May 4, 2015

DIRECTV Ads and NAD (Chapter 14)

This article with recent TV ads by DIRECTV would be excellent to use for Chapter 14 where students can play the role of the NAD. DIRECTV claims the ads with Rob Lowe and his alternate character were too silly to believe, yet Comcast filed a complaint with the NAD about statements Rob Lowe made during the commercials.

Resources:

Discussion Questions:

  1. Before you read the article, watch the 3 television ads. What are your thoughts about the ads? Do you like them? Why or why not?
  2. DIRECTV claims the ads were to be too silly to be believable. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
  3. Does it make a difference rather Rob Lowe or his alternate character makes the statements about DIRECTV? Why or why  not?
  4. If you were part of the NAD, what decision would you make? Why?

Posted by on May 4, 2015 in Chapter 14 and tagged , .

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April 20, 2015

Making Digital Relevant (Chapter 8)

As digital and social media marketing continue to grow, the number of ads and messages being ignored is growing even faster. This article by Tessa Wegert outlines 3 strategies to make digital marketing more relevant, thus increasing results.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Identify the three ways brands can make digital marketing more relevant? Discuss the importance of each method.
  2. Toyota created a campaign with BuzzFeed that generated social lift of 1.3 times. Why do you think this campaign was successful?
  3. Examine the site Athlete Network. How does this illustrate the principle of targeting a specific niche?

Posted by on April 20, 2015 in Chapter 08 and tagged .

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April 9, 2015

3 Ways Brands can use CSR (Chapter 13)

This article highlights three ways brands can use corporate social responsibility (CSR) to create better advertising. I have also included two YouTube videos and a blog from Patagonia that can be used with the article.

Resources:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the three ways brands can use CSR to create better advertising? Do you agree or disagree with these three methods of using CSR? Why?
  2. What is your impression of the Patagonia blog?
  3. What is your impression of the Scarecrow video by Chipotle? Do you think this video will boost sales for Chipotle? Why or why not?
  4. What is your impression of the Dove Real Beauty video?
  5. Do you think society places too much emphasis on physical appearance? Why or why not?
  6. After viewing the videos, examining the blog, and reading the article, how important is CSR to brands? Explain.
  7. Is your purchase behavior influenced by a brand’s CSR effort? Why or why not?

Posted by on April 9, 2015 in Chapter 13 and tagged , , .

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March 30, 2015

Importance of Words for Interaction (Chapter 8)

In a world filled with visual images, we often forget about the importance of words. This article is excellent for showing how the copy and words used in both online and mobile pages are important in attracting attention and engaging the viewer with the pages content.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the three design functions of words. Use examples not in the article to illustrate each design concept.
  2. What are the four duties of words? Give an example of each not used in the article.
  3. Explain the concept “content is king” and why it is important in webpage design.

Posted by on March 30, 2015 in Chapter 08 and tagged .

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March 23, 2015

Humor Appeal (Chapter 6)

Humor is one of the most used and most effective advertising appeals. See what you think of this ad for United Healthcare.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is evaluation of this ad? Was it a good use of humor? Why or why not?
  2. Is humor an effective approach for health care? Why or why not?
  3. What message strategy and execution does this ad utilize? Justify your responses.

Posted by on March 23, 2015 in Chapter 06 and tagged .

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March 18, 2015

Designing Without Images? Can You? (Chapter 6)

I found this article intriguing. We live in a visual society and most advertising uses visuals to attract attention and to hold interest. This article suggests in a world flooded by visuals designing with type only can be effective.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Will ads with only type work? Why or why not?
  2. What mediums will these type of ads be the most effective? Explain why.
  3. List the 5 most important concepts you learned from the article.
  4. Which of the “type only” ads did you like the best? Why?

Posted by on March 18, 2015 in Chapter 06 and tagged .

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March 16, 2015

America’s Import (Chapter 4)

Chrysler recently launched a new campaign promoting its vehicles as “America’s Import.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. After watching these new Chrysler ads, what are your thoughts?
  2. Which product positioning strategy is Chrysler using? Justify your answer.
  3. What does the concept “America’s Import” mean to you? Explain.
  4. What are your thoughts about having individuals speaking in a different language in the ads?
  5. Do you think this positioning approach will benefit Chrysler? Why or why not?

Posted by on March 16, 2015 in Chapter 04 and tagged , .

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March 13, 2015

L’Oreal Merges Offline and Online (Chapters 8 & 11)

The future in advertising is the merging of the offline advertising world with the online world. L’Oreal will be taking this step in the very near future. This article in Advertising Age discusses how print  ads, promotions, and in-store materials will have a 2-D barcode that consumers can scan that will take them straight to the e-commerce site to purchase the item. This technology represents the pinnacle of direct response marketing since every marketing item L’Oreal produces will allow consumers instant mobile shopping.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts about L’Oreal’s direct-response tags?
  2. Do you think this strategy will boost sales for L’Oreal? Why or why not?
  3. Would you agree this technology allows a brand to merge the offline advertising world with the brand’s online world? Why or why not?
  4. If you had this app on your phone, would you use it for mobile shopping? Why or why not?

Posted by on March 13, 2015 in Chapter 08, Chapter 11 and tagged , .

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March 12, 2015

Web Design and Ad Engagement (Chapter 8)

These two articles provide good information to support the chapter on Digital Marketing.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is conversion rate optimization important?
  2. What affects conversion rates? Discuss why each is important.
  3. Identify the advanced conversion tactics provided by the author of the first article. Rank these for your personally from most influential to least influential. Explain the rationale for your ranking.
  4. From the second article, explain the concepts of rich media ads, banner ads, CTR, engagement rate, and in-screen impressions. (You may need to access the Internet or use the book to explain these concepts)
  5. Why do you think media rich ads perform better than banner ads?
  6. Why do you think performance measures are higher for sports than any other category listed in the second table?

Posted by on March 12, 2015 in Chapter 08 and tagged , , .

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March 9, 2015

Pinterest (Chapter 9)

Zehnder Communications, a full-service advertising agency in Louisiana, posted on its blog an article by Jennifer Edelman entitled “5 reasons why & 5 ways how to use Pinterest.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Identify the five reasons why a brand should use Pinterest.
  2. Identify the five steps a brand can use in getting started.
  3. For each step, discuss how a restaurant, a tanning salon, or fitness center would create a Pinterest presence.
  4. Go to Pinterest, and find a prominent brand you like with a Pinterest account. What information has the brand posted? What benefits does Pinterest offer the brand you chose? Be specific.

Posted by on March 9, 2015 in Chapter 09 and tagged , .

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