IMCProf: Comments on Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and Public Relations (PR)

Course syllabus using new Handbook

2012-01-22T15:22:00.003-06:00

Course Calendar The course begins the first Tuesday (only Tuesday class) January 3Th 2012 (not the first Monday January 2nd) and first Wednesday January 4th. The class ends on Wednesday March 7, 2012. Naturally, there may be a speaker change depending on their schedule changes. Class Week/Day Class Dates Class Topic: Brief learning objectives in statement or question form Assignments: Please read chapters and watch video in advance of class Week1/ Day2 Start on Tues and Weds. Jan 3 and 4th Who are you? What do you like to read? What are your volunteer passions? What communications, social science courses have you taken? What internship or summer work experience do you have? Are you interested in business, government, NGO’s, politics? What do you expect this course to be? What is PR/IMC? Compare the definition of the field of PR in the context of IMC. What are the distinct policy, strategic and tactical elements of PR? Why is it important? Why is it attacked by other professions? What are stakeholders? Read for Wednesday Jan. 4 Chapter 1 Twenty-First Century Public Relations: The Strategic Stages of Integrated Marketing Communications 3 Clarke Caywood, Ph.D., Chapter 7 The Stakeholder Concept: Empowering Public Relations 121 Clarke Caywood, Ph.D., Optional Forward—The Importance of Public Relations xix Al Golin Chairman and Founder, Golin/Harris Week2/ Mon. Jan 9 PR/IMC is a research-based management field. Your knowledge of social science research and hard science research can be useful to form unique PR questions. The new discipline of media tracking using advanced content analysis software is a competitive advantage and a strong career opportunity. Chapter 3 Communications Research: Dynamic Digital Methods 37 Clarke Caywood Optional (especially if you have taken a social science class) Chapter 2 Communications Research: Foundational Methods page 13 Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, The Gronstedt Group Clarke Caywood, 2/Wed Jan 11 Paper 1 due PR/IMC communication skills. It is hard to secure an entry or even advanced post in PR without knowing how to communicate effectively. Communications includes short and long form writing, speech-writing and speaking. It also includes being able to tell a useful story in a clear and memorable manner. Since employers report they are unimpressed with the communication skills of new graduates, this is your competitive advantage at NU Chapter 50 Writing for Your Audience Matters More than Ever775 George Harmon, Professor Emeritus, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University. Chapter 51Storytelling: All Stories are True 791 Emma Caywood, MLIS, Storyteller and Storytelling Consultant Optional Read Chapter 49 Writing for the Ear: The Challenge of Effective Speechwriting 761 Lee W Huebner, Ph.D., Professor, George Washington University, and former Publisher and CEO, International Herald Tribune or, 3/Monday MLK Day No class Jan 16 No PR class, but please attend campus seminars on Martin Luther King. They will be events worth remembering. No class 3/Wed Jan 18 Paper 2 due, Class survey PR/IMC is stakeholder based. This is a key concept in PR that distinguishes it from other professions. We begin with the employee to make an important point that today the employee may be the key stakeholder. PR has become an increasingly transparent, digital and valued element in IMC. Labeled MPR, the field has built a reputation of helping promote and sell products, services, and personalities as using “free”, social or earned press. Chapter 8 The Key Stakeholders: Your Employees 131 Keith Burton, President, Insidedge Chapter 10 Marketing Public Relations: Cementing the Brand 161 Patricia T Whalen, Ph.D., APR, Optional: Chapter 9 Consumer Insight in a Digital Age 145 Geraldine Henderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Business, Rutgers U. 4/Mon Jan 23 The investor, Wall Street and regulators are still crucial stakeholders. You don’t need a degree in finance to communicate with the buy and sell side. You do need to be willing to “reach for the numbers”. All students should read chapter 11. One-half the class should read chapter 12 and other half (to be identified) should read chapter 23. Chapter 11 Investor Relations for Shareholder Value: Communicating With the Market 173 Nancy Hobor, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, NU and Retired Senior Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Grainger Optional Chapters 12 Mergers and Acquisitions: Communicating Between the Lines187 Joele Frank, Founder and Managing Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher and Chapter 23 Corporate Governance: Operating as an Open Book 363 Ted McDougal, Founder and Principal, Jacobs and McDougal, and Kurt P. Stocker, Director, New York Stock Exchange Regulation, Inc. and Former Chief Communications Officer, Continental Bank 4/Wed Jan 25 Giving and working together. Donor and recipient communications. Social media are wildly crucial, but then database communications was always key. Careers in corporations giving away money are tough to find, but there are thousands of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that need your help. A career in an NGO gives you a lot of responsibility. Chapter 13 Charities and Corporate Philanthropy: Giving Back 199 John A. Koten, Founding Director of Arthur W Page Society, former Vice President, Corporate Communications, Ameritech and Chapter 18 Non-Governmental Organizations: Solving Society's Problems 389 Ray Boyer, Communication Consultant and Owner, Boyer Media and Governor Scott McCallum, CEO, Aidmatrix Foundation 5/Mon Jan 30 Paper 3 due Create Groups Government - It’s not called PR in government. Why? Some of the best communication challenges come in an organization mandated to communicate with the public. Political or government communications; is there a difference? Chapter 14 Government Public Information: Portal to the Public 215 Brent Baker, Rear Admiral (Ret.) ,Dean Emeritus, College of Communication, BU. Optional: Chapter 19 Associations: A Strong Voice 311Richard L. Hanneman, President, Salt Institute 1986-2010 MONDAY Feb 6 Media: Traditional and Newer channels are all around us in PR. The longest standing source of PR practitioners is former journalists. While journalism is not dead; some of the channels are severely threatened in the U.S. You need to combine all you know about social media and media all the time to be able to even stay in this field. Your next employee simply expects you to be an expert. Chapter 16 Digital Communities: Social Media in Action 257 Richard Edelman, President and CEO, Edelman Robert Holdheim, Managing Director for India, Mark Hass, President of Edelman China, Phil Gomes, Senior Vice President, Digital Integration,, Steve Rubel, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Insights Chapter 17 Global Media Relations: Traditional Through 2.0 275 Matthew P. Gonring, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Jackson National Life Insurance Company Optional, Chapter 15 Broadcast Media as Broadcast Public Relations 243 Tim Larson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah and Adjunct Craig Wirth WEDNES Feb 1 Two page outline from group due Issues Management and Lobbying rely on your ability to plan for the future. Unlike other professions, PR demands you examine trends in the near 3-5 years and longer term range (6-20 years) for management challenges. Working in and with government is one of the organizational dynamics. Chapter 21 Issues Management Methods for Reputational Management 335 James E. Arnold, APR, Chief Executive Officer, Arnold Consulting Group and Raymond P. Ewing, Associate Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University, and former Corporate Communications Director, Allstate Chapter 22 State and Local Government Relations: Guiding Principles 353 L. James Nelson, Public Affairs Consultant 6/Wed Feb 8 Agencies mirror the communication and behavior of corporations. PR agencies are consulting firms of communications and much more. New structures, the strong leadership in social media and the complexity of political, economic, social and global issues make agencies key to your career planning. Read 20 or 25 Chapter 20 Agencies : Managing a Global Communications Firm 323 Ray Kotcher, Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum or Chapter 25 The Chief Executive Officer: The Key Spokesperson 387 John D. Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard 7/Mon Feb 13 Paper 4 due Crisis Management This is the most visible and too often negative function in PR. Fortunately, unless you consult in the field, crisis management is a small part of your career but a large part of your plan. Chapter 26 Crisis Communications: Brand-New Channels. Same Old Static. 401 Hud Englehart, Managing Partner, Beacon Advisors Inc. and Adjunct Professor, IMC, NU 7/Wed Feb 15 PR/IMC is communications law based. PR is a communications-based field which relies on the courts to defend the freedom of speech of all communicators. Laws regulating communication channels are also important for your protection. A short history of PR will help you to not repeat the mistakes. Political advertising will be used as a contemporary and sometimes extreme example of corporate and political messaging. Chapter 4 Public Relations Law 57 Karla Gower, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Alabama Read also articles by Caywood et.al. on political advertising for 2012. Optional: Chapter 5 A Brief History of Public Relations: The Unseen Power 71 Scott M. Cutlip, Fellow, PRSA and Brent Baker, Rear Admiral (Ret.) and Dean Emeritus, School of Communication, Boston University 8/Mon Feb 20 Student Team Seminar Presentations/Discussions Student Presentations 8/Wed Feb 22 Student Team Seminar Presentations/Discussions Student Presentations 9/Mon Feb 27 Student Team Seminar Presentations/Discussions Student Presentations 9/Wed Feb 29 Student Team Seminar Presentations/Discussions Student Presentations 10/Mon Mar 5 Your 3-D virtual world. Your next employer will assume you know how to do this. It is rapidly becoming a key tactic that requires practice, practice, practice to manage. Your next meeting may be in a 3-D immersive world! Chapter 53 Immersive 3-D Virtual Worlds: Avatars at Work 825 Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D., CEO, The Gronstedt Group Chapter 55 The Future of Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications 853 Clarke Caywood, Ph.D., 10/Wed Mar 7 Take CTECS in class Good luck on your other class examinations! Stay in touch!

2011-10-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

Final Table of Contents for December 15 publication of Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and IMC
McGraw-Hill calls it a "monster book". http://amzn.to/rzVzKd to buy it at a substantial discount! Acknowledgments for 56 chapters and 68 authors. There will be video, lecture outline, questions, additional readings. Professional book, trainer's book and textbook!

