BUS ADVERTISING & PROMOTION Notre Dame de Namur MBA Program SUMMER 2015, Term 1

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1 BUS ADVERTISING & PROMOTION Notre Dame de Namur MBA Program SUMMER 2015, Term 1 Course Details Instructor: Jordan Holtzman jholtzman@ndnu.edu Cell #: (510) (texts ok!) Skype: jordan.holtzman Time: Wednesdays 6-10:15 PM Office Hours: By appointment Website: Course Materials Required: Advertising Creative: Strategy, Copy, Design, by Tom Altstiel and Jean Grow, 3 rd edition. Sage ISBN#: Ad Critique: How to Deconstruct Ads in Order to Build Better Advertising, by Nancy R. Tag. Sage ISBN#: All files presented in class can be downloaded from the Advertising & Promotion space at Note: Video files are not available for download (sorry!). Course Overview The main goal of this course is to provide you with analytical and creative tools for creating and managing media-appropriate breakthrough campaigns that achieve an organization s marketing and promotional objectives. Throughout the course, we will alternate between two complementary perspectives: (1) that of the client commissioning advertising in service of a specific marketing communications goal and (2) that of an ad agency charged with developing the creative for management. Lectures will explore the following areas of Advertising knowledge: (1) Advertising and Communication Psychology (2) Idea Development & Creative Strategy (3) Strategic Planning (4) Media Choice 1

2 (5) Measuring and Testing Campaign Effectiveness (6) Advertising Law, Ethics & Professional Responsibility The course content is delivered and reinforced using several different formats including: (1) Instructor s presentations on Advertising concepts, theories, methods and examples (2) In-class workshops and video presentations that involve active student participation (3) Advertising Critiques, and (4) The development and presentation of a comprehensive advertising campaign theme This course makes extensive use of experiential learning methods. You will profit most by actively preparing for and participating in each class. Please BE PRESENT and PARTICIPATE to the fullest extent possible! Hours Distribution Per federal and WASC accreditation standards, students are expected to devote a total of 180 hours of academic work to a three-unit class. Hours devoted to each of the major class activities are as follows: Activity Average Hours Per Total Hours Week Lecture Attendance & Participation 4 28 Text Reading & Exam Preparation Ad Campaign, Reflection and Ad Critiques Total Hours 182 General Class Routine Classes will generally adhere to the following schedule: 6:00 7:45 Instructor-led Topic(s) Presentation and Admin 7:45 7:55 BREAK 7:55 8:25 Experiential Activities 8:25 9:00 Ad Critique Presentations (if any) 9:00 9:50 Campaign Presentation(s) (if any) 9:50 10:15 Groups confer (if needed) The amount of time devoted to the different activities will vary by class. The above schedule is by no means set in stone. 2

3 The success of this course depends on our joint effort to ensure a smooth and timely flow of in-class segments (see schedule above). Time is a precious commodity in this course - We have lots to do and very little time to do it. As such, I ask that you please abide by your presentation time limits and keep class discussions relevant and concise. Conserve time by setting up for presentations before class begins or during the break and getting right to the main point(s) of your talk. You may be able to save time by avoiding the use of Powerpoint presentations in some instances. Presenters exceeding their time limits will be cut off without further opportunity to present. Please plan accordingly. Attendance Requirement Because much of the educational value of this course is facilitated by your active participation in class, even a single absence is strongly discouraged and can severely impact your course participation grade. Missing more than the equivalent of four hours of instruction time will result in automatic failure of the course. Specific Course Goals 1. To introduce the major concepts, issues and concerns of Advertising and Promotion within the broader context of the marketing and management functions. (PLO#1) 2. To discuss current trends in Advertising and Promotion in domestic and global markets while also elucidating the historical context of advertising that has shaped modern-day practices. (PLO#1) 3. To develop an appreciation for and working knowledge of the elements and techniques of effective advertising strategy, creative development and effectiveness measurement. (PLO#3) 4. To give students ample practice developing, articulating and defending their viewpoints on advertising ideas, executions and presentations. (PLO#3) 5. To simulate realistic creative development experiences in a client-agency interaction format. (PLO#2) MBA PROGRAM LEVEL LEARNING OUTCOMES: 1. Students will be able to understand, analyze and communicate global, economic, legal, and ethical aspects of business. 2. Students will be able to demonstrate effective leadership and collaboration skills needed to make business-critical decisions, accomplish functional, organizational and professional goals. 3. Students will be able to demonstrate written and oral communication and information literacy competencies that support the effectiveness of strategic planning, marketing and operational activities. 4. Students will be able to evaluate and apply the effective use of technology to optimize business performance. 5. Students will develop comprehensive solutions to business problems by synthesizing and evaluating information using qualitative and quantitative methods of reasoning and analysis. 3

