Overview
Most countries now have economies in which service products represent over 50% of GDP, and are experiencing digital revolutions in the marketing of service products. In this unit, you will focus on the challenges of marketing service products and the corresponding managerial implications in the modern digital world. You will gain a solid understanding of service marketing theories to guide your practical applications in this exciting area of marketing. The focus of this unit is on the 7Ps of service marketing as applied to businesses in the digital era. The unit also specifically covers the integration of marketing, management, and customer relations in competitive digital environments and markets.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: MRKT20052 Marketing Management and Digital Communications.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
I appreciate teachers' dedication and passion. They put in a tremendous amount of effort to send weekly content emails and always respond quickly to questions, even outside of working hours.
Continue to value and support the dedication and passion of teachers. Maintain the current level of engagement and enthusiasm in lectures.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
The feedback provided on assignments was helpful but sometimes lacked specific details on how to improve.
Enhance the feedback on assignments by providing specific, actionable suggestions for improvement. Include targeted comments that highlight both strengths and areas needing development, ensuring students clearly understand how to apply the feedback to improve future work.
Feedback from Self reflection
It would be helpful to have more examples or practical applications to relate the theory to real-world scenarios.
Incorporate more real-life examples and case studies into lectures and workshops to help students better understand and apply theoretical concepts.
- Critically analyse the nature of service industries and be able to differentiate between goods and services and their marketing in the digital world
- Identify and apply the major factors presented in the literature that improve the digital marketing of services
- Critically analyse the marketing situations of services using a number of the main analytical tools for the digital age
- Analyse and critically discuss the role of customer service and each of the 7Ps in order to improve service industry marketing in the digital world.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Essentials of Services Marketing
3rd Global Edition (2018)
Authors: Wirtz, J. & Lovelock, C.H.
Pearson USA
ISBN: 9781292089959; 9781292090061(ebook)
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.ban@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Service Marketing.
Chapter
Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Overviews of the unit profile, assessments, and Moodle mapping
In-class activities: Discussion questions/exercise/case study.
Module/Topic
Consumer Behaviour in a services context & Positioning Services in competitive markets.
Chapter
Chapter 2 & 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion, overview, and mapping of the resources for the assessment task 1.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Module/Topic
Developing Service Products and Brands.
Chapter
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Distributing Services Though Physical and Electronic Channels.
Chapter
Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion: assessment task 1.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Individual presentation Due: Week 4 Friday (4 Apr 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Setting Prices and Implementing Revenue Management.
Chapter
Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion, overview, and mapping the resources for the assessment task 2.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise case study.
Module/Topic
Vacation
Chapter
Vacation
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation
Module/Topic
Promoting Services and Educating Customers.
Chapter
Chapter 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Module/Topic
Designing Service Processes
Chapter
Chapter 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion: assessment task 2
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Written Assessment (Services Marketing Cases) Due: Week 7 Friday (2 May 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Crafting the service environment.
Chapter
Chapter 10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion, overview, and mapping the resources for the assessment task 3.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Module/Topic
Managing people for service advantage.
Chapter
Chapter 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion: assessment task 3.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Module/Topic
Managing Relationships and Building Loyalty
Chapter
Chapter 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion: assessment task 3.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Module/Topic
Complaint Handling and Service Recovery.
Chapter
Chapter 13
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion: assessment task 3.
In-class activities: Discussion questions/ exercise/ case study.
Written Assessment (a service brand equity framework) Due: Week 11 Friday (30 May 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Improving service quality and productivity.
Chapter
Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive discussion, closing the unit, and concluding remarks.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation
The ability to design and deliver effective service marketing presentations is critical to the success of any marketing career. In this assessment task, you as a "service marketing expert” will demonstrate your ability in this regard. Your task is to develop a 3-minute marketing pitch presentation for a new service product for a service-providing company in the digital world. You will consider the marketing literature or real-world resources (e.g. news releases, business press, and consumer reviews) to understand and articulate expected consumer values for the 'service product concept'. Your presentation should demonstrate the value propositions to the target market and justify the potential of the 'service product concept' in the digital market.
Be creative! In your pitch, include the following key areas:
• Describe the new service offer – Identify the core and any supplementary elements for the new service.
• Briefly define and justify a target market for the new service.
• Develop an effective positioning strategy and identify your competitive advantage.
• Justify and explain why the new service product concept is innovative and attractive to the market with supporting evidence.
• Provide relevant theories/models/ frameworks to justify your arguments.
This presentation should be made within 3 minutes and through 5 PowerPoint slides. The slides should follow the subsequent structure:
1. Student information and presentation title
2. Description of the new service product offer
3. Target market
4. Positioning strategy and value propositions
5. Reference lists (more than 3 academic references).
In the "click to add notes" section of each slide, please provide the corresponding script of that slide.
Hence, in that section, you will need to write out or at least outline what you intend to say in your presentation for that slide.