Clarke Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University

Foreword—The Importance of Public Relations
Al Golin, Chairman and Founder, Golin/Harris

Part 1. Introduction to Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications

1. Twenty-First Century Public Relations: The Strategic Stages of Integrated Marketing Communications
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University
2. Communications Research: Foundational Methods
Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, The Gronstedt Group
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University
3. Communications Research: Dynamic Digital Methods
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University
4. Public Relations Law
Karla Gower, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Alabama
5. A Brief History of Public Relations: The Unseen Power
Scott Cutlip, Fellow, PRSA, Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Georgia (deceased)
Brent Baker, Rear Admiral (Ret.) and Dean Emeritus, School of Communication, Boston University
6. Ethics: Grounding the Promotional Strategies of China’s Tobacco Industry in
Ethics
Cornelius Pratt, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Strategic Communication, Temple University

Part 2. Stakeholder Leadership in Public Relations

7. The Stakeholder Concept: Empowering Public Relations
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University
8. The Key Stakeholders: Your Employees
Keith Burton, President, Insidedge
9. Consumer Insight in a Digital Age
Geraldine Henderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Business, Rutgers University
10. Marketing Public Relations: Cementing the Brand
Patricia T. Whalen, Ph.D., APR, Consultant and Educator
11. Investor Relations for Shareholder Value: Communicating With the Market
Nancy Hobor, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Northwestern University and Retired Senior Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Grainger
12. Mergers and Acquisitions: Communicating Between the Lines
Joele Frank, Founder and Managing Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
13. Charities and Corporate Philanthropy: Giving Back
John A. Koten, Founding Director of Arthur W. Page Society, and former Vice President, Corporate Communications, Ameritech
14. Government Public Information: Portal to the Public
Brent Baker, Rear Admiral (Ret.), and Dean Emeritus, College of Communication, Boston University
15. Broadcast Media as Broadcast Public Relations
Tim Larson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah
Craig Wirth, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Utah
16. Digital Communities: Social Media in Action
Richard Edelman, President and CEO, Edelman
Robert Holdheim, Managing Director for India, Edelman
Mark Hass, President of Edelman China
Phil Gomes, Senior Vice President, Digital Integration, Edelman Digital

Steve Rubel, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Insights, Edelman
17. Global Media Relations: Traditional Through 2.0
Matthew P. Gonring, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Jackson National Life Insurance Company
18. Non-Governmental Organizations: Solving Society’s Problems
Ray Boyer, Communication Consultant and Owner, Boyer Media
Governor Scott McCallum, CEO, Aidmatrix Foundation

19. Associations: A Strong Voice
Richard L. Hanneman, President, Salt Institute 1986-2010
20. Agencies : Managing a Global Communications Firm
Ray Kotcher, Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum
21. Issues Management Methods for Reputational Management
James E. Arnold, APR, Chief Executive Officer, Arnold Consulting Group
Raymond P. Ewing, Associate Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University, and former Corporate Communications Director, Allstate
22. State and Local Government Relations: Guiding Principles
L. James Nelson, Public Affairs Consultant
23. Corporate Governance: Operating as an Open Book
Ted McDougal, Founder and Principal, McDougal & Associates and Senior Counselor, Ketchum
Kurt P. Stocker, Director, New York Stock Exchange Regulation, Inc. and Former Chief Communications Officer, Continental Bank Corporation
24. Career Paths in Public Relations
Jean Cardwell, President, Cardwell Enterprises, Inc.
Dana Rubin, Rubin Creative
25. The Chief Executive Officer: The Key Spokesperson
John D. Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard International Communications
26. Crisis Communications: Brand-New Channels. Same Old Static.
Hud Englehart, Managing Partner, Beacon Advisors Inc. and Adjunct Professor, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University.

Part 3. Current and Continuing Issues in Public Relations

27. Sustainability for Business: A New Global Challenge
Charlene Lake, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, and Chief Sustainability Officer, AT&T
Tony Calandro, Senior Vice President and Partner, VOX Global
28. Environmental Communications: A Matter of Relationships, Trust and Planning
Susan Croce Kelly, APR, President, Kirkpatrick International, Inc.
29. Relationship Transformation: Shifting Media Boundaries
Kevin Clark, President and Founder, Content Evolution LLC and Director, Emeritus, Brand and Values Experience, IBM Corporation

30. Reputation Management: Building and Maintaining Reputation through Communications
Craig E. Carroll, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Department Chair of Communication and Journalism Lipscomb University
Stephan A. Greyser, D.B.A., Richard, Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration (Marketing/Communications), Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Elliot S. Schreiber, Ph.D., Clinical, Clinical Professor of Marketing and Executive Director of the Center for Corporate Reputation Management, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, Drexel University

Part 4. Industries and Organizations

Business to Consumer

31. The Automotive Industry: A Race to the Future

Ray Day, Vice President, Communications, Ford Motor Company
Steve Harris, Senior Counselor, The McGinn Group, and past Vice President, Global Communications, General Motors

32. The Aviation Industry and Civil Aviation: Flying High for Business
Robert P. Mark, Chief Executive Officer, CommAvia, and Editor, Jetwhine.com
33. The Insurance Industry: Reputation Management in Good Hands
Robert P. Gorman, Principal, Robert E. Gorman Communication and Former Communication Consultant Allstate Insurance
James M. Dudas, Communications Consultant and Former Sr. Director, Allstate Insurance Company

34. The Hospitality Industry: Communicating with our Guests
John Wallis, Global Head, Marketing and Brand Strategy, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
35. Sports Marketing: Champion Communicators

Amy D. Littleton, Vice President, KemperLesnik
Steven H. Lesnik, Founder, KemperLesnik

36. Effective Technology Communications: Innovation that Matters
Edward Barbini, Vice President of Externalof External Relations, IBM
Rob Flaherty, Senior Partner and President, Ketchum
37. The Entertainment Business: Lights, Cameras, Promotion
Rob Doughty, President, Rob Doughty Communications and past Vice President, Communications, Disney Resorts
38. Healthcare: Harmonizing the Healthcare Message
Richard T. Cole, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing, Michigan State University and former Vice President, Communications, Blue Cross/Blue Shield
39. The Global Retail Restaurant Industry: Communications Strategies
Jonathan Blum, Senior Vice President, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Yum! Brands
40. The Retail Industry: Not Your Father’s Drugstore
Mike Polzin, Divisional Vice President, Corporate Communications, Walgreen Co.

Business to Business

41. The Pharmaceutical Industry: R&D to Rx
Elliot S. Schrieber, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Marketing and Executive Director,
Center for Corporate Reputation Management, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business,
Drexel University, and former Vice President, Communications, Bayer
42. Consulting, Technology Services and Outsourcing: Getting a Second Opinion
Roxanne Taylor, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Accenture
43. The Financial and Banking Industry: Investing in Our Stakeholders
Anonymous
44. The Food and Beverage Industry: Catering to People’s Palates
Richard L. Nelson, Vice President, Corporate Communications, ACCO Brands Corporation
Marguerite Copel, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The Dean Foods Company
45. The Oil and Natural Gas Industry: Communicating in a Challenging Environment
Sam Falcona, former Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, ConocoPhillips
46. Internal and External Communications in a Law Firm
Mark Bain, Global Director of Communications, Baker & McKenzie
47. Telecommunications: Connecting to and with Your Customers
Reid Walker, Vice President, Corporate Communications, T-Mobile

Part 5. Practical Skills and Knowledge

48. Changing Your Own Behavior to Enhance Behavioral Results
Kerry D. Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc.
Bill Trumpfheller, President, Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc.
49. Creativity: Powering Integrated Marketing Communications Ideas
Marty Kohr, Faculty, Northwestern University Medill IMC, Director, Chicago 4A’s Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies, and former Advertising Practitioner, DDB, Y&R, Hal Riney and Leo Burnett
50. Writing for the Ear: The Challenge of Effective Speechwriting
Lee W. Huebner, Ph. D., Professor, George Washington University, and former Publisher and CEO, International Herald Tribune
51. Good Writing Is Good Thinking, and Good Thinking Is Good Writing
George Harmon, Professor Emeritus, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
52. Storytelling: All Stories are True
Emma Caywood, MLIS, Storyteller and Storytelling Consultant
53. Branded Content Strategy: Meaningful Stakeholder Interaction
Sara E. Smith, MSIMC, Director of Business Intelligence, Room 214
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor and past Chair, Department of Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University
54. Immersive 3-D Virtual Worlds: Avatars at Work
Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, The Gronstedt Group
55. Global Public Relations Networks: The Efficacy and Role of Membership Organizations in Public Relations
Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Redphlag LLC, and Chairman and President of the Public Relations Society of America, 2012

Part 6. Conclusion

56. The Future of Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications
Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University

Appendix

More data on the growth of PR

2011-07-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

The international public relations (PR) consultancy sector grew bigger and stronger in 2010 and is expected to grow again in 2011, according to the latest World Report from the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO). Digital and social media services are playing an increasingly important role as PR gains share against other marketing disciplines, though staffing remains a challenge. The consultancy industry saw moderate or double-digit growth in 2010 in a majority of the 24 countries surveyed.
The world’s two largest markets for public relations – the US and the UK – both rebounded from a five percent decline in fee income in 2009 to record a double-digit recovery in 2010. US consultancies posted an average 11% increase in overall fee revenue, while the UK saw a 13% increase. Both also saw improvements to profitability, the UK by an average of 30%.
Western European countries saw more modest growth or nearly unchanged conditions (from -1% to +3.5%), though the Nordics and Central and Eastern European countries fared better, with average growth ranging from 5% to 12% for the year. Brazil and Russia pushed ahead with 23% and 17% increases in revenues respectively, supported by strong economic expansion in their countries. Australia grew by approximately 10%, fuelled by the increasing internationalization of public relations activities. "International PR Sector in Good Health with Double Digit Growth in 2010." Web log post.Pria.com.au. Public Relations Institute of Australia, 30 May 2011. Web. 30 May 2011. .

