Advertising and Marketing Communications (AMC) Management

This course introduces the concepts and theories of leadership to help students develop the skills essential to becoming leaders in the workplace, the community and in society. Course content focuses on self-managed leadership and explores related innovation, communication, problem-solving, group dynamics, empowerment, and conflict management concepts. By way of practical exercises, students are encouraged to examine systematically their own leadership potential.

Prerequisite(s): HUMA 53

This course covers the basic requirements for the development of visual communication materials in the advertising and marketing industry. The course's main goal is to nurture creative thinking combined with visual communication skills by utilizing tools such as Adobe Photoshop. At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to think creatively and objectively to achieve goals of clients via marketing materials and produce printed and digital creative materials that will be evaluated by real clients. 

Prerequisite: MCOM1

This course is designed to improve your communication skills in the field of marketing communications. You will learn how to read and write creatively. Reading and writing creatively will help prepare you to write advertising copy, news releases, reports, as well as scripts for broadcast or video productions. You will learn how to research topics through traditional means by searching the Internet. To succeed in this course you will need an open mind, positive attitude, willingness to change, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Prerequisite: COMM34

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the advertising industry and the role that advertising plays in achieving marketing and business objectives. Key topics that are discussed include client-agency relations, fundamentals of strategic planning, creative planning, media planning, and advertising research. Core advertising concepts are covered by lecture and discussion, assignments, a major term project, and student presentations.

MCOM 14 Creative Development for Print and Broadcast provides the student with the skills to create marketing communications (marcom) for both Print and Broadcast media. The fundamentals of copywriting and layout techniques for Print are explored as well as script writing and production for Broadcast. The building of marcom themes and slogans are explored as well as creative thinking and creative planning. Student teams will develop a series of marcom materials, based on a creative brief and ad plan, for a client.

Prerequisite: MCOM13

Consumer behaviour is a discipline that looks at why people and organizations buy goods and services, when and where they buy them, how they use them, the frequency with which they purchase them and the decision-making processes they follow. This component of the field of marketing derives its theory and application from disciplines such as communications, psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, and economics to describe and understand how customers, both individuals and organizations, are likely to behave.

Upon completion of this course you will be better prepared to predict customer actions, determine the needs of target markets, and understand how not only consumers but also businesses, governments, and not-for-profits make choices in the market place. In addition, this course will cover both domestic and international markets and includes significant discussion of on-line customer behaviour and the impact of the Internet on market behaviour.

This practical course will introduce you to electronic publishing and the development of marketing materials for traditional and social media marketing. You will use Adobe Creative Suite software for layout (InDesign), vector drawing (Illustrator) and photo-manipulation (Photoshop) to create effective printed marketing communications pieces. You will build on the skills learned in the prerequisite course MCOM2 and apply them using the publishing tools presented. The objectives of the course is to provide a fundamental understanding of the process of developing, managing and planning marketing campaigns with clients, as well as the principles and practice of electronic publishing. 

Prerequisite: MCOM2

In this course, students learn the fundamentals of different social media channels including the use of mobile apps and games for social media marketing. Learners explore how to leverage social media channels to engage audiences and how to integrate with traditional media to achieve marketing objectives.

Pre-requisites: MCOM15

This course is designed to help students to develop, practice, and apply oral and written communication skills necessary for a successful career search. A major component of this course will be the development of professional career-search materials and presentation skills necessary to promote a student-generated career portfolio for examination by a prospective employer.

Students will use these materials and techniques to apply for jobs/placements in their field. In addition, students will gain greater self-awareness by engaging in personal development activities and will develop an understanding of the changing nature of work and the economy.

This course will cover conventional and digital elements of direct marketing management, including list management, fulfillment, creative strategy and execution, testing, and calculating the expected profitability of the direct marketing campaign utilizing a variety of interactive strategies to entice consumer conversion.

Pre-requisites: MARK20

This course provides students with knowledge of essential research techniques applicable to communications and marketing problem solving. Both secondary and primary research techniques are studied and applied in a practical research project. Media research data from a variety of industry sources is also studied.

