This course explores the advertising techniques as a function of the communication objectives that organizations set in their marketing strategies. The course also investigates how advertising influences the social context and its legal and ethical implications for the society. Today’s communication environment is influenced by a significant development in Information Technology, which provides new communication venues and allows marketers to focus their communication efforts on micro-segments. However, marketers need to re-evaluate the roles that different media have on their segments and need to coordinate their communication efforts in order to minimize confusion in consumer minds. This course sets out to develop competences and skills for creating an effective advertising campaign, which include accurate knowledge of the targeted segments, advertising strategy research and creation, and final advertising plan. Both managerial and creative parts are emphasized, according to the chosen communication objectives and media mix.

Advertising’s Role in Marketing, Advertising and Society, The Consumer Audience, Strategic Research, Strategic Planning, Traditional media, Internet and Alternative Media Design and Production, The Creative Side and Message Strategy, Evaluation of Effectiveness

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. discuss the structure and players in the advertising industry
2. evaluate the role of advertising in society and its legal and ethical implications
3. select the target audience for an advertising campaign
4. accomplish the advertising strategy
5. define the advertising plan
6. apply media planning strategies
7. develop creative briefs and copy executions

A/A-

This work is relatively rare and is expected to stand out from the work of other students and:

• Directly addresses the question or problem raised

• Provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information

• Critically evaluates concepts and theory

• Relates theory to practice

• Reflects the student’s own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference material

• Is very accurate

• Has an element of novelty if not originality

• Provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading

• Displays an awareness of methodological concerns and displays an awareness of the limitations of current knowledge

B/B+

This is a highly competent level of performance and:

• Directly addresses the question or problem raised

• Provides a coherent argument drawing on relevant information

• Shows some ability to evaluate concepts and theory and to relate theory to practice

• Reflects the student’s own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference material

• Does not suffer from any major errors or omissions

• Provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading

• Displays an awareness of other approaches to the problem area

B-/C+

This is an acceptable level of performance and:

• Addresses the question but provides only a basic outline of relevant arguments and evidence along the lines offered in the lectures and referenced readings

• Answers are clear but limited

• Some minor omissions and inaccuracies but no major errors

C/C-

This level of performance demonstrates some knowledge and an element of understanding but is weak and:

• Points made in the answer are not always well supported by argument and evidence

• Relevant points have been omitted from the answer

• There are some errors in the answer

• Parts of the question remain unanswered

• Answers may be unduly brief and possibly in note form

D+/D-

The best that can be said about students in this classification is that they have done just enough to persuade the instructor that they should not be failed and:

• Answers lack a coherent grasp of the problems and issues raised in the question

• Important information has been omitted from the answers and irrelevant points have been included

• Answers are far too brief

Fail (F)

Failed students have been unable to convince the instructor that they have benefited from academic study and:

• Fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question

• Reveals fundamental misunderstanding of the subject matter

• Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant

Class attendance is absolutely mandatory and critical to the success of class discussions. After the first two unexcused absences, the students will lose 5 percentage points of their overall weighted average for the each successive absence.