encouraged engagement with a world where colleagues come from diverse backgrounds, encouraging the application of concepts encountered throughout a degree in a practical application (Shaw, 2012). In offering experiences that cannot be easily replicated within a classroom, students were exposed to situations that prepare them for life after graduation (Bridgstock, 2019). The clients noted, “It gives a real-life experience. So essentially what it’s like a working environment and what working life is and from the point of view of the consumer … I also think it’s a good way to build networks for the students, getting knowledge within the working industry from the working space and understand different recruiters, leads, and sets of skills,” (Client 2).

Students were clearly challenged by the assessment and the need to undertake interviews, “So for the challenging part for me was to do the interview … but I think it was the most beneficial part as well because I was training for this company and I got to interview the founder and it was very interesting because I got to see what their actual social impact that they were trying to reach” (2B) and “I also hadn’t reached out to people to interview them before so that helped me with my interpersonal skills and confidence.” (5B). This sense of challenge aligns to what Grier (2020, p. 62) has called “positive discomfort” in students in a safe environment, which in turn enriches their world view, further noted by 3B, “I was just struggling to think about what’s the best platform to contact these people. How do I do this? And I did this by finding the name of the author of an article and managed to get her with an interview through LinkedIn. I think that was an amazing skill that I learned.” Students went through a process of overcoming difficulties which they felt developed resilience and skills that other modules had failed to offer, “I’m actually learning something that I’m applying to the real world which I’m always going to remember” (3D). Alumni respondents also noted this: “I got to develop interviewing skills and also better critical thinking skills in evaluating these campaigns” (5B). Although Seow, Pan, and Koh (2019) highlight the value of experiential learning in developing new skills, students felt that EDI research stretched them more than generic work-based learning. As Student 1A claimed,

I definitely feel like putting theory into practice gives you the confidence and the skills to basically tackle or something similar, whether it’s in another module, university, or if it’s you are doing a research project for a company … it’s such an important thing to be able to take into account different perspectives what whatever you’re doing, not just in marketing or not just that you need just generally in life. It’s such an important skill to have.

Several students believed they developed skills that were essential for increasing their chances of success in academic settings and the job market. Although covered in work such as Franco, Costa, and Butler (2017), the EDI focus offered an additional dimension, “I also feel like I developed how to think critically especially when the message delivered seems well intentioned, but the execution is not so positive” (5A) and “I got to develop interviewing skills and better critical thinking skills in evaluating these campaigns” (5B). The work positively shaped their self-image alongside the development of skills such as conducting interviews, networking, and fostering critical thinking skills, thus advancing Cornell, Johnson, and Schwartz (2013) work on building student self-efficacy by conducting interviews.

Action: Empowerment and Transformation through Impact – Self-Confidence and the Ability to Contribute

The third and final emergent theme was “empowerment” and a desire for action. This was articulated by students in three main ways: a boost in self-confidence, recognition of their potential to make tangible contributions to the client’s mission, and a belief they could make an impact on society. The development of both meta-skills i.e., “the ability to creatively identify, formulate, and solve problems in a business environment” (Finch et al., 2013, p. 54) – and soft skills – i.e., “communication and real-world experience” seem to empower students. For example, “I wasn’t sure how to create something that would make an impact on a company that does so much already. But then I did the research and created something that I’m really proud of” (2A), “going out there and just speaking to people in professional positions gave me so much more confidence in myself” (4A). Being able to confidently apply knowledge seemed to reassure students that they would be able to take on similar projects in the future, thus mirroring Camarero et al. (2009, p. 89), who suggest that experiential learning helps students “feel more confident when applying their knowledge of marketing to a company.” Student 4C explained, “we were actually able to make a leap from just having awareness to applying knowledge in a practical way,” and “I definitely feel like putting theory into practice gives you the confidence and the skills to tackle something similar, whether it’s in another module, university, or a research project for a company” (1A).

