Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–13
APPLICATION EXERCISES
Application 1
Purpose: To experientially demonstrate how difficult it is to create advertising.
Setting It Up: This exercise is an excellent group project. Divide students into groups of 3 to 4 and have them
brainstorm product ideas. The exercise in the text deals with human products for animals. The original also proposes
creating advertising for illegal products (see below).
This exercise was inspired by the following Great Idea in Teaching Marketing:
S. J. Garner
Eastern Kentucky University
CREATING ADVERTISING FOR ILLEGAL PRODUCT/SERVICES
When I first started teaching Principles of Marketing twelve years ago, I experienced a problem getting students to really
pay attention to the Advertising/Promotion section of the course. I wanted the students to see how tough it is to create
Each of you is to pretend that a currently illegal product or service has recently been legalized. There are a number of
thing to select from including (but not limited to) items such as theft, murder, prostitution, speeding, gambling,
counterfeiting, tax evasion, drunk driving, buying votes, taking drugs, etc. You have been hired by the purveyor of your
chosen product or service to create a magazine advertisement.
No credit will be given for a “Coca-Cola/cocaine” ad. I know you can be more creative than that!
This assignment is only worth 20 points out of a possible 400 in the entire course, but the students put an amazing
amount of effort into their creations. Since I usually have around 120 students in each Principles class, I cannot show
everyone’s ad to the class. What I do, instead, is select the fifteen best ads from the standpoint of layout design, humor,
putting across the sales message, etc., and show them to the class. As I show each of the best, I discuss why they are
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this during the semester! They actually look forward to it! As a matter of fact, I suspect it is one of the reasons why
students are willing to sign up for an auditorium section of Marketing Principles rather than one of the smaller sections.
Application 2
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to role play crisis management.
Setting It Up: This exercise works well as pair work or group work. The example in the text is more dramatic in nature,
supposing a television station’s camera crew has shown unannounced up at the scene of your business to do an exposé.
in the text, you can use the original Great Idea below.
The in-text exercise was inspired by the following Great Idea in Teaching Marketing:
Jack K. Mandel
Nassau Community College
PUTTING STUDENTS “IN THE LINE OF FIRE” TO LEARN CRISIS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
The concept of “crisis management” is becoming an important topic for marketing and public relations classes. As
companies continue to globalize, seek to make their staffing more culturally diverse, and sensitize themselves to
community needs and concerns, the role of influencing public opinion is growing.
a production worker who feigns “crying” because she is afraid that as a single parent with four children to support,
should XYZ Corporation close, how would she cope? Other student role-plays might include a union delegate seeking
job security for member workers, a major shareholder worried that the price per share of company stock will decline, and
even a local legislator trying to look good to his constituents. Such questioning put to our “PR Director” will provide a
“very real” crisis situation forcing him to think quickly and answer carefully. As the instructor, you can encourage your
Chemo Technology Corporation
Riverhead, N.Y.
Case Study: PUBLIC RELATIONS 138
PROFESSOR J. MANDELL
MANAGING CRISIS – INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION
Situation: Chemco Technology Corporation is a large metalworking manufacturer which employs over 500 Nassau
and Suffolk residents in Riverhead, L.I.
Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–15
Founded in 1948, this publicly held company has seen its share value increase from $3 to $67 (plus annual dividends).
Many shareholders live on Long Island and admire the company. Now the company is facing its greatest crisis to date.
Chemco has been getting rid of poisonous zinc-plating residue by dumping them into a large field adjacent to the factory.
This toxic fluid has slowly infiltrated ground water that feeds into Hampton Bays. 25,000 dead trout were found two
ETHICS EXERCISE
1. Should Creative Advertising meet the client’s expectations (i.e., create the promotional spot) or risk losing
account? Explain your reasoning.
This question elicits a free response from the students. A way to use this as a class activity follows in italics. [You
group’s arguments are more convincing. Follow up with a general discussion of the ethics of the situation.]
2. What does the AMA Statement of Ethics say about truth in advertising? Go to www.marketingpower.com
and review the statement. Then, write a brief paragraph on what the AMA Statement of Ethics contains that
relates to this issue.
The AMA Statement of Ethics is very clear in its position on truth in advertising. It states that the marketer’s
MARKETING PLAN EXERCISE
The next stage of the strategic planning process continues defining the elements of the marketing mix. Part 5 focuses on
promotion and communication decisions for the promotion mix, including advertising, public relations, sales promotion,
and personal selling. Use the exercises in this section to guide you through the advertising and public relations part of
your strategic marketing plan.
17–16 Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations
CASE STUDY
Burger King: Having it their Way for a Change
1. What do you think of Burger King’s advertising tactics? Is it OK to attract new customers while alienating
others? Is Burger King’s advertising ethical? Explain.
