Required Text:

Arens, W. F. (2004). Contemporary Advertising. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

 

Introduction

Welcome to Principles of Advertising! This course will help you produce an understanding of the advertising business and of the key issues related to the practice of advertising. In this course we will examine issues such as the advertising process (i.e. research, market analysis, consumer behavior…); the different types of media choices available to advertisers; the production of advertising messages for various media; the creative process; campaign planning; and the role of advertising in society.

My objectives for this course are:

v    To assist you in gaining an understanding of advertising as a communication process

v    To help you understand the importance of research and audience analysis as an essential part of the advertising process

v    To provide you with an opportunity to put into practice the concepts learned in this class by researching, planning and producing an advertising campaign for a client of your choice

v    To help you develop a critical understanding of the social effects of advertising

 

Course Policies

Attendance

Prairie View A&M University requires regular class attendance. Excessive absenteeism, whether EXCUSED OR UNEXCUSED, will result in your course grade being lowered or in assignment of a grade of “F”. Absences are accumulated beginning with the first day of class.

 

There is no such thing as an "excused absence" except in the cases of illness (as confirmed with a doctor's note), documented death in the family, or pre-authorized university activity. Extended illnesses will be dealt with on an individual basis but the instructor MUST BE notified as soon as possible of such situations. Please be aware that absences on an exam day CANNOT be made up.

 

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. If you are not present when attendance is taken, or if you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be marked as absent. It is your responsibility to make sure that you sign the attendance sheet each class period before leaving class. You are allowed three absences. After three absences, your final grade will be affected in the following way:

v    4-5 absences ­ drop one (1) letter grade (i.e. from an A to a B)

v    6-8 absences ­ drop two (2) letter grades (i.e. from an A to a C)

v    9-10 absences ­ drop three (3) letter grades (i.e. from an A to a D)

v    11 or more absences ­ drop four (4) letter grades (i.e. from an A to an F)

 

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating/Plagiarism

Prairie View A&M University is dedicated to a high standard of academic integrity among its faculty and students. In becoming part of the Prairie View A&M University academic community, you are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Disciplinary action will be taken against any student who alone or with others engages in any act of academic fraud or deceit.

 

Some examples of academic dishonesty/cheating/plagiarism include, but are not limited to: using another person’s ideas without giving proper credit; making up supporting material by either inventing a source or pretending to have consulted one without actually having done so; making up research results without having conducted the research, etc. Representing someone else’s ideas as your own constitutes plagiarism. You therefore need to give credit to any source of information used as part of an assignment by either orally quoting your source, and/or identifying your source in the body of your paper. Ignorance of plagiarism is no excuse, so be sure to ask me if you suspect you may be bordering on plagiarism for any assignment in this course.

 

Any work you hand in to me is subject to a plagiarism/academic dishonesty check. Please note that I will not accept the excuse that you simply handed in the “wrong“ work and that any act of academic dishonesty will automatically be reported to the school and result in failure of this course (no second chances given!). It only takes one act of academic dishonesty to fail the entire course.

 

Courtesy

Since everyone in this section will be encouraged to actively participate in class discussions, it is essential that full courtesy is awarded to your classmates. Intentional class disturbances­which may distract another classmate or a class lecture or discussion—that blatantly disrupt course study or a speaker’s concentration (for example: distracting discourse, keeping your cell phone on during class, accepting a cell phone call during class, or listening to personal audio) will result in a penalty of absence from the class being recorded for those involved in the distracting behavior. As a courtesy to your teacher and to your class mates, please make sure at the beginning of each class period that your cell phones are turned off.

 

Readings

The reading of the assigned chapters in the text will always precede lecture and class discussions. The reading assignments are listed in the class schedule below.

 

Assignments

All assignments must be typed or word-processed and turned in on time. Late or handwritten work will not be accepted and will receive an automatic grade of an F.

 

24-7 Rule and Grade Records

When graded materials are returned, you must wait 24 hours before discussing your grade with me. This is to allow you to think calmly about the grade and your performance and to formulate a rational basis for discussion. You will also only have seven days in which the grade is open for discussion. After these seven days have passed, you can no longer discuss the grade.

 

You are responsible for keeping all graded work until the end of the semester in case there is any question about grades or whether or not an assignment has been turned in. If you question a grade, or whether your grade has been recorded, you need to be able to provide me with the original, graded assignment.

 

Student Academic Appeals Process:

Authority and responsibility for assigning grades to students rests with the faculty. However, in those instances where students believe that miscommunication, errors, or unfairness of any kind may have adversely affected the instructor’s assessment of their academic performance, the student has a right to appeal by the procedure listed in the Undergraduate Catalog and by doing so within thirty days of receiving the grade or experiencing any other problematic academic event that prompted the complaint.

