Advertising Theory and Structure
Code: 103137 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2501935 Advertising and Public Relations | OB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Sara Vinyals Mirabent
- Email:
- sara.vinyals@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
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.
Learning Outcomes
- CM11 (Competence) Plan professional activity while considering the difference between conventional (ATL) and non-conventional (BTL) media in the advertising system.
- CM13 (Competence) Incorporate codes of ethics and the ethical principles of self-regulation into advertising and public relations activities.
- CM14 (Competence) Optimally combine the different professional profiles involved in the planning of advertising campaigns and public relations campaigns.
- KM13 (Knowledge) Define the theories that characterise persuasive communication in the field of the production, distribution and reception of advertising messages and public relations campaigns.
- KM15 (Knowledge) Recognise professional profiles and their responsibilities in advertising and public relations.
- SM12 (Skill) Analyse advertising campaigns and public relations actions based on the theories and concepts of the discipline.
Content
MODULE A: Conceptualization and structure of advertising. The goal of this module is to delimit la contemporary concept of advertising as well as its overlap with other disciplines. It also aims to describe the professional roles that take part in conceptualizing and creating advertising campaigns and the relationships between them.
MODULE B: Advertisements: forms, formats, and effects of different types of advertising. The goal of this module is to provide an x-ray of the different formats of advertising (conventional and non-conventional) and understand the relevance of integrated strategies that look beyond a sign ad and use non-official content to their advantage.
MODULE C: Persuasive communication theoretical fundamentals; key learnings to know and convince consumers. The goal of this module is to identify the psycho-sociological principles that should guide the decisions taken in the conceptualization and development of advertising campaigns. To understand how consumers interpret and interact with advertising messages to maximize their persuasive effect.
MODULE D: Ethics and legislation of the advertising industry. The goal of this module is to understand how the legal and ethical environments limit but also ensure advertising sustainability. Learn about the major laws, ethical codes, and further phenomena that help us understand why the advertising industry is always under the spotlight.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars and practices | 37.5 | 1.5 | CM13, KM15, SM12 |
| Theoretical classes | 15 | 0.6 | CM11, CM13, KM13, KM15 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Mentoring and follow-up sessions | 7.5 | 0.3 | CM14, KM15 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings, case studies preparation, and work on the project | 82.5 | 3.3 | CM14, KM13, KM15, SM12 |
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) Debate and pitch: At the end of the practical classes the students will participate either in debates with their classmates or in elevator pitch sessions.
D) Project follow-up: The group project consists of the independent work of the students with the supervision of the teacher.
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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case studies (individual work, presentations, and debates) | 25% | 2.5 | 0.1 | CM13, KM15, SM12 |
| Final Course Project | 25% | 2 | 0.08 | CM14, KM13, KM15 |
| Multiple choice exam | 40% | 2 | 0.08 | CM11, CM13, KM13, KM15 |
| Participation (on campus and virtually) | 10 | 1 | 0.04 | CM11, SM12 |
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:
Continuous evaluation:
[1] PARTICIPATION (10% of the final grade): The participation and contributions in class, as well as the contributions to the "interesting cases forum" (in Campus Virtual), will be considered
[2] CASE STUDIES AND INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES (25% 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.
[3] MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM (40% of the final grade): It consists of an individual exam with closed questions and several possible answers. It evaluates the theoretical content knowledge of the student.
[4] GROUP PROJECT (25% of the final grade): It consists of a study about one of the professional profiles participating 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.
Single evaluation:
Students can take a single evaluation option according to the current normative. The test will consist of three parts: a multiple choice exam (linked to point number 3), a written exam (linked to point number 4), and an oral defense of a case study with prior preparation by the student (linked to point 2). The different parts will account, respectively, for 40%, 20%, and 30% of the final grade.
Special requirements:
- To pass the course, it is mandatory to pass the evaluation blocks 2, 3, and 4 above mentioned separately (or the three separate parts of the single evaluation exam).
- The teacher may take into account the attitude in class and have a repercussion in the final grade.
Retake activities:
- Students will be entitled to the revaluation of the subject. They should present a minimum of activities that equals two-thirds of the total grading.
- Students can retake any part of the evaluation system they failed, except participation (for continuous evaluation).
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.
Bibliography
EINSTEIN, Mara (2016): Black Ops Advertising. OR Books, New York.
JANSSON-BOYD, Cathrine V. (2019). Consumer Psychology 2e. McGraw-Hill Education, UK.
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.
SUTHERLAND, Max (2020). Advertising and the mind of the consumer: what works, what doesn't and why. Routledge.
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.
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 51 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 52 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 551 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 552 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 5 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 55 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |