Why Choose the Marketing Communication and Advertising Major?

Beo Thai

Xin chào everyone, hello and welcome! My name is Dr Beo Thai. I’m a Senior Lecturer in Marketing here at UOW, and my research is all about consumer psychology – why people choose what they choose, and why sometimes too many options make us freeze instead of decide. I grew up in Da Nang in Vietnam, and I’ve lived in Australia for more than 18 years now.

Beo Thai

Before I became an academic, I actually ran my own little business in Da Nang – a souvenirs and café shop in a busy tourist area. So I’ve kinda lived two lives: one as a researcher reading journal articles, and one as an entrepreneur watching the cash register and wondering, “Are we going to make enough today to pay everyone?”

Beo Thai

In my research, I look at decision making and things like choice overload – sometimes called the paradox of choice. That feeling when you open Netflix, scroll for ten minutes, and then give up? Yeah, that’s real. Businesses face the same problem: “How do we help people choose us without overwhelming them?” A lot of my work has been published in marketing and consumer behaviour journals, but honestly, what matters for you is how these ideas play out in the real world.

Beo Thai

When I ran the café, I didn’t have a big budget or a fancy agency. It was just me, my team, and a lot of tourists walking past. Every tiny decision was marketing communication: What do we put on the sign out front so people stop for a coffee? Which photos on Instagram make someone think, “Oh, I wish I was there”? How do we tell a simple story about Da Nang and Vietnam that makes a postcard or a handmade gift feel special, not just “another souvenir”?

Beo Thai

That’s when it really hit me: marketing communication and advertising sit right at the heart of how brands connect with people. It’s not only about pushing products. It’s about emotion and persuasion – how you make someone feel, what you help them remember, what you help them imagine. A 30‑second video that makes you cry, a funny TikTok that makes a brand feel like your friend, a powerful poster from a charity that makes you stop and care – that’s this space.

Beo Thai

So if you’re curious about how words, images, stories and platforms can actually change what people do – and if you like the idea of doing that in a smart, ethical way – then Marketing Communication and Advertising is where all of that comes together. It’s creative, it’s strategic, and it’s incredibly powerful when you understand how people really think and feel.

Beo Thai

Let’s zoom out for a moment and talk about marketing today. In textbooks, we say marketing is about creating, communicating and delivering value. That sounds a bit formal, but it’s basically this: an organisation makes something useful or meaningful, and marketing communication is how we tell the right people about it, in a way they actually notice and care about, in places they already hang out.

Beo Thai

The challenge is, we’re doing this in a super crowded, fast‑changing environment. Your phone is competing for your attention every second – notifications, emails, DMs, Reels, Stories, ads. So the big question for any brand is: how do we stand out without being annoying?

Beo Thai

One huge shift is digital and social media. Brands don’t just talk at people anymore; they talk with people. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, podcasts, influencers – this is where stories live now. A clever piece of content can do more than a million‑dollar billboard if it hits the right audience in the right way. But it’s not just “posting for fun”; it’s strategy, creativity, and understanding the psychology of your audience.

Beo Thai

Then we have personalisation and data. You know those moments when you see an ad and think, “Wait, have they been spying on me?” That’s data being turned into tailored communication. Companies are trying to send the right message to the right person at the right time. If you can read the numbers, but also turn them into human insight – real stories about real people – you become incredibly valuable.

Beo Thai

AI and automation are another big piece. From recommendation engines to AI‑assisted content and tools that test which message works best, AI is now woven through marketing communication. You don’t have to code, but you do need to feel comfortable working alongside these tools, knowing what they can do and where human judgment still matters.

Beo Thai

And finally, purpose‑driven branding. More and more, especially younger consumers, want to know: what does this brand stand for? Are they ethical, inclusive, and sustainable? Do they just talk about it, or do they actually live it? Marketing communication is where that purpose shows up – or falls apart. When it’s authentic, people connect. When it’s fake, they call it out very quickly.

Beo Thai

All these trends together are reshaping careers. Organisations are looking for graduates who can blend creativity, data, storytelling and technology. It’s not enough to be only a “creative ideas” person or only an “analytics” person. The real opportunity is at the intersection – the person who can brainstorm a TikTok concept, read an analytics dashboard, think about ethics, and still keep the big brand story in mind. That’s exactly the kind of skill set this major is designed to help you build.

Beo Thai

So, how does the Marketing Communication and Advertising major actually work? Let me walk you through it year by year, so you can picture yourself moving through the journey.

Beo Thai

In the first year, you’re building your foundations. Two key subjects are MGNT102 Professional Communication and MARK101 Marketing Principles. In MGNT102, you work on how you communicate as a professional – writing emails, presenting, collaborating in teams. It sounds basic, but honestly, it’s your secret weapon in any marketing role. In MARK101, you get the big picture of marketing: how markets work, how consumers behave, how products and services are positioned. You start to see why communication is such a critical part of the whole system.

Beo Thai

In the second year, you dive deeper into the communication space. MARK221 Public Relations Concepts looks at how organisations manage their reputation and relationships – not just in a crisis, but every day, with media, communities, and different stakeholders. Then there’s MARK250 Advertising Practice and Creative Strategies, which is one of the really fun, hands‑on subjects. You don’t just analyse ads; you actually create them. You respond to briefs, develop concepts, and in many cases you work with real clients. That means real problems, real feedback, and a taste of real‑world pressure – in a safe environment where you’re allowed to experiment and make mistakes. It’s also a great way to start building a portfolio.

Beo Thai

By third year, you’re bringing everything together. BCM303 Collaborative Production Workshop is about working in teams to produce media projects – which is exactly what happens in agencies and marketing teams. MARK301 Digital Marketing focuses on practical digital tools and strategies: search, social, email, content, and analytics.

Beo Thai

Then we have one of our standout capstone subjects: MARK332 Digital and AI Marketing Communications. This is where you really engage with how digital platforms and AI tools are reshaping campaigns – from targeting and automation to personalised content and testing what works. You’re not just reading about the future; you’re working with the kinds of ideas and tools that are shaping the industry right now.

Beo Thai

Finally, MARK344 Marketing Strategy & Innovation helps you step back and think like a strategist. How do all these pieces – creative ideas, communication channels, data, technology, ethics – fit into one clear plan? How do you design campaigns that are not only clever, but also aligned with bigger business and social goals?

Beo Thai

Overall, this major is really a blend of art and science. The art is the storytelling, visuals and emotional connection; the science is the consumer psychology, research, data and testing. If you enjoy being creative and also like thinking critically and logically, you’ll probably feel very at home here.

Beo Thai

You’ll graduate with future‑ready, in‑demand skills for roles in advertising, digital marketing, brand communication, social media, PR and more. And just as importantly, you’ll have had fun learning – working on real briefs, using real tools, with people who are just as curious as you are.

Beo Thai

So if you’re thinking, “I want something dynamic, creative, and connected to the real world,” Marketing Communication and Advertising is a really strong option to consider. I’d love to see you in my classes, and I’m excited to watch you grow into confident marketing communicators. This is just the beginning – we’ll have plenty more to explore together in future sessions.