4 6. Students apply the NDNU hallmarks (community engagement and social justice) to course curriculae. Grading Advertising Campaign 40% (see grading rubric: 70% deliverables, 30% final grade) Advertising Critique 20% (10% paper, 10% presentation) Creative Development Reflection 20% Final Exam 20% Total 100% Note 1: Elimination of any one or more of the above assignments will result in a recalibration of weights proportional to the weights currently listed above. Note 2: Group members are expected to contribute equally when working together on any project. An individual student s grade may be penalized if other group members agree that the student has not made an attempt to contribute equally towards the completion of the project. Note 3: Class participation assessments will be used to adjust students grades upwards or downwards as appropriate. This course uses the 360 Evaluation Method. 4

5 Advertising Critiques Each student will write and present an advertising critique in class. The objective is to build your skills in recognizing effective or ineffective ad strategy and execution and to give you practice conveying your insight and analysis to interested audiences. First read the entire Ad Critique: How to Deconstruct Ads in Order to Build Better Advertising book. Pay special attention to Chapters 1-6 and Skim chapters 7-9. These chapters will help you learn the art of critiquing ads. Choose any advertisement you wish for this assignment - a tv or radio commercial, a web page/site/banner ad, direct mail piece, package, billboard or poster, mobile phone ad, etc. Anything that conveys a promotional message to consumers is fair game. The more interesting, unique or controversial the ad, the better. Exceptionally well or poorly conceived/executed ads are always the best subject matter for this assignment. DELIVERABLES: (1) Write-Up (2 page maximum) handed in at time of presentation (2) Brief in-class presentation, 5 minutes maximum, Powerpoint not required, but make sure we can see/hear the ad! The page limit for your written Ad Critique is 2 pages, single-spaced, 12-point font. NO EXCEPTIONS. The time limit for presenting your Ad Critique is 5 minutes. NO EXCEPTIONS. 5

6 AD CRITIQUE FORMAT 1. What, in your opinion, is the ad s objective? What is the main message? 2. Did the ad successfully meet its objective and convey the message in an effective manner? 3. Comment on whether and how the ad: STOPS your attention (grabs your initial attention), KEEPS your attention throughout, and STICKS in your memory ( STOP-PULL-STICK ) 4. Whom do you believe this ad is targeted to? Is the message strategy and ad execution appropriate for the chosen target? 5. What types of appeals or executional strategies are being used in the ad? Does the ad violate any of the rules of advertising etiquette and effectiveness discussed in your Ad Critique text? Which emotions does this ad provoke (or not provoke)? Are there any ethical or legal issues which could compromise the ad s effectiveness? 6. Are the media type and media vehicle chosen appropriate ones for the target and message? If not, which media type and/or vehicle would have been a better choice? Why? How does this ad take advantage (or fail to take advantage) of its chosen medium and media vehicle? 7. Comment on the mix of copy and visuals. Does it work? Relate your answer to #3 above. Also comment on placement (i.e. where the ad appears in the print vehicle or when/where it is aired on tv or radio i.e. time and show), ad size, length and other relevant contextual factors that determine whether the ad will be noticed independent of its inherent design. 8. What was done well? What suggestions (if any) do you have for improvement? Again, be sure to utilize some of the material in the Ad Critique text to guide you. Be sure the entire class has an opportunity to experience (i.e. see or hear) your ad before presenting your critique. 6

7 Creative Development Reflection In this brief paper, we ask you to reflect upon your dual roles as Client and Agency team members. We re interested in learning about the insights you ve gained from participating in the class s creative development process. Potential topics for reflection are: - How interactions with Client or Agency team members affected the flow and outcome of your projects. - Disagreements you may have had with Client or Agency team members. - How did your creative breakthroughs come about? How did you recognize, capture and refine them? - How did you arrive at a group consensus? How did you pick the best ideas? - What strategic or executional errors you made, what you would do differently next time, and which aspects of your creative you would continue to refine if you had more time. - How course material, activities or discussions helped or hindered your efforts to create an effective ad campaign. - The difficulties you encountered when developing the Copy Platform, the Creative Brief, the initial or final ad concepts or understanding the client s (or class s or instructor s) feedback and how you managed to overcome (or not overcome) these difficulties. - How being a Client is better, worse or different from being an Agency. - Aspects of the creative process which surprised you or which you hadn t anticipated. The above are merely suggestions you are by no means bound by them. Write about what intrigues you most. The key is to communicate as much INSIGHT about the process as possible. Note: This is NOT the venue to complain about the logistical difficulties of working in groups! Please keep it focused on the issues listed above. The page limit for your Creative Development Reflection paper is 2 pages, singlespaced, 12-point font. NO EXCEPTIONS. 7

