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To provide students a thorough knowledge of Advertising Principles
and a practical understanding of the techniques and practices
used by today's advertising agencies and clients. Specifics
include, current issues facing the business of advertising,
the environment in which advertising operates, strategy development,
writing an advertising plan, learning to be a good presenter,
media, creative development, and the integration of other
forms of communication. The Internet and the affect it has
on advertising and branding will be woven into the classes.
Careers and employment in advertising will also be investigated.
This is a course designed to give the student a working knowledge
of advertising. It will examine the tools used to sell goods
and services as well as brand and image. Students will be
expected to gain knowledge of the issues facing both advertising
agencies and clients today. As a practical matter, the course
will be slanted toward the advertising agency side of the
agency/client partnership. Creativity will be discussed. Advertising
is an idea business, and ideas will be part of the normal
class discussion and participation. Students will not be required
to design ads or write copy except an occasional assignment
to conceptually highlight and describe the direction of their
ideas. Emphasis will be on the understanding of the business
of advertising and planning the advertising campaign. Home
assignments will be given out almost every week to enhance
this understanding. Additionally, one class may be held away
from the Lincoln Center Campus, at an advertising agency.
Guest speakers may lecture at some classes, dates to be determined.
An attempt will be made to follow this outline; but we will
also be flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities
that may cause us to "stray" from topics designated
at the onset of the course.
Method of Instruction:
Lectures, student participation, guest lectures and current
day case analysis.
Required Reading:
Weekly scanning of AD AGE, AD WEEK, and or their web sites,
and the daily weekday advertising columns of the New York
Times and The Wall Street Journal will be required. Students
will have to be familiar with the Advertising Educational
Foundation web site www.aef.com.
Ogilvy on Advertising, by David Ogilvy, Vintage Books, a
Division of Random House 1985.
The Regis Touch, by Regis McKenna, Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company 1986. ) Out of print but the University bookstore
has a copy of the book.)
Organizing Genius, by Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman,
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1997.
Additional Reading Resources:
Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications
by Paul Weiner, MacMillan Publishing Company, 1996.
Selected readings from the American Association of Advertising
Agencies publications, such as Want a Job in Advertising?
Making It In Advertising by Leonard Mogel, MacMillan Publishing
Company, 1993.
Grading:
Grades will be based on regular attendance and class participation,
homework assignments, the two tests and the final exam. In
addition, all students, in teams, will be required to present
and submit an advertising plan.
Grades will be based on the following:
Please Note: Experience has shown that many students do not
pay enough attention to the importance of every individual
part of their grade. Please pay particular attention to this
syllabus and especially the composition of your grade. Later
it will be too late to resolve a missed class or homework
assignment, both of which are very important in this course.
Attendance is very important, and missing classes is unacceptable.
Due dates will be strictly enforced. Missing more than two
unexcused classes over the semester will result in being dropped
from the course or the loss of one grade level; i.e. "A"
to "B". If you are going to be absent and have an
excuse, it is important that you discuss it with the Professor
directly or e-mail notification beforehand. Students will
be given homework assignments and they will be graded. An
Advertising Plan for a product or service will be presented
and turned in before the Final Exam.
Ideas, clarity, organization, precision, neatness and the
ability to communicate are all factors that will be considered
in grading. Misspelling of a product, company or brand name
is unacceptable.
Attendance and participation in class: 30%
Class homework assignments: 20%
Advertising plan assignment: 10%
Tests, 2 @ 10% each, total: 20%
Final exam: 20%
Class #1: Introduction to Advertising
This first class we will get to know each other and discuss
what is expected. We will discuss key and relevant articles
from the advertising trade press, and other information sources.
The four main themes of the course will be discussed: Integration
is essential to today's marketers, Advertising needs to be
benefit driven, Advertising is changing rapidly, and Advertising
is a team sport.
Class #2: Campaign Strategy
As in almost every opening session of every class, we will
discuss recent happenings in the Advertising business from
the trade press. We will begin to discuss campaign strategy
and creative variables using recent ads from magazines, television,
out of home and radio. The image of the User, the image of
Company, and the image of the Product as well as the practical
identification of these strategies will be subject of class
discussion and participation.
Class # 3: Campaign Strategy
This will be a continuation of campaign strategy and creative
variables. We will discuss the need for all advertising to
offer a benefit to the audience.
Class # 4: Insightful Advertising Strategy
Strategy development, and the various methods and systems
used by agencies and clients to arrive at insightful strategy
will be discussed in detail. Students will be asked to analyze
facets of the Company, the Category, and the Consumer of known
Corporations.
Class #5: Insightful Advertising Strategy
Reading The Regis Touch by Regis McKenna will be important
as input for strategy development. This class will discuss
dynamic positioning. Students should read it as soon as possible,
and be ready to be tested on the material for midterm.
Class #6: Writing the Creative Brief
A discussion of the creative brief and understanding the importance
of beginning all advertising with strong strategy, before
the process of creating actual ads, will be stressed. Creative
examples will be shown on storyboards, finished television,
radio scripts, and layouts for magazines, newspapers and out
of home will be discussed in class.