2. How did Burger King manage the negative publicity it received over the content of its Coq Roq Web site?
LESSON PLAN FOR VIDEO
Company Clips: Vans – Off the Wall and On Message
Even though Vans generates $500 million a year in sales, the company uses only a small team to manage the company’s
advertising and public relations – Stacy and Chris. The Vans PR team (or duo) uses vertical advertising to cater to a
core group of consumers. With only a small advertising budget, the team must develop partnerships with its advertisers
and use tours and events to spread the Vans culture.
1. Who does Vans consider to be its core consumers? How does the company reach them with its marketing
messages?
Vans’ core consumers are young people interested in music, art, sports, and especially, extreme sports. The outdoor
2. How does Vans choose causes for its cause related marketing?
Vans’ PR team chooses its partnerships with causes by weighing what interests its market and what means
3. What does Vans do to ensure that its print ads fit the publications in which they appear?
The print ads are targeted to the reader of the publication, for instance, a surfer in a surf magazine, an active girl
4. Describe the role of the Internet in Vans’ communication strategy.
The Vans Web site is interactive in allowing consumer’s to design their own shoe and have it shipped to them, by
Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–17
Supplemental Exercise: Video
Company Clips
Pre-Class Prep for You:
• Preview the Company Clips video segment for Chapter 17. This exercise reviews concepts for LO1-LO5.
• Review your lesson plan.
• Make sure you have all of the equipment needed to show the video to the class, including the DVD and a way to
project the video.
Pre-Class Prep for Students:
• Have students review and familiarize themselves with the following terms and concepts: effects of advertising; types of
Video Review Exercise Activity
• Warm-up
o Briefly discuss students’ findings from the Pre-Class Prep youth ad. Discuss the specific medium of the ad,
the execution style, and the product/service being promoted. Ask if the students have seen ads for the same
products that weren’t aimed at youth and if so, how the ads differed.
• In-Class Preview
o Discuss Exhibit 17.2, Common Advertising Appeals. You can have students complete the diagram
the video segment.
• Follow-up
o Discuss how Vans might address audience selectivity for its advertising partners.
o Divide students into groups of 3 to 5 and have them pretend that they are Vans advertising executives who
17–18 Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations
Supplemental Exercise: Class Activity
Prime Time Television
Ask students to watch one hour of prime-time television and answer the following questions. They will need a watch or
clock with a second hand and undivided attention during commercials.
• In a one-hour (full 60-minute) period, how many minutes were devoted to advertising? How were they
distributed throughout the hour?
GREAT IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHAPTER 17
Gary M. Donnetty, Casper College
ASSIGNMENT
You will develop an advertising campaign for a downtown business, for a specific time period, and a specific budget.
Your group will contact a business and get the time period the campaign will run and the budget, and you must stay
within the budget.
SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:
(These must be included somewhere in the project.)
1. Establish written goals for the campaign.
2. Define the market segment your campaign will appeal to and why.
Be creative and include anything else in the campaign which you think will make the campaign successful. You may
utilize any outside resource that you can find.
Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–19
The project is required for you to get actual hands-on experience in developing advertising and experience the problems
of working within budget limitations and still get the maximum amount of return from the advertising dollar spent. This
project can give you the best insight possible into retail advertising.
Suggestion: Do not wait to get started on this project. It will take time to do an adequate job.
INFORMATION TO COOPERATING BUSINESS
1. Students are to develop an advertising package (campaign) for you for a period of time chosen by you. They
will need a realistic budget from which to work.
In the past, grading has posed somewhat of a problem for cooperating businesses. The following are the suggested
criteria for evaluation:
ABOVE
POOR FAIR AVG. AVG. EXCELLENT
Was the project well planned? _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Richard M. Lei, Northern Arizona University
DEVELOPING IN-MARKET CASE STUDIES FOR ADVERTISING STUDENTS
Team projects in the study of advertising are nothing new, but the NAU capstone course offers an important twist. The
class is broken randomly into competing “agency teams,” each consisting of five to seven individuals. There are no tests
or exams in the class—there isn’t even a textbook. The entire semester’s activity is focused around “winning” the new
account for the team.
Unlike many case studies classes, the “winning” campaign is ultimately produced and run in the media, which provides
the student with an important portfolio piece and valuable “real world” experience. This paper discusses two of the initial
“in-market cases,” sponsored by America West Airlines and Dial soap.
SELECTING A SPONSOR
17–20 Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations
Prior to the start of the semester, the instructor solicits for sponsors. The selection of a sponsor is a critical decision in the
success of this program.
THE FIRST TWO “IN-MARKET” CASES AT NAU
The first two projects implemented in this capstone course at NAU were sponsored by America West Airlines during
1988-89 and Dial soap during 1989-90. Each campaign proved to be both challenging and motivating for the students…
and a lot of work.