Prerequisite: MCOM19

This course will integrate key business concepts and practices to give the student an appreciation of the diversity of roles that must function together for an organization to be successful. The essential skills required for effective interaction and decision-making will comprise the bulk of the course.  Key topic areas include:  management principles and practices, ethics and social responsibility, organizational strategy, motivation and leadership, information technology, and accounting and financial management. Students will also be exposed to the attributes, skills, tools and knowledge that are required to become a successful entrepreneur or to function in an entrepreneurial type of organization. Core competencies to be explored include evaluating business opportunities, developing a business plan and sourcing financial alternatives. 

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to explore, specialize, and become certified in an area of digital marketing practice in a self-directed manner, with one on one guidance and support from a faculty mentor. Students work with faculty to identify marketing practice(s) in which they want to develop a deeper understanding and competence. This course provides students with additional knowledge, skills, and expertise in the area(s) of digital marketing, which are in-demand by employers.

In this course, students examine and evaluate all forms of traditional and digital paid advertising media in consideration of client needs. More specifically, learners explore the planning, pitching, and analyzing of a blended advertising campaign. Students execute a tailored digital advertising campaign on a small budget using a combination of display, video, audio, sponsored, native, social media, search, or programmatic on various platforms. Finally, students manage advertising performance, analyze results, and recommend tactical revisions to optimize future campaign results.

Students will learn the basics of visual communication used in the production of video for a wide variety of formats and end uses. Classes will be in a laboratory and studio setting using professional video production equipment. Technical skills include camera basics, lighting, audio production, linear and non-linear editing.

This course is designed to teach students how to apply critical thinking concepts to ethical problems. Initially, students learn various aspects of critical thinking and evolve form the knowing stage of critical thinking to the evaluation stage of critical thinking. Students also have an opportunity to explore the ethical process and are exposed to the philosophical aspects of ethical reasoning and progress towards problem solving strategies in relation to controversial issues.

This course examines the role and nature of sales promotion strategies and event marketing in the context of integrated marketing communications (IMC) planning and execution.  Students learn about the strategies and tactics used at both business-to-business and business-to-consumer trade shows and how to apply the key principles of project management when organizing or participating in event marketing. 

This course introduces students to the world of public relations/corporate communications and its important role in the marketing communications mix. Students will work with real and simulated client problems to understand how public relations can be used as a cost-efficient and effective way to communicate to the full range of an organization's public. Students will design, develop and deliver a fully conceived public relations campaign, including the execution of appropriate media relations materials. Students will also delve into organizational case studies, thoroughly analyzing all relevant components of corporate communications.

Pre-requisites: MCOM5

The focus of this course will be digital marketing strategy targeted through search-based marketing tactics and conversion site development. Students will build marketing strategies that centre on a web platform such as a website, blog or wiki that optimize conversion through both paid and organic search engine marketing (SEM) and SEO (search engine optimization).

Pre-requisites: MCOM30

MCOM55 provides the student with the skills to develop content for digital and traditional media. The combining of words and pictures that are memorable and meaningful and engage and persuade consumers is the basis for effective messaging. As experts in Interactive Marketing have pointed out: "Content is King!" As important as media selection, or a compelling offer or even the product; a well-crafted message is an essential element of good marketing communications. Students will learn specific tactics to create content as well as improve their creative thinking skills.

In this course, students learn to run a simulated creative agency and work with a corporate client. Learners will create an advertising campaign strategy and all the related advertising and marketing communications components based on a client briefing. Students work in teams to create an entire advertising and marketing communications plan with sample/proposed executions and present the plan in a final pitch to the client(s). Finally, learners complete an industry-standard certification (e.g., Google Analytics).

The purpose of field placement is to provide the student with an opportunity to work with practitioners in any area of marketing communications, so that they may experience the realities of the workplace in their chosen career area. Students will demonstrate resourcefulness and initiative in uncovering opportunities and, working with their faculty supervisor, secure a work placement suitable for their skills and abilities.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed all courses in the first 4 semesters in the AMC/IMC program.