Recommended Text, Software and Internet Access
Joel J. Davis, Advertising Research: Theory and Practice, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997, 695 pages. (This text is available at campus area bookstores.)
You can obtain an e-mail address plus World Wide Web access directly from the University via www.gatorlink.ufl.edu or you can get help doing so at Room 520 CSE or by calling 392-HELP.
Other reading material will be assigned as the course unfolds. Much of it will be available on the Web at www.globalmri.com. To access this material you will need a personal ID and password which will be provided the second week of class.
Course Objectives
The catalog describes this course broadly as the "acquisition, evaluation and analysis of information for advertising decisions. Emphasis is on understanding scientific method, developing explicit and measurable research objectives, selecting appropriate methodologies and analyzing data." Specifically, this course introduces you to a range of qualitative and quantitative research questions and the tools for answering them. These include secondary searches; individual and group interviews; media audience measurement; market structure, segmentation and usage studies; strategy, concept and positioning research; syndicated and custom message pretests; advertising pre/post tests and tracking studies; and test markets. A broad range of methods is reviewed including personal and telephone interviews, mail surveys, probability and quota sampling, and experimental design. Questionnaire construction focuses on research goals in light of question types, structures and scales. Analytical techniques encompass content analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation, cross tabulation, distributions, reliability and validity, estimating error, and the availability and use of computers and software.
Assignments
Three outside projects give you first-hand experience conducting and presenting secondary and primary advertising research. One project allows you to demonstrate expertise on a particular source of published or syndicated data, while also providing you with an overview of nearly 60 major sources of information that support advertising decision-making. The other projects tap your evolving expertise to complete qualitative and quantitative research projects that add to what is known about advertising.
Exams
Two exams include all related aspects of the course covered in the text, on the web, additional reading, lectures and projects. A brief review session will be provided during the class period before each exam. Be sure to bring the following items to the exam sessions: calculator, pencils and a good night's sleep.
Reading and Computer Work
You should read the text in the order suggested in lectures. Ultimately, however, you are responsible for all reading material. When computer work is required, it is assumed that you have limited experience and therefore most background information and procedures are provided.
Key Dates
The classroom is a dynamic environment, ideally filled with enthusiasm, stimulating questions, and much discussion. Consequently, it is not possible to tell in advance exactly how much material will be covered by a particular date. That will be announced a few days before each project and exam. However, no matter how much material is covered, it is wise to plan your life around the dates to be announced below, which are almost certain to arrive too soon, before any of us are as prepared as we would like to be.
Event (Weight) Due Date Grading Scale
Project 1, Executive Interviews (20%)
__________
A 90-100%
B+ 87-89
Exam 1, Research Methods (15%)
__________
B 80-86
C+ 77-79
Project 2, One Syndicated Service (25%)
__________
C 70-76
D+ 67-69
Project 3, National Survey (15%)
__________
D 60-66
E 0-59
Exam 2, All Syndicated Services (15%)
__________
Participation, Documented (10%)
__________
As an incentive, there will be a one-letter grade penalty (10%) for each missed exam or for each class period that an outside project is late. A late project will be excused, and a missed exam will be rescheduled, only in the case of documented emergencies as defined by the University.
Attendance and Class Participation
There will be handouts and technical lectures each class period so you should strive for perfect attendance. Those who attend class regularly and participate in discussions will be at a significant advantage because they are likely to be in command of the material and because attendance will be documented at frequent intervals throughout the semester.
Instructor Biography
Kent Lancaster has been a Professor of Advertising at the College of Journalism and Communications for ten years where he also served as the Gannett Distinguished Visiting Professor of Advertising. Previously he was an Associate Professor of Advertising at the University of Illinois where he taught for ten years. His Ph.D. in Mass Media and MA in Advertising are from Michigan State University, while his BS in Business Administration (Advertising) is from Ferris State University.
Kent’s research focuses on advertising media and on the economics of advertising. He has written more than 50 research reports, some of which have appeared in the Journal of Business, Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Advertising History, Journalism Quarterly, Journal of Marketing Education, Journal of Media Planning, Journalism Educator, Marketing and Media Decisions, and in the proceedings of the American Academy of Advertising, the American Marketing Association, the European Marketing Academy and the American Statistical Association.
He has written several texts and microcomputer software packages, including ADplusÔ : For Multi-media Advertising Planning (distributed worldwide by Telmar Information Services Corp. for WindowsÔ , Macintosh® and DOS operating systems); Strategic Media Planning (with Helen Katz, published by NTC Business Books; Japanese edition translated by Shizue Kishi and Sei Takeuchi, published by Nikkei Advertising Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan); and ADLAB: For Advertising Media Planning on the IBM®, Macintosh and Compatibles (McGraw-Hill). In 1989 Kent established the Media Research Institute, Inc., to support his research activities and to develop, test and use state-of-the-art, computer-based, advertising planning models for the advertising industry and advertising education.
Kent has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Media Planning and the Journal of Advertising and as Treasurer of the American Academy of Advertising. He also is a consultant in advertising media planning, budgeting, and market analysis to a variety of public and private organizations and serves as a media planning expert witness for cases involving class action media notice plans and media competition and antitrust.
Have an enjoyable and productive semester.
Copyright 1997-1998 by Kent M. Lancaster, Media Research
Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Last revised: May 10, 2000.