UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Marshall School of Business

MKT 405 – Advertising and Promotion Strategy

Spring 2012

Tuesday & Thursday: 16470 12- 1:50PM HOH 304

Tuesday & Thursday: 16472 2 -3:50PM ACC 310

______

Professor: Hank Wasiak

Telephone: 646 236 9014 (cell)

E- Mail: , , ______

Reasons to Take This Course

This course will provide you with an understanding of how to most effectively plan and develop an Integrated Marketing Communications Program in today’s digital and inter-connected world. You will learn how to create and present an effective Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan that incorporates all of the components of the marketing mix into a cohesive 360 integrated communications plan. The course will balance theory and best practices with an emphasis on real world, hands on, real time experiences, issues and projects.

Course Description

The very nature of “advertising” has evolved and is now going through one of its most dynamic and profound periods of change. This course examines the dynamics of these changes and will introduce/reacquaint students with the power and potential of marketing communications in today’s increasingly competitive yet inter-dependent global marketplace. The emphasis will be on the role of integrated marketing communications (IMC) programs in building brands, fueling growth and creating sustainable businesses and organizations. Effective IMC plans are built on consumer insights that lead to incisive strategies which enable powerful execution. Outstanding IMC plans also inspire differentiating creativity and ingenuity. The student will study the process by which IMC programs are planned, developed and executed to deliver outstanding performance and results.

During the course, you will learn how to assess and evaluate the quality of different creative endeavors through case analyses, exercises, class discussions and interactions with practicing professionals. You will be challenged to problem solve, apply critical thinking, and use organizational, analytical, and creative skills to write and present in class an effective Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan.

Course Objectives:

Create a dynamic learning environment that includes lecture, group discussions and presentations, case analysis, internet usage and digital application, immersion in social media and personal interaction with practicing professionals.

Enhance the understanding of all the elements of the marketing mix and their connective strengths when used as part of digital, internet enabled integrated marketing communications (IMC) program.

Fuel critical thinking and analytical skills relative to setting goals, budgets and evaluation of IMC plans.

Spark creative thinking and encourage innovative solutions to business challenges and opportunities.

Create and deliver an outstanding, written IMC plan for an existing or new product or service that you will be proud of and eager to share with the world.

Major Deliverables:

**Consistently active and vibrant class participation.

**Involvement with and on-going use of Social Media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and blogs

**Textbook Study, reading one ancillary reference book and use of marketing newsletters, RSS feeds, etc.

**1 Creative Brief Assignment

**1 Team Integrated Communications Project,

**1 Individual Social Media/Digital Assignment & Book Reading – Google+ For Business (Chris Brogan)

**3 quizzes

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Develop a real-world written IMC plan for an existing or new product or service by utilizing key advertising and promotion concepts and professionally presenting these recommendations in class.
  1. Apply specific advertising and promotion constructs to the thorough analysis of each case.
  1. Enhance critical thinking, creative and analytical skills.
Required Readings/Activities
  • Belch, George E. and Belch, Michael A. (2011). Advertising and Promotion – An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective (9th ed.). Irwin McGraw Hill..
  • Brogan, Chris, Google+ For Business, 2011/2012
  • Course Reader of selected assignments including articles and cases.
  • Each student will be required to have an active Twitter, Facebook, Google+ page and be registered on LinkedIn
Recommended or Additional Readings
  • Solis, Brian,(2011) The End Of Business As Usual
  • Advertising Age, Mashable,.
  • Selected Blogs and RSS Feeds
Grade Breakdown

The following 1000 point grading system will be utilized for the course:

Topic / Percentage of Grade / Points / Due Date
(See Course Schedule)
Class Participation / 10% / 100
Creative Brief Assignment / 10% / 100
Social Media/Digital Assignment–Book / 10% / 100
Team Integrated Marketing Communications Plan
- Write-up / 20% / 200
- Presentation / 10% / 100
Subtotal / 30% / 300
Quizzes (3)
TOTAL / 40%
100% / 400
1000

A detailed course schedule is on page 7. The Department of Marketing follows the grading policy of the Marshall Graduate School of Business. For this elective course, the grading standard is an average of 3.3.

Attendance

Attendance is expected. Your ability to benefit from the course and contribute to the class is largely dependent upon your attendance during class meetings. If you are unable to attend class on any occasion, please notify the professor in advance, where possible. Moreover, you will be responsible for everything covered or announced in class on that day. If you miss more than two week’s worth of class meetings during an elective class, the professor may deduct points from the final grade.

Class Format

Class sessions will be devoted to summarizing major advertising and promotion concepts and then probing, extending and applying these concepts to exercises and cases utilizing a great deal of interactive discussion. Commercials, guest speakers and discussions focused on concepts, cases and applications will be utilized to maximize learning and provide a forum in which advertising, promotion, and communications concepts and theory are applied to real world experiences. It is assumed that all students by being prepared for each class will actively contribute to each session to maximize the learning experience. You may be cold called in class to explain a concept, answer a question, defend a point or apply some course material to real world applications.