Table of Contents of Second Edition of The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communications.

2011-07-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

The Handbook of Stakeholder Public Relations & Integrated Communications and Marketing, Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. editor
McGraw-Hill, New York, Second Edition, 2011-2012

DRAFT Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Clarke Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

Preface – The Importance of Public Relations
Al Golin, Chairman and founder, Golin/Harris

Introduction to Stakeholder Public Relations and Integrated Communications and Marketing

1. Introduction to Stakeholder Public Relations & Integrated Communications and Marketing
a. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

2. Communications Research Methods I – Social Science Approaches
a. Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer, The Gronstedt Group
b. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

3. Communications Research Methods II - Web-based Approaches
a. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

4. Public Relations and Communications Law
a. Karla Gower, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Director the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, The University of Alabama.

5. Public Relations History and the White House
a. Scott Cutlip, Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia (deceased)
b. Brent Baker, Rear Admiral, Ret. Dean Emeritus. The School of Communications, Boston University

6. Ethics and Corporate Responsibility – China Tobacco Industry
a. Cornelius Pratt, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Strategic Communication, Temple University

Stakeholder Communications

7. The Stakeholder Concept and Mapping - Redefining Communications
a. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

8. Employee Relations - Key Stakeholder Communication
a. S. Keith Burton, President Insidedge

9. Consumers and Customers – Marketing’s Stakeholders
a. Geri Henderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor, School of Business, Rutgers University

10. Consumers and Third Parties - Marketing Public Relations
a. Pat Whalen, Ph.D., Consultant and Educator

11. Institutional and Individual Investors - Investor Relations
a. Nancy Hobor, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University, past Vice President Communications and Investor Relations, Grainger, Inc.

12. Investment Bankers - Mergers & Acquisitions Communications
a. Joele Frank, Founder and Managing Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

13. Philanthropy - Community Charities and Corporate Giving
a. Jack Koten, Founding Director of Arthur W. Page Society, and Retired Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Ameritech

14. Taxpayers - Government Public Information
Brent Baker, Rear Admiral Ret., and past Dean, the College of Communications, Boston University

15. Broadcast Media Relations – New Broadcast/PR
a. Tim Larson, Ph.D., Professor, University of Utah – Salt Lake City
b. Craig Wirth, Adjunct Professor, University of Utah – Salt Lake City

16. Social Media - Communities and Advocates
a. Richard Edelman, CEO Edelman
b. Mark Haas, President, Edelman China
c. Phil Gnomes, Senior Vice President, Edelman Digital
d. Robert Holdheim, Managing Director, India Edelman
e. Steve Rubin, Executive Vice President Global Strategies and Insight, Edelman

17. Press and Global Media – Expanding Media Relations
a. Matt Gonring, Communications Consultant and past Chief Communication Officer

18. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) - Running Not-for-Profits
a. Ray Boyer, Communication Consultant and President, Boyer Media
b. Governor Scott McCallum, CEO Aidmatrix Foundation

19. Industry Trade and Professional Associations – Washington Ambassadors
a. Dick Hanneman, President, Salt Institute 1986-2010

20. Agencies as Stakeholder - Partners
a. Ray Kotcher, Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum

21. Policy-Makers - Issues Management and Public Affairs
a. Jim Arnold, Chief Executive Officer Arnold Consulting Group
b. Ray Ewing- Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University, former Director, Allstate

22. Public Officials - How to Lobby
a. Jim Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Public Affairs Consultant Nelsco, Inc.

23. Stockholders, the Board and Regulators - Governance
a. Ted McDougal, Senior Counselor Ketchum, Principle McDougal & Associates
b. Kurt Stocker, Director New York Stock Exchange Regulation, Inc.

24. Headhunters and Human Resources - Career Paths
a. Jean Cardwell, President, Cardwell Enterprises, Inc.
b. Dana Rubin, Communications Consultant

25. The CEO - Key Stakeholder Spokesperson
a. John Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard

26. Every Stakeholder - Crisis Prevention and Communications
a. Hud Englehart, Chief Marketing Officer, Rasmussen Reports, Adjunct Professor Northwestern University

Current Issues in Public Relations

27. Sustainability for Business – A New Global Challenge
a. Charlene Lake, Senior Vice President Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, AT&T
b. Tony Calandro, Senior Vice President & Partner, VOX Global

28. Environmental Challenges - Going Beyond Greenwashing
a. Susan Croce Kelly, President, Kirkpatrick International, Inc.

29. The Digital Revolution - Transforming User Experiences
a. Kevin A. Clark, President and Founder, Content Evolution LLC

30. Reputation Management - Corporate, Not Product Branding
a. Craig Carroll, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Lipscomb University
b. Stephan Greyser, Professor Emeritus, Harvard School of Business
c. Elliot Schreiber, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, School of Business Drexel University

Business to Consumer Industries and Organizations

31. Automotive Industry - Race to the Future
a. Steve Harris, Senior Counselor, The McGinn Group and past Vice President - Global Communications, General Motors
b. Ray Day, Vice President Communications, Ford Motor Company

32. Aviation Industry and Civil Aviation - Flying for Business and Travellers
a. Rob Mark, Chief Executive Officer CommAvia and editor Jetwhine.com

33. Insurance - In Good Hands
a. Robert Gorman, Communication Consultant and past Executive Communications Leader Allstate Insurance
b. Jim Dudas, Environmental and Business Consultant

34. Hospitality Industry - We Know Our Guests
a. John Wallis, Global Head - Marketing and Brand Strategy, Hyatt

35. Sports Marketing & PR - Champion Communicators
a. Steve Lesnik, Co-Founder and Chairman, KemperSports and KemperLesnik
b. Amy Littleton, Vice President Public Relations, KemperLesnik

36. Technology and Computer Industry – Constant Innovation
a. Edward Barbini, Vice President External Relations, IBM

37. The Entertainment Industry - Disney and More
a. Rob Doughty, Communications consultant, Past Vice President Communications Disney Resorts

38. Health Care Industry – Benefits and Costs
a. Richard Cole, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Department of Advertising and PR, Michigan State University

39. Restaurant Industry – Global Stories
a. Jonathan Blum, Senior Vice President, Chief Public Affairs Officer, YUM! Brands

40. Retail Leadership - The Great American “Drugstore”
a. Mike Polzin, Divisional Vice President Corporate Communications, Walgreens, Co.

41. Telecommunications - The Unbelievable Cell Phone
a. Reid Walker, Vice President Corporate Communications T-Mobile

Business to Business

42. Pharmaceutical Industry - R&D to Rx
a. Elliot Schreiber, Ph.D. Clinical Professor of Marketing, Executive Director of the Center for Corporate Reputation Management, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, Drexel University

43. Consulting Industry - Professional Services
a. Roxanne Taylor, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Accenture
b. Jayme Silverstone, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Accenture, Contributing author

44. Financial & Banking Industry - High Risk Brand Trust
a. Anonymous Author

45. Food & Beverage Industry – Choices and Safety
a. Marguerite Copel, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, President, Dean Foods Foundation
b. Rich Nelson, Vice President Corporate Communications, ACCO Brands

46. Oil & Energy Industry - High Profile
a. Sam Falcona, Vice President Communications & Public Affairs, Retired, ConocoPhillips

47. The Law – Professional Services Communications
a. Mark Bain, Global Director of Communications, Baker & McKenzie

Public Relations Practice Skills and Strategies

48. Behavioral Strategies - Patterns of Communications
a. Bill Trumpfeller, President Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Public Relations
b. Kerry Tucker, CEO Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Public Relations

49. Creativity - Powering Integrated Marketing Communications Ideas
a. Marty Kohr, Director of Chicago Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University

50. Speechwriting - Writing for the Ear
a. Lee Huebner, Ph.D., Professor, George Washington University, former Publisher The International Herald Tribune

51. Writing for all the Media - Clearly
a. George Harmon, Professor Emeritus Northwestern University, Communications Consultant

52. Storytelling – All Stories are True
a. Emma Caywood, Storyteller, Playwright & Drama Teacher Numerator Management.com

53. News, Fake News and Owned Content – New Field for PR and Journalism
a. Sara Smith, Messaging and content strategy consultant
b. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Northwestern University

54. Virtual Meet-ups & Training – Welcome to Secondlife
a. Anders Gronstedt, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer, The Gronstedt Group

55. Global PR Networks - Becoming a Public Relations Professional
a. Gerry Corbett, Chief Executive Officer, Founder Red Pflagg, Chairman and President of the Public Relations Society of America, - 2012

Conclusion

56. The Future of PR
a. Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. Professor, Northwestern University

Appendix
Author biographies
Author photos

PR will far outstrip Advertising and Promotions in job market according to Feds

2011-07-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

The reknowned Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports in an updated study from 2009 to late 2010 that public relations (PR) will far outstrip "advertising/ promotions" in creating new managerial jobs. In fact, advertising-promotions management will decline -1.7 percent and fail to even replace the positions openned due to retirement. PR will grow 12.9%. More entry level and tactical jobs as "PR specialists" will grow 24%. A number of PR related jobs in writing will also grow (tech writers 18.2%, writers and authors 14.8%). The report will remind some readers of a popular book nearly a decade ago: Ries and Ries The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR in 2002.

The good news for communication professionals in PR and journalism in the first two decades of the 21st century is the growth of PR according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It may be surprising that even branding does not give advertising the lift some expected while corporate branding (reputation) and marketing PR for products and services branding will grow.

