ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING AND STRATEGY

ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING AND STRATEGY
ADV 4300, Summer A Semester, 2000

Kent M. Lancaster, Ph.D.
Professor of Journalism and Communications

Office: 2024 Weimer Hall
Office hours: Monday-Wednesday, 9:15-10:30 a.m.

Phone numbers: 392-8730 (campus office), 372-7173 (off-campus office)
Fax: 375-5151
E-mail: KentL@ufl.edu

Recommended Texts, Software, Data and Internet Access

Kent M. Lancaster, ADplus^™ with FlowMaster^™: For Multi-media Advertising Planning, Windows^™ edition, New York: Telmar Information Services Corp., August 1999, 255 pages plus software. For more information see the Telmar Information Services Corp. web site. (This material is not available in local bookstores. Instructions will be provided in class and on the web for those who wish to purchase the software, text and manual directly from Telmar.)

Marketer’s Guide to Media 1999, Volume 22, New York: ASM Communications, Inc., 250 pages. (This guide is not available in local bookstores. Instructions will be provided in class and on the web for those who wish to purchase this data directly from ADWEEK.)

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. Most of it will be available on the Web at www.globalmri.com. To access this material you will need a personal ID and password that is uniquely assigned to students in this course the first week of class.

Course Objectives

This course will give you a basic understanding of the terminology, concepts, syndicated data, methods, procedures, software and online systems commonly involved in the planning, strategy, selection and evaluation of advertising media.

Broadly, the goal is to enlarge your knowledge of the mass media and the economic, social and cultural forces that shape them. More specifically, this course will acquaint you with normative theories of how advertisers and their agencies should evaluate the use of various media including: national and local newspapers and supplements; network, cable, syndicated and spot television; network and spot radio; consumer magazines; business publications; out-of-home media; the World Wide Web; direct mail and cinema, among others.

In addition, you will have an opportunity to explore new, evolving, converging and interactive media including, for example, satellite and cable television and radio, satellite data networks, Web TV, telecos and fiber optics. The Internet is covered as well including the Web, net radio and video, electronic publishing, broadcast and cable resources, Internet functions such as e-commerce, information search, e-mail, ftp, telnet, UseNet and gopher plus Web advertising.

The course will examine the effectiveness and efficiency of these media, separately and in combination, in reaching broad target audiences (e.g., adults, males, females, teens) as well as more narrowly defined groups (e.g., heavy users of products and services) as well as Hispanic and African American markets.

You will acquire a highly specialized vocabulary as you master basic and advanced media planning concepts by hand and on the computer. These include, for example, vehicle and message: ratings, insertions, reach, effective reach n+, average frequency, exposure distributions, gross rating points and impressions, cost-per-thousand (CPM), cost-per-point (CPP), cost-per-reach point (CPRP), cost-per-response (CPR), duplication, self- and cross-pair reach, and quintile analysis. You also will learn to determine and use message/vehicle ratios, message carry-over rates and index numbers.

This course will acquaint you with a variety of syndicated sources of media planning data that are useful for target audience selection, identifying media options, determining audience size and characteristics, estimating cost and accounting for message effectiveness, for example. Some of the more important services include Nielsen, Arbitron, Simmons Market Research Bureau (SMRB), Mediamark Research, Inc. (MRI), Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS), Bacon's, Scarborough, Roper-Starch Worldwide, Gallup and Robinson, Inc., and Media Market Guide.

You will leave this course with a powerful and sophisticated philosophy of advertising media planning with emphasis on forecasting the likely communication effects of proposed and executed media schedules. This perspective will be an immense source of insight, confidence and satisfaction. A more comprehensive treatment of course objectives and philosophy can be found in the texts and in the other reading material that will be provided.

Reading and Computer Work

You should read the texts and use the software in the order suggested in lectures. However, the objective of the course is to give you a solid media planning philosophy, and considerable confidence in your ability to deal with this material. Ultimately, you should be able to move freely from one section of the texts to another, knowing how the separate parts are related to the whole.

Exams

Four exams will include all related aspects of the course covered in the texts, website, additional reading, and lectures. All four exams will require you perform basic media planning calculations and will contain questions in multiple-choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank format. A brief review session will be provided during the class period before each exam. Unless otherwise instructed, all exams will be given on Thursdays.

Be sure to bring the following items to each exam: calculator, pencils, and a good night's sleep. If your calculator is programmable, it is your responsibility to clear it of course notes and formulas before each exam. Failure to do so may result in a failing grade on the exam.

Exam Policies

Although you will be given four exams this semester, only three will count toward your final grade. You may use the fourth exam to either (1) replace an earlier exam that you missed, or (2) replace a prior exam grade. If you take all four exams, the three highest scores will be counted toward your final grade. Because of this, no make-up exams will be given in this course. If you miss an exam, then it is your responsibility to be present for the other three exams. No excuses will be accepted.

If you miss more than one exam, you will receive a free drop for one of them and a zero for any other exams missed. Even if you have what you believe to be excellent reasons for missing more than one exam, no exceptions will be made. If you know in advance that you will be absent for one of the four exams, then you will have to plan to use that as your free drop. If you know in advance or if circumstances arise such that you are going to miss more than one exam, I would suggest registering for the course in the fall, since this would mean at least 30% of your grade would be a zero.