America West Airlines, a Phoenix based regional air carrier, agreed to sponsor the first campaign and back the winner
Early in the semester, America West management conducted a client meeting at the university and provided detailed
marketing, advertising, and competitive information. America West carefully postured themselves as a demanding client
who would not accept below-standard work from anyone, including students. Student teams were expected to conduct
their own research, develop a creative strategy, formulate media plans, and ultimately recommend creative executions.
America West pledged to back the campaign with a $5,000 budget if they believed the winning campaign to be
executable and well conceived. Presentations were scheduled to the client in December, 1988 prior to the semester break.
The semester was divided into a series of building block assignments, each designed to move the student teams through
production and placement of media.
The Dial soap project was executed in much the same way as America West. In many regards, this was an easier
campaign for students to develop because they had the advantage of working with a physical product, so they could
conduct store checks, organize use tests, and conduct focus groups.
Dial management approved use of a campaign entitled “Dialology” designed to improve brand share in the Western U.S.,
GRADING CRITERIA
Grading this course was completed against a predetermined list of criteria which was agreed to by the sponsor and
instructor. Key elements included:
I. Situation Analysis 20 points
• Did the team understand the market?
• Did they draw reasonable conclusions?
Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–21
• Did they identify a key advertising problem?
II. Creative Strategy 20 points
• Did strategy flow from their analysis?
III. Media Plan 20 points
• Did they spend within their budget?
IV. Creative Executions 20 points
• Did executions flow from recommended strategy?
V. Presentation/Professionalism 20 points
• Did the team appear well rehearsed and professional?
TOTAL 100 points
Score sheets with these five criteria were furnished to the sponsor and instructor and completed after each presentation.
This section was worth 60% of the semester grade. This could be construed as a “team” grade. The remaining 40% of the
REFERENCES
Christ, William G. (1990), “How Shall I Teach Thee? Let Me Count the
Ways. Teaching Metaphors.” AEJMC convention paper England, Bill (1987) “Student Ad Agency Offers Experience,
Greater
Journalism Educator. 40 No.4 (Winter) pp.20–21
Stephen B. Castleberry, University of Minnesota Duluth
CONSUMER BOYCOTTS AND POSSIBLE REACTIONS (SOME FOLKS OUT THERE JUST DON’T LIKE
US!)
On the end of the first day of class, after having introduced the marketing concept, I hand out a list that includes firms
and some products. It looks something like this:
What do these firms/products have in common?
American Express
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World Book
Revere Ware
Dayton Hudson
Forbes
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
Giving no hints, I challenge students to try to find out what the list has in common. At the beginning of each class
session, I poll students: “Does anyone know what the list of companies/products has in common?”
Needless to say, this exercise generates a great deal of interest and enthusiasm. Students guess all sorts of things: firms
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, firms that have outstanding marketing strategic plans, firms that have been
around more than 50 years, firms that have a really neat Web site, firms that sell convenience goods, etc. Without giving
any more clues, I let them continue to guess throughout the quarter.
On the last day of class, we cover the material assigned for the day. Then I wrap up with something like, “Well, thanks
1. The importance of learning all of the relevant evaluative criteria that consumers use.
6. Whether it makes sense to let individuals or organizations that boycott your products have an impact on your
corporate marketing decisions (i.e., will we let our consumers hold us hostage?).
7. The ethical and far-reaching ramifications of corporate decisions.
8. What firms on the list can do to win my business.
9. How a teaser campaign works (which is basically what I’ve been doing all quarter-I’ve aroused their curiosity to
such a level that, when I do “spill the beans” they are all ears and tell their friends about what they learned).
Chapter 17 ♦ Advertising and Public Relations 17–23
James S. Cleveland, Sage College of Albany
DISCUSSION BOARD TOPICS TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION
Discussion board questions provided to students to encourage them to engage in thinking and writing about the content
of the Principles of Marketing course usually take the form of a provocative statement to which students are asked to
respond. An example of this would be: All PR is good PR.
I have developed, therefore, a series of discussion board questions to use with experienced, adult students. These
questions are designed to encourage them to use their experiences as employees and consumers as doorways to better
understand the course material, and to make their own responses more interesting to themselves and to the other students
in the class who will read and comment on them.
Each question has three parts:
1. First, there is a sentence or two from the students’ textbook introducing the topic. By using the text author’s
own words, students are enabled to locate relevant material in the text more easily, the text content is
reinforced, and confusion resulting from use of variant terms or expressions is minimized.
Series A
1. If the goal of a promotion plan is to build up the image of the company or the industry, institutional advertising
may be used. In contrast, if the advertiser wants to enhance the sales of a specific good or service, product
advertising in used.
Series B
1. An advertising appeal identifies a reason for a person to buy a product.