On-campus students will deliver their presentations in class before, during, or after week 5 depending on their local lecturer/ tutor’s scheduling.
Distance education students are required to submit their PowerPoint presentations with voiceover on Moodle by the due date. For hints on how to convert a PowerPoint slide to a presentation with voiceover, please view the link.
This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. The appropriate AI scale level for this Assessment is AI PLANNING. You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 4 Friday (4 Apr 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 6 Friday (25 Apr 2025)
Expected release time to students is 2 weeks after the submission, excluding public and University holidays time.
- Explanation (4 marks)
- Demonstration (4 marks)
- Identification (4 marks)
- Justification (4 marks)
- Presentation (4 marks)
- Critically analyse the nature of service industries and be able to differentiate between goods and services and their marketing in the digital world
- Critically analyse the marketing situations of services using a number of the main analytical tools for the digital age
2 Written Assessment
Length: The report must be 1600 words in length (excluding the title page, table of contents, reference list, and appendices).
Format: Your report should be in Word (.doc or .docx) using Times New Roman, size 12 font, and 1.5 line spacing. There is a minimum of 10 academic journal articles in APA style.
Task Description: Select a 'service-providing company' of your choice. You may choose the same company analysed in Assessment Task 1. In this assessment, you will develop a services marketing case examining how Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation has influenced the marketing mix elements (4Ps) of the selected company within the digital era.
Your case study should include the following key components:
1. Background:
- Provide a brief overview of the company, including its core services and market position.
- Explain the role of AI innovation in enhancing the company’s service offerings and competitive advantage.
2. Impact of AI on services marketing:
- Evaluate how AI influences any two (2) elements of the marketing mix (4Ps) to enhance customer service and satisfaction within the selected company and/or industry.
- Support your discussion with relevant references.
3. Recommendations:
- Examine how AI facilitates new opportunities or addresses challenges by influencing any marketing mix elements (4Ps).
- Provide well-supported two (2) recommendations with clear justification.
4. Self-reflection
- Reflect on the key insights gained from this assessment
- Discuss how these learnings can be applied in the future.
- Consider relevant cases, textbook(s), published research papers, marketing theories, authentic web sources, reviews, etc.
- Penalties will be applied for exceeding the word limit, with a 1% deduction for every 100 words over the allowed 1600-word limit.
- There will be a late penalty of 2 marks (5% of 40) for each day late.
This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. The appropriate AI scale level for this Assessment is AI PLANNING. You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 7 Friday (2 May 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 9 Friday (16 May 2025)
- Background (8 marks)
- Impact of AI on services marketing (9 marks)
- Recommendations (9 marks)
- Self-reflection (9 marks)
- Report presentation (5 marks)
- Critically analyse the nature of service industries and be able to differentiate between goods and services and their marketing in the digital world
- Identify and apply the major factors presented in the literature that improve the digital marketing of services
- Analyse and critically discuss the role of customer service and each of the 7Ps in order to improve service industry marketing in the digital world.
3 Written Assessment
Length: The total word limit for this assessment task is 1600 words (excluding the title page, table of contents, reference list, and appendices).
Format: Text for your report should be word-processed (.docx or .doc), Times New Roman, 12 size font, and line spacing 1.5 in Word. There is a minimum of 10 academic journal articles in APA style.
Task Description: As a brand equity manager for a reputable service company/brand, you have been requested to prepare a report suggesting how to enhance brand equity in the digital world.
Your report should include the following key features.
• Identification: Identify key factors that affect service brand equity in the digital age.
• Explanation: Provide reflections from literature and in the context of your company/brand and explain how the identified factors would help to achieve brand equity.
• Formulation: Formulate context-specific and realistic strategies for enhancing brand equity for the identified factors that are clustered under the 7Ps of services marketing mix elements: choose the most relevant three (3) elements from the 7Ps of services marketing mix and discuss them in detail. Support your analysis with relevant theories and/or concepts studied in this unit.
• Report presentation: Present the report in a professional manner, including expression, grammar, sentence, style, format, title page, table of contents, citation, references, etc.
Please find below some notes for this task.
- Consider relevant cases, textbook(s), published research papers, marketing theories, authentic web sources, reviews, etc.
- Penalties will be applied for exceeding the word limit, with a 1% deduction for every 100 words over the allowed 1600-word limit.
- There will be a late penalty of 2 marks (5% of 40) for each day late.
This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. The appropriate AI scale level for this Assessment is AI PLANNING. You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 11 Friday (30 May 2025) 5:00 pm AEST
Assessment will be returned following Certification of Grades (11 July 2025).
- Identification (8 marks)
- Explanation (12 marks)
- Formulation (12 marks)
- Research / Presentation (8 marks)
- Identify and apply the major factors presented in the literature that improve the digital marketing of services
- Critically analyse the marketing situations of services using a number of the main analytical tools for the digital age
- Analyse and critically discuss the role of customer service and each of the 7Ps in order to improve service industry marketing in the digital world.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
