Successful marketing campaigns combine an understanding of consumer psychology and communication strategies. Whether you’re a marketing professional, brand manager or decision-maker, this course is ideal for you.
The Certificate of Marketing Communication and Psychology is a professional development course that helps you develop successful campaigns supported by psychological insights and proven communication strategies.
In this marketing and communications course, you’ll study key psychological principles, such as perception, motivation, and emotion, and their effects on brand perception and engagement. You’ll also learn about identity, values, community influences, and techniques such as audience research, segmentation, and AIDA to create persuasive marketing messages.
You will also develop practical skills in advertising, branding, digital content, and campaign strategy to manage marketing campaigns, track results, and improve performance using key marketing metrics. You will learn about digital psychology, integrated marketing communication, and digital strategies across social media, SEO, influencer marketing and online advertising.
On completion of this course, you will feel confident to develop successful marketing campaigns guided by psychological insights and powerful communication strategies.
Course Structure
Certificate of Marketing Communications
Unit 1: Foundations of Marketing Communication
- What is marketing communication?
- The communication process and marketing mix
- The Australian marketing context
- Brands and messaging fundamentals
- Communication objectives
Unit 2: Understanding Audiences and Consumer Behaviour
- Models of consumer decision making
- The aida model (attention–interest–desire–action)
- The consumer decision journey
- The customer journey
- Emotional and behavioural influences
- Cultural, social, and lifestyle influences
- Target market analysis
- The role of personas in audience understanding
- Research tools: surveys, focus groups, and data analytics
- Translating insights into effective communication
Unit 3: Brand Communication and Storytelling
- The role of storytelling in branding
- Creating brand voice and personality
- Emotional and visual branding
- Maintaining brand integrity across platforms
Unit 4: Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy
- Integrated marketing communication (IMC)
- Aligning objectives, audience, and channels
- Media planning and message consistency
- Cross platform coordination (tv, print, social, digital)
- Measuring IMC effectiveness
Unit 5: Digital and Social Media Marketing
- Social media strategy and content creation
- Influencer marketing and community engagement
- Search and display advertising basics
- Introduction to content marketing and SEO
- Techniques for optimising content for SEO
- Benefits of a strong content marketing strategy
- Types of content for each stage
- Awareness stage
- Consideration stage
- Decision stage
- Choosing the right content formats
- Key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Engagement
- Awareness metrics
- Return on investment (ROI) metrics
- Conversion
- Third-party analytics tools
- Creating reports
Unit 6: Campaign Development and Ethical Practice
- Campaign planning and project management
- Budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation
- Writing persuasive proposals and creative briefs
- Ethics, regulation, and social responsibility
- Presenting and evaluating campaign outcomes
Certificate of Psychology
Unit 1: Introduction to Psychology
- What is Psychology
- The goals of psychology
- A brief history of psychology
- Biological perspective
- Behavioural perspective
- Cognitive perspective
- Humanistic perspective
- Psychodynamic perspective
- Socio-cultural perspective
- Psychology as a profession
- Psychology for everyday professionals
Unit 2: Research Methods in Psychology
- Psychology as a science
- Quantitative vs qualitative methods
- Common research designs
- Experiments
- Case studies
- Surveys
- Observations
- Ethics in psychology research
- APS code of ethics
- Interpreting psychology research in the media
Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behaviour
- Brain structure and function
- The nervous system
- Hormones: chemical messengers
- The endocrine system
- Genetics: the blueprint of behaviour
- Evolutionary psychology
- Biology and behaviour
- Sleep, stress, and mental health
Unit 4: Cognitive Psychology
- Sensation and perception
- Memory systems: short-term, working, and long-term memory
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Observational learning
- Problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking
- Cognitive psychology applications
Unit 5: Developmental Psychology
- Lifespan development
- Infancy (birth-2 years)
- Childhood (2-12 years)
- Adolescence (12-18 years)
- Adulthood (18-65)
- Ageing (65+)
- Piaget’s cognitive development theory
- Erikson’s psychosocial development theory
- Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory
- Attachment and bonding
- Identity formation
- Cultural perspectives on development
Unit 6: Personality and Individual Differences
- What is personality?
- Trait and type theories
- Freud’s psychodynamic theory
- Humanistic approaches
- The Big Five personality model
- Intelligence, creativity, and emotional intelligence
- Personality assessments and ethical considerations
Unit 7: Social Psychology
- How social context influences behaviour
- Components of attitudes (ABC Model)
- Persuasion
- Prejudice
- Group dynamics
- Conformity
- Obedience
- Leadership
- Cross-cultural social psychology
- Social psychology and marketing
- Social psychology and teamwork
- Social psychology and education
Unit 8: Applied Psychology and Mental Health
- Psychological disorders
- Anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia
- Approaches to treatment
- Positive psychology and resilience
- Psychology Iin applied settings
- Health psychology
- Educational psychology
- Business and organisational psychology
- Sports psychology
- Forensic psychology
Study Hours
Estimated duration 80 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
It was a very good course and the feedback and results for my assessments were returned very quickly. The online learning portal is easy to navigate and provides all necessary and useful resources and course information.
M. Fimmano, Harvey, WA | Certificate of Marketing Communications
I enjoyed that the course set up was easy for me to complete in my own time, at my own pace. The content was easily accessible and comprehensible. It has given me wider knowledge that I look forward to applying to my work experience
E. Groumoutis, Balwyn North, VIC | Certificate of Marketing Communications
Learning was flexible, tutors were approachable and supportive and the content has really helped me to gain the skills/understanding I need to feel confident in my work moving forward. I would highly recommend AOC.
J. Lynch, Frenchville, QLD | Certificate of Marketing Communications
Course was very interesting. Tutors were great and quick to respond. Thank you
B. Farag, Kincumber, NSW | Certificate of Psychology
Tutors were very knowledgeable and very understanding.
Overall extremely satisfied with the tutors as they were able to give me an extension to finish my assessments.
L. Nguyen, Fairfield West, NSW | Certificate of Psychology
I enjoyed the course. Simple to use and well structured. A great introduction into the world of psychology and some of the ideas and theories that are used to understand human behaviour.
J. Searle, Goolwa Beach, SA | Certificate of Psychology
I enjoyed the course and found each subject interesting and thought-provoking’.
Emma | North Melbourne, VIC | Certificate of Psychology
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrolment Form – Employment Services and Rehabilitation Providers
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY, Bank Transfer and Payment Plans. View Payment Options
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Afterpay: Within 1-2 working days
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
- Marketing Managers
- Marketing Coordinator
- Marketing Communications Officer
- Digital Marketing Coordinator
- Market Research Assistant
- Social Media Coordinator