2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

COMM3950 Promotional Culture

20 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Dr Allison Cavanagh
Email: a.e.cavanagh@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Objectives

On completion on this module students should be able to:
- bring together knowledge of media history and advanced communications theory in a study of promotional culture;
- demonstrate knowledge of communicative forms;
- demonstrate knowledge of media history;
- be able to reflect on the changing nature of promotional culture;
- demonstrate knowledge of audience responses to changing informational environments;
- produce informed analyses of the contexts and forms of promotional culture.

Learning outcomes
1. Explain what is meant by promotional culture and how promotional media has changed historically
2. Give examples of a range of promotional media texts and practices explaining how they work to achieve specific communications goals.
3. Apply media and communications theory to the analysis of promotional culture at an advanced level
4. Explain key theories and approaches to the study of promotional media audiences

Syllabus

The course is divided into 3 sections. In section 1 we deal with the history of public relations, looking at the contexts in which it developed and the challenges that it has met as an industry.

Section 2 deals with how audiences respond to advertisements, considering the effectiveness of ads in sending a message, the status of advertising in modern society, and the ways in which promotional culture has been resisted.

Section 3 looks at types of campaign, considering the difference between public relations in relation to products, celebrities, and political action. Here we also consider the contested status of new media as a medium of promotional culture.

Topics to be covered:
1. Introduction : Advertising and Public Relations
2. Advertising : Early history
3. The advent of the consumer society
4. The PR industry
5. Advertising in the age of the internet
6. Analysing advertisements
7. The informational environment of the audience
8. But is it art, sweetie? Advertising as an art form
9. Theories of audience response to advertising
10. Resistance to promotional culture.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	10	2.00	20.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			170.00
Total Contact hours			30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students use independent study time to work on required readings and assessments.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Contribution to seminar group discussions;
- Seminar discussion and support for assignments.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2,500 - 3,000 word	50.00
Essay	1 x 2,500 - 3,000 word	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 23/02/2017

Disclaimer

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