Course

Influencer Marketing

Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Department
Marketing
Course code
MARK 3260
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
In today’s digital landscape, influencers play a pivotal role in shaping consumer perceptions, driving engagement, and amplifying brand messages. This course explores the evolving world of influencer marketing, from identifying the right influencers to integrating them effectively into marketing campaigns. Students will analyze how influencers impact the consumer purchasing funnel, develop strategies to maximize engagement and conversions, and examine ethical and regulatory considerations. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, they will distinguish between genuine influence and mere popularity, ensuring marketing efforts drive real consumer action. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to craft and implement influencer marketing strategies that break through media fragmentation, resonate with niche audiences, and achieve measurable business objectives.
Course content
  • Definition and evolution of influencer marketing
  • Influencer marketing in the marketing mix
  • The rise of social media influencers and their impact on consumer behaviour
  • Key differences between influencer marketing and traditional marketing
  • The major platforms for influencer marketing
  • Managing expectations and influencer relations
  • Industry-specific influencer strategies
  • Understanding influencer niches 
  • Trust, authenticity, and credibility in influencer marketing
  • Setting objectives: Brand awareness, engagement, conversions, etc.
  • Identifying the right influencers for a campaign
  • Negotiating contracts and deliverables
  • Co-creation and influencer-led content marketing
  • Ethical challenges: Fake followers, inauthentic endorsements, and transparency
  • Understanding analytics and measurement
  • Analysis of successful influencer marketing campaigns
  • Influencer marketing around the world
  • Crisis management and reputation risks
  • Emerging trends
Learning activities

A variety of pedagogical methods will be used in this course.  They will include: lectures, group and class discussions, case discussions and presentations, guest speakers, web analysis, and audio-visuals.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Assessment Component

Weight

Class Participation 

5-10%

Assignments

15-35%

Mid-Term

15-25%

Final Exam

15-30%

Term Project and Presentation

20-30%

Total

100%

Note: No single assignment to be worth more than 40%.

STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE ALL COMPONENTS OF THE COURSE AND ACHIEVE A MINIMUM AVERAGE GRADE OF AT LEAST 50 PERCENT ON THEIR TOTAL NON-GROUP EVALUATIONS TO OBTAIN CREDIT FOR THE COURSE.  

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

  1. Define key concepts in influencer marketing, including different types of influencers, content formats, and platforms.
  2. Explain the role of influencers in the marketing mix and their impact on consumer behavior.
  3. Analyze the effectiveness of influencer partnerships using key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytics tools.
  4. Evaluate ethical considerations, including transparency, authenticity, and legal regulations in influencer marketing.
  5. Select appropriate influencers based on audience alignment, demographics, credibility, engagement metrics and campaign goals.
  6. Develop influencer marketing campaigns and influencer-led content initiatives tailored to specific brand objectives and target segments, designed to drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.
  7. Assess the risks and challenges associated with influencer collaborations, including crisis management and reputation risks.
  8. Examine emerging trends in influencer marketing, including AI-generated influencers and evolving social media platforms.
  9. Apply oral and written skills in project presentations.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. 
Textbook: Glenister, G.; Influencer Marketing Strategy: How Influencers Can Help Grow Your Business; Kogan Page Publishers; latest edition; and/or another textbook(s) and/or material(s) approved by the department.

Requisites

Prerequisites

MARK 1120

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for MARK 3260
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

There are no course offerings this semester.