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9 Advertising Campaign The Advertising Campaign is a comprehensive, multiple-phase project that allows you to apply your advertising skills and creativity towards solving a novel creative development problem. It is meant to simulate a real-life creative development process in which Clients (i.e. Advertisers) partner with creative development teams in Advertising Agencies (Agencies) to strategize and develop the creative. Your team will assume both roles, working on one project as the Client team and on another project as the Agency team. Agencies and Client teams will jointly develop a Creative Brief. Thereafter, the agency team will (1) develop and pitch three distinct ad concepts, (2) receive feedback and (3) further develop one of the three initial concepts. IMPORTANT: Please submit hardcopies of all presentation items to me AND upload or copy/paste your work to moodle before presenting any phase. No hardcopy + No Moodle Submission = No Grade PHASE 1: First Half of Creative Brief AD CAMPAIGN PHASES SCHEDULE The Client group develops and presents the first half of the Creative Brief (points 1-4), setting the objectives and tone for future creative development. Client Deliverables: Creative Brief Points 1-4 (7 minutes per group maximum) Agency Deliverables: None PHASE 2: Concept Pitches The Agency group performs a Pitch/Concept Test in class using the (Phase 1) partial creative brief directives as guidance. Agency Deliverables: (1) Concept Test Presentation of THREE distinct ad concepts (i.e. three BIG IDEAS ) to the class and client (10 minutes per group maximum), and (2) Copy Platform Client Deliverables: (1) Critique your Agency s three ad concepts citing pros and cons of each and identify which is (are) most promising for further development. (2) Also critique the Agency s Copy Platform. Post your group s critiques to the appropriate 9

10 moodle discussion forum. Note: This deliverable is due two days after the in-class presentation. PHASE 3: Ad Concepts Pitch Analysis and Second Half of Creative Brief The Agency group (1) analyzes and presents conclusions from the Pitch/Concept Test and (2) develops and presents the second half of the Creative Brief (points 5-8 including The Big Idea ) based on Pitch/Concept Test feedback. Agency Deliverables: (1) Pitch/Concept Test Analysis (powerpoint is usually best), (2) Creative Brief Points 5-8 both presented in class simultaneously. (10 minutes per group maximum) Client Deliverables: Critique your Agency s chosen ad concept and their justification for the choice. Post your group s critique to the appropriate moodle discussion forum. Note: This deliverable is due two days after the in-class presentation. PHASE 4: Ad Concept Second Round The Agency group revises and re-pitches the ad campaign concept using client, student and instructor feedback from the first round pitch (Phase 3) presentation. Agency Deliverables: Pitch your revised ad concept, justifying why you made the changes you made. (10 minutes per group maximum) Client Deliverables: Critique your Agency s final revised ad concept. Post your group s critique to the appropriate moodle discussion forum. Note: This deliverable is due two days after the in-class presentation. Ad Campaign Grading Rubric In real life, the joint efforts of Client and Agency are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of an ad campaign. Mirroring this reality, Client and Agency groups will receive grades for portions of the portfolio they work on separately as well as the final outcome of the project i.e. the ad concepts/themes. Your final advertising portfolio grade is a weighted average of your Agency Grade (65%) and your Client Grade (35%). Your Client and Agency grades are determined according to the grading rubric below: 10

11 Phase Assignment Delivered By Grading One First half of creative brief (points 1-4) Client 20% of Client Grade Two Pitch/Concept Test and Copy Platform (p. 383 of Altstiel/Grow text) Agency 30% of Agency Grade Two Critique of Ad Concepts and Copy Platform Client 20% of Client Grade Three Analysis of Pitch/Concept Test Results Agency 10% of Agency Grade Three Second half of Creative Brief (points 5-8) Agency 20% of Agency Grade Three Critique of Chosen Concept and Second Half of Creative Brief Client 20% of Client Grade Four Pitch Second Round of Ad Concept Agency 20% of Agency Grade Four Client Critique of Second Round of Ad Concept Client 20% of Client Grade Final Grade Submission of Ad Campaign package Agency 20% of Client Grade 20% of Agency Grade Final Ad Campaign Submission The Agency is responsible for the final Ad Campaign package and should include the following elements bound together in one continuous document (hardcopy please!): 1. Title Page with: (1) Name of Ad Campaign, (2) List of Client Team Members Names, (3) List of Agency Team Members Names 2. Revised Creative Brief (points 1-8). Note: Agency is responsible for incorporating Client s points 1-4 into the final document. Also, in most cases the Creative Brief will need to be revised after receiving feedback from the first pitch round (Phase 3). 3. All Items presented in class or posted online (i.e. feedback) whether by Client or Agency. Note: Agency is responsible for obtaining all materials from client and/or moodle and assembling them into the final deliverable. Download the Ad Campaign Package Template from the course website and use this document to create your submission. Your final Ad Campaign submissions are due the last day of class NO EXCEPTIONS. 11