The negative 1.7%. means that growth in advertising and promotions management is projected to be zero from 2008 to 2018 and even jobs that exist will not be filled 100%. However, to put this BLS employment category of advertising, marketing, promotions, PR and sales management in perspective, the employment size of sales management will continue to be 6-7x that of PR and marketing management will be 3X that of PR. PR will continue to be 27% greater number of jobs than advertising and promotions and increase to 45% more by 2018. (T. Alan Lacey and Benjamin Wright Occupational Employment Projections to 2018)

For young professionals this does not mean that some of the skills and knowledge of advertising is dead but that the institution of advertising may be in decline. The same can be said for journalism. Some of the institutions of journalism may be dying but the values and skills of journalism may not be dead. In fact, the allignment of PR and journalism has long been a professional track for journalists using their gifted writing and communication skills. More on this in a future blog. At the Medill School I have offered and am planning classes to address this gap in employment and thinking. My graduate and undergraduate classes include topics in PR and marketing to cross train advetising students and journalism students. Also, remember that despite the lack of general opportunities in some fields there is always room for talented and well-educated and trained professionals in any field.
http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/faculty/imcfulltime.aspx?id=128377
http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Advertising-Rise-PR/dp/0060081988/denominatorbo-20

What is News, Fake News and Owned Content? How do you teach it? Any ideas?

2011-04-16T13:01:00.001-05:00

In 2009 I wrote this tweet regarding my work on "content delivery". In 2011 I prepared this new draft of a syllbus to implement more content classes in Medill IMC. From 2009 Tweet: "If we don't have news organizations, we need other organizations that provide valued news." http://bit.ly/f4UAaJ
DRAFT April 2011 Northwestern University
The Medill School
Integrated Marketing Communications

IMC New Course Number
Fall 2011, Winter Spring 2012
News, Fake News and Branded Communications:
Theory and Practice
(A Proposed Cross-over Course for the Medill School 2011-2012
to include Journalism, Media and IMC Graduate Students)

Professor’s Name
(email address)
(Phone number)
(Office hours)
(Office location)

I. WELCOME AND REVIEW OF COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will first explore the extremely rapidly changing trends in a new eco-system of news and owned content. We will look at the delivery of news, deliberately “fake-news”, news-like branded content and transparent branded content to build needed content creation and delivery programs in agencies, companies, government and NGOs.

We will examine how content can be researched, planned, delivered and evaluated for a contribution to the publics’, media and employees’ understanding of products, services, organizational and social issues.

II. GOAL
Students will be able to create a fundable strategic proposal to create a program which produces new and reusable content for corporations, agencies, government and NGOs.

III. OBJECTIVES
You will be able to analyze the separate values and convergence of institutional values between journalism and corporate and NGO branding to derive your own beliefs about the future value systems of information content and delivery.

You will be able to understand the reader, listener and viewer experience with used and reused content and be able to determine what “news” is for the audience.

You will be able to evaluate the social and economic value of the effects of third party content and self-produced and owned content on the reputation and brand impact of institutions with new content based metric tools and analysis.

Also note weekly goals and objectives.

IV. PROJECT DETAILS AND DESCRIPTION
The project will ask you to work with others “not in your field” (journalism with IMC, IMC with media, journalism with media) to prepare a proposal for a new content creation and delivery program in a corporation, NGO, agency or governmental organization. The proposal will follow well developed IMC and public relations research, planning, execution and evaluation processes. You will prepare the proposal for delivery to an organization.

V. COURSE DELIVERABLES
The primary course deliverables are the weekly assignments in written form from individuals and groups. See each week assignment for details. There is also the expectation of a detailed proposal for support of a content creation and delivery program. There is also a mid-term examination based on your reading of assigned work and your informed discussions in class.

VI. HOW THE COURSE WILL OPERATE
The course will meet one or two times per week in the Medill graduate IMC program. The course will be 10 weeks long with members of the class completing interactive small team and individual assignments. The class will be recorded for playback to help you understand issues you want to restudy. All lecture materials (depending on the topic) will be made available before or just after the end of a class. Reading preparation will be extremely helpful to your participation in the class and ability to contribute to advancing the class discussion.

VII. EXPECTATIONS – Our expectations are that you will be able to persuade a company, NGO or commercial agency or a granting government department that a new content creation and delivery program should be funded with your as the leader of the program. You will also have gained command of using newer content delivery channels so that you can teach others how to use the outlets for content sharing and reuse. Finally, you will have a sophisticated understanding of the threats and opportunities that will encourage or discourage the growth of public and private owned content systems.

VII. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND POLICY ISSUES
All students are expected to abide by the Northwestern University and Medill academic honesty policies, as well as the laws and ethical principles in force in both the United States and in any other country where your project may be based. Any violations of these policies, laws or principles will result in a failure for the course, and possible expulsion from the IMC program. If you have questions or papers to present on issues related to disabilities please present them to the faculty member for a direct response. Please also always try to anticipate (except in the case of emergencies, death or serious health issues any missed assignments or class. Your best course of action is to let the faculty member know in advance if possible of any missed assignments, classes or work.

VIII. GRADES
One credit unit will be awarded for successful completion of the course:

1. Weekly individual or group assignment from class discussion and interaction 5 points x 9 weeks 45 points
2. Positive Peer review participation and contribution 5 points*
3. Final proposal to organizations of a content development, use and reuse 35 points
4. Midterm examination on content areas of knowledge 15 points
Total 100 points

*Peer evaluations will be given strong consideration by faculty in the determination of grades. Mid-quarter evaluations, including input from students, will be conducted the 5th week. Mid-quarter evaluations will be used in the determination of final grades.

WHAT ARE THE GRADE LETTERS?

A = 93-100 percent, AB 88-92 percent, B 83-87, BC 78-82
C 70-77, D 60-69, F <60weekly Schedule, Goals, Issues, Readings and Assignments

Week 1. What is content: The good, the bad and the ugly?

Week Goal:
Understand and begin to discuss trends in the research, planning, creation and , measurement of information, edutainment, infotainment, news, fake news, owner created content, public relations, earned press, transparent information and other examples of branded content excluding paid media (advertising, direct marketing).

Issues to Explore:
• What are the names of content providers in NGOs, government, business? Public relations, public information, public affairs, media relations, stakeholder relations?
• What skill sets do organizations demand for more traditional and contemporary content creators and providers?
• What role has PR played in providing content?
• Where does PR provide significant content (healthcare, military, disaster)

Selected Readings: What is second decade 21st century content?
• Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future by Cory Doctorow (Sep 15, 2008)•
• Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) by Ann Handley, C.C. Chapman and David Meerman Scott (Dec 7, 2010)
• Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content (Voices That Matter) [Paperback] Colleen Jones
• Medill on Content, Chapter by Collinger and Gordon, forthcoming.

Weekly Assignment:
Review of course syllabus, expectations, goals, assignments, grading and outcomes.
Begin to Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week. The Twitter site is MedillContent and the password is ContentMedill

Week 2 What is journalism and how has it been the key, credible content provider in Western and developed nations?

Week Goal:
What contribution to the research, planning, production of news and features as content have news organizations made?

Issues to Explore:
• What has happened to the traditional news industry including print and broadcast?
• What gaps have been created through the decline in the industry?
• What are the creative responses of the news industry to economic challenges?
• What are the professional contributions of journalism, independent journalism, public relations and marketing to building a new discipline of content planning, production and evaluation?
• What are news organizations, independent new providers, agencies, companies and consultants providing through new channels with new messages?
• What knowledge, skills and experience are agencies and companies requesting to create and build content programs?
• What is “news” for new content providers and recipients?

Selected Readings:
•Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect Research based books:
•Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again by Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols (2010),
Can Journalism Be Saved? Rediscovering America's Appetite for News Rachel Mersey (2010Journalism

Weekly Assignment:
What is your conclusion? Is journalism, dead or dying? What are the implications to business, NGOs, owned content from your prediction? Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 3 What Values and Rules Shape Content Production and Delivery?

Weekly Goal:
From this course content students will be able to understand and bridge similar and disparate institutional values between journalism and corporations, government and NGOs to develop and write their own beliefs about the future of content delivery and reuse.

Issues to Explore:
• Read to understand, discuss and apply the rules and values of content production of the news and broadcasting profession. (SPJ, NAB)
• Read to understand, discuss and apply the rules and values of content production of public relations profession. (PRSA and AW Page Society)

Selected Readings: Codes that Shape Content
How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor (J-B Warren Bennis Series) by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, James O'Toole and Patricia Ward Biederman (2008).
Code of Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Code of National Association of Broadcasters: http://en.allexperts.com/q/TV-Industry-2497/NAB-Code-Ethics.htm
Code of Public Relations Society of America: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/
A.W. Page Society Code on Internet Content: http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/about/pr_coalition_endorses •
Corporate Advocacy: An Application of Speech Communication Perspectives and Skills--And More. Heath, Robert L.
Chapter by Rear Admiral Brent Baker on PR in Government – Issues Caywood forthcoming.
Chapter on Media by Matt Gonring in Caywood, forthcoming
Chapter on Broadcasting by Larson and Wirth in Caywood, forthcoming

Weekly Assignment:
Work on a combined code for owned content delivery systems.
Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 4: What Communications Theories Shape Content?

Weekly Goal:
In preparation of persuading an organization, company, NGO or agency that they would benefit from new content management, creation and delivery program (with you in charge) we will study the arguments that may persuade them to understand why content can be profitable.

Issues to Explore:
• Read to understand, discuss and apply business theories related to communications practice and the ownership of content?
• What are the risks of “owned content” systems?
• What are best practices examples?
• What are some of the fraudulent examples of owned content?

