MKT 618: SUMMER 2019 - TERM ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

You have to critically evaluate the unlocked brand’s campaign using the IMC pyramid as the
guiding light and the knowledge/ skills you have gained during this course. Your critique should
include whatever background you can gain through secondary research, but the most powerful
weapon you have is your own judgment, intuition! Think like a marketer, and write like one.

This project is designed to test your understanding of the critical issues and techniques that go
into keeping the integrated marketing communications model at the heart of all marketing (and
related planning activities) and its execution and management through advertising campaigns.

There is no right or wrong "answer" for this paper. You will be graded on the strength of your
analytical skills and your ability to defend your assertions. The following is an outline for you to
follow, offering some questions you can ask yourself in developing your analysis. I am not
looking for verbatim answers to these questions, nor will I accept yes or no answers. Feel free
to embellish your report with additional relevant information from investigation of competing
campaigns, web site research, news background, etc.

Assignment Outline

Section A: Data Sheet (1 page)

 Team Name
 Your name and student ID number
 The brand allotted to you
 Title of the campaign allotted to you
 The advertising agency behind the brand and campaign
 The media agency behind the brand and campaign
 Any other agency involved (social/web/research etc)

Section B: General Overview (1 page)

 Briefly describe the brand, its history, personality and market standing
 Introduce the advertising and media agency and sketch out a brief profile of both
 Clearly state the campaign brief (either through getting in touch with the brand/agency
team or by doing your own research)
Section C: Analysis (3-4 pages)

Segmentation/Targeting/Positioning

(Review and mention the campaigns of competing brands from the category and
compare as you go through these questions).

 How has the audience been segmented here, and which segment has been
targeted (i.e. by demographics, psychographics, and geo-demographics)? Don’t
make claims you cannot support…be careful not to target your audience too
narrowly.
 What assumptions has the advertiser made about the target audience, and how
are they expressed?
 Is this audience appropriate for the product/service? Why or why not?
 How is the product/service positioned to the audience (by benefit, competition,
self-image, etc.?) Please explain the positioning used by the advertiser and
defend your rationale.
 Based on your understanding of the target market, is the positioning appropriate
for the target audience? Why or why not? If not, what position would have been
more appropriate and why?

Message Strategy

 What is the key message/objective of the campaign? Please explain and

defend your position.
 What, if any, emotional connection is made? How is the emotional connection
presented or expressed?
 How is the message delivered? Via what appeals (humor, fear, self-actualization,
etc.) Is the appeal appropriate to the message and the audience? Why or why
not?
 Is the message appropriate to the product and to the audience? Why (or) not?
 What message techniques are used in the campaign? Does the campaign employ
"problem creation?" Comparative techniques? Demonstration? Slice of life?
Testimonial?
 What is the key insight about the audience and how does the advertiser reflect
the product/service and its value to the target audience? What is the big idea or
"concept" behind the campaign? Does it reflect the key insight? Please explain.
 What does the campaign promise?
 What does the campaign ask the reader to do? Change attitude, change
behavior, create awareness? Describe and defend.
 What does the advertiser understand about the target audience that makes
this message on target? (Or, conversely, what doesn't the advertiser understand
about the target audience that causes this message to fail?)
Graphic Strategy

 Identify and describe the key graphic elements of the campaign. Do they work in
concert with the copy? Do they support the message and concept of the ad?
Explain.
 What is the visual progression of the campaign?
 Discuss issues of color, balance, perspective, proportion, type, balance, negative
space.
 How do the graphics trigger emotion? Which emotions are triggered?
 How do the graphics work to "arrest" the viewer/reader?
 Do the graphics reflect the key concept of "big idea" of the campaign? How?

Brand Strategy/Identity

 What brand values (of the product/company) are communicated through the
campaign? How are they communicated? Are these values
consistent/important/resonant to the target audience as you perceive it? Why?
 Describe how the copy and graphic choices in this campaign support the brand
values.
 Is this campaign in keeping with the brand strategy employed in other campaigns
for this product? Explain.

