BUSML 7203: ADVERTISING STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT
Course Theme: Understanding How IMC Can Build and Sustain Powerful Brands
Professor:
Office:
Email:
Telephone:
Shashi Matta
554 Fisher Hall
matta.6@osu.edu
(614) 292 – 2901
Classroom:
Classes:
Office Hours:
275 Gerlach Hall
Th 6:00 – 9:15 PM
We 3:30 – 4:30 PM
or by appointment
Required Course Materials
Course Pack. I have developed a custom course packet for this class and it is available for purchase
from Harvard Business Publishing (link on Carmen). This course pack includes a) articles from
sources including HBR, California Management Review, Business Horizons and MIT Sloan
Management Review, and b) two cases from HBS.
Carmen Articles. There are several assigned articles (required reading) that are available free of
charge. These articles are available on Carmen. Please refer to the detailed course timeline (p. 4-7)
Other Course Materials. All other course materials such as class slides, case questions, other
assignments questions, discussion topics, etc., will be made available on Carmen.
Course Objectives
Advertising is a form of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). To achieve the most
valuable bang for the IMC buck it is imperative for brand managers and advertisers to understand
how, why, and when, IMC works. This course on Advertising has been developed with a theme of
‘understanding how IMC can build and sustain powerful brands.’ The aim of this course, therefore, is to
help you acquire brand-building skills using IMC. Specific course objectives include,
1. Understanding what Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is and why it is critical to
marketing; understand the key players in the IMC industry and what they do.
2. Understanding how consumer insight drives IMC strategy and tactics, how to develop
communication objectives, formulate creative strategy, develop a creative brief, design an
IMC plan, plan the media strategy, execute an IMC campaign, and measure the effect of
IMC on brand equity.
3. Learning key IMC metrics.
Class Format, Live Team-based IMC Project, Guest Speakers, and Media Workshop
Class sessions will include a combination of lectures, discussion of assigned articles and cases,
video segments and in-class group exercises. A key course highlight and deliverable is the Teambased IMC Project, which consists of a ‘live’ seven-week project in partnership with an
organization that is seeking to solve an IMC problem. The course will also feature two sets of
client-agency guest speakers with case learning (dates not announced in advance), and a media
workshop conducted by a large media house.
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Evaluation: Graded Components, Grading Scale, and Instructor Expectations
Grade Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Class Participation and Contribution
Team-based Case Analyses (2 cases, 10% each)
Advertising Strategy Quiz
Creative Brief Assignment
Team-based IMC Project
10%
20%
15%
15%
40%
__________________
Total
100%
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
93-100
90-92.99
87-89.99
83-86.99
80-82.99
77-79.99
73-76.99
Exemplary Performance
Strong Performance
Good Performance
Adequate Performance
Adequate Performance, with some deficiencies
Weak Performance, with serious deficiencies
Poor Performance, with pervasive deficiencies
Performance below the “C” level will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that grading will be based on relative rather than absolute standards. The average
grade for the class in this course will be a 3.6 or lower.
Instructor Expectations and Class Policies
1. You are expected to be well prepared for class discussions by thoroughly reading the
assigned articles and cases prior to each class session.
2. Since this is a seven-week course, you are expected to attend all class sessions; missing
class or failing to participate in class discussions will adversely affect your learning and
the class participation grade.
3. You are encouraged to ask questions and meet with the instructor during office hours,
particularly in preparation of the written assignments and the team project.
4. Laptops, tablets, smart phones and cell phones need to be switched off for the duration
of the class so as to respect class learning and to maintain class etiquette.
5. Your feedback is encouraged and welcomed throughout the duration of the course!
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Guidelines for Graded Course Components
Class Participation and Contribution
10% of the Final Grade
Class participation is an extremely important part of the learning experience of this course. While
regular attendance and participation is expected, it is the quality of participation that will
determine a student’s class participation grade. Learning is maximized when all participants come
fully prepared to class; this includes reading the assigned articles and cases thoroughly prior to
class and contributing constructively and actively.
Team-based Case Analyses
20% of the Final Grade
For this team-based case assignment, each team will be required to analyze and write a report on
two cases during this seven-week course. Cases analyses will be due at 11.59 PM the night before
class (in which we’re scheduled to discuss the case). For example, for Case 1, the report will be due
at 11.59 PM on Wednesday, September 3. Assignments must be typed in MS word, in 12-point
Times New Roman font (including titles, text, etc.), single-spaced, with a 1” margin on all sides.
This formatting is mandatory. Assignments must be uploaded on to the Carmen drop box. No late
assignments will be accepted.
Advertising Strategy Quiz
15% of the Final Grade; Thursday, September 25, 2014
The advertising strategy quiz is a combination of multiple-choice questions and short essays, to be
completed in 45 minutes. The quiz will cover material from all class sessions prior to it. This
includes all assigned readings, snippets, discussions of cases and mini-cases, and class slides from
those respective sessions. The quiz will include an advertising retrofitting exercise.
Creative Brief Assignment
15% of the Final Grade; Due at 11.59 PM on Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Students will be required to develop a Creative Brief Document for a brand of their choice, from
any one of the following three categories – a hospitality service, a financial solutions firm, or a health
care service firm. The format to use for the creative brief document will be the one discussed in class.
