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2022/2023

Advertising Theory and Structure

Code: 103137 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501935 Advertising and Public Relations OB 2 1

Contact

Name:
Sara Vinyals Mirabent
Email:
sara.vinyals@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

Spanish will be used as the main language in some sessions. English and Spanish will be used in the supplementary materials.

Teachers

Cristina Martorell Castellano

Prerequisites

There are no additional prior requirements.

Objectives and Contextualisation

Advertising is a key piece in the economic development and the social construction of western postmodern societies. It is a fast and constantly evolving industry, now facing great challenges such as the fragmentation of their audiences, every day more demanding, and the loss of control over their messages. The course Theory and Structure of Advertising is an introductory course to the advertising world that aims to set the grounds to understand this type of communication. More specifically, it aims to:

  • Place advertising within a highly complex context where different communication types interact.
  • Provide a global view of the advertising process and understand the role of each phase as a part of the complex industry setting.
  • Provide the basic theoretical knowledge that allows understanding the advertising mechanisms (persuasion) independently of the format.
  • Equip students with tools and knowledge to judge contemporary advertising campaigns from a critical and ethical standpoint.

Competences

  • Apply the knowledge of various social science disciplines to the study of culture as a parameter for organising markets, in the field of advertising as the main system of persuasive communication.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislation developed in the field of social communication.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the media's social impact.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the professional and economic structure of the media's business system.
  • Differentiate the discipline's main theories, fields, conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and approaches that lay the foundations for the discipline's knowledge and its different areas and sub-areas, as well as its value for professional practice by means of specific cases.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Show leadership, negotiation and team-working capacity, as well as problem-solving skills.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  3. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  4. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  5. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  6. Describe the business system structure of the major advertising and public relations groups.
  7. Distinguish and explain the main cultural trends underpinning the analysis of persuasive communication.
  8. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  9. Explain the theories that characterise persuasive communication in the structural field of production, distribution and reception of advertising messages and public relations actions.
  10. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  11. Identify the difference between conventional and non-conventional media in the advertising system.
  12. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one's own area of knowledge.
  13. Identify the sources of artistic and literary tradition in the analysis of advertising messages.
  14. Interpret legislation developed in the field of advertising and public relations.
  15. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  16. Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
  17. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  18. Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
  19. Recognise and appraise the impact of current affairs in building advertising messages.
  20. Recognise and describe the codes of ethics and self-regulation governing the advertising profession.
  21. Recognise and distinguish the professional profiles and functions of the different subjects that play a role in advertising activity.
  22. Show leadership, negotiation and team-working capacity, as well as problem-solving skills.
  23. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  24. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  25. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  26. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  27. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  28. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of both one's own and other people's proposals for improvement.

Content

BLOC A: Industry’s structure

Topic 1. Conceptualization of advertising.

Topic 2. The advertising process and professional roles.

Topic 3. Current advertising formats.

Topic 4. Strategic integration of advertising.

BLOCK B: Theoretical fundamentals

Topic 5. Psycho-sociologic fundamentals of advertising.

Topic 6: Theory of persuasion communication. 

Topic 7: Ethics and law.

Methodology

Several teaching methodologies Will be used in this course:

A) Lecture: The teacher will present the theoretical contents of the course, will solve the student’s doubts and further questions about the content, and will provide examples reflecting these contents.

B) Case studies: Through the case studies the student will learn about the implementation of the theoretical content in real advertising practices of well-known brands. The case studies will be used mainly during the practical lessons on campus.

C) Debates and presentations: At the end of the practical classes, on campus, the students will participate either in debates with the classmates or in the presentations about the results of the session.

D) Project follow-up: The group project consists of the independent work of the students with the supervision of the teacher and feedback from the classmates half-way through the course.

Course program:

The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes and seminars 53 2.12 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 19
Type: Supervised      
Mentoring and follow-up sessions 7 0.28 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 19
Type: Autonomous      
Readings, case studies preparation, and work on the project 83 3.32 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 19

Assessment

The course has a strong theoretical focus, even though it also promotes learning the content from applied cases. Therefore, the evaluation model takes into account several aspects:

[1] PARTICIPATION AND INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES (20% of the final grade): The students must prepare at home the different case studies proposed in order to debate them in class during the practical sessions. These activities serve to evaluate how individuals and groups apply the theoretical knowledge to real cases

[2] MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM (40% of the final grade): It consists of an individual exam made from closed questions and several possible answers. It evaluates the theoretical content knowledge of the student.

[3] GROUP PROJECT (40% of the final grade):  It consists of a study about one of the professional profiles that participate in the advertising process. In this research project, students must use primary and secondary sources of information to gain a comprehensive understanding of the profession.

Special requirements:

  • To pass the course, it is mandatory to pass the three evaluation blocks above mentioned separately.
  • The teacher may take into account the attitude in class and have a repercussion in the final grade.

Retake activities:

  • The student can retake any of the parts of the evaluation system they failed and the grade of the remaining parts (the ones passed) will be kept during the same academic year.
  • Students will only be allowed to retake the evaluation activities if they tried them during the first call and failed.  

PLAGIARISM:

In the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that could be instructed. In the event, that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final Course Project 40% 2 0.08 5, 2, 3, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 4, 27
Multiple choice exam 40% 2 0.08 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 19
Participation and individual activities (presentations and debates) 20% 3 0.12 1, 22, 10, 28, 15, 16, 26, 25, 23, 24

Bibliography

AAKER, David & MYERS, John G. (1989): Management de la publicidad. Editorial Hispanoamericana, Barcelona.

EINSTEIN, Mara (2016): Black Ops Advertising. OR Books, New York.

HERREROS, Mario (1995): La publicitat. Fonaments de la comunicació publicitària. Pòrtic, Barcelona.

MAS-MANCHÓN, Lluís (2021): Innovation in Advertising and Branding Communication. Routledge, Oxfordshire.

PÉREZ-LATRE, Francisco J. (2017): Marcas Humanas. Fundamentos de la publicidad en el siglo XXI. UOC, Barcelona.

SOLANA, Daniel (2010): Postpublicidad. Double You, Barcelona.  

WELLS, Mary (2003): A Big Life in Advertising, Simon & Schuster, New York.

Software

The course doesn't require specific software.