Class #7: Image, and Branding
A lecture on image and branding will cover various theories
used by marketers today. Examples of branding and image will
be shown and discussed.
Class # 8: The Strategist
Paul Parton a Strategic
Planner from DDB will be the guest lecturer for this class.
He will discuss how a strategy is developed and will use recent
example from his experience.
Class #9: The Internet
Peter Klinge who runs
Interactive new business for Euro RSCG corporate will be the
guest lecturer for this class.
Class # 10: Putting It All Together, the Advertising Plan
One of the major assignments of this course is the writing
of an advertising plan. Students will be shown the components
of the advertising plan. Research and audience measurement
will be discussed. Several teams will be assigned a specific
company and or product as a subject of the advertising plan.
Breakout groups for discussion will result in the first outline
of an advertising plan. (Note this is a team effort and all
members of the team will have to work together for a common
goal and grade on this project.)
Class #11: It's the Integration Baby
Most advertising plans today are integrated. They involve
many other parts of the marketing mix other than traditional
advertising. Class discussion will involve the Internet, Public
Relations, Direct Response, and putting it all together with
the Advertising Plan.
Class #12: Media is the Second Creative Department
A media professional will be a guest lecturer. The classes
will concentrate on the discipline of Media and the management
of the majority of the clients' advertising money. Current
information regarding the viewing and measurement of American
media today will be covered. Arriving at the spending level,
varied use of media the act of planning and buying media as
well as the construction of the basic media strategy and plan
will be discussed. We will also discuss the value of the different
media and the judgment to use one medium over another.
Class #13: MIDTERM EXAM
This will be the first of three exams during the semester.
The first test, a midterm exam, will include multiple choice,
true/false, and essay questions.
Class #14: Advertising Organizations that Give Back
After the initial exercise of current events in advertising,
the class will be made familiar with the work of the various
organizations that exist to serve advertising like the 4A's,
AEF, ARF, ANA, and similar organizations. Pro Bono and Public
Service Advertising will be reviewed. We will have a guest
speaker from the 4A's present to the class.
Class #15: Presentation Skills Workshop
The entire class will be devoted to creating exciting and
effective presentations. Part of advertising on either the
client or agency side is the persuasive presentation of ideas
and information. Students will be given the opportunity to
learn how to present effectively. This is an important session
and class participation will be essential. Many presentation
techniques and the exercises apply to all types of business,
and will be important learning, and will be used in the presentation
of Advertising Plans later in the semester.
Class #16: Presentation Skills Workshop Continued
Class #17: Applying Relevant Principles from the Case
History
The major way to communicate success in advertising is through
the case history. In new business cases are used to show how
accomplishment is realized. Relevant cases are proof that
the advertising agency team can do similar work for a new
client. This class will show how to construct case histories.
Examples will be shown that will be very relevant in the study
of advertising principles.
Class #18: More on Case Histories
A discussion of the book Organizing Genius will be incorporated
into this class.
Class # 19: What's the creative person all about?
We will also talk about creativity, the myths and realities
surrounding the "creative" person.
Class #20: What's the Client About?
Client organizations are varied and diverse. Some client organizations
are advertising oriented and others are product management
oriented. We will discuss several kinds of client organizations
and how advertising is handled in each of them. Also, we will
discuss client case histories and how the organization benefited
or detracted from the end product. The relationship between
agency and client will also be discussed.
Class #21: The Life Blood of an Advertising Agency
New business is the most exciting, yet the most difficult
and demanding task in an advertising agency. Firing and hiring
an advertising agency from a client's perspective is a major
undertaking. We will discuss new business development techniques,
some case histories, and some of the modern theory of winning
of new business.
Class #22: Global Advertising
Global advertising is one of the most important issues facing
clients and their agencies. Clients that are in multiple countries
have issues of governance and management as well as well as
cultural issues and creativity. Part of the class will also
review the material for the second test.
Class # 23: The Second Test
The second test will be similar to the midterm, multiple choice,
true/false and some essay questions.
Class # 24: The Strategy Behind the Communications Holding
Company
Omnicom, WPP and Interpublic are the largest communications
holding companies. What is their strategy? Why do they exist?
Why do they believe this model will win in the future? These
and other questions will be addressed in this class.
Class # 25: Field Trip
This class will be held at an advertising Agency. It may run
a bit longer than the normal hour, and it may begin later
than the normal class time.
No Class on November 28: Thanksgiving Day
Class # 26: The Class Presents Advertising Plans in Teams
Advertising Plans will be presented to the class by the individual
teams. These plan presentations should incorporate all the
learning to date, put to practical use. These will be presented
as if the client were making the evaluation. Students who
have prepared well for the Advertising Plan presentations
find it to be the most rewarding part of the class.
Class #27: Presentations continued
Class #28: LAST DAY OF CLASS/ REVIEW
We will review all the material that has been presented to
prepare for the Final Examination.
Class # 29: FINAL EXAM
This is the last class of the semester. The final examination
will be similar to the tests given before, multiple choice,
true/false and essay questions. Students can be emailed their
grades within a short time after the test if they request
it.
Steve Norcia, The Norcia Group
Copyright © 2002. All rights reserved.
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