Class Participation

Class participation is an extremely important part of the learning experience of this course because the richness of the learning experience is dependent upon the degree of preparation by all students prior to each class session. Additionally, a course focused on case analyses requires students to prepare cases and offer their analyses in the class. Thus, by definition, class participation is an important part of your grade.

You will offer your opinions in a group setting many times in your business career and evaluating class participation is a tool for preparing you for this dimension of your career. To foster a class environment that has active participation, 10 percent of the course grade or 100 points will be allocated to class participation.

Grading class participation will be based on the student’s willingness to actively participate and the quality of the comments expressed, not necessarily quantity. When evaluating participation, your professor will attempt to answer the following questions:

  • Does the participant attend class regularly and show up to class on time? Is the participant prepared?
  • Do comments add to an understanding of the marketing concept, situation, analysis, or recommendations being discussed? Does the participant go beyond simple repetition of case facts to include analysis and conclusions?
  • Is the participant a good listener? Are the points made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments of others? Is there a willingness to interact with other class members?
  • Is the participant an effective communicator? Are concepts presented in a concise and convincing fashion?
  • Does the student proactively participate in the social media channels relevant to the class

A class participation rating of 2, 1 or 0 will be given to each student based on his or her contributions during each class. A 2 rating will be awarded to those students who provide excellent contributions to class discussions. A 1 rating will be awarded to those students who provide proactive, positive contributions to class discussions. A 0 rating will be awarded to those students who do not attend class, do not participate in class discussions or provide negative contributions.

Creative Brief Assignment

Please select a current advertising campaign of your choice that has print advertising and a digital component among other IMC elements. You are to write a creative brief for this product or service which includes the creative strategy, creative process and message strategy and is described on pages 268 – 270 of the text. (See page 8 for suggested outlines) You also are to develop one new print ad and a suggested viral/digital video that are directed to the primary target audience.

This assignment is not to exceed two single-spaced paper, excluding the two print ads. The assignment is worth 10 percent of the course grade or 100 out of 1,000 points. Be prepared to discuss your assignment in class on the due date listed in the calendar.

Social Media/Digital Assignment

As part of this assignment each student will be required to read Chris Brogan’s new book and we will discuss elements of the book in class and reference to the book will be included in quizzes.

Book Reading –Google+ For Business – Chris Brogan

There will one assignment that will help develop your understanding of the current digital marketing environment, the importance of full and proper execution of integrating social media into marketing communications strategies and provide real time hands on experience navigating the new and evolving role of digital communications and social media in the marketing mix. The specifics of the assignment and deliverables will be provided in class and will be an individual assignment. This assignment will be worth 10% of the course grade or a total of 100 out of 1000 points.

Team Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan

To apply advertising, promotion and communications concepts, please form a team of four to five students to develop an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan for a product or service of your choice or for a product that will be provided. You are to assume that you are one of three advertising agencies bidding for the specific product’s or service’s business. The annual IMC Plan should cover all advertising and promotional activities for the year 2012. As an option, you may assume individual roles of Account Executive and Directors of Creative, Media, Account Planning, Interactive and Promotion.

Team members, selection of a product or service for the IMC Plan and preferred presentation date of April 19th 24th or 262t must be handed in no later than the beginning of the third week of class on Tuesday, January 24h.All write-ups must be submitted by April 19th.

It is highly recommended to be creative and innovative so that you are awarded the business. In addition to an animated PowerPoint presentation summarizing the IMC Plan, you should include in your presentation product displays and demonstrations when possible. You also should create print ads, storyboards or commercials and sales promotional materials. Showing videos or current commercials, having music during parts of the presentation are additional ways to demonstrate your team's reasons to be awarded the business. Your client is very much looking for innovation and creativity and a new way to stand out from the clutter. It should also be noted that the competition is very aggressive and you should make sure that you ask for the business.

Each team will prepare a written IMC Plan as well as make a 20-minute (maximum) presentation of the recommendations for the product or service selected. The written IMC Plan is to be a maximum of 12 single-spaced pages, excluding up to six exhibits. (See page 10 for the IMC Plan Outline.) The team IMC Plan assignment is worth a total of 30 percent of the course grade or 300 points. The team write-up and presentation of the IMC Plan are worth 20 percent of the course grade or 200 points and the presentation is worth 10 percent of the grade or 100 points. The grade for the IMC Plan may be modified for each individual based on the assessments of contributions of each team member. (See page 11 for project peer evaluation form).

