JOUR 4261:
Advertising: Media Strategy
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Basic Information
Prerequisites
Course Description
Expected Competencies
Competency Goals
Assignments and Activities
Workload
JOUR 4261: Advertising: Media Strategy (3 credits)
- Meets twice a week
Prerequisites
- Major status
- JOUR 3004W, JOUR 3201 or JOUR 3202, JOUR 3251
Course Description
The objective of the course is to provide a basic understanding and familiarity with the media planning process and to put it context of the broader advertising and marketing process. The media planning process incorporates subjective decision making after reviewing significant amounts of objective data. The development of recommendation with supporting rationale is the basis for the process. Students are introduced to this process focusing on the prioritization of objectives, strategies, and media selection within fixed budget parameters. An attempt is made to include media and marketing examples covering various industry’s to help students understand the theoretical concepts.
A secondary objective is to provide some understanding of the media execution and negotiating process and its connection with the media industry. Students should gain a general understanding U.S. media consumption patterns as well as the strength and weaknesses of various media forms’ ability to accomplish various advertising communication tasks.
Finally students should improve their abilities and skills in the areas of decision-making, data analysis and interpretation, and rationale development. They should also improve written communication skills focusing on organization, clarity and persuasiveness.
Expected Competencies
Students who enroll in JOUR 4261 should have taken JOUR 3004W, JOUR 3201 or JOUR 3202, and JOUR 3251. They should have the following skills:
- Basic understanding of advertising principles and the strategic planning process
- Familiarity with secondary advertising/media data sources like: Nielson MRI SRDS CMR
- Basic mathematical skills
- The ability to analyze, recalculate and interpret data
- The ability to write in an organized, concise and persuasive manner
- Basic software skills in Word, Power Point, and Excel (or other spread sheet)
- Basic research and Internet discovery skills
Competency goals for 4261
The goal of JOUR 4261 is to provide a basic understanding of media process and the media industry. In that process the following specific media planning skills should be obtained:
- Fluency with media concepts, terminology and media math
- The ability to perform basic media math calculations
- The knowledge of and ability to develop basic media strategy recommendations with supporting rationale
- The ability to make media selections inside of budget constraints and provide supporting rationale
- The ability to organize and flowchart media decisions and budgets
In addition, the following broader based skills should be enhanced:
- The ability to interpret and develop conclusions from objective data
- The ability to write in an organized, concise and persuasive manner
- The ability to develop recommendations and make decisions
Assignments and activities
Lectures are organized around broader media concepts
Core Strategies:
- Target
- Timing
- Geography
- Impact (weight) Levels
Media Selection:
- Television
- Radio
- Out Of Home
- Internet
Guest lecturers with specific industry experience in print, radio, television and internet execution and negotiation are incorporated to provide a sense of reality in the strategic process as well as and understanding of the advertising sales process.
Assignments include:
- Personal Television and radio diary recording
- Weekly readings of text, New York Times (Business Section), and class handouts in preparation for quizzes and the mid term.
Three Major Projects:
Target Audience Recommendation
- Analysis and calculation of MRI data
- Formation of a recommendation
- Persuasive rationale using numerical data
Magazine selection and scheduling recommendation
- Analysis of editorial, coverage and efficiency of selected titles
- Selection recommendation and rationale within budget
- Monthly scheduling and rationale within budget
Development of a Media Plan Document (Final Project)
- Strategy recommendations and rationale
- Media selection and rationale
- Flowchart and budget rationale
Workload
Students should expect to spend about 9 hours in learning efforts per week (inside and outside of class) to satisfactorily complete this course. Basic tasks include:
- Readings: 20%
- Assignments: 20%
- Projects: 60%