Assignments must be uploaded on to the Carmen dropbox. A penalty of one grade point will be
incurred for every day of late submission.
Team-based IMC Project
40% of the Final Grade; Final Presentations at 6.00 PM on Thursday, October 16, 2014
Students will work in teams of five to develop an IMC Plan for a real brand that will be announced
in class during session # 1 on Thursday, August 28. Students are free to pick their own teams but
teams must be formed during the class break in the first class session. A team representative is
required to send me an email that indicates the team name and team member names, with all
members copied on the email. Each team will have 25 minutes to make their final presentation.
Executives from the client organization, and I, will evaluate the presentations.
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Week 1: Course Introduction to IMC and IMC Organizations
August 28 Session # 1
6:00 – 7.35
Introduction to IMC and IMC Organizations
Course Pack Article:
1. Being a Mad Man - Without Losing the Plot: Advertising
Guidelines for the Ages (Rottman)
Carmen Articles:
1. The Future of Advertising (Fast Company)
2. Global Advertising (Ad Age)
August 28 Session # 2
7:45 – 9:15
Client Brief for the Team-based IMC Project (45 min), IMC Organizations (45 min)
A team of executives from the client organization will present the project brief and
conduct a Q&A session. This begins the seven-week live IMC project.
Carmen Articles:
1. Global Trust in Advertising (Neilson)
2. The Future of Advertising Agencies (The Economist)
Week 2: Consumer Insights, Targeting and Positioning in IMC
September 4
Session # 3
Consumer Insights for IMC
6:00 – 6.50
Course Pack Article:
1. Better Consumer Insight in Real Time (HBR)
Carmen Articles:
1. Post Recession Consumer Behavior (PWC)
2. The Truth About Youth (McCann World Group)
September 4
Session # 4
7.00 – 9.15
Targeting and Positioning for IMC
Case # 1 (Course Pack):
Saxonville Sausage Company (HBS)
Course Pack Article:
1. Diaspora Marketing (HBR)
Case # 1 Analysis Due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, September 3, 2014
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Week 3: Communication Processes and Building Value through IMC
September 11
Session # 5
The Communication Process
6:00 – 7.35
Course Pack Article:
1. How Advertising Works (Ivey)
Carmen Article:
1. Assessing the Strength of a Brand (Evok)
September 11
Session # 6
7.45 – 9.15
How a Business Creates Value and Brands It
Course Pack Articles:
1. If Brands are Built Over Years, Why are they Managed Over
Quarters? (HBR)
2. Ad Spending: Maintaining Market Share (HBR)
3. Ad Spending: Growing Market Share (HBR)
Week 4: The Creative Brief and The Creative Process in IMC
September 18
Session # 7
6:00 – 7.35
The Creative Brief
Carmen Articles:
1. The Creative Brief and the Client’s Role (Forbes)
2. What’s in your Creative Brief (Ad Age)
September 18
Session # 8
7:45 – 9.15
Creative Strategy & Tactics: Part 1
Case # 2 (Course Pack):
Building Brand Infosys (HBS)
Case # 2 Analysis Due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, September 17, 2014
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Week 5: Creative Strategy & Tactics in IMC
September 25
Session # 9
6:00 – 7.35
Advertising Strategy Quiz (45 min)
Creative Strategy & Tactics: Part 2 (45 min)
Course Pack Article:
1. Creativity in Advertising: When it Works and When it
Doesn’t (HBR)
September 25
Session # 10
7:45 – 9:15
Creative Strategy & Tactics: Part 3
Course Pack Articles:
1. Ambient Communication: How to Engage Consumers in
Urban Touch-Points (CMR)
2. Advertising’s New Medium: Human Experience (HBR)
Week 6: Traditional and New Media in IMC
October 2
Session # 11
Traditional Media
6:00 – 7.35
Course Pack Article:
1. Continuing Power of Mass Advertising (MIT Sloan)
Carmen Articles:
1. Television’s Role in Driving Sales (MarketShare)
2. Common Media Terms (Evok)
October 2 Session # 12
New Media
7:45 – 9:15
Course Pack Articles:
1. For Mobile Devices, Think Apps, Not Ads (HBR)
2. If You Love Something, Let it Go Mobile (Business Horizons)
3. How to Profit from Lean Advertising (HBR)
Creative Brief Due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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Week 7: Media Workshop and Advertising ROI
October 9
Session # 13
Media Workshop
6:00 – 7.35
Executives from a well-known media conglomerate will conduct a media workshop on
media consumption habits of consumers in a major DMA (Designated Market Area)
October 9
Session # 14
7:45 – 9:15
Advertising Effectiveness: Metrics and ROI
Course Pack Articles:
1. Advertising Analytics 2.0 (HBR)
2. Increasing the ROI of Social Media Marketing (MIT Sloan)
3. Linking Advertising and Brand Value (Business Horizons)
Finals Week: Team-based IMC Presentations
October 16
Final Presentations
6:00 – 9:15
in 275 Gerlach Hall
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