Unit 1: Introduction to Advertising
How many different advertisements do you think the average person views on a daily basis? Ads are in magazines, on the radio and television, and even sent to us via email and text message. Living in modern-day society, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that ads are everywhere. In fact, advertisements have become so common that sometimes we tend to tune them out altogether. Because of this tendency, advertisers have to be more creative today than ever before, building bold ad campaigns that are impossible to ignore. In this course, you’ll be exploring the ins and outs of the advertising industry, including its history, the role it plays in our society, and the ethical and legal issues related to advertising.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Distinguish among marketing and advertising terms.
- Categorize business activities, such as production, management, and finance, and describe how these activities relate to marketing.
- Describe the history of the advertising industry and its relation to today’s marketplace.
- Discuss laws regulating the marketing and advertising industries.
Unit 2: Advertising in the 21st Century
Have you ever looked at the ads in an old newspaper? These ads were once small black-and-white columns in newspapers that did little more than describe the product for sale. The industry has come a long way since then, and it continues to evolve. In the 21st century, advertisers face the challenge of marketing to a diverse, global society with ever-changing interests, preferences, and values. In this unit, we’ll look at how advertisers are meeting those challenges. In particular, we’ll look at how the global marketplace, cultural diversity, and technology (especially the Internet) have changed the way marketers deliver their messages. We also look at how marketers have developed the relatively new market of women sports fans.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Describe the influence of international marketing on the advertising industry.
- Explain the impact of multiculturalism and multigenerationalism on advertising marketing activities.
- Identify the importance of understanding cultural diversity from a marketing perspective.
- Discuss how diversity affects sports and entertainment marketing.
Unit 3: Careers in Advertising, Promotions & Marketing
Did you know that nearly half a million people are employed by the advertising, promotions, and marketing industry in the United States alone? Who are these people? What is it like to live a day in their shoes? There are many possible answers to these questions. The industry is so large and the work so complex that it takes many different types of workers with varying skill sets to accomplish the goals of advertising and marketing agencies and teams. In this unit, you’ll learn about some of the most common career paths in this field and get a feel for what it’s like to do the jobs held by advertising and marketing professionals.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Discuss careers in the advertising and marketing industry.
- List the roles and responsibilities of various advertising, marketing, and promotions professionals.
- Explain the necessary education and training required for careers in the advertising and marketing industry.
- Identify the expected wages and salaries for jobs in the advertising and marketing industry.
Unit 4: Finances in the Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Industry
Ask any small business owner or Fortune 500 CEO, and he will tell you that finances are one of the most important aspects of any business. No business decision—whether related to marketing, operations, human resources, or any other aspect of the company—can be made without carefully considering its financial implications. In this unit, you’ll learn the basics of finances as they relate to the advertising, marketing, and promotions industry.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Identify sources of financial assistance for raising capital.
- Describe how businesses make purchases.
- Differentiate between buying for resale and buying for organizational use.
- Identify and describe types of financial documents used by businesses and agencies.
- Explain the purpose of financial records, such as budgets, balance sheets, and income statements.
- Discuss the relationship of perishability to profit and loss.
Unit 5: Working in the Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Industry
If you want a job in the advertising and marketing field, you’ll need the skills! But what skills do you need? In this unit, we’ll look closely at the interpersonal skills valued in this industry. We’ll also discover what employers in this industry expect from marketing, advertising, and promotions employees, and how you can expect to be treated as a professional in this field. As you study, keep in mind that many of these principles apply to a wide variety of other career choices as well, so learning about them will prove valuable even if you don’t plan to pursue work in advertising and marketing. As an added bonus, the interpersonal skills you learn here can also help with relationships in your personal life!
What will you learn in this unit?
- Identify and describe the interpersonal skills necessary for a successful career in marketing and advertising.
- Identify the role of professional organizations, trade associations, and labor unions in the advertising industry.
- Illustrate how teams function and describe team-building skills.
- Distinguish between the roles of team leaders and team members.
- Identify employers’ expectations and appropriate employee work habits.
- Define discrimination, harassment, and equality.
- Identify characteristics of good leaders.
Unit 6: Behind the Scenes, Technical Skills Necessary for a Career in Marketing
What comes to mind when you think of what it takes to be an exceptionally good marketer? While some natural talent in the area certainly doesn’t hurt, still, certain skills have to be learned to succeed in this field. Marketing is a field that is constantly growing and changing. We’ve already explored the ways in which technology is changing the role of marketers. In this unit, we’ll revisit the topic to identify the specific technical skills today’s marketers need to compete in a high-tech global marketplace.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Identify and describe types of persuasive rhetoric.
- Explain characteristics and purposes of a marketing-information system.
- Describe types of inventory control and how they relate to marketing.
- Explain the steps of the consumer decision-making process.
Unit 7: Principles of Selling
Advertising is just one part of a company’s marketing and promotions strategy. Personal selling is often one part of a company’s promotion mix. In this unit, we’ll examine this promotional strategy in more detail. You’ll learn when personal selling is an appropriate technique to use and how to implement it effectively. You’ll also learn about how selling impacts the overall economy of the United States.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Discuss the purpose and benefits of personal selling.
- Explain lead generation and lead qualification.
- Explain the five steps of selling.
- Identify the importance of following up after the sale is closed.
- Describe effective strategies for training and educating sales staff.
- Explain how selling contributes to economic activity.
Unit 8: Culminating Project: Developing a Promotional Plan
Throughout this course, you’ve learned a great deal about the marketing, advertising, and promotions industry. You’ve reviewed the history of marketing, examined its evolution into the 21st century, and discovered the skills needed to pursue one of the several career paths the industry has to offer. In this unit, you’ll have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned by developing a promotional plan of your own. For the purposes of this unit, imagine that you are an entrepreneur or small business owner looking to market an original idea for a new product. As you progress through the unit, you’ll have the chance to develop your product concept and create a promotional plan to ensure that your product is successful with your target market. Let’s get started!
What will you learn in this unit?
- Describe stages of new-product planning.
- Define product mix.
- Identify stages of the product life cycle for new or existing advertising marketing plans.
- Analyze a promotional plan for effectiveness.
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