 

American Disabilities Act (ADA)

Students with disabilities who believe they may need an adjustment in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disabilities services at (903) 857-2693/2694 as soon as possible. Once you receive a letter of adjustment from the office, please make an appointment with me to discuss appropriate adjustments for this class.

 

 

Grades                                                                                                                       Grading Scale

Advertising Research Paper                                   200 (20%)                               90-100=A

Advertising Campaign                                           300 (30%)                               80-89=B

Progress Report                                                       100 (10%)                               70-79=C

Final Campaign Presentation                                50 (5%)                                 60-69=D

Midterm Exam                                                         150 (15%)                               Below 60=F

Final Exam                                                                200 (20%)

 

 

 

Tentative Class Schedule

 

Week 1
Mon. 01/12	Course Introduction
Wed. 01/14	What is Advertising? Ch. 1
Frid. 01/16	The Advertising Campaign & Industry Ch. 1
Week 2
Mon. 01/19	No Class ­ Martin Luther King Holiday
Wed. 01/21	The Economic, Social & Regulatory Aspects of Advertising Ch. 2
Fri. 01/23	The Economic, Social & Regulatory Aspects of Advertising Ch. 2 (click on Photo Gallery, then campaigns, then the year, then the name)
Week 3
Mon 01/26	Advertising Planning Ch. 7
Wed. 01/28	Advertising Planning Ch. 7
Frid. 01/30	Advertising Planning Ch. 7
Week 4
Mon. 02/02	SuperBowl Monday: SuperBowl Commercials
Wed. 02/04	Advertising Research Ch. 6
Frid. 02/06	Advertising Research Ch. 6
Week 5
Mon. 02/09	Consumer Behavior Ch. 4
Wed. 02/11	Advertising Strategy Ch. 5
Frid. 02/13	Advertising Strategy Ch. 5 * Advertising Research Paper Due
Week 6
Mon. 02/16	Media Strategy Ch. 8
Wed. 02/18	Media Strategy Ch. 8
Frid. 02/20	Creating Ads: The Creative Strategy & Process Ch. 11
Week 7
Mon. 02/23	Progress Reports
Wed. 02/25	Progress Reports
Frid. 02/27	Progress Reports
Week 8
Mon. 03/01	Creating Ads: The Creative Strategy & Process Ch. 11
Wed. 03/03	Exam Review
Frid. 03/05	Midterm Exam
Week 9
Mon. 03/08	No Class ­ Spring Break
Wed. 03/10	No Class ­ Spring Break
Frid. 03/12	No Class ­ Spring Break
Week 10
Mon. 03/15	Creating Ads: The Creative Execution Ch. 12
Wed. 03/17	Creating Ads: The Creative Execution Ch. 12
Frid. 03/19	Creating Ads: Producing Ads for various Media Ch. 13
Week 11
Mon. 03/22	Creating Ads: Producing Ads for various Media Ch. 13
Wed. 03/24	Production Lab: InDesign
Frid. 03/26	Production Lab: InDesign
Week 12
Mon. 03/29	Production Lab: InDesign
Wed. 03/31	Using Print Media Ch. 14
Frid. 04/02	Using Electronic Media Ch. 15
Week 13
Mon. 04/05	Using Digital Interactive Media Ch. 16
Wed. 04/07	Production Lab: InDesign
Frid. 04/09	No Class ­ Good Friday (Student Holiday)
Week 14
Mon. 04/12	Production Lab: InDesign
Wed. 04/14	Group Workshop (All group members MUST be present)
Frid. 04/16	Advertising Campaigns due Final Presentations
Week 15
Mon. 04/19	Final Presentations
Wed. 04/21	Final Presentations
Mon. 04/23	Final Presentations
Week 16
Mon. 04/26	Final Exam Review
Wed. 04/28	No Class -- Study Day

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN:                                                                                                    

For this project you will plan, create and evaluate a complete advertising campaign for a product that you will invent. The goal of this project is to allow you to apply the concepts and advertising techniques learned in class and to gain hands-on experience in designing an advertising campaign.

 

First, you need to invent a product for which you believe there exists a market. Please make sure that there actually exists a need for the product and that there is an audience who would be interested in your product.

 

Second, write a complete advertising plan, which includes:

1. An executive summary -- 1 page summary of your campaign
2. A research report -- situation analysis containing product, consumer, market & competitive research
3. A discussion of your key planning decisions -- your advertising goal(s) & objective(s), target audience, desired product image
4. A discussion of your creative strategy -- copy platform including advertising objective; target audience profile, key consumer benefit; supporting selling points & the creative strategy
5. An actual print ad designed in InDesign
6. A discussion of at least one other promotion strategy you deem necessary
7. A discussion of your media strategy ­ a detailed media plan indicating where and when the messages will appear & at what cost. This media plan needs to be researched and should contain an accurate estimate of your media costs.
8. An advertising budget -- method used to calculate budget & detailed budget for the campaign
9. An evaluation of the campaign -- A discussion of how the success of the campaign will be measured