You must be on time for the exams. Once the first person has completed the exam and left the room, no exams will be distributed. Therefore, if you are late to the point that someone has already completed the exam and has left the classroom, you will not be permitted to take the test and it will be counted as your free drop. Again, no exceptions will be made.

Attendance and Class Participation

Attendance is required, and will count toward 10% of your final grade. There will be handouts and/or 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 each class period throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to remember to sign the roster that will be distributed each class period. Although all missed classes will be documented, you should provide written explanations, via e-mail or otherwise, as to the reason for any absence. Remember, again, that if you are absent for an exam, that missed exam will count as your free drop.

Key Dates

The classroom is a dynamic environment, ideally filled with enthusiasm, stimulating questions, and much discussion. Before each exam, you will be told what material will be covered. Below are the dates for each of the four exams:

Exam 1	Thursday, May 25
Exam 2	Thursday, June 8
Exam 3	Thursday, June 15
Exam 4	Thursday, June 22

Grade Breakdown

Exam 1	30%
Exam 2	30%
Exam 3	30%
Attendance	10%

(Remember, only your three highest test grades will be counted)

Grading Scale

The following grading scale will be applied to all quizes, exams, projects and class participation.

A        90-100%
B+      87-89
B        80-86
C+      77-79
C        70-76
D+      67-69
D        60-66
E         0-59

Course Survival Guide

Here are some suggestions, in no particular order, that may help you avoid problems and do well in this course.

Put it in writing! Do not expect any exceptions to course policies, assignments, or due dates based on discussions with me. There simply are too many students that must be tracked throughout the semester. Put your request and explanation in writing, preferably e-mail, and await my written response.
You can get individual help during office hours, via e-mail, over the phone, or immediately after class. Please do not attempt to conduct individual business while I am entering the classroom and setting up for lectures. This delays the start of class for everyone else. If your question is one that will benefit the entire class, raise it when class starts.
Eliminate any self-defeating concepts like "I'm not good with numbers or computers." Check the calendar; it's 2000. The information age engulfs you and you are studying one of the most quantitative, computerized fields in mass media, advertising media planning. Get with the program. Resolve to convert your perceived "weaknesses" into strengths.
Actually do what it takes to learn the material. It's truly amazing how effectively this works. Yellow (green, pink, orange or blue) highlighting does not equal learning.
Come to class, especially when it's not convenient or you don't feel like it. But remember that you will not earn extra credit simply by attending class. Attendance is required.
The Alligator is not yet recognized as an authoritative source for media planning methods, data, and procedures. Therefore, it will be significantly more effective for you to listen and participate in lectures, rather than to read it and other unrelated material during class.
Be the person everyone turns to for media planning advice. If that's not you, keep studying.
You understand the material when you no longer need books or notes to accurately complete the exams.
Always remember the no make-up policy for the exams. Do not come to my office or e-mail me with excuses or reasons why an exception should be made for you. Unforeseen issues do come up (i.e., personal, family, or pet illness, unexpected visitors, family emergencies, financial problems, transportation issues, parking, car accidents, traffic, defective alarm clocks, power failures, failure to remember to set your alarm, job interviews, athletic events, religious or cult holidays, weddings, computer crashes, erased disks, inability to get onto the Web site, tardiness, etc.), which is exactly why you have the extra exam. If you miss an exam for any of these or other reasons, simply accept the fact that this will constitute your free drop and you will not be given a make-up exam.
Don't wait until the last minute to do computer work. This is when computers are programmed by Intel and Microsoft to crash.
Visit the course website often to get up-to-date information.
Distracting or disruptive behavior in class will be dealt with immediately and will result in the loss of participation points. This is because such behavior creates a difficult working environment for other students and the instructor. Channel any exuberance or frustrations in a professional manner.
You will have two days after the date an exam is returned to the class as a whole to question or challenge your grade. Bear in mind that if you ask me to re-evaluate your grade on an exam, I reserve the right to re-examine your entire test. If I made a mistake and your grade should be raised, then I will raise your grade. However, if during the re-examination of your test, I find that the grade you received actually is higher than that what you should have gotten, then your test grade will be lowered. Therefore, I advise you only to challenge your grade if you are pretty certain that it was I who made the mistake. Do not try to get extra points where they are not deserved.

To challenge your grade, simply include or attach a note describing your concerns and return them to me within two days of the date the exam is first returned to the class as a whole. In most cases, you will receive a response within two class periods. Once this two-day period has passed, grades will not be changed under any circumstances.

Instructor Biography

Kent Lancaster has been a Professor of Advertising at the College of Journalism and Communications for 12 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 ADplus^™: For Multi-media Advertising Planning (distributed worldwide by Telmar Information Services Corp., for Windows^™, 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., now with offices in Gainesville and Miami Florida, 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 serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Interactive Advertising and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Media Planning and 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, media competition and antitrust, and corrective advertising media planning and evaluation.

Have an enjoyable and productive semester.

Course Material

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