Required Texts:

• Lisa Fortini-Campbell, Hitting the Sweet Spot (2001). Copy Workshop. (2nd Edition)
• Morrison, Haley Sheehan & Taylor (2002), Using Qualitative Research in Advertising. Sage.
• Jon Steel (1996), Truth, Lies and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning. John Wiley.

Prerequisites: Comm 410, 450
Course Objectives
This course is designed to prepare students for the Account Planning function,. This course combines skills involved in research, consumer behavior, and creative concept development with case studies to facilitate learning. Guest speakers and the Internet enhance the texts and bring a current perspective to the planning function.
Students will:
1. learn and apply the principles of consumer behavior and motivations for purchasing branded products and services.
2. prepare and conduct field research using qualitative methods.
3. understand how to interpret research and present the findings to others.
4. develop creative concept platforms for review and critique.
5. apply consumer, research and creative knowledge to solving case problems.

Course Content and Papers:
Students are required to develop and conduct short field research projects and to prepare a 2-page written research report on the findings. Students also prepare written one-page Creative Briefs using the research information as a basis. A research proposal and presentation (see below) serve as a culmination activity. The final examination is a short case analysis that incorporates the skills developed throughout the course. Due dates are specified on syllabus.

Proposal Assignment – to complete this 5-step process, students:
1. identify a company or written case containing a consumer-oriented problem.
2. design field research with a specific consumer segment to gather insight on the problem
3. identify a research company to do the research
4. prepare a timeline and budget
5. write a persuasive proposal convincing that company to commission the research using the handout as a guideline.

Presentation
Students will develop an oral presentation of your proposal using PowerPoint or other overheads. The purpose of the presentation is to convince members of the class that your recommended research is :
(1) necessary, (2) properly developed, (3) feasible in the time allocated, and (4) affordable.

Assessment is based upon the following criteria:
2 Field research assignments (20%)
2 Field research reports (20%
2 Case Creative Briefs (20%)
Research Proposal and Presentation (30%)
Final Examination (10%)

INSTRUCTOR POLICIES
Extra Credit: None without special circumstances.
Format: All papers must be typed in the formats specified by the instructor and turned in as a hard copy. On line assignments are accepted in cases of illness or emergency.
Late and Make Ups: No late assignments or make-up examinations without a doctor’s note.

Tentative Syllabus