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Unit of study_
MKTG6006: Persuasive Advertising: Illuminating Dark Art
2026 unit information
This unit is a mix of psychological science and marketing practice. The unit starts with an academic perspective on communication and review of various persuasive techniques. However, this is not only a scientific and research-based unit. It is also a practical unit that explores persuasive effects. The acquired knowledge of psychology and communication will place students in the driver’s seat to decode and explain how persuasion works. Students take what they learn from the science and delve into the practice behind why and how it works. As a consumer, this unit is designed to open students' eyes, stop and think, and understand why we buy what we buy. As someone in the persuasion business (and we are all in the persuasion business), students will find the applications useful.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Business (Business School)
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Marketing |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
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MKTG5001 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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MKTG3121 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Critically examine and apply advanced psychological and communication theories to analyse the mechanisms through which persuasive advertising shapes consumer cognition, emotion and behaviour.
- LO2. Analyse and evaluate the strategic role of persuasive creative communication in shaping, reinforcing, or transforming consumer attitudes and behavioural outcomes across diverse contexts.
- LO3. Synthesise psychological and communication concepts to design persuasive message strategies and justify the theoretical principles that explain why and how these strategies produce persuasive effects.
- LO4. Construct original and context-appropriate creative executions that demonstrate persuasive impact and critically assess their effectiveness using contemporary frameworks of creative and psychological evaluation.
- LO5. Analyse complex media planning decisions and evaluate their capacity to optimise persuasive reach, audience engagement, and behavioural influence, applying evidence-based media and persuasion principles.
- LO6. Appraise the originality, cultural suitability, ethical considerations and persuasive effectiveness of advertising campaigns through interdisciplinary research and advanced theoretical frameworks.
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