Evolution of Advertising and Public Relations: Identify important historical events and milestones (e.g., compulsory education, industrial revolution, and transportation improvements) that have helped the advertising and public relations industry evolve and examine the key characteristics to emerge from this evolution.

1.2

Depth 1

Advertising and Public Relations Careers: Research careers in the advertising and public relations industry, focusing on educational requirements and state and national guidelines governing practicing professionals (e.g., licensing, certifications, training, compliance). Identify potential training programs, schools, and examinations to obtain required credentials for a specific occupation.

1.3

Depth 1

Marketing Mix: 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. Examine a specific product example to determine how marketers make decisions about these elements based their potential target audience.

1.4

Depth 1

Advertising Laws and Self-Regulation: Summarize legal opinions and/or applicable legislation (e.g., “bait and switch,” use of nutritional labels, etc.) and industry selfregulation (including ethical considerations and social responsibility) applicable to the advertising and public relations industries.

2.1

Depth 1

Market Segment Classifications: Identify the characteristics of market segment classifications (e.g., demographics, psychographics, and geography) and analyze case studies to determine the benefits of segmentation for consumer messaging.

2.2

Depth 1

Target Marketing: 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). Identify product marketing examples that narrowly segment their target audience and analyze the purpose in developing specific marketing campaigns.

3.1

Depth 1

Promotional Mix: Identify the elements of the promotional mix (i.e. advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing, and public relations), citing examples of specific products or services found in local community.

3.2

Depth 1

AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): Define characteristics and implications for each of the four steps of the AIDA formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). Select a product and create example consumer engagement strategies for each step.

3.3

Depth 1

Sales Promotion: Compare various types of sales promotion (e.g., coupons, contests, fashion shows, product samples, rebates, and incentives). Determine methods for measuring results of each, paying particular attention to a promotion’s return on investment and perceived consumer value.

4.1

Depth 1

Advertising Media: Compare and contrast types of advertising media, analyzing which types are best suited for certain products, services, institutions, or events by citing authentic examples.

4.2

Depth 1

Promotional vs. Institutional Advertising: Distinguish between promotional and institutional advertising by creating examples of each for a local company or nonprofit organization.

4.3

Depth 1

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

4.4

Depth 1

Advertising Copy and Design: Demonstrate an understanding of effective advertising copy and design by creating an ad layout. Critique the design, key message, and probable effect on target audience and then revise and edit layout based on peer feedback.

4.5

Depth 1

Global Advertising: Evaluate how other countries’ customs and traditions affect American companies’ advertising messages in the global marketplace. Market a product in a selected country based on customs and traditions.

5.1

Depth 1

Social Media Advertising: Explain the value of social media advertising for increasing market reach and customer interaction. Compare and contrast features and benefits of major social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.), synthesizing characteristics and components of each to determine which platforms will lead to effective brand promotion and customer interaction.

5.2

Depth 1

Creating Advertising Posts: Create a series of posts to promote a selected product or organization via social media using writing strategies and styles appropriate for the selected platform.

5.3

Depth 1

Product Website Design: Identify and describe the essential features of a product website, including visual components, navigation features, and search engine optimization and evaluate the effectiveness of a website’s design and interactive features.

5.4

Depth 1

Digital/Mobile Advertising Strategy: Identify the various forms of digital and mobile advertising. Design a digital or mobile advertisement to introduce or enhance a product’s or service’s current promotional programs and activities.

6.1

Depth 1

Market Research Data: Explain the need for market research data, including both primary and secondary data and identify the types of data available via electronic tracking methods (e.g., warranty registrations, sales records, online surveys, website cookies, and loyalty cards).

6.2

Depth 1

Survey Design: Design and distribute a survey that focuses on product or service improvement. Collect, interpret, analyze, and illustrate key survey findings with charts or graphs, outlining any recommendations for specific product or service improvements.

7.1

Depth 1

Public Relations Strategies: Discuss the role of public relations in the promotional mix and identify various public relations strategies, differentiating controllable and not controllable public relations activities (e.g., BP’s news coverage after the gulf oil spill versus paid advertisements showing environmentally conscious behavior).

7.2

Depth 1

Public Relations and Crisis Management: Examine case studies on the role of public relations in crisis management. Analyze public relations strategies and tactics to address negative publicity during a newsworthy crisis.

7.3

Depth 1

Public Relations Press Kit: 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 strategies and defend your recommendation based on audience and context.

8.1

Depth 1

Designing an Advertising Campaign: Using suitable strategies from the promotional mix, create an advertising campaign for a product or service, which includes the following:

8.1.a

Depth 2

Establish Objectives

8.1.b

Depth 2

Identify the Target Market

8.1.c

Depth 2

Design Theme and Promotional Message

8.1.d

Depth 2

Choose Promotional Activities