|
|
JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "MKT 321-2"
COURSE NAME: "Advertising Management"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2026
|
SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Paola Gioia
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisites: Junior Standing, EN 110, MKT 301; Recommended: MGT 301
OFFICE HOURS:
|
|
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course addresses the strategies and steps needed to create successful, ethical, and creative advertising, while emphasizing the role of advertising as a communication process in the digital arena. The student will learn about the advertising process from both the "client" and "agency" perspectives, and gain hands-on experience in crafting written and visual advertising messages based on sound marketing and creative strategies. The student is expected to be able to use primary and secondary research and the information tools of communications professionals.
|
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course examines the principles, strategies, and creative processes of advertising in both traditional and digital contexts, highlighting how technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming the industry. Students will learn to design and manage advertising campaigns through a comprehensive approach that integrates marketing strategy, consumer insight, creativity, and media planning. Beginning with the foundations of advertising theory and management, the course progresses toward digital communication and concludes with an exploration of AI-powered advertising tools and their ethical implications.
|
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the semester, students will: understand the strategic and creative dimensions of advertising within the broader marketing mix; learn how to define target audiences, develop compelling messages, and select appropriate media channels; explore how digital technologies and social media have reshaped advertising models; experiment with AI-based tools for content creation, optimization, and campaign management; reflect critically on the social and ethical responsibilities of advertisers in the age of automation and data.
|
TEXTBOOK:
|
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
|
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Advertising Insights Quiz | Short quiz on the fundamentals of advertising (history, objectives, message structure, and ethics). Designed to consolidate early learning and ensure conceptual fluency before moving to digital and AI applications. Conducted on Moodle, in class.
| 10% |
| Individual Assignment – Ad Deconstruction | Individually, students select a controversial or failed advertising campaign that sparked public backlash (e.g., for ethical, cultural, or social reasons). Using critical thinking and course concepts, they will analyze what went wrong (message strategy, audience targeting, representation, timing) and propose how the brand could have responded or redesigned the campaign.
Deliverables: critical essay (1,000 words) integrating theory, evidence, visual examples, or links to the ad campaign case.
| 30 % |
| Group Project | In groups of a maximum of 4 students, participants will design an integrated advertising campaign that evolves across the semester. The project combines traditional, digital, and AI-enhanced strategies, allowing students to act as a creative agency.
Phase 1: Strategy Proposal (Midterm milestone) – Develop a creative brief, audience insight, positioning statement, and media mix rationale.
Phase 2: Final Pitch (End of semester) – Present a fully developed campaign with visuals, message copy, AI-assisted elements (if used), and performance metrics.
Deliverables: written proposal (max 5 pages); visual presentation (10–12 minutes); documentation of process and AI tool usage. | 40% |
| Peer Review | Each group will review and evaluate the final campaign of another team, providing structured feedback based on clarity of strategy, creativity, message coherence, and ethical responsibility. The peer review must include both a numerical score and a short written commentary (approx. 1 page). | 10% |
| Participation & Attendance | Attendance and active engagement in discussions, preparation, and contribution during lectures and activities are essential components of this course. Students are expected to come to class having completed the assigned readings and to participate thoughtfully in both structured and open discussions. Because this course values dialogue and collaboration, students are encouraged to share insights, raise questions, and connect theoretical concepts to real-world examples throughout the semester. | 10% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AOutstanding work that demonstrates a deep and original understanding of advertising concepts and their application in both traditional and digital contexts. The work is well-structured, insightful, and shows the ability to critically evaluate ideas, integrate theory with practice, and propose innovative perspectives. Evidence of extensive independent research and creative thinking is clear throughout.
BA strong and competent performance that directly addresses the assignment objectives. The work shows solid understanding of course materials and the ability to apply key concepts effectively, with some degree of critical analysis and originality. Arguments are coherent and generally well supported, though with minor lapses in depth or creativity.
CAn adequate level of performance that demonstrates general understanding of course concepts but limited critical engagement or application. The work tends to summarize rather than analyze, relying mainly on lecture content or readings. Creativity and strategic thinking are present but underdeveloped.
DWork at this level reflects a weak grasp of key ideas and limited engagement with course content. Arguments are incomplete or inconsistent, with little evidence of critical thought, structure, or independent effort. Application to advertising practice or theory is minimal or inaccurate.
FWork fails to demonstrate understanding of the material or engagement with the course objectives. Responses are inaccurate, irrelevant, or incomplete, showing no meaningful effort to apply advertising concepts, analytical thinking, or creative insight.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until May 8.
|
|
|
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
|
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
|
|
|
SCHEDULE
|
|
|
Week
|
Topics & Activities
|
|
1
|
Introduction to Advertising and the Communication Process. History, purpose, and cultural impact of advertising.
|
|
2
|
The Structure of the Advertising Industry: advertisers, agencies, and media. The advertising brief.
|
|
3
|
Consumer Behavior and Targeting. Understanding audiences and segmentation strategies.
|
|
4
|
Message Strategy and Creativity: developing concepts that connect with audiences.
|
|
5
|
From Traditional to Digital: how technology reshaped advertising practices. Introduction to integrated marketing communications.
|
|
6
|
Social Media Advertising and Influencer Marketing: engagement, virality, and storytelling in the digital age. Quiz on Advertising Basics.
|
|
7
|
Midterm Project Workshop & Presentations. Peer feedback and revision of integrated campaign proposals.
|
|
8
|
Spring Break
|
|
9
|
Programmatic Advertising, Data Analytics, and Performance Metrics. Understanding algorithms and ad optimization.
|
|
10
|
Introduction to AI in Advertising: automation, content generation, and predictive analytics.
|
|
11
|
AI Tools for Creativity: prompt engineering, generative visuals, and AI copywriting. In-class creative lab.
|
|
12
|
Ethics and Disinformation: deepfakes, bias, and consumer trust.
|
|
13
|
Workshop: AI-Enhanced Campaign Development. Instructor feedback and troubleshooting.
|
|
14
|
Pitch Preparation. Refining strategy, narrative, and visuals.
|
|
15
|
Final Group Presentations. Showcase of AI-integrated campaigns and course wrap-up discussion.
|
Notes
The schedule may be adjusted to accommodate guest speakers, new developments, or emerging technologies.
Additional tutorials, datasets, and AI tool guides will be provided on Moodle.
Students are encouraged to follow current advertising trends and explore AI tools beyond the classroom to enhance their final projects.
|
|
|