It was surprising just how empowering the assessment was for students, with many feeling that the project gave them courage to speak up in the name of social justice, i.e., to tolerate less and demand more, “we need to enhance our knowledge and then we all need to take small actions” (5B). Likewise, 4C noted, “I’ve really developed more of a critical perspective when I’m exposed to those types of topics. I sort of tolerate less and try to speak up.” Data seemed to support Hunt and Laverie (2004, p. 11), who found experiential learning with an ethics focus made students more perceptive of ethical issues and equipped them to find well-informed solutions to ethical dilemmas. Some said they developed a strong conviction, which they would take into a professional setting, “I will be more fearless. Even if people will tell me you can’t change this, I will not accept this because now I feel empowered. I would still push it and try to make an impact” (2A). One student said the project gave them the confidence to leave an employer due to their lack of ethical practices, “if they’re not going to change, I’m leaving. I don’t want to be part of this. I don’t want to contribute to that” (1B).

The assessment gave many a sense of purpose, with several stating that the thought of influencing the trajectory of a company’s initiatives motivated their efforts, “It feels kind of more like it means something, like what you’re doing could actually have an impact and maybe actually change something” (4E) This sense of applying theory in practice (Camarero et al., 2009; Darian & Coopersmith, 2001), was deemed to be a powerful dimension of the work, “it was really valuable to work with a real-life client because it made you feel like your work has an impact, like this is something meaningful; and enjoyable as well” (1B). Aligned to this was also the desire to impress the client. As 4E observed, “we knew there was a real client behind it, there were actual people that were going look at your work. So, you want to impress, and you want to show that you can come up with something good. It’s like a motivating [factor].” Given the need for personal investment, it seems Brennan’s (2014) critique of experiential learning in marketing education could be partly addressed with real EDI briefs. Student 1C expressed it as a feeling of responsibility toward the client, “you kinda wanted to make it good and make it something that someone could actually use because it was being directed at a real-life client,” echoing Ackerman and Hu (2011, p. 273) who found that experiential learning when adopted sensitively fostered higher student motivation compared to more passive learning methods.

Ackerman and Hu (2011) also found that autonomy was one of the key predictors of motivation and satisfaction in experiential learning, and many students felt the assessment offered a chance to advocate their own position on a meaningful issue, “In school, you just have to follow the flow and you have to conform to their rules. But this brief gave me freedom to take my own stance on things … . It made me feel that my work is actually valuable” (4B), “I really wanted to make a real impact” (2A), “to change [things] and to make a difference when I write [my assessment]” (2E), “Feel[ing] like you are actually doing something and putting your words into action … really motivated me (2C). Student insights were highly valued by clients, regarding them as an opportunity to “future-proof” their ideas, “I think the most important thing is understanding the next generation’s perspectives on stuff. It’s really important as a business to future-proof what you’re doing and making sure that you’re engaging the widest population of people. So, for me, that’s probably the most important thing: getting feedback from young people, students. We’ve seen that as really valuable in helping innovation” (Client 1). Seeing their work incorporated into the client’s work was validating for many, as summarized by 5B, “I remember you emailing the link to stream the LGBT Awards last year and being told our assignments were used. It was a proud moment.”

Finally, the chance to make a difference beyond the classroom empowered students (see also Allan & Wood, 2009; Granitz, 2001): “I [was able to] contribute to society, and actually feel like I’m doing something great, not only for the company but for other people” (2A). Students expressed appreciation that clients implemented their ideas, “[Being] presented with a real-life brief was my opportunity to present my contribution [to the social issue]. Just the fact that [Client 1] said she actually would consider it was a serious thing. This was the perfect platform for me to contribute and put my input in it” (3D). Given endorsement of influential EDI organizations, students felt they had the power to make a difference, to both companies and wider society, “I realized that we all have our individual power” (2A) and “we actually got the chance to change the issue” (4C) which many felt they hadn’t had in the curriculum despite research highlighting the importance of cultivating a desire for social reform in students (McLean, 2018). Student 2C noted, “I realized that we all need to do more” and felt the briefs catalyzed a sort of epiphany about their role in society and how they can support different causes, 1B believed, “it offers something that “could potentially inspire people or like have an impact”; 4C felt the work made a positive impact to others, “we could really start to make a change and then educate others about it.”

