Sample Syllabus

This is a year-long advanced, practical learning course and arguably the best "real life" experience available for advertising majors. It is offered in conjunction with the American Advertising Federation.

Participants will form a traditional advertising agency and develop a national advertising campaign which focuses on an overall creative strategy, the media plan, and possible promotional and interactive components.

Prerequisites for this course are Mktg 340--Advertising; Mktg 441--Media Strategy; Mktg 442--Copy & Layout; Mktg 460--Marketing Research and admission to the School of Business. (Some prerequisites may be taken concurrently with this course with advance permission from instructor.)

1. To conduct marketing research to supplement client-provided national data.

2. To use national research provided by the client for strategy formation.

3. To understand what is involved in designing a national advertising and promotional campaign that will positively impact both brand image and sales.

4. To develop advertising driven by sound creative strategies.

5. To develop media plans driven by sound media strategies.

6. To develop integrated promotional, direct response and interactive strategies.

7. To develop the ability to write a comprehensive communications plan.

8. To learn what is involved in making an agency-style presentation.

9. To prepare a "pitch book / leave behind."

10. To work in a highly dynamic team environment.

11. To manage a budget and work time.

There is no text required for this course.

"Marketing & Media" daily column in the Wall Street Journal; Advertising Age; AdWeek; MediaWeek; USA Today, "AdTrack" (Mondays); NY Times; Promo Magazine

There are four components to the grade, each worth a maximum of 20-30%.

Individual Contribution: Although the entire team will be working together, each student or (small group) will have individual responsibilities such as research, creative assignments, media planning, production of ads, production of the presentation itself, production of the plans book and leave behind, and fundraising. (Especially important and valuable will be breakthrough findings, strategies, or creative ideas that help the team make major progress.)

Team Working: Included in this metric are the level of participation in the team activity other than the individual responsibilities. This includes class attendance & punctuality, class behavior, participation in discussions and presentations, enthusiasm, willingness to "pitch in" and willingness to take on subcommittee captain assignments.

Planning, Deadlines, and Budgeting: Separate from the team working metric there will be individual and group evaluation for the quality of planning, and the degree to which deadlines were met.

Quality of work: Presentations, conference report drafts, and term papers.

Outcome: This grading component will reflect the overall quality of the campaign. While winning the regional competition and going to nationals are very positive experiences, they are not the most important, nor are they a guarantor of the best grade. It is more important to have intellectually dealt with each part of campaign development so as to gain a real understanding and appreciation of their meaning and importance.

Course participants are expected to maintain a high standard of academic honesty, which is a requirement for passing this course.

The primary written product for this course are the plans book/leave behind

which accompanies the presentation to the client.

Also required each term is a written report from each student summarizing the significant personal learning and the contributions made to the team effort. This report will not exceed three pages, be typewritten or computer generated, using no smaller than 12 pt. type, no less than one inch margins, and no less than 1.5 line spacing with indented paragraphs.

Written assignments (including the essay tests) will be graded for writing quality, grammar, spelling, and organization as well as content, accuracy, and visual presentation.