Business, Commerce and Management Studies Marketing

Understanding Marketing Communications Role and Nature Training

SAQA US 252192 | NQF 4 | Credits 6 | Duration 3 Days
From $967 per delegate

Description

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the nature and role of marketing communications within a business context. Participants will explore how marketing communications contribute to organisational success by effectively conveying value propositions and building stakeholder relationships. The course equips learners with the foundational knowledge to integrate marketing communications strategies into broader business objectives.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and role of marketing communications in achieving organisational objectives.
  • Apply key marketing communication principles to develop integrated communication strategies.
  • Analyze the impact of environmental factors on marketing communication decisions.
  • Evaluate different marketing communication tools and their effectiveness in various contexts.
  • Implement ethical and legal considerations in marketing communication campaigns.
  • Design a basic marketing communication plan aligned with organisational goals.

Target Audience

This course is designed for marketing assistants, communication officers, and entry-level professionals seeking to understand the fundamentals of marketing communications. It is also suitable for non-marketing managers who need to collaborate with marketing teams.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Marketing Communications

Objectives:
• Define marketing communications and its role in the marketing mix
• Identify the key elements of the communication process
• Explain the purpose and scope of integrated marketing communications
• Differentiate between various communication tools and channels
• Recognise the importance of target audience analysis

Topics:
• Introduction to marketing communications
• The communication process: sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback
• Role of marketing communications in the marketing mix
• Overview of the promotional mix: advertising, PR, sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling
• Integrated marketing communications (IMC) concept
• Target audience segmentation and profiling
• Ethical and legal considerations in marketing communications
• Case study: successful IMC campaigns

Day 2: Strategic Planning and Message Development

Objectives:
• Develop communication objectives aligned with marketing goals
• Apply the AIDA model and hierarchy of effects
• Craft effective messages using persuasive techniques
• Select appropriate media channels based on audience and budget
• Evaluate the role of digital and social media in modern communications

Topics:
• Setting communication objectives (awareness, interest, desire, action)
• Hierarchy of effects model
• Message strategy: rational, emotional, and moral appeals
• Creative execution styles (e.g., slice-of-life, testimonial, demonstration)
• Media planning: reach, frequency, and impact
• Traditional vs. digital media channels
• Social media marketing and influencer partnerships
• Budgeting and ROI measurement basics

Day 3: Implementation, Evaluation, and Integration

Objectives:
• Implement a coordinated marketing communications plan
• Measure and evaluate communication effectiveness
• Analyse case studies of integrated campaigns
• Adapt strategies for different market contexts
• Reflect on the role of marketing communications in brand building

Topics:
• Coordinating promotional tools for synergy
• Campaign implementation timeline and touchpoints
• Metrics for evaluating effectiveness: awareness, recall, conversion
• Pre-testing and post-testing methods
• Case studies: successful and failed campaigns
• Crisis communication and reputation management
• Future trends: AI, personalisation, sustainability
• Course review and action planning

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Wed 09 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Wed 30 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Tue 20 Oct 2026 Thu 22 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Wed 09 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Wed 13 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Thu 18 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Wed 03 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Wed 10 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Tue 16 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Wed 09 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Wed 30 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Tue 20 Jul 2027 Thu 22 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Wed 08 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Wed 29 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Tue 19 Oct 2027 Thu 21 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Wed 08 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Wed 29 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Thu 20 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $4,552 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,392 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,230 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $4,552 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,447 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 15 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Wed 07 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 28 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 15 Dec 2026 Thu 17 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Wed 20 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 24 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Thu 11 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 24 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 15 Jun 2027 Thu 17 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Wed 07 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 28 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 14 Sep 2027 Thu 16 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Wed 06 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 27 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 14 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Wed 05 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 26 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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