In the cases where students already had a keen awareness for social issues, “I’ve always avidly advocated for social justice and this assignment just made it stronger” (5B), the work reinforced their values. Although the ability to make a difference generally manifested itself in a positive light, a few students also expressed a sense of frustration, “It just made me feel disappointed in a lot of marketing. It frustrated me because a lot of these brands profess to be very inclusive, but then you look at their social media marketing they’re just not diverse enough. So, I think if anything it made me feel frustrated and hopeful that maybe we can come along and make some changes” (4E). Students expressed feeling frustrated at a lack of momentum in addressing social issues, but felt they channeled this into the work. Redirecting frustrations into action plans in their assessment seem to galvanize a sense of empowerment, with 5B stating the assignment “pushed me further towards demanding authenticity to be genuine and not just to guise corporate greed.” This sense of empowerment advances findings by Diener and Biswas-Diener (2005) who showed that by reframing students’ negative thoughts into a sense that they could make a difference motivated and improved their wellbeing. Student 2A summarized this well:

By the end, the most rewarding part was the fact that I realized it, I’m maybe only a second year, but at the same time I have the power to change something as we all do. And before that I told myself that when ‘I’m older and I have a great job, I will make an impact but now I’m kind of powerless because there are 8 billion people in the world. Who am I’? But, with this I realized that we all have our individual power.

Applying the 3A Framework

The 3A framework offers three simple design principles for educators looking to ensure that class tasks and assessments are meaningful, transformational, authentic, and foster deeper learning beyond the period of the assessment. As universities look to nurture “assessment for learning” (Sambell, McDowell, & Montgomery, 2012) and seek ways of advancing social justice agendas (McArthur, 2016), we argue that this framework provides some fundamental considerations. For marketing education to make a real difference to diversity and inclusion issues, and directly address some of the world’s key social inequalities, it is our duty as educators to set assessments that raise our students “Awareness,” allow them to “Apply” knowledge and prompt real “Action” – this is what makes the assessment worthwhile and live beyond the assessment and grade. It would be a missed opportunity to consign the considerations of EDI issues to one lecture, or to a guest speaker: they need to frame and inform the course.

Although the client briefs and examples will differ by module, context, and country, the principles are generalizable and applicable across marketing education. We need to ask ourselves the following questions when we set assessments: how are we going to ensure our students engage directly with EDI issues, and will this assessment make a positive difference to them and society? If it doesn’t, then we should be asking what its purpose is; for example, if published cases are used for teaching, then how might the case we choose explicitly raise awareness of EDI issues? How might students develop skills using it – it doesn’t have to be interviews and market research, but could be other research activities, presenting themes to others, or applying creative skills to a design brief etc.), and then how might that initial case prompt an action such as creating a podcast, article, or artifact that can be implemented and used again? We suggest that real-life client problems excite students and bring value to many stakeholders – organizations are grappling with a myriad of issues, and educators have a chance to harness that need and match it to the desire of students to do something meaningful. Approaching local organizations and asking if they would value student input on issues such as making their marketing and advertising more inclusive, attracting more diverse talent, or supporting a celebration event of a particular marginalized group transforms assessment into immediately more valuable tasks. As 2C outlined:

Sure, I think that the fact that it was a real-world assessment was something very new to me because before that all the assessments were either exams or just like usual reports with little long-term value for me. But like for the first time in my life, I had a real-world project which was scary, but I really liked it. Again, the idea behind it and in a sense, yes - I felt like it made a difference. (2C)

The applications of our proposed framework are therefore manifold. For example, the 3As can be adopted and utilized to solidify and improve educational curricula beyond marketing courses. By ensuring that students are exposed to a diverse range of social issues (Awareness), given the opportunity to develop practical skills (Apply), and encouraged to make a positive impact on society (Action), the framework acts as a template for designing assessments and curricula that nurture inclusive, altruistic future changemakers.

Conclusion

It has been argued that using real-life client briefs with EDI content and purpose provides “something meaningful” – offering a powerful way to advance social justice issues through experiential learning and assessment in the marketing curriculum. In doing so, we hope we have made two main contributions. First, the work has advanced knowledge and understanding using an empirical study on how marketing education can be made far more meaningful by offering a more personally motivating method of assessment and engagement. By using real-life problems presented by external clients with an explicit social justice and EDI focus, we have not only demonstrated that marketing education can prepare students to become responsible future leaders and marketing practitioners with the skills the world needs, but evidenced how marketing education can be designed to directly address the needs and wants of an increasingly diverse society through student-action and application. Second, this work has also illustrated the value of student partnership and co-creation in the research process to advance more inclusive pedagogic scholarship.