 

You will work in groups of 4 to 5 for this project and will receive a group grade, which is worth 35% of your final grade. The group has the right kick out any group member who does not put in his/her fair share of work. Should you be kicked out of your group, you will have to finish the project on your own (same deadline, same requirements). You will be graded based on the following criteria:

 

• Research: extent to which you researched your product/target market, competition, buyer behavior relevant to your product/service; how the research was conducted; and how it was reported in your final write-up
• Objectives: extent to which your campaign objectives seem to match those of your client; how well they were stated
• Strategy: extent to which your copy platform includes all the parts outlined above; extent to which your copy platform provides guidance to a copywriter & artist.
• Print Ad.: Your print ad must include the type of publication, size, suggested location in the publication, rationale for that choice, as well as the actual message and illustration. Your print ad has to be created in InDesign.
• Media Plan: Level of detail put into its write-up; extent to which it includes all necessary elements of a media plan
• Campaign budget: extent to which you discuss how you calculated your budget; whether or not all campaign expenses have been included in the total budget.
• Campaign Evaluation: extent to which you discuss how you will evaluate your campaign; how your evaluative research was conducted; and how it was reported in your final write-up.
• Overall Evaluation: whether or not your advertising plan includes all 9 parts outlined above; quality of the discussion for each of those 9 parts.

 

 

ADVERTISING RESEARCH PAPER:                                                                           

For this assignment, you will write a research paper in which you develop and defend an original argument about advertising theory and/or practice. I urge you to pick a topic that is of interest to you. Here are two examples of potential thesis statements: "The Italian government was wrong to bar children under 14 from appearing in television commercials" or, "Shockvertising is an unethical way of drawing attention to your product."

 

Your paper needs to be 5-6 pages in length (double-spaced, 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins) and needs to

include the following sections:

1.     An introduction that states your thesis and introduces your topic

2.     A background section that explains key terms and provides a history of your issue

3.     An argument section that persuades the reader to accept your thesis. You will need to develop at least three credible and thoughtful arguments to support your thesis. Please note that this section is not merely informative but that it should persuade your reader to accept your claim.

4.     A reference page that lists your sources in APA or MLA format. You need at least 6 sources for this assignment. The textbook used in this class should offer background to your research, but does not count as cited evidence. Only one of your 6 sources may be an Internet source. The rest of your sources needs to come from journals, newspapers, books, or other databases.

5.     In-text citations for each source discussed in your paper. Please use APA or MLA format.

 

This assignment is designed to allow you to express your opinion about an issue affecting advertising and to attempt to persuade your reader to accept that opinion. As such, I expect this paper to be your own writing and not a collection of quotes from outside sources. You should use your outside sources to back up your claims, but not to replace your own voice. Please also note that any time you use your sources verbatim, you need to put the quoted text under quotation marks and identify your source. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism and will result in automatic failure of the course.

 

EXAMS:

There will be two exams in this course. The midterm exam will be worth 100 points (10% of your final grade) and is scheduled for Friday, 03/07. The final exam will be worth 200 points (20% of your final grade). The final will be comprehensive. The exact date and time for the final will be announced in class.

 

PROGRESS REPORTS:

During the 7^th week of class, your group will be asked to report on the progress it has made on the advertising campaign it has been working on for the last several weeks. For this assignment you will put together an oral report in which you will tell the class what you have done so far for your project and where you are headed. Since this is the middle of the semester, I will expect you to have made significant progress on your project. At a minimum, I will expect you to have conducted your research (situation analysis). Evaluations will be based on both the presentation and on the progress you have made. Please note that making up research results without actually having conducted the research, constitutes academic dishonesty and results in failure of the course.

 

You should divide the workload in your group such that each member of the group will be able to contribute equally. Your oral report should be 20-25 minutes in length. In addition to your oral report you will need to hand in the results from the research you conducted for your situation analysis.

 

Your grade for the project will come from both the group presentation and your individual effort. In most cases all group members will receive the same grade. This means that your grade will be based on the combined efforts of your group members. In cases where an individual member stands out as not performing to the standards set by the group, the grade for that individual will be lowered accordingly.

 

FINAL CAMPAIGN PRESENTATION:

Towards the end of the semester, your group will be asked to present the finalized advertising campaign to the class. For this assignment, you will put together a professional looking PowerPoint slide show, which presents your campaign to your classmates. Your presentation should be 20-25 minutes long and should strive to present the main aspects of your campaign to your audience.

Requirements for the Presentation:

1. Presented the project using a PowerPoint slide show
2. Handed in a printout of the slides (to do so, click “print”, select Microsoft PowerPoint and then select “handouts”)
3. Presented the project on the scheduled day
4. Presentation covered the main aspects of the campaign
5. Presentation was 20-25 minutes long (anything shorter than 19 minutes will be penalized)

 

 

CLASS RESOURCES: