Course Syllabus

JMC 3303-001 - Introduction to Advertising

Semester : Fall 2021
Meeting Time and Location : Tuesdays and Thursdays, Noon to 1:15pm, Gaylord Hall 1140
Course Delivery : Traditional
Learning Management System : Canvas (http://canvas.ou.edu)

👨‍🏫 Instructor

Adam Croom, Assistant Professor
Office Hours : Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 to 10:30am, 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Gaylord Hall 3017. You can book a Zoom meeting here: https://calendly.com/acroom/30min
Graduate Teaching Assistant : Harley Hendrick, harleyhendrick@ou.edu
Contact Information : (405) 325-2960 (o)  a.croom@ou.edu 

Course Details

For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.

⚠️ Course Prerequisites 

This course is intended as an elementary survey and does not assume any prior knowledge of the advertising industry though the majority of students will have completed Introduction to Media (JMC 1013) and Media Writing and Storytelling (JMC 2033).

💡Learning Outcomes

• Discuss several significant eras in the evolution of advertising in the United States, and relate important changes in advertising practice to fundamental changes in society and culture. (CVC 2)
• Discuss the role played by advertising and promotion agencies, the services provided by these agencies, and how the agencies are compensated.
• Identify the potential benefits and problems of advertising and promotion, and debate key issues concerning their effects on society’s well-being.
• Explain how ethical considerations affect the development and implementation of advertising and IBP campaigns.
• Discuss the role of social class, taste, family, race, identity, gender, community and cultural capital in consumer behavior and advertising. (CVC 3)
• Discuss how effective advertising uses sociocultural meaning in order to sell things. (CVC 4)
• Identify the potential benefits and problems of advertising and promotion, and debate key issues concerning their effects on society’s well-being. (CVC 6)
• Discuss the criteria to target a segment.
• Identify the essential elements of an effective positioning strategy.
• Explain the purposes served by and methods used in developmental advertising research. (CVC 8, 11)
• Describe the basic components of an advertising plan.
• Describe the core characteristics of the creative process. (CVC 5)
• Examine yourself and your own passion for creativity. (CVC 7, 10)
• Detail the elements of copywriting and how they are dependent on the medium (CVC 9)
• Describe the basic ideas and essential terms in media planning.
• Discuss the basics of branded entertainment.
• Discuss making the media buy and programmatic media buying.
• Understand the changes taking place in the traditional mass media of newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio relative to newer media options. (CVC 12)
• Note the advantages of digital, mobile, and social media for implementing advertising and IBP campaigns, along with the dark side of social media, such as security and privacy concerns.
• Discuss important trends transforming the advertising and promotion industry.

📚 Required Course Materials

1. Textbook. Launch! Advertising and Promotion in Real Time. Good news: your textbook for this class is available at no cost on Canvas thanks to the support of the OU Alternative Textbook Grant. Your book is available in both web view and PDF and you can use whichever format you want. You are also able to purchase a print copy at OU Bookstore. Web view is recommended -- the responsive design works seamlessly on any device.
2. Case Studies. Students must purchase four low-cost case studies available through Harvard Business Publishing. These cases will be examined approximately once a month. This material will all be modern and relevant real-world examples and will drive discussion intense class periods.

✔️ Course Requirements

The final grade will be based on the results of exam, online chapter quizzes, case discussions, and a final exam. All graded assignments, including tests, will be administered through Canvas. The final exam will not be comprehensive and will only include the lecture material that has yet to be included on an exam. There will be a quiz for each chapter in your textbook for a total of 13 quizzes. The three lowest quiz grades will be dropped and will not be utilized in calculating the student's final score.

💯 Grades

Breakdown

Course activities and grades listed for each activity

Activity	Description	Points
Exams	Three quarterly exams worth 200 points will be administered.	300
Chapter Quizzes	Thirteen quizzes worth 20 points each are available to students. The highest ten quiz scores will be included in the final grade calculation and the three lowest quiz grades will be dropped.	200
Case Studies	Students will complete four case studies over the semester worth 25 points each.	100
Final Exam	A non-cumulative final exam will be administered at the end of the term.	100
	Total	700

Scale

This course is out of 700 points. It should be noted that there is a distinction between a points-based system and a percentage-based system. In a points-based system, percentages do not exist. Thus, rounding up is not an option.

A: 630 - 700 points

B: 560 – 629 points

C: 490 – 559 points

D: 294 – 489 points

F: 0 – 293 points

Course Components

📓 Lectures

Regular attendance is essential. Students are allowed three unexcused absences. After that, I reserve the right to drop your grade by a full letter grade.

Absences are excused if you have COVID or are experiencing COVID-like symptoms and complete the OU Healthy Together app, which may recommend that you do not attend class during a period of isolation. I will not be provide a Zoom link for students isolating, but I will provide pre-recorded lecture videos from a previous online course for students to watch before the next class.

📕Case Studies

Throughout the semester, the class will examine four case studies. These will be two part assignments. The first portion of the assignment is to be completed online via a Canvas discussion board and is worth 10 points. The second portion of the assignment will be completed in an assigned group and is worth 15 points.

✏️ Exams

Exams will be completed during the regularly scheduled class time and will be done virtually via Canvas. Exams consist of 50 multiple choice questions and must be completed within a 75-minute time limit. Additional time can be requested by those who have received accommodations through the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center. 

🔥 How to Make the 100 on Your Final Without Taking It

It is my belief that students studying Advertising have a lot to gain from attaining hard skills that can be utilized in a work environment. In addition, short classes that produce digital badges can make you more attractive when you are trying to land an internship. Because of this I have curated a collection of LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) courses that are relevant to the advertising and promotion industry. These include courses related to design (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, etc.), project management, and data analytics.

If a student completes eight hours worth of courses and attaches the badges to their LinkedIn profile, then your final will be turbo boosted to an automatic 100. This means you can elect to either keep your final exam grade in the event that it improves your score or elect to drop it from your final grade. You can access the LinkedIn Learning collection here:

Intro to Ad LinkedIn Learning Collection

🍰 Extra Credit

Students who are engaged in advertising-related social activities will have a number of opportunities to earn extra credit over the semester. You can earn extra credit for attending a meeting with OU Ad Club, Lindsey+Asp, Oklahoma City AdClub, Gaylord related career fairs, and other events that may come up during the semester.

Each event is worth five extra credit points. Students can earn a maximum of 30 extra credit points. Extra credit must be completed before Finals week and we'll be applied at the end of the semester.

In order to receive the extra credit, students must submit a Google form for each event. Here you will provide a summary of the event as well as a picture as proof of attendance. Here is a link to the Google form:

Intro to Ad Event Extra Credit

🗓️ Course Schedule (approximate) 

August 24	Introduction
August 26	Early Advertising History (PT Barnum)
August 31	Early Advertising History (Lydia Pinkham)
September 2	The Structure of the Advertising and Promotion Industry: Advertisers, Agencies, Media, and Support Organizations
September 7	Marketing Segmentation, Positioning, and the Value Proposition (Claude Hopkins)
September 9	Advertising Research (De Beers)
September 14	Case Study #1: Red Lobster
September 16	Social and Ethical Aspects of Advertising and Promotion (Kid in Upper 4)
September 21	Exam #1
September 23	Managing Creativity in Advertising (Coca Cola)
September 28	Executing the Creative (Bill Bernbach, Volkswagen)
September 30	Creative Message Strategy (Rosser Reeves, Anacin)
October 5	Debbie Yount, Area Head, Strategic Communication
October 7	No Class - OU/TX Weekend
October 12	Regulatory Aspects of Advertising (Leo Burnett, Marlboro Man)
October 14	Case Study: Coca Cola
October 19	The Creative Revolution (David Ogilvy, Hathaway Man)
October 21	Exam #2
October 26	Advertising Planning (Miss Clairol)
October 28	Media Planning Essentials (Absolut)
November 2	Media Planning: Newspapers, Magazines, TV, and Radio
November 4	Media Planning: Advertising in Digital and Social Media
November 9	Case Study: Instagram Influencer Marketing
November 11	Great Modern Brands: Apple
November 16	Exam #3
November 18	Sales Promotion and Point-of-Purchase Advertising
November 23	The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
November 25	No Class - Thanksgiving Break
November 30	Event Sponsorship, Product Placement, and Branded Entertainment
December 2	Case Study: Direct to Consumer Brands
December 7	Personal Selling
December 9	Final Exam Review
December 15	Final Exam (1:30pm to 3:30pm)

Course Policies

📨 Communication

Students are welcome to contact me via Canvas Inbox or email. While I am usually quick to respond to all messages, please allow me 24 hours during week days to respond. If you message on a weekend, please do not expect to not receive a response until Monday morning.

⌛ Late Policy

Late work is permitted for partial credit. For every day that a non-exam assignment is late, 25% will be automatically deducted from your highest possible grade. For example, if you make a 100% on a chapter quiz, but you completed two days past the original due date, Canvas will show your score as a 50%.

📣 Syllabus Disclaimer

I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus as necessary. You will be given both verbal and written notification.

💄Make-up Policy

Students who are involved in Provost approved activities (i.e., scholarly competitions, fine arts performances, academic field trips), Director of Athletics approved athletics events and legally required activities (i.e., emergency military service and jury duty) may schedule a make up examination as long as I am give notice two (2) class periods or one (1) week (whichever is less) before an exam (including final exams with two weeks’ notice).

🤝Non-Discrimination Policy and Inclusive Language

Discriminatory behavior based on race, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, politics, sexual orientation, age, etc. will not be tolerated in the least bit. The following is an excerpt from OU’s Non-Discrimination Policy “Diversity is one of the strengths of our society as well as one of the hallmarks of a great university. The University supports diversity and is committed to maintaining employment and educational settings that are multicultural, multiracial, multiethnic, and all-inclusive.
 Respecting differences is one of the University’s missions.


The University does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual based on race, color, religion, political beliefs, national origin, age, sex (see Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination and Harassment policy), sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, disability,
or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, financial aid, housing or services in educational programs or activities the University operates.” https://ou-public.courseleaf.com/policies/

Not being purposefully discriminatory is not the same as being inclusive, which is something that takes thoughtful reflection. Inclusivity involves a consideration on how people self-identify. In particular misgendering a person can be very dismissive. This happens when someone mistakenly assumes a person’s gender by their appearance, name, or behavior and misnames or mislabels that person. To be gender inclusive, call your peers by the names and the pronouns they identify with. If you aren’t sure, ask. If you slip up, don’t ignore your error. Acknowledge it and apologize graciously.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Ally

Please note that I am an on-campus LGBTQ Ally, one of many resource people on campus who provide an open door for individuals seeking information or assistance regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, harassment, and/or discrimination. LGBTQ Allies have gone through training and you can see which campus folk are allies by the stickers on their office doors or windows. Feel free to talk to me any time if you or someone you know has questions or concern.

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University Academic Policies and Student Support

Course Catalog 

Search the OU Course Catalogue.

Student Handbook

Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.

Online Library

Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.

Academic Integrity

“Honesty is fundamental in all academic activities, and those privileged to be members of a university community have a special obligation to observe the highest standards of honest and a right to expect the same standards of all others.” – OU Faculty Handbook 

According to the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity, misconduct includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and improper collaboration. I take academic misconduct very seriously. You will be subject to the university’s academic misconduct policy.

Diversity Statement

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a nationally accredited program and therefore strives to adhere to a set of standards designed to prepare JMC majors to excel within their chosen professions.  These standards include a mandate to provide curriculum that “fosters understanding of issues and perspectives that are inclusive in terms of gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.”

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.

Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.

If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability.  Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.

Title IX Resources  

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident. 

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.

Copyright Policy

It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.

Registration and Withdrawal

If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.

Mental Health Resources

The University of Oklahoma is committed to supporting the mental health needs of all students.  Students are encouraged to contact the University Counseling Center (UCC) at any time, but especially if psychological issues are impacting your academic performance, social relationships or other aspects of your daily life.  Counseling appointments can be made by contacting the UCC at 325-2911.  The UCC is located in Goddard Health Center, Room 201.  You can find more information about their services at http://www.ou.edu/ucc.