In terms of building knowledge about how equality and diversity can be addressed in marketing education, we have suggested there is wide-ranging benefit when students engage with real-life client brief assessments with a social justice imperative. The adoption of EDI briefs could be said to reflect what Boud and Soler (2016) call “sustainable assessment” methods that both satisfy the need to assess a student’s ability whilst also preparing them as future citizens. The research suggests real-life client briefs fulfil the “double duty” of making assessment beneficial to students, both in an academic and in a future work context (Boud & Soler, 2016). In framing the findings within a “3A Assessment Framework” of “Awareness,” “Apply,” and “Action,” we hope that our study will encourage educators to adopt a similar model when considering how EDI might be introduced into the curriculum. We have argued that assessment should do three things: raise “Awareness” of broader societal issues and foster a transformation in terms of personal views and long-term intentions; ensure students have the opportunity to develop core skills and build meaningful networks they could directly “Apply” in their future careers and jobs; and there should be “Action” where students are empowered to undertake work that makes a tangible difference to their client, to society, and the world. When the assessment was originally designed, we had no idea how profound the long-term experience would be on many of the students – the empowerment of students to act and speak has been a delightful and surprising impact. We expected awareness to be raised, but the level of empowerment expressed by them exceeded expectations.

We have argued that marketing education can tangibly advance societal good, demonstrating how it is possible to meaningly embed meaningful assessment into a core curriculum. Whilst further research would be required to confirm the extent to which all students were more motivated and committed to their projects, it seems the combination of the EDI topics and the prospect of their conclusions being genuinely sought after by clients was welcomed. Students reported a sense of fulfillment and increased satisfaction, enhancing the value of the marketing assessment when compared to more conventional assessment forms:

It would be amazing to have this kind of approach in other assessments so I can actually challenge myself to not only be successful in generating revenues, but also contribute to society, and actually feel like I’m doing something great, not only for the company but for other people. Kind of making and leaving my mark. (2A)

Second, this work has demonstrated the methodological value of coauthorship with students. In terms of adopting collaborative methodology, it was clear that the partnership had benefits, and has the potential to deliver enhanced academic performance and build student confidence. As student authors, it was felt that the methodological contribution of coauthorship was significant, being best summarized as offering authenticity and representativeness. First, in terms of authenticity, student involvement provided an “insider” perspective (De Bie, Marquis, Cook-Sather, & Luqueño, 2019), which proved especially valuable during the data analysis. Students are arguably better situated to interpret the experiences of other students, and less likely to make false assumptions (Hellawell, 2006), thereby providing an internal validity check. It was felt that with students at the center of the analysis, the project’s findings would better reflect the experiences of its participants, and less would be “lost in translation.” There is greater representativeness. Given that students were actively engaged as equal partners in the design, development, and execution of the project, as opposed to being granted “tokenistic” representation (Cornwall, 2008), the findings of the paper can be considered more representative of student opinion. Although this does not imply generalizability, it does mean that the findings more accurately reflect the experiences of its sample. It is perhaps only under the condition that student opinions are accurately captured, that academics can confidently respond with targeted measures that make a positive impact. This level of engagement provided an opportunity (so often unavailable in the confines of a term-based curriculum) to reflect on what they learned with the benefit of hindsight.

However, although rich qualitative data were generated, there are several limitations that should be considered and reflected in future studies. One issue was the small sample size of alumni involved and the limited number of client interviews secured in the time available – although these sources were supplementary and not the main data generation method, these samples should be extended in a larger study. Despite the small sample groups of these participants, the central focus was the student experience, and the focus groups brought to the surface many of the most pertinent insights and themes. Unfortunately, the research project was conceived mid-way through the delivery of the 2021/2 module and therefore was not designed from the start with an opportunity to set a “baseline” of knowledge and skills (e.g. through an all class survey) before then being able to qualitatively assess the degree of transformation experienced by students during the process. Looking forward, we hope that this exploratory study will both prompt educators to undertake coauthorship of papers with their undergraduate students, and, more importantly, that marketing educators will consider the introduction of more authentic, more sustainable real-life cases and assessments into their marketing curriculum that advance a social justice agenda and offer truly “transformational” (Lubicz-Nawrocka & Bovill, 2021) and meaningful experiences.