Selected Readings: Practical Theories of Content Creation and Delivery
Trust as an Actionable Theory: http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/resources/awp_trust_report/
http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/resources/restoring_trust_in_business
http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/
Transparency as an Actionable Theory: http://www.awpagesociety.com/awp_blog/comments/transparency_accountability_and_trust/
Saving Journalism: Can Journalism Be Saved? Rediscovering America's Appetite for News Rachel Mersey (2010)
Other Theories:
Theories of PR and Communications: Chapter by Caywood and Mersey from Caywood forthcoming.

Weekly Assignment:
Pick a theory or combination of theories to help develop your proposal for a new content delivery program in an organization. Explain why the theory helps your proposal.

Week 5 How do you advise an organization to build a new content delivery program?

Weekly Goal:
Identify, understand and apply an IMC planning model to be used for proposing the creation of a content delivery program in an organization.

Issues to Explore:
• What are the professional contributions of journalism, independent journalism, public relations and marketing to building a new discipline of content planning, production and evaluation?
• What are news organizations, independent new providers, agencies, companies and consultants providing through new channels with new messages?
• What knowledge, skills and experience are agencies and companies requesting to create and build content programs?

Selected Reading: Content Planning Job Description from Leo Burnet, Chicago for Content Strategist
Current Job Listings (various) for content analysts, strategists, providers.

Week Activity:
Based on preliminary readings and lecture, write a 3 page preliminary plan outline to create a content proposal for a specific corporation, NGO or agency. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 6 Metrics for Content

Weekly Goal:
Students will be able to evaluate the social and economic value of the effects of third party content and self-produced content on the reputation and brand of institutions using new metric tools and analyses.

Issues to Explore:
• How does the content proposal plan measure the success or failure of the recommendations?
• What existing high cost and even lower cost systems exist to measure the popularity, approval, use and reuse of content?
• What are the dozens of metrics that measure content?
• How can software like Biz360, WiseWindows, Google Analytics, Radian6 and content analysis programs help measure the impact of content?

Week Activity:
“Test drive” commercial custom software on existing content sites and preliminary content ideas for your final report. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Selected Readings:
Research Chapter by Gronstedt and Caywood forthcoming,
Subscription websites for commercial content software.
http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/ Web site of the Content Analysis Guidebook Online provides some CATA software for free download, list of archives...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content analysis
Katie Paine: consulting services to measure social media and traditional public relations. Click Here to See All of Katie's Latest Speeches! Click Here to Invite Katie Delahaye Paine to ...www.kdpaine.com

Week 7 Being able to use content horror stories and legal issues

Weekly Goal:
Students will be able to judge the impact of new trends on content use, reuse, access, design and delivery.

Issues to Explore:
• Mobile use domination on the web,
• Decline of pay-tv and cable subscriptions on edutainment and infotainment content, New registries and BBC control of media content,
• Geometric growth of content technology and use of content management systems software (CMS).

Weekly Assignment:
Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 8 Global opportunities for Content Delivery

Weekly Goal:
Examine and test more advanced selected channels used by global businesses, NGOs and universities

Issues to Explore:
• Creative use of web-based technology to deliver content.
• Search for newer accepted content delivery vehicles
• Think about what’s next?
• What will survive?

Selected Readings/Sources:
CG Costello - Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 2010 - csx.sagepub.com
There is a burgeoning interest in the development and growth of virtual communities in social networking sites, the blogosphere, and interest group websites
Teaching and learning in Second Life: Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model to support online instruction with graduate students in instructional technology ML Burgess, JR Slate, A Rojas-LeBouef… - The Internet and Higher Education 2010 - Elsevier
Second Life: Join our weekly meetings in Second Life every Thursday from noon-1:00 PM Eastern at Gronstedt Group's "Train for Success” gronstedtgroup.com/f_about.htm?s_about_train_for_sucess.htm~sectionFrame

Weekly Assignment:
Read about and be trained to use Second Life and #Twitter for content delivery.

Week 9 Launch week for your content on the web

Weekly Goal:
Simulate a meeting with content on Second Life, #Twitter or other medium for practice.

Weekly Assignment:
Test your content delivery system. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 10 Presentation of your content proposal

Weekly Theory:
Apply your theory to your proposal to gain acceptance of your ideas.

Weekly Assignment:
Present to a panel of experts on campus and possibly on the weekly Train for Success Second Life meeting at 11 a.m. CST. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

M.B.A. graduates need more writing instruction, employers say: PRSA

2011-03-14T16:32:00.000-05:00

M.B.A. graduates need more writing instruction, employers say: PRSA

Is James Franco's hosting of the Oscars a new crisis case study?

2011-02-28T00:29:00.000-06:00

From the line in the play Do the Hustle by Brett Neveu (World premiere at Writer's Theater this evening): "In life there are cons and targets". I'm a target lately. Was Oscar nominee and host James Franco stoned on global TV? http://bit.ly/f0vwGz, The fact that a bunch of 50-60 year old professionals could not figure out why Franco was doing such a bad job as Oscar host suggests the incident (and defense) should be a case study for our book chapter on crisis management. It should also be used for the crisis class taught at my school. The instant defense of Franco during the same evening is more drama. If this group of professionals who hire and admit each next generation of professionals can't figure it out, I wonder what hiring and supervisory skills we really possess.

Titles you may search in PR

2011-02-22T16:29:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share with you the titles and searches that have expired from a confidentially posted list. Many of them would rely on a headhunter (the company pays but a headhunter you know or knows you. I know that headhunters search for opinion leaders in our field who might have published in trade, professional magazines or journals. They may have also published in books like The Handbook of Strategic PR and Integrated Communications, McGraw-Hill late Fall new issue 2011!

Dec. 8, 2010 Banks Communications Consultant 5
Nov. 12 , 2010 Insurance Communications Consultant (3)
Nov. 12 , 2010 Electronics Temp Director, Internal Communications
June 23, 2010 Insurance Director, Enterprise Communications
May 12, 2010 Candy Crisis Communication Manager
May 12, 2010 Candy Corp.Affairs Director North America Segment
May 12, 2010 Candy Corporate Affairs Internal Comms Manager
Jan. 15, 2010 Defense Director I,PR International Communications
Jan. 6, 2010 Retail Director of Digital Communications
Dec. 22, 2009 Retail Director PR and International Communications
Nov. 16, 2009 University Open Rank Faculty Position
Oct. 6, 2009 University Dean
Aug. 27, 2009 Paper Products Director of Corporate Communications

Guest Blog on Culpwrit Blog February 22, 2011

2011-02-22T14:10:00.001-06:00

Prof Offers 20 Tips to Land Internships Reprinted from www.culprit.com
February 22nd, 2011 · 1 Comment

Clarke Caywood

As a teacher I have spent 20 years helping hundreds of graduate students secure over $3 million in tuition and fees from companies, agencies and NGOs. Through this experience of matching students with organizations, I have learned a few lessons that might help students and teachers work as teams for securing residencies as we call them.

1. Contact the human resources department or internship program directors, but personal contacts with professionals in the field are critical.
2. Use Linked-In, professional association memberships, class speakers and other contacts.
3. Write finely honed resumes, Linked-In and Facebook listings of client-based projects from courses, summer internships and previous work experience.
4. Give the company a choice of candidates (but not too many) since using resumes will make the process manageable for them and the internship team (professor and student).
5. Rely on experienced staff with relevant contacts at the university who can manage the critical details that professors seem to lose track about.
6. Build a website about the program and maybe an old fashioned brochure to allow the agency, company or NGO to show the quality of the school program to others.
7. Produce a strong video interview on YouTube, Yahoo video or Flickr as a link.
8. Use interview skill training for internship candidates.
9. Academic credit can be helpful if the professor is involved for a syllabus of expected work to evaluate the internship and intern.
10. In school-managed programs students should agree to go to the first company choosing them to avoid traditional market job competition.
11. Students should only apply and be matched to organizations that they are willing to work for.
12. For 10 weeks students should expect to work like any other employee without special requests for summer time off, weddings, etc. Work early and work late to show your willingness and passion to solve the organization’s problems.
13. Having a job description prepared by the faculty and team in advance will allow the student to get to work more quickly.
14. Treat all staff including administrative assistants with great respect–they can facilitate your productive time.
15. Seek out mentoring and learn about the organization over cups of coffee on a break or modest lunches.
16. Be prepared to do more than the assigned work when they find out you are not the typical intern even if you think you might not want to work there.
17. Plan the end of the internship carefully so that you don’t leave any work undone.
18. After you return to school send your contacts an occasional article or reading from your courses that might interest them and keep them aware of your pending graduation date,
19. Write a paper on your experience and use of course knowledge for internship credit or for publication in a trade journal.
20. When you have established your career reciprocate with internships for the next generation! Finally, I don’t believe in in “free” internships. Any company or agency can afford to pay some amount to at least cover your expenses. School programs should include securing payment for at least the course tuition. Good luck!

Clarke Caywood is Director of the Graduate Program in Public Relations in the Medill Graduate School at Northwestern University where he teaches crisis management, communications management, marketing and public relations.

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Tags: Advice from a Pro · Guest Post · Job Search
1 response so far ↓

*

1 Jesse Davis // Feb 22, 2011 at 11:08 am

To start this is some great information. However, I am a college senior majoring in public relations and I am currently looking for an internship. I have been rather successful in finding the right person to talk to or take out to coffee, but I don’t know how to begin a conversation with them without looking like all I want is a job. Do you have any advice to begin to ask people if they are willing to take time out of their day to have a conversation about their job?