Media Mix/Strategy

 What media were used to communicate with the target market? How is each
medium within the mix used to create an IMC (or not) effect? Are various
platforms used to communicate various elements of the campaign? Are the
messages relevant to the medium of execution?
 Within each medium, what distribution mix was used (for example in TV, the
distribution mix would mean the channels selected in the media plan) and why?
 Did digital feature as a medium in the mix? If no, what was the reason? If yes,
was it a traditional adaptation of the tv/print ad or specifically designed for
digital?
Commentary (1 page)

 Rate the campaign on a scale of 1-10, based on your opinion of its overall effectiveness.
 Make three thoughtful suggestions on how you think the big idea, campaign copy
and/or layout could be improved. Number each suggestion and provide a rationale for
why your suggestions would make for a better campaign.
 Include one paragraph discussing how this project increased your understanding of
advertising.

Format

Please do not print your assignments until asked for.

1. Submit a .pdf file with your team title as file name. Feel free to add a magazine style
cover page to the file for your team keeping the team name as the hero and titles of the
project, brand, category etc. or names of your team members (you won’t get extra
marks for this)
2. Include the grading sheet as the last page of your report
3. Any information/ material that you think needs to be added in annexures, properly
titled (may include web links)

Please use 1 1/2 spacing, and black type. Make liberal use of subheads and bullet points, and
use a writing style that is clear, concise and jargon-free. Proofread! Think of me as a busy
executive with about 15 minutes to read your assessment of our company's latest
advertisement campaign.

I will not change the brand or campaign for any group. Please do not come to me with any such
request as it wouldn’t be entertained.

Deadline for Submission

This assignment is due on the 12th Session of this Course. The last session will only feature
presentation from the groups and no reports will be accepted on the presentation day. Late
papers will only be accepted with prior arrangement under emergency conditions, which must
be documented.

Here's your chance to be a critic. Enjoy the intellectual freedom, and use all your critical
thinking and writing skills. I'm willing to believe anything you propose, as long as you defend it
well.
 PRESENTATION GRADE SHEET
NAME(S) OF STUDENT ASSIGNMENT TITLE DATE

U L S H O

ORGANIZATION
INTRODUCTION Emotional; failed to introduce Appropriate; claimed audience’s Stimulating; original; clear/well
self/subject; vague/laundry attention/highlighted main expanded; prepared listeners
(ATTENTION STEP listed. points. fully.
& OVERVIEW)

SUPPORT Inadequate development/ Adequate development; credible Comprehensive development/

errors/sloppy; awkwardly used, facts/supported or illustrated stimulating; well timed; skillfully
(VISUAL & inadequate sources. ideas, cited sources. used, incorporated sources
throughout.
VERBAL)

ORGANIZATION Vague; lacked Main ideas related to Skillfully led audience/creatively

balance/mechanical transitions purpose/each other/used some related previous points to new
(LOGIC & throughout. creative transitions. points.
TRANSITIONS)

CONCLUSION Incomplete; laundry Reviewed highlights of main A synthesis; fostered retention

listed/abrupt; no sense of points/ definite; appropriately of ideas/positive impact
(SUMMARY & finality. tied to subject. creative.
CLOSURE)

DELIVERY
VERBAL Articulation problems; incorrect Not distracting; natural force, Exceptional articulation,
EXPRESSION grammar/pronunciation; pitch, rate, and emphasis; pronunciation, grammar;
vocalized pauses; poorly worded; positive. precise word choice; dynamic;
monotone; too soft/loud; too spontaneous; conversational;
slow/fast; artificial; lacked varied.
confidence.

MOVEMENT Static movement, pacing, Varied movement, usually Purposeful movement,

distracting, hindered purposeful. comfortable, confident,
communication, nervous. enhanced presentation.

GESTURES Mechanical gestures, Appropriate gestures, aided Gestures enhanced

mechanical, exaggerated, poorly communication. presentation, spontaneous,
timed, distracting, nervous. natural, consistently reinforced
meaning.

EYE CONTACT Missing or partial eye contact; Included most listeners; Direct eye contact; random;
focused on visual-aids or notes. acceptable reference to notes. rarely used notes, sought
feedback.

INSTRUCTOR’S COMMENTS

U = unsatisfactory, L = Low satisfactory, S = satisfactory, H = high satisfactory, O = outstanding