So I feel like it was just really valuable to work with a real life client because it made you feel like you know your work has an impact, so just the thought of like maybe they’ll read it. Maybe it then inspires them to go in some sort of new direction. Or maybe like there’s something in my research project that they’ll enjoy. I just like the thought of my research project having an impact and this really fueled my research and really made me feel like this is something meaningful and you know, enjoyable as well. (1B)

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Appendix 1

Assessment brief (summary version): Final report in response to social justice client brief and two examples

The final assessment is a report in response to a real-life client brief with a social justice/equality and diversity focus. You will need to design and conduct research linked to one of the tasks set by our clients. The submission must include some literature, primary research findings, analysis, and recommendations. Choose one of the provided briefs provided by our speakers (each will provide a lecture and session – see weekly schedule). It is important you have questions prepared for them!

The format of the real-life authentic assessment approach was very popular last year, and I hope you also enjoy working on something that has real impact and purpose. I ensure most of our clients have an equality and diversity focus, and are committed to a social justice agenda. This means our clients align to our School’s mission and values. We want to ensure that marketing does good, and we make the world a better place!

Purpose: by generating some limited qualitative primary (interviews – online or in person) and secondary (desk-based) research, you will take the role of a marketing consultant and produce a report in response to one of the client briefs given to you that address one of the contemporary topics covered by this module. Ethics clearance has been obtained as a class, so there is no need for you to secure it. You have completed the research methods module, so use these skills in this module!

Use and incorporate academic literature, your own reflections regarding the contemporary issues, in addition to interview data from stakeholders (not consumers or other students), and our guest speakers. Your report should include an introduction and conclusion. You should also include details about how you have critically examined contemporary issues that are affecting marketing in the global context and how this informs your approach to the brief. Your writing should discuss and apply theoretical concepts and frameworks outlined in the module and the recommended readings.

Use the marking rubric to guide you. I will provide case-study-based tutorials, but guest speakers (our clients) will also be talking to you throughout the module and are available to ask questions and you should use them as a source in your report. You can cite their name and position (if they give you consent).

Submission Requirements: Word count: 3,500 words. Indicative structure: title of brief, outline of brief in an introduction, a review of literature and industry insights, methods and interview approach, themes that emerge, recommendations, reflections, reference list, and appendix (i.e. ethics forms, you must include at least one fully typed up interview transcription, and the information sheet that was sent to your interviewees).

Table

Summary marking criteria (see detailed rubric provided)	Overall mark weighting %	Learning Outcomes
Understanding of the issues and brief	30	1, 2
Demonstrate knowledge of how to conduct research (rationale, interview conduct, consent, info, transcripts)	30	3
Recommendations provided based on findings	20	4, 5
Structure and presentation of report	10	6
Referencing & Bibliography & Appendices (must include interview information and consent form)	10	6
TOTAL	100

Example 1: The Female Lead: #Disrupting the feed

Aim

• Produce a report for The Female Lead with recommendations on how they can approach and engage companies to encourage them to use positive social media feeds to empower young women and girls.

• How can the Female Lead build on the research undertaken to date and continue to inspire and support girls and women? How can they remove the persistent, often elusive, inhibitors to aspiration that seem fixed in some women’s lives?

• How can the Female Lead promote challenging stereotypes through digital storytelling?

• Build on the extensive research by the client (in the folder)

• Video link outlining project provided [link provided to students]

Who is our audience?

Companies. Female Lead would like to know how they should be advising companies to take on the insight/learnings from the research and this initial project.

The assessment brief

• Watch the video from Edwina Dunn, CEO of the Female Brief and Terri Apter’s research (additional research papers provided to accompany this brief)

• Recommendations on how companies can change the algorithm in terms of social media

• Provide a context about the use of social media in marketing and especially in fostering more diverse and representational advertising and marketing (Week 3).