Another question I have is that I really like the idea of a YouTube interview video to separate myself from the rest of the applicants, but how creative or casual should you get with the video to show personality while maintaining a professional image?

Thanks for posting this blog!
*

2 Clarke Caywood, Ph.D. // Feb 22, 2011 at 12:53 pm

Jesse thanks for being alert to this important blog site. Watch my Twitter site for more clues about PR at IMCPROF. People in our field seem naturally inclined to help mentor the next generation. As long as you are respectful in your request, ask interesting questions (based on your classes and readings) most PR pros will try to be helpful. The creator of this blog, Ron Culp, taught me that meeting young professionals pays off in the long run as you may have an opening for them at some point in the future. They know you want a job or internship. You know they know so just be transparent. “Do you have an opening or can you help advise and direct me toward a career in PR?" is a fair question. On Flickr or YouTube (other sites as well) I would use a digital image, on a tripod (to avoid Blair Witch Project look) with a friend (swap out). Casual but not sloppy is fine, look into the camera and say something interesting about yourself and something interesting about the field from your studies. You might mention your findings on a class project for a client. 3 minutes is enough. You might rotate the video or have two titled for a choice. See IMC residencies on YouTube though they are bit dated. Good luck!

Happy Birthday Abe Lincoln.

2011-02-12T18:54:00.000-06:00

"If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.” by Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865)

Also quoted by my first boss - Wisconsin Governor Warren P. Knowles (1969) and his Executive Assistant Paul Hassett in a printed card used in the office durng tough times with the legislature, press and other stakeholders. I still have the card that was printed by the office to remind the small staff that we had to persevere when we knew we were right. The quote still gives me courage to "to do the very best I know how" regarding matters of academic and personal freedom, the celebration of democracy for our nation, the sanctity of the university and education, the intellectual growth of my students, the protection of my faculty colleagues from injustice and the health and welfare of my family. Thanks, Abe!

Someone asked where do IMC students go after graduation?

2010-11-22T14:04:00.000-06:00

IMC (Advertising Department) used to send almost 100% of the graduates in the late 1980s and early 1990s to marcom agencies advertising, PR and direct marketing. When these firms were merged under holding companies they still hired out students in IMC but also hired MBAs for the corporate offices.

After teaching MBAs for over a decade I found that they would and could work in any industry doing almost anything. Look around your office or room and ask if you are willing to sell anything you see and work for a firm that sells it. The inclination may define an some of the 265,000 MBAs who graduate each year. There are two attactions to hiring IMC students: 1. they use communications as a primary and unique strategic advantage to conduct business. 2. they like to work in the communications industry (agencies, media, publishing).

The 15 month degree is also a bit cheaper than some private school MBAs. All individuals considering graduate should seriously consider "running the numbers" or calculating the return on investment of the degree. You will need to search this blog site for help but also ask the schools 1. all direct costs (tuition, books, travel for classes) 2. housing costs in area as more or less costly than your current costs, 3. estimate loss of income from leaving work to return to school, not working while in school and how long it takes to find a job after graduation (a serious issue in this economy since it can be 6 months or more). What is the cost of borrowing and finally what will be the estimated increase in your salary based on earning a new degree (demand details here). Naturally you can add less economic factors like the value of pride of a graduate degree, meeting your life partner in school, taking time off from work, etc. But, please run the numbers to show that you are a business person with your own decisions.

However, at NU IMC students are educated and trained to be able to apply their in-depth knowledge of communications which is not taught in MBA prograsms to any type of company in B2B and B2C and NGOs and even government. They work in "marketing services", public relations, employee relations, branding (with some distinctions), investor relations, issues management and strategic planning and more.

While many MBAs are hired to work in brand management in consumer goods companies; IMC students are better suited to work on communications (rather than pricing, logistics and product issuues) of branding. There is some confusion in this hiring arena by HR professionals since MBAs may have taken only one or even no course on advertising and promotion, no courses on PR, media analysis and none on database customer analysis. Still, MBAs dominate the brand management hiring.

Of course, IMC students are just as entrepreneurial as as MBAs. They are able and willing to form their own companies (usually with a communications advantage). Search for IMC at Northwestern for a more comprehensive insight to the degree.http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/imc/default.aspx. If you want more information on the salaries, employers, careers of IMC students contact the school for details.

What should you ask before returning or entering graduate school?

2010-11-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

Questions to ask (some are very sensitive but ask them anyway)
1. placement record and time to secure a job after graduation
2. scholarships or loans (not available for international students)- this will become a serious issue
3. percent of international and U.S. students (too many too few to learn from and what countries).
4. quality of placement (some call it the euphemistic "career planning") to get you a job with the companies and organizations supporting the school.
5. names of contacts of former graduates to hear the good and bad (not a short list of admission department names)
6. what has happened to the international students? Are they working in the U.S., is it even possible, does the school know where they are if they returned to their country.
7. is the program in professional education dominated by recent graduates with little or no work experience. Does this matter to you?
8. is the program a balance of men and women? Does it matter to you?
9. are they too many part-time faculty teaching in the evening (not available for meetings). Should classes be co-taught to get a mix of new research and thinking from doctoral faculty and new experience and contacts from industry faculty?
10. Is a part-time degree the best choice financially and personally to keep your hand in business? Is the return on investment (ROI) stronger?

IMC Retail Plan: Research, Plan, Implement and Evalulate

2010-10-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

Sample Retail Level Audit of the Brand Image and Performance
Prepared by Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. 2010
This task and audit memorandum is designed to apply the experience and thinking of the Department of Integrated Marketing Communications and Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. to retail, single site business. Many of the ideas most often applied to larger consumer goods and business to business level companies have been adapted to a retail firm located in a single site. However, the importance of the application of modern marketing practices to strengthen the store and store owner brand is just as important and may be more important since the stakes are relatively higher for the personal success of the business owner. As with any application of strategic thought and tactics; the memo is really a list of hopefully powerful suggestions that may stimulate the owner to devise his own version of his branding strategy.
First, the memo identifies a number of questions that should be answered in the eyes of the business consumer, in this case member or student. The research steps first ask the brander to understand the consumer, the employee, the co-branding partners, the lending institution, the media, community, business organizations and other stakeholders or publics at the retail level. The retail level IMC communication strategy includes these four steps: Research, plan, implementation, evaluation. See attachment for questions asked at each step for high level professional performance. Each step constantly reminds the branding manager to consider the information gathered primarily in step one (research).
Research
Research is important to gather facts, insights, understanding of the consumer, prospective member, and other critical stakeholders who may heavily influence the consumer’s perspective of the quality and importance of the store and owner brand.
1. Run the “Brand contact audit” and take notes. Ask a current, friendly member to walk through with you recording all his/her comments on their impressions starting in the parking lot.
2. Discuss the brand contact ideas from the impressionable consultant:
1. Where do I park, can I park on the side or is that for the restaurant?
2. Where is the gym? I see the sign but I don’t see the windows. Is that the door?
3. Is it safe to enter? I am in 15 feet and I still don’t know if it is really open?
4. “Wow! Look at all those people in the class; it looks great".
5. Is it the right place?
6. Will someone welcome me? Why don’t they notice me?
7. Was there bell that sounded when I entered?
8. Should I leave now?
9. Where do I wait? Where do I sit? Is my car safe?
10. What is going on here? Do they have my centers of interest?
11. Where are the showers, lockers and toilets?
12. Is that coffee or water for me?
13. Do I like the music?
14. Why is the lighting so harsh?
15. Why are the walls so beat-up?
16. I like the wooden and rubber floors.
17. Do they have shower stalls?
18. Should they have more mirrors? I don’t really like mirrors.
19. Will the class welcome me?
20. Where do I put my purse, bag, and coat?
21. Do they have “cubbies?”?
22. How much is it (wall chart)
23. Do they have personal training? Are these the people? Do they have a female trainer?
24. Where are their pictures and credentials?
25. Is it really, really, really clean.
26. Is the science part real? Can I have an article to take home? Do you have a website link on science?
27. More.

3. Audit of all your communications.
1. All printed materials, contracts, brochures, ads, letters, emails, website, billing notices, exercise sheets, directions to the gym, story of the owner, page of valuable links to website to learn, brochure on science testing device and article confirming its validity.
2. Call your store and gather an impression of how this communications works for brand building. Leave a message and check if it arrives in a timely way. Leave a message for specific trainers.
3. Leave a message on your website.
4. List of all “competitors” that you would like to compare yourself to. Other gyms big and little. Churches, schools, other non-gym gyms. Spas. Home exercise equipment stores?
5. List all formal and informal co-branding agreement and actions taken and date of next action.
a. All stores in the shopping mall and across the street, on each corner.
b. Other business partners including hospitals, doctors, dentists, schools, coaches and gym teachers, university Greek and independent houses, bike shops, sporting goods,
Etc. to place your materials and ask for rewarded referrals.
4. Focus groups and other face to face human research – each idea is an option.
1. Run 5 Post class 30 minute discussion with rewards (drawing for a prize)
2. Offer surveys for all visiting with reward (drawing for a prize)
3. Offer a survey on website
4. Email to members a free survey on “survey monkey”
5. Conduct exit interviews of members who have not renewed, have announced they are leaving because of dissatisfaction with service, price or moving from the area.
6. Interviews with customers you know have left due to service complaints in the past 6 months
7. Find and review of stories and any research on gym management and marketing
8. Locate research materials from suppliers (equipment) of their exercise related research.
9. Conduct general government and social research on exercise
10. Review and locate current scientific and supplier data on your scientific testing systems