12 Creative Briefs The Creative Brief condenses your advertising approach into an outline format that brand managers, clients or ad agency colleagues can read and easily comprehend in less than five minutes. Use this format for your Creative Brief: CREATIVE BRIEF FORMAT 1. Problem/Communication Objective(s): What are we trying to accomplish with the ad campaign? What do we want consumers to do? Be very specific about what the problem(s)/communication objective(s) is (are). Quantify wherever possible. 2. Target Audience: Who is the communication directed to? Use demographic, psychographic, usage and other appropriate segmentation variables to describe your audience and provide a market-driven rationale for choosing this particular audience. 3. Brand Position, Personality and Image: How does this brand define itself? How is this brand unique vs. the competition? Describe the brand s image, public identity and personality. 4. Consumer Insight: What motivates the target customer to buy or not buy - this product? What is important to this target with respect to your product? What are their superficial and ulterior psychological or economic motives? 5. Proposition/ Big Idea : What is the single-minded thought we want consumers to remember from our ad? Capture the essence of this thought in as few words as possible. 6. Support/Reason to Believe: Why should consumers believe our proposition? What factor(s) allow consumers to rationalize the emotional or logical appeal of our message? 7. Creative Direction: How can we best convey the message? What appeals and tone will be used? What will the ad campaign look or sound like (in general)? What emotions or thought processes will be provoked? Summarize briefly without going into excessive executional detail. 8. Media Choice & Scheduling: Where (which media and vehicle) and when (time of year, month, day, etc.) do we advertise? What scheduling strategy do we use (pulsing, flighting, continuous, blast), etc? Be as specific as possible. What is the rationale? Briefs may not be any longer than ONE page. NO EXCEPTIONS. 12

13 A Note on Creating Your Ad Concepts (i.e. How perfect must they be? ) It goes without saying that most of you probably do not have the services of a graphic designer or artist at your disposal. Please understand that as far as artwork and design go, we re not expecting commercial quality ads or storyboards like ones you see in magazines or on tv. The best advice is to keep it simple no extra points are awarded for fancy or slick artwork. We are more concerned with understanding your overall ad concept. In most cases, providing a simple, easily understood visual or oral representation of your ad concept will suffice. The one exception to the rule, however, is COPY. Always refine your copy to the fullest extent possible, since we can safely assume that everyone has access to a Word Processor! WARNING: Submitting the likeness of another organization s advertising as your own is strictly prohibited and will result in a ZERO for the Ad Portfolio project and failure of the course NO EXCEPTIONS. (my lawyer made me write that ) Bottom Line: Be original Create your own ad concepts! 13

14 BUS Advertising & Promotion Course Schedule... Weeks 1 & 2 TOPIC(S): Introduction and Orientation to the Course Creative Strategy: Concepting and Big Ideas Advertising Campaigns & Objectives Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 1, 2, 6, 8 In-class Activities: Movie: Art & Copy Developing a Creative Brief Student Presentations: None Week 3 TOPIC(S): Advertising Psychology Advertising Effectiveness Measurement (Ad Testing) Budgeting Strategy and the Economics of Advertising Legal and Ethical Considerations Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 3 Tag Chapters: 1-6 and Skim 7-9. In-class Activities: Budgeting Methods Worksheet Ad Testing: Hogan Knows Best Student Presentations: Ad Critiques Week 4 TOPIC(S): Print Media Broadcast Media Strategic Planning Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 11, 12 14

15 In-class Activities: Media Planning Worksheet Student Presentations: Ad Critiques PHASE 1 presentations Week 5 TOPIC(S): Internet/Web Promotion Social Media Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 13, 14 In-class Activity: Media Planning Worksheet Student Presentations: Ad Critiques PHASE 2 presentations Week 6 TOPIC(S): Direct Response Alternative Media Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 15, 16 Student Presentations: Ad Critiques PHASE 3 presentations Week 7 TOPIC(S): (time permitting) International Advertising Sub-culture Advertising Altstiel/Grow Chapter(s): 4, 5 Student Presentations: DUE: Ad Critiques PHASE 4 presentations Creative Development Reflection Papers Final Ad Campaign Portfolio Submissions FINAL EXAM 15

16 Note: The course schedule may be modified for various reasons. Instructor will notify class members by and/or in class in the event of a change. Be sure to refer to the most current syllabus (available online) and regularly check your for course announcements and updates. 16