If team contributions were not equal while preparing and presenting the assignment, please complete the project peer evaluation form on page 11. If one form is handed in at the end of the class in which the presentation is given, all other team members will be asked to complete the form. Unequal contributions may affect the individual grade of this assignment. If no peer evaluation forms are completed, it will be assumed that contributions were equal among team members.

Please submit in advance digital and hard copies of the PowerPoint presentation and write-ups. Hand in peer evaluation forms the day the presentation is given if deemed appropriate. The IMC written plans are due on April 19, 2011.

The following criteria will be utilized to grade the IMC Plan:

  1. Situation analysis including relevant primary and secondary research
  2. Selection of the recommended target markets, primary and secondary
  3. Soundness of objectives
  4. Creative strategy & Execution
  5. Completeness and consistency of IMC mix recommendations and strategies
Students with Disabilities

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to the professor as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The telephone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to adhere to the standards of academic integrity that govern students registered at USC. The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student, and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work is unacceptable to the University. It is often difficult to distinguish between a culpable act and inadvertent behavior resulting from the nervous tensions accompanying examinations. Where a clear violation has occurred, however, the professor may disqualify the student’s work as unacceptable and assign a failing mark on the paper.

Returning Graded Paperwork

Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, will be discarded after four weeks and, hence, will not be available should a grade appeal be pursued by a student following receipt of his/her grade.

Professor/Student Interaction

If at any time during the course you have questions regarding the preparation of assignments or other course-related issues, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone or in person to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet. I will have office hours which will be provided at the first class session.

My goal is to use my knowledge of marketing communications, advertising and internet marketing as a platform for learning and building your expertise in these areas. We will work together in an environment of open discussion, shared experiences and learning. Additionally I will give you as much feedback as you would like to help you become better IMC marketers and achieve your personal objectives for this course.

Course Schedule Spring 2012

The following class schedule provides the thought flow and topic agenda for the course. The course will draw heavily on real world, real time events to add texture and provide practical application learning. While the course will cover these topics, it is likely that the schedule could change and topics be rearranged subject to marketplaceevents, class discussion direction, and speaker availability. You will get the most out of this course if you stay current, live on the internet, absorb content, be flexible and go with the flow.

Class / Date / Topic / Assignment
1
2 / 1/10,.
1/12 / Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and the Role of Advertising Agencies / Belch & Belch- Integrated Marketing
Communications:
Chapters 1&2.
3
4 / 1/17, 1/19 / Organizations & Outlook
Understanding The Target Audience / Chapter 3
Chapter 4
5
6 / 1/24, 1/26 / Consumer Behavior
The Communications Process / Chapters 5. Team IMC Plan Topics Due
7
8 / 1/31
2/2 / Message Channels
Case Discussion / Chapter 6
9
10
11
12 / 2/7,
2/9
2/14
2/16 / Internet & Digital
QUIZ 1
Role of The Internet & Digital / Chapter 15
Outside Reading
13
14 / 2/21
2/23 / Establishing Objectives
Budgeting Measuring Effectiveness / Chapters 7 & 18
15
16 / 2/28
3/1 / Creative Strategy/Planning
Creative Strategy & Execution / Chapter 8 &9
17
18 / 3/6,
3/8 / Creative Deployment
Media Planning / Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Creative Brief Assignment Due
X
X / 3/13, 3/15 / SPRING BREAK NO CLASSES
19
20 / 3/20,
3/22 / Media Planning & Strategy.
Social Media Interactive
QUIZ 2 / Chapter 10
19
20 / 3/27
3/29 / Social Media & Interactive
Broadcast Media / Chapter 15/Outside Sources
Chapter 11
21
22 / 4/3
4/5 / Print Media/Support Media / Chapter 12 & 13
23
24 / 4/10
4/12 / Public Relations/CRM / Chapter 16
25
26 / 4/17
4/19 / Course Summary, Quiz3
Presentations / IMC Presentation & Discussion: All Team IMC Write-ups due
27 / 4/24 / Presentations / IMC Plan Presentation and Discussions
28 / 4/26 / Presentations / IMC Plan Presentation and Discussions

In addition to the text book chapters there will be significant reviews of supplementary materials which will be provided and presented in class and posted on BlackBoard.

Creative Brief Outline

  1. Positioning Statement – Write the positioning statement for the product/service
  1. Creative Strategy
  1. Basic opportunity or problem the communications must address
  1. The objectives of the marketing communications program
  1. A definition of the target audience
  1. Key benefits
  1. Support for those benefits
  1. The brand’s personality
  1. Any special requirements
  1. Creative Concept
  1. Big idea - What is the single most compelling idea that the overall experience must convey?

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan Outline

  1. Executive Summary – A brief summary of the major components of the IMC Plan.
  1. Situation Analysis – Relevantbackground data and analysis of the industry, competition, customer and

company resulting in an expanded SWOT analysis.