5. Gather feedback from conferences, events, meetings
1. Data from show sponsors (pre and post surveys, trends, speakers)
2. Data from specific industry booths
3. Collect data on the floor and events of specific interest to your goals and ideas
4. Arrange to run a focus group at event for a free lunch for about 9 people.
5. Interview people watching people running at half marathons, marathons, 5Ks. What would they like to accomplish in the next 6 months to a year? Would they like to participate in the event
6. See questions on the score sheet attached.
7. more
Planning
1. Prepare new product plans that include new audiences identified above and from your own experience and study of competitors
a. Elderly and deals with senior centers
b. People planning to get in shape for an event (party, season, run, family, doctor, trip, etc.)
c. All motivations need to be examined.
d. New equipment ordered or needed to compete (crazy exercise equipment in bike shop)
e. Recent birth mothers with babies in tow
f. Father’s preparing to give away the bride
g. Unemployed professionals who want to look fit, energized and great (team with spa)
2. From the audit above plan to improve the brand contact points
a. Plan specific decorating, remodeling, reorganization and new machines.
b. Use a form to list contact points:
i. List contact point, e.g. front door, front hallway entrance,
ii. List positive or negative impression,
iii. List how important it seems to be to the consumer,
iv. Quote the consumer on if the contact is positive, negative or neutral to them
v. Note improvement s needed on the brand contact point.
3. Use MBO (management by objectives) to plan your statements of success.
a. Mission is your broadest statement of what words represent your reason for being in business and serving others
b. Goals are general statement of what new and continuing actions you wish to do to improve your branding offering. Help recent birth mothers to XXX
c. Objectives are very specific intentions of the plan. By X date, Y person will increase memberships by Z% with a renewal rate of A. The cost of each new member will not exceed $B. Or, By X date, Y person will create a consumer contact database for a cost not exceeding $Z. The database will be used to contact A consumers by B date with offer C. etc.
4. Plan for the personal branding goals of Tony, but plan to improve the store contact points and brand before launching a personal brand to the media or other stakeholders.
a. Conduct a personal brand audit of Tony
b. Develop goals, objectives
c. Devise a list of communication actions that are more personality driven
5. See the questions on the score sheet.

Implementation
1. Develop an 24 month schedule of action (over two budget periods and two seasons)
2. Test and do your marketing product and communication ideas.
3. Be opportunistic but follow the plan.
4. Measure everything
5. Have fun doing it
6. See question on the score sheet

Evaluation
1. Measure everything
2. Take before and after pictures of the store, the owner and the customers.
3. Re-interview members, consumers
4. Redo the brand contact audit
5. Measure and report on all consumer data, finances profits, costs, per customer acquisition costs, lifetime value of the consumer/member, value of leads from co-branders, etc.
6. See the questions on the score sheet
7. More
Rewrite you corporate statements, if needed. Start over.

Clarke Caywood, Ph.D. ccaywood@gmail.com 847 2420901.

Comment on this draft of a paper for a conference

2010-09-30T20:08:00.002-05:00

When Mere “Selling Word” Strategies Jeopardize Your Brand: “The Other White Meat” as “The Other Brand Strategy”.

Abstract: Marketing communications becomes more than a mere consumer strategy for high risk industries, products and services. The National Pork Board’s Highly Successful Message “Pork, the Other White Meat” faced serious challenges by competitors. A 2010 Trademark Trial and Appeal Board found that earlier “impact” research at Northwestern University and the broader integrated stakeholder strategy of the pork industry and other commodity associations protected the rights of speech and the industry brand.

Following a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Appeal Board that confirmed the constitutionality of commodity checkoff programs as “government speech,” the U.S. Appeal Board of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia affirms the constitutionality of the dairy producer-funded checkoff program, reversing an earlier decision. http://www.dairycheckoff.com/DairyCheckoff/AboutUs/WhatIsDairyManagementInc/What-Is-Dairy-Management

We find especially compelling the
evidence from the Northwestern Study of 2000 showing that
only four other consumer messages in the United States had a
greater degree of recognition than THE OTHER WHITE MEAT.
[Ex. 338] This finding supports a conclusion that
Opposer (Pork)s’ mark is extremely well recognized by a broad
spectrum of consumers, and that this degree of recognition
among the general consuming public of this famous mark also
supports the conclusion that dilution by blurring is likely
upon the introduction of applicant (lobster)’s message into the
marketplace. The case is a mark infringement case

Hearing: Mailed: December 16, 2009 June 11, 2010
Bucher UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ________
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council
v. Supreme Lobster and Seafood Company, p. 59

So much of marketing communications can seem trivial. Mere selling words and phrases seem so disconnected from the total brand objectives of a company to exist with permission of society to provide products, services, employment, investment and a clean environment.. (www.awpagesociety.com). As a society we should expect so much more than merely a “new, proven, free, dependable, convenient and advanced product X.” See list of common selling words below from: http://www.writingthoughts.com/?p=256feed. New, Proven, Improved, Guaranteed, Free, Tested, Pure, Best, Fresh, Sure, Healthy, Natural, Refreshing, Energizing, Safe, Quality, Dependable, Secure, Advanced, Easy, Convenient, Quick, Instant, Save, Personal.

When the Supreme Court (Dairy) or the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Pork) rules on a challenge to whether you should be able to promote or market your product as a matter of Constitutional and Trademark law, it seems logical that the marketing goals and practices of that industry probably have more to say than “buy me”. This is the story of how “Pork the Other White Meat”, and other commodity product messages have gained marketing notoriety and success. It is also a story of integrated marketing communications managers building a total branding effort that goes well beyond mere selling language. As addressed in the cases cited above for commodity marketing associations, some marketers must define their “risk industry” products as requiring integrated marketing messaging to stakeholders and customers beyond mere selling messages.

Two works of marketing and law are examined here. In the first case, a seemingly out-of-date piece of research by the authors (1990) (Gronstedt, Caywood, and X ) gained new life as an important piece of evidence for a new case of law (2010) when one of the authors (Gronstedt) testified in the case about the research. In the second case, the authors’ research (and other research) were used extensively by a Trial judge in the U.S. Trademark Office to determine the outcome of an appeal to prevent a corporation from using the brand messaging of the pork industry to market lobster.

Repeating that sometimes marketing seem trivial, we acknowledge that the brief description of the case and research generates more looks of bemusement from our friends and students than attention to social and legal issues.. It does not appear, on its face, to be the story we believe should be told about how commodities and other risk products are more dangerous to consumers and stakeholders unless their messaging is clear and transparent and recognizable.

Research: Case 1

A decade ago the authors were asked by the Tom Hayden, LLD , then President of Bozell Advertising in Chicago IL (now faculty member in the Northwestern University Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Department) to help conduct a study for their client the Pork industry (National Pork Board). It was not a simple brand study. The owners of the brand were thousands of pork producers (farmers) who contributed a portion of their hard earned income to a “check-off” program to market their commodities in the U.S. and world markets. The experience of one of the authors (Caywood) with other industry associations in the U.S. (beef, dairy) had demonstrated the more complex policy politics of shared governance where thousands of members who paid the fees demanded proof of success and a strong governance role. These organizations also provided extraordinary research and education to society on risk issue regarding their product from “mad cow” disease, to nutrition and food preparation safety. The original research and this summary are a casebook example of what universities with research based professional schools call “research with impact”.

The concept of the “check-off” not usually taught in business schools or IMC programs has given commodity industries like dairy, pork, beef, avocados and other agricultural products in highly fragmented industries a way for producers to cooperate to promote their products where the market buys. The Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association’s experience with “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” was not always positive with one spokesperson found to be a vegetarian and one suffering cardiac arrest. Still, as the research reported here notes, the message has been a strong one for the industry. The dairy industry’s experience with their selling message “Got Milk” won a lot of advertising awards, but industry research in the1990’s by the Leo Burnett agency showed that it did not sell as much milk as the producers wished. With the cooperation of one of the author’s stakeholder integrated model, the industry association representing the dairy farmers (producers) moved away from the message to successfully sell more milk enriched cheese, and cheese infused pizza for younger consumers. In the 1990s the industry also began to use a much wider range of communications channels others than traditional mass national TV and magazine ads.

Research

The key work of research used in a trademark case decided in May of 2010 was conducted for the National Pork Board in 1990 by the authors. The national survey concluded that “The Other White Meat” was the fifth most recognized message in the United States the year 2000. As many as 69% of the adult population responded that they recognized the message and could correctly identify it with pork.

Table 1-1 below shows the top 25 messages identified in phase one of the research study in rank order along with the percentages of people that could correctly identify the brand, company or product associated with each message, i.e. said “Yes” on the question if they had heard or seen the message, and also correctly identified the product, brand or company. It ranked higher than such household messages as Nike’s “Just do it” and State Farm’s “Like a Good neighbor.” In fact, it was among the top-ten most recognized messages among all demographic sub-segments analyzed. Moreover, it had one of the strongest associations with the correct brand or product groups of all messages; as many as 88% of respondents who recognized the message would also associate it with pork. This power of the message suggests that the language was far more effective than a mere selling message.

