Advertising and Public Relations

Marketing Mix

Segmentation and Target Marketing 

Concepts of Promotional Mix

Advertising

Sales Promotion

Social Media and Digital Marketing

Utilizing Marketing Research and Data Management

Public Relations

Promotional Campaigns 

Ethics, Government Regulations, and Global Implications of Marketing

Articulate important historical events and milestones (such as compulsory education, industrial revolution, and transportation improvements) impacting evolution of current advertising industry. Compare and contrast characteristics of the current advertising and public relations industry with those found the past.

Research careers within the advertising and public relations industry, and document educational requirements as well as state and national guidelines governing practicing professionals (such as licensing, certifications, training, compliance). Identify potential training programs, schools, and examinations appropriate to obtain required credentials for a specific occupation.

Analyze how the elements of the marketing mix (e.g., product, place, price, and promotion) create an image or position for a product or company. Investigate elements of the marketing mix using a specific product example and explain in an informative text how marketers make decisions about these elements based on the people they want to attract as customers.

Identify and describe characteristics of classifications of market segmentation (such as demographics, psychographics, and geography); analyze multiple case studies to draw conclusions and write a narrative explaining the benefits of segmentation for consumer messaging.

Research how targeting specific economic, social, or cultural groups can lead to a competitive advantage (e.g. calling attention to a brand’s social awareness efforts may increase sales of a specific product for those consumers who enjoy gourmet ice cream and who also have a preference for environmentally conscious products). Identify product marketing examples that narrowly segment their target audience, citing specific textual evidence from investigation to analyze producers’ purpose in developing specific marketing campaigns.

Define and differentiate between the components of the promotional mix (advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing, and public relations) citing examples of specific products or services found in local community. 

Define characteristics and implications for each of the four steps of the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) formula. In groups, select a product and create example consumer engagement strategies that apply to each step. 

Identify and distinguish between types of advertising media by creating a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Develop and defend claim(s) about which types are best suited for certain products, services, institutions, or events, citing authentic examples. For example, pharmaceuticals often utilize print media due to the lengthy disclaimer text that must accompany prescription drug advertising. 

Distinguish between promotional and institutional advertising by creating examples of each for a local company or nonprofit organization.

Write an informative narrative summarizing how media costs are determined, citing specific textual evidence and using domain-specific language. Include factors that affect media rates and methods to compare rates.

Identify the elements of a print-based advertisement (such as headline, illustration, copy, signature, or logo) and analyze their relationship to the principles of effective advertising design (e.g., balance, color, proportion).

Demonstrate an understanding of effective advertising copywriting and design by creating an ad layout. Write peer reviews critiquing the design, key message, and probable effect on target audience. Develop and strengthen writing by revising and editing layout based on peer feedback. 

Compare various forms of sales promotion (such as coupons, contests, fashion shows, product samples, rebates, and incentives) and determine methods for measuring results of each. Craft a claim about the return on investment from a particular promotion, providing specific examples of company benefit from perceived consumer value.

Explain the value of social media marketing for increasing market reach and customer interaction. Compare and contrast features and benefits of major social media applications (such as social networks, video sharing, and interaction tools as well as mobile marketing, blogs, and other forms of “push” media). Synthesize characteristics and components of each application by creating a decision tree for selecting tools and strategies that will result in effective brand promotion and customer interaction based on product and market characteristics.

Create a series of posts to promote a selected product or organization via social media using writing strategies and styles appropriate for the selected tool and immediacy of customer responses.

Identify and describe characteristics of essential features of a product website, including visual components, navigation features, and optimization for search engines. Create a rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of a website’s design and interactive features. 

Interview individuals who have recently completed an online purchase by preparing interview questions that critique the experience, including documenting overall impressions of the product selection, purchasing experience, and the features that facilitated or hindered the website usage. Deliver a presentation synthesizing customer feedback based on the interviews. 

Work in a team with identified roles and responsibilities to develop a website for product or brand promotion. Create a flowchart of website elements, consumer interaction points, and decision trees to identify steps in the product review, selection, and purchasing process. Execute the plan by designing, maintaining, and updating the website based on consumer feedback. 

Explain the need for market research data, including both primary and secondary data. Identify and differentiate types of data available through electronic tracking methods (e.g. warranty registrations, sales records, online surveys, website cookies, and loyalty cards).

Design a survey with a focus on product or service improvement; collect survey data, and interpret, analyze, and report key survey findings through charts or graphs. Write an argumentative essay that outlines recommendations for specific improvements, citing evidence found in survey findings.

Through the analysis of case studies, discuss the role of public relations in the promotional mix and identify various types of public relations strategies. Differentiate between public relations activities that are controllable and those that are not (e.g., BP’s news coverage after the gulf oil spill versus paid advertisements showing environmentally conscious behavior); include public relations vehicles used internally by companies in the analysis.

Through the analysis of case studies (e.g., Tylenol product recalls, Carnival Triumph’s electronic malfunction), examine the role of public relations in crisis management. Develop an explanatory narrative and accompanying timeline describing public relations strategies and tactics that were put in place to address negative publicity during a newsworthy crisis.

Develop a press kit for a product or student organization that includes a press release, fact sheet, and at least three strategies for marketing the product or organization to a target audience. Recommend one of the three options presented and substantiate the claim with evidence as to why that strategy would be ideal given the specified audience and context.

Using suitable strategies from the promotional mix, create a product promotional campaign which includes the following steps:

Summarize legal opinions and/or applicable legislation (such as “bait and switch” and use of nutritional labels) and industry self-regulation (including ethical considerations and social responsibility) applicable to the advertising and public relations industry. 

Explore the implications of marketing to a global consumer; use case studies to evaluate how the customs and traditions of other countries affect American companies’ advertising messages in the global marketplace. Write recommendations for marketing a product in a selected country based on customs and traditions. 

Establish Objectives

Identify the Target Market

Design Theme and Promotional Message 

Choose Promotional Activities

Select Media

Allocate Budget Amounts

Measure Results