Research undertaken to date

• See reports within folder on the Female Lead

• In 2017, The Female Lead commissioned data science company Starcount to analyze the social profiles of teens who chose to follow the social media accounts of The Female Lead’s diverse collection of female role models.

• Starcount’s research, which analyzed thousands of the social media accounts of UK teens, found that teenage girls who follow two or more Female Lead role models engage with social media in ways that differ from that of majority of teenage girls in the UK:

• Of all the celebrities teen girls follow, the 50 most influential are 72% male; in contrast, for teen girls who follow at least two people featured in The Female Lead, the 50 most influential celebrities are 80% female.

• Role-model-following teens were also much more likely self-describe on social media with words such as “aspire”, “dream”, “enthusiast”, and “feminist”.

• The Female Lead staged a year-long intervention with 13–18 year-old girls from five different schools to test whether following inspirational female role models could have a positive effect on mental health, self-belief, and aspiration.

• Overall, the results indicated a strong correlation between following female role models on social media and a more positive and aspirational self-image.

Where are our competitors in the minds of our target audience?

• More lucrative commercial stories and messaging in terms of “aspirational” looks and products associated

• Diet products

• Using social media influencers that seamlessly integrate into the typical feeds of girls and young women

Where do we want to be in the minds of our target audience?

• This is a brief to inform companies and how they use social media as a tool for empowering women

• Be seen as social-media pioneers in terms of challenging the types of role models and influencers used to promote products

• Creating a positive halo effect by associating with high-achieving females

• Creating a distinctive brand identity

What is the big idea?

• Transform how companies use social media to promote products and services

• Redefine what an influencer/social media star can be admired for

• Promote the use of inspirational role models that boost mental health rather than create feelings of inadequacy

What is the tone of voice of the communication?

• Clear and persuasive for companies

• Professional and research-informed

Communications required

• Follow up campaign – print and social media

• Timely, relevant, local, and believable interventions

Evidence required

• A report that is research-informed and looks at other similar campaigns to inform ideas. Examples of similar campaigns that have been effective and why

• Use academic literature to support recommendations

• Stakeholder mapping (who needs to be involved in the work?)

• Interview with at least one expert on social media and positive representation

Example 2: Celebrating Black History Month: a big brand campaign for October

Context and background

The Black Lives Matter Movement hit the headlines in 2020 following the brutal murder of George Floyd, but the campaign and fight for racial equity is not new. Black History Month has been an annual event since the 1970s. It first originated in America. The event is intended to recognize the contribution and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage and is an opportunity for people to learn more about the effects of racism and how to challenge negative stereotypes. Black History Month focuses on and celebrates black British history and key black figures from the UK.

This assignment brief supports a project aligned to work that [client name removed] is developing in conjunction with some leading brands including Lloyds Banking Group, Legal and General, and Channel 4. These brands are looking to collaborate for Black History Month in October 2021 and put in place something for the longer term. They are looking to develop a campaign using the strength of their brands which might involve something like a badge or logo change or something similar (an example for LGBTQ+ is the rainbow). Ideas include a unifying hashtag to highlight the purpose of the campaign and to show support of Black History Month from businesses and brands.

A round-table discussion on this has taken place and the companies have started formulating objectives, but they are looking to you for ideas and inspiration to bring them together. This is a marketing and brand challenge that could have real impact. It is a chance for you to make a difference and be associated with a national brand project!

Aim

You are tasked with developing a plan that outlines how companies should and could align with purpose, both as employers and helping ethnically minority communities.

• The campaign must not be seen as being tokenistic and must be positive

• The campaign must help show unity by engaging leading organizations and brands in collaborating and unity against racism

• The best projects will contribute to the campaign that you will see happen in October 2021 (what a fantastic opportunity for the CV!).

• You need to provide recommendations on the approach brands should take to ensure there is positive brand equity, but, more importantly, how brands can come together for good.

Who is our audience?

You are writing to inform the project planning for this campaign. You need to convince Sarah, but also the brands that are coming together to plan for October 2021. It is a high-profile campaign because it is likely to be supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group so it is Government-backed so needs to be professional, focused, and research-informed.

