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Marketing in action

Whether you are interested in a career in marketing or merely curious about how marketing works, this module provides an opportunity to explore marketing practice in action. The module is built around marketing communications as a fundamental marketing practice and is informed by insights from practitioners. You’ll learn how marketing is applied in different contexts, how to keep pace with social and consumer trends and their impact on marketing practices and appreciate the role of marketing research. You’ll also examine social and environmental sustainability, enhance your ethical awareness and analysis skills, explore stakeholder marketing and navigate the plethora of marketing evaluation measures.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

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Module

Module code

B328

Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
30

Study level

Across the UK, there are two parallel frameworks for higher education qualifications, the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (FHEQ) and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). These define a hierarchy of levels and describe the achievement expected at each level. The information provided shows how OU module levels correspond to these frameworks.
Level of Study
OU SCQF FHEQ
3 10 6

Study method

Distance Learning

Module cost

See Module registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements

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Module details Entry requirements Module registration Study materials

What you will study

Block 1 explores the topic of marketing communications. This is a dynamic area of marketing, and you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll be introduced to the key drivers and trends in the field and be provided with an overview of the marketing communications mix. The material then proceeds to encourage you to explore the key elements needed to develop an effective marketing communications campaign. You&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll examine how communications theory and branding help inform the messaging and media strategy for a campaign. With the rise of digital marketing, you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll explore its role when developing an integrated marketing communications mix. Finally, you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll consider the importance of creativity in the execution of a marketing communications campaign.

Block 2 immerses you in a range of different contexts to explore the nuances of marketing theory and practice. From exploring the differences for marketers operating in the areas of services, B2B and SMEs within the commercial sector, you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll expand your appreciation of the role of marketing to the public sector, charities and non-profit organisations. This includes coverage of strategic and operational aspects of social marketing. You&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll look at a range of wider social and consumer trends that are impacting all marketing practice, such as big data, AI, blockchain and authenticity. The block concludes by exploring the marketing research process and the methods of data collection and analysis employed by marketers when developing new campaigns.

Block 3 takes a wider perspective, considering a number of issues that directly and indirectly inform marketing practice. Topics covered include sustainability and marketing ethics; stakeholder marketing; and finally, evaluating marketing communications campaigns, considering variations in evaluation between marketing contexts. These topics involve assessing an organisation&/courses/modules/b328/39;s activities and their impact on society, the environment, stakeholders and the organisation&/courses/modules/b328/39;s performance.

Vocational relevance

In this module, you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll cover a range of topics related to marketing practice and will be encouraged to cultivate a broad spectrum of skills pertaining to marketing, employability and professional practice. The content, activities and assessments are designed to help you develop and demonstrate your mastery of these skills. You&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll be asked to reflect on and document your skills as you progress through the module; this will enable you to record and evidence them for future use. Many of these skills, such as cultivating creativity and staying up to date with developments, will have benefits to you beyond the practice of marketing.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.

They’ll help by:

  • marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
  • providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
  • guiding you to additional learning resources
  • facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Marketing in action starts once a year – in April. This page describes the module that will start in April 2026. We expect it to start for the last time in April 2029.

Regulations

As a student of 快猫视频, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our website.

Course work includes:

2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment


Entry requirements

This is an OU level 3 module. OU level 3 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at OU levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably at the OU.

Although there are no formal entry requirements and the module is open entry, we strongly recommend that you are suitably prepared for study at this level and have some familiarity with basic business and marketing concepts. Shaping business opportunities (B207) would be ideal preparation. 

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an .

Register

Start End England fee Register
04 Apr 2026 Sep 2026 拢1946.00

Registration closes 12/03/26 (places subject to availability)
This module is expected to start for the last time in April 2029.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

快猫视频 Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient &/courses/modules/b328/39;pay as you go&/courses/modules/b328/39; option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that 快猫视频 works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

  • Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
  • Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Read more about .

Employer sponsorship

Studying with 快猫视频 can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. 

  • Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
  • You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.  

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module. 

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron. 

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an .


Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University&/courses/modules/b328/39;s fee policy, visit our .

This information was provided on 24/04/2025.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ve started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you&/courses/modules/b328/39;re unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don&/courses/modules/b328/39;t worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

You&/courses/modules/b328/39;ll have access to a module website, which includes:

  • a week-by-week study planner
  • course-specific module materials
  • audio and video content
  • assignment details and submission section
  • online tutorial access
  • OpenStudio
  • a collaborative wiki

Computing requirements

  • Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
  • Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
  • Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
  • Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
  • Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
  • Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying B328 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our .