In Class:
Advertising and Sales Promotion
College of Business Administration
Spring 2022 | RJ Thompson, Instructor
Discover the world of advertising
Produce real work for a real client
Create compelling “pitches”
Course Overview
Communicate, Convince, and Convert
In addition to being a pervasive element in our society, advertising is also a key marketing strategy element that can dramatically influence the relative success of firms and their brands. As such, understanding the processes and approaches that organizations use in developing and sustaining effective advertising strategies is useful for managers across functional disciplines.
Course Objectives
Course content, assignments, and projects were designed to maximize learning, increase exposure to new marketing and advertising principles and practices, and enhance students’ individual professional by including their work in a portfolio or distributing via social media.
Journey through the world of Advertising
- Define advertising, delineate its most important functions and influences, and specify how it fits into an organization’s overall marketing strategy
- Recognize the many social, ethical, and legal issues that confront advertisers
- Examine the roles, responsibilities, and interactions of the various groups that create, produce, and implement advertising programs
- Understand how market segmentation, consumer behavior, branding, and brand positioning relate to the process of creating and placing successful advertisements
- Describe the various tools that advertisers use to gain information about markets and how they apply their findings to marketing and advertising decision-making
- Discuss how advertisers set objectives, and establish creative and media strategies, and budgets
- Examine the bases for evaluating creative copywriting and art direction
- Understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of different media options, including print, broadcast, interactive, and supplemental media
- Discuss how advertisers evaluate the effectiveness of their advertising programs
Final Project
Practical Client
National Institute for Social Media
The National Institute for Social Media (NISM) is dedicated to social media certification and education for professional social media practitioners. Their curriculum is designed by educators and leaders in digital marketing and communication to validate the core skills essential for success in the various vocations of social media. Not only does NISM offer exceptional education, but it’s also a lifelong community for professional development, continuing education, and sharing best practices.
This was a fantastic opportunity! The team at NISM was thrilled by the creativity, professionalism, and outcomes of the students in this program. They brought us fresh ideas and new perspectives. What a great learning opportunity, not only for the students but for our business.
Part One
Advertising Campaign
Across 9 groups, students were tasked with researching every aspect of the National Institute for Social Media and producing their “pitch” – an advertising campaign that seeks to appeal to new audiences interested in social media strategist certification.
The “pitch” presentation includes a Hero ad (the strongest representation of an advertising concept), variations on the Hero ad theme across physical and digital formats, and other communication ideas.
Part Two
Pitch Presentation
Each group was asked to create a slide-based presentation and record their pitch for the NISM CEO and advisors. The video presentation was limited to 15 minutes and each member of the group had to speak at least once. This aspect of the final project put a premium on clear business communication, style, speed, and the optimal presentation of ideas. Students were asked to write a script for their presentations and rehearse before recording via Zoom.
Part Three
Pitch Websites
What a person presents in their pitch – what they say, how they say it – can create a huge advantage when seeking to win a client, but oftentimes the work speaks for itself. Delivering potential clients a comprehensive “pitch” package helps them see how thoughtful, considerate, and strategic an agency can be. Thusly, students were required to produce a comprehensive “pitch” website that included a creative brief, a report, an advertising campaign, recorded pitch presentations, and selfie-shot progress updates. You can view their websites using the links below.
Check out their work
View each team’s website (each link opens in a new window)
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
Team 9
Part Four
Pitch Playlist
In the window to the right, you can watch each of the nine presentations.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Major in Marketing
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