The assessment brief

• To start, engage with Week 3 materials and attend Sarah Garrett’s live webinar (week 3) on representation and diversity marketing.

• Research and outline what makes a positive diversity (brand) campaign.

• Draw on other diversity and Black Lives Matter campaigns from wider diversity marketing research and practice to inform your ideas and proposals.

• Consider and outline how can brands be seen to be progressive, positive, and sensitive without alienating mainstream populations and traditional status quos.

• Consider and reflect on what brands are trying to achieve by being involved with this proposed campaign. How does this feed into the wider context of the purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement and Black History Month?

Research undertaken to date

Some research has started. A few ideas that have emerged to date include an agreed message/hashtag and/or a social media message that a few organizations who’ve made public commitments to act (see Channel 4 slides). You might also want to consider a potential external banner on LinkedIn/Twitter that could be applied for/within the month with an agreed message linked to bullet one. Or you might think a page where companies can share why they are taking action and link to further information that they are doing and have publicly committed to e.g. Our Race Action Plan could have impact. In early conversations, companies mentioned theming on celebration and collaboration for BHM was a good idea. They wanted to see community and charity involvement. They valued a centralized place for publishing any BHM external events.

Where do we want to be in the minds of our target audience?

The theme for the BHM month is about celebrating Black excellence and external content aims to highlight this throughout October and in future years. The client is interested in considering adopting a uniting hashtag. This has been discussed with plans to re-group and collaborate earlier to do something more in year two. In terms of transparency, brands wish to share their plans to encourage other organizations to take action – Our stand for Racial Equality

What is the big idea?

Bring leading brands together through the vehicle of Black History Month to raise awareness of racial equality and address wider societal issues of diversity and inclusion. Your campaign report might want to think about:

• Role Models: our people stories – written blogs and short videos – showcasing our Black talent (and other ethnicities as the work continues post BHM), their career journeys, current roles and outside, as mentors etc. These will be shared internally and on social platforms.

• Brand: they have been working with an agency to create an e-mail signature and Teams background image for BHM which will have logos. There is likely to be a new logo for BHM 2021 (US in Feb and again for BHM UK/Europe in October).

Your report should address the value (or not) of the hashtag concept, e.g. #TogetherForRaceEquality, #UnitedAgainstRaceInequality, #CelebratingBlackExcellenceTogether. Some early ideas for a hashtag are #WalkTalkRace #EmBRACEtogether #WalkTalkRaceTogether although some may be too long given character limits on Twitter. There’s a company already called Embrace Race #EMbRace #EMbraceRACE and #BeColourBrave … . And Color Brave is trademarked so can’t be used.

What is the tone of voice of the communication?

• Professional and research-informed

• Written for key influencers in leading national brands

• It must emphasize the brands’ commitment to change and be more transparent as the project moves forward.

• Black Lives Matter must focus on people … e.g. Acting Together to continue to listen, have open dialogue about race (all races), and being advocates for change

Communications required

We are looking for a report informed by research and practice covering all areas of the client brief above. They are looking for an aligned and collaborative campaign that organizations can join and commit to for the next few years, starting with 2021. Companies are worried that a logo change might be too short a time frame to turn around, so what might work? You need to consider:

• Some form of alignment on brand and exposure, through choice of a) logo change, b) collaborative banner, or c) symbol, etc.

• Use of a collaborative hashtag, and commitment to using through social channels (CEO LinkedIn post about actions with unified hashtag)

• Transparency: perhaps a page on their website with their actions on and what they are doing and resources/initiatives they are currently running – it might be possible to link all these to a centralized place for participating companies.

Evidence required

• A well-written report that is research-informed and looks at other similar campaigns to inform ideas: Draw on examples of similar campaigns that have been effective and why

• Use academic literature to support recommendations and focus on issues of woke and similar big brand campaigns/social media etc.

• Stakeholder mapping in terms of what and who needs to be considered (brand marketing teams, BHM figures etc.), and why.

• Interview with at least one expert on Black Lives Matter, equality, brand, diversity marketing, or any area associated with this kind of campaign.