TABLE 1: PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT SLOGAN RECOGNITION AMONG TOTAL SAMPLE

Ranking Slogan Percent
1 You're in Good Hands (Allstate) 81.7%
2 Please Don't Squeeze the ____ (Charmin) 80.4%
3 Snap, Crackle, Pop (Rice Krispies) 80.2%
4 The Breakfast of Champions (Wheaties) 72.5%
5 The Other White Meat (Pork) 69.0%
6 No More Tears (Johnson's Baby Shampoo) 67.5%
7 Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun (Doublemint) 65.6%
8 The King of Beers (Budweiser) 62.8%
9 The Un-Cola (7-Up) 59.2%
10 Like a Good Neighbor (Statefarm) 57.2%
11 Be All That You Can Be (Army) 57.0%
12 Just Do It (Nike) 54.2%
13 Got _____ ? (Milk) 50.6%
14 The Place with the Helpful Hardware Folks (Ace) 48.8%
15 When you Care Enough to Send the Very Best (Hallmark) 48.1%
16 They're Great (Frosted Flakes) 42.5%
17 Don't Leave Home Without It (American Express) 41.4%
18 The Coppertop (Duracell) 41.4%
19 Built_______Tough (Ford) 41.2%
20 The Fabric of Our Lives (Cotton) 37.4%
21 How America Spells Cheese (Kraft) 35.0%
22 Did Somebody Say______? (McDonalds) 33.0%
23 Drivers Wanted (Volkswagen) 30.6%
24 We Bring Good Things to Life (GE) 30.3%
25 The Soup that Eats Like a Meal (Chunky) 29.0%
Sample size: 1,003

Methodology

The first phase of the study consisted of 126 personal interviews, testing the recognition of a list of 114 messages. The list was generated through research of secondary sources and input from a panel of advertising professional from Bozell Advertising. The personal interviews were used to narrow down the list to 25 messages. It was a combination of 50 mall intercept interviews in Boulder, CO and 76 classroom surveys at Northwestern University. To qualify for participation, respondents had to be over 18 years of age and have command of the English language. The respondents were read the list of 114 messages and were asked to identify the product, brand or company behind the message.

In phase two, the top 25 messages were tested in over 1,000 phone interviews. The interviewer asked the respondents if they had heard or seen the message and the respondents who answered yes were asked to identify the brand, product or company behind the message. A national sample was used and the qualifier was that the respondents were over 18 years of age and did not work in the field of marketing or advertising. The margin of error for the study is +/- 3 percent for the total sample and +/- 5 percent for the subgroups (at a 95% confidence level). It is interesting to note that none of the top ranking messages use what are overtly called selling words or phrases, but they have nevertheless penetrated the memory of the audience,

Case 2: The Legal Case: Pork and Lobster

In this review of national trademark law case we point out that marketing has far more serious integrated messaging to conduct that can be understood by a host of stakeholders including Supreme Court, Federal Court and Trademark Appeal Board judges. A lack of integration means that the creative message may be an isolated and independent group of words that are not linked to key stakeholders including employees, media, shareholders, government, community supplier and more. The public as represented by the press if you look at any recent Wall Street Journal are not interested in selling words; they are reading about takeovers, reduction of workforce, CEO salaries, corruption, the EURO, China business, trade, and other substantive issues (September 29, 2010). The challenge in marketing communications is to make the selling messages relevant, important, and signifying of a wider range of reasons to put a buyer’s confidence in a product or service. Some companies as revealed by research understand this better than most by supporting their brand message as a product message and a corporate/organizational reputational message or integrated communications (Caywood, ed. The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communications, 1997 revision 2011.

These industries are always under some attack which is why research, public relations and issues management play a key role in their success. The authors’ have called certain organizations “risk industries”. Risk industries are those who market products that are taken internally (drugs, food, beverages) or applied to the skin (cosmetics, hair care, drugs) or used for transportation (autos, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, etc.). They can also be products sold to children, the elderly, poor or other protected social groups. The risk category normally contains food products due to ingestion, safety issues, commodity status and chemical content or use. How many brand marketers and agency leaders have the ability to respond to such attacks by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as “Got Pus” instead of “Got Milk”? www.latimes.com/2007/dec/13/business/fi- The commodities beef industry was also under attack by NGOs and individuals with harsh counter messages such as “Heart attack on a bun” featuring a billboard picture of a hamburger. Commodity foods demand more serious marketing thought and planning beyond mere selling language. In these cases the messages much appeal to higher courts – figuratively and literally.

More than ever, research is needed to protect the trademark but also the reputation of the fragmented, risk commodity industries. The story of how the National Pork Board protected its message “Pork the other white meat” as a leading brand message reveals the value of such messages, the importance of their being more than “selling words”. This case is about a message becoming a “larger brand message supported by the public and protected by the law.

How the Federal Trademark Appeal Board Used the Research

With the breadth of such commodity promotional
messages in the marketplace, there can be no
question that consumers recognize these
messages for what they are, marks designating
the promotion of an industry group as a
whole. As such, these messages function
quintessentially as trademarks.”

Clearly, the Appeal Board judge was impressed with the original Northwestern study, but this discussion is more about how the ruling illustrates the value of a fully integrated marketing program that even those trained in the law understand and appreciate as evidence of impact. The “Opposers’ in this case were the National Pork Board with the National Pork Producers’ Council and the “Applicant” was the Supreme Lobster and Seafood Company. The seafood company had tried to use the well-known brand developed by the pork industry and Bozell Advertising as the “The Other Red Meat” with other variations of use to possibly mimic the “The Other…”. As the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) recounts, the Pork Board had taken their message to a very high and broad level of use to ensure that the highly recognized message was also linked to many marketing channels, customer experiences and frame of mind when thinking about food, family, romance and more.

This rich and integrated use of the creative message was first articulated by Professor Stanley Tannenbaum, one of the four faculty team founders of integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University (Tannenbaum, Schultz, Caywood and Scissors). Ref. Caywood and Ewing). Professor Tannenbaum in 1992, with great verbal and gestured drama, would often note that the integrated message should be “one voice, one look, one feel” across all channels of communications.

To emphasize the IMC linkage, the Trademark Trial Appeal Board documents an A-Z list of marketing communications tactics (Cite: Harris and Whalen, A Marketer’s Guide to Public Relations). They list “shirts, jackets…recipe books, cooking utensils…etc. bearing the mark THE OTHER WHITE MEAT…” The Court was also impressed with the early website (July 2007) www.theotherwhitemeat.com which “received almost a hundred thousand daily, unique visitors, with a total of almost six hundred thousand page views”. In some astonishment the Court writes:
The highest volume traffic goes to Opposers' (Pork) web pages having recipes – an
informational service that has proven to be most popular. Perhaps logical to modern marketers and IMC practitioner the Court must seemed amazed at the breadth and depth of ways that a message can be employed when they went on to list other creative uses of the slogan:

Opposers (Pork) have run local and national advertising playing off the mark with tag-lines that read
“The Other Backyard Barbecue,” “The Other Stir-Fry,” “The
Other Romantic Dinner,” “The Other Sunday Brunch,” “The
Other TV Dinner,” “The Other Way to Spice Up Your Love
Life,” “The Other Steak Dinner,” “The Other Prime Rib,” and
“The Other White Protein”

The Appeal Board clearly recognizes the concept that we noted in the introduction to this paper. The complexity of the marketing challenges facing the commodities industries in a high risk agriculture field does not escape the Appeal Board. They see that marketing in the world of “check-off” under government rule, with a fragmented industry of independent business leaders (farmers) of high visibility and high risk consumables is not child’s play for mere selling terms. The Appeal Board clearly recognizes that the industry and their marcom consultants have devoted themselves to establishing the power of the brand with enormous effort, investment, dedication and creativity.
Opposers (Pork) argue that these marks and other like them:
“… function in precisely the same way as
NPB’s mark, as a message to promote the
interests of an entire industry through
marketing aimed at promoting the consumption
of that industry’s principal product,
whether it be fresh beef, cotton fabric, or
whole eggs. These messages pervade the
marketplace. The marks are instantly
recognizable, and their iconic impact aims
to promote not a particular brand of goods,
but rather a service to that commodity
industry as a whole, promoting consumption
of that industry’s principal product.

Here, in black and white, is where we separate the wheat from the chaff of marketing and messaging. The challenge was to show that the applicant (lobster) did not fully understand the nature of stakeholder marketing by associations such as the National Pork Board, Dairy Management or the National Cattlemen’s Association or dozens of other commodity marketing organizations. The Court gives credit to commodity marketing organizations for promoting the commodity but not acting as a government agency to guarantee the product.
However, applicant (lobster) argues that consumers will be
misled and deceived by commodity promotion messages, and
that all such agencies should be scrutinized because of
their inability to control the quality standards of the
commodity being sold.

In an age of increasing food safety issues (cite) it may be that the associations should be more diligent in showing how they do work closely with government agencies and other stakeholders to protect the quality of their member’s product with program like ”Pork Quality Assurance Plus” program and the work of Dairy Management with programs of food safety research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The National Pork Board has adopted a resolution urging all U.S. pork producers to become certified in the Pork Quality Assurance Plus® program by June 30, 2010, and to achieve PQA Plus® site status by Dec. 31, 2010. Additionally, the board is recommending that producers embrace the ethical principles the industry adopted in 2008. http://www.innovatewithdairy.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/WisconsinCenterforDairyResearch.pdf#page=3http://www.pork.org/News/313/NewsRelease673.aspx

In this important case, the Appeal Board sees the challenge as larger than a simple single brand. The Appeal Board clearly understands the larger stakeholder issues facing the pork industry.

Additionally, this is not a product mark for identifying a
brand of pork. Clearly, the owner of a product mark for
fresh pork who does not control the quality of a
licensee’s products risks a finding that its trademark has
been abandoned. By contrast, the owner of a commodity promotion message
is concerned with the marketing effectiveness of all the
producers, suppliers and vendors within its industry sector
as a whole, whatever the principal product may be.

Opposer (Pork) herein maintains a precise message and focus by
controlling the ways in which their message/mark is used on
the promotion and packaging of pork and pork products. The
ultimate measure of this effort is the level of pork
consumption in the United States as a share of all meat
products, ultimately translating into economic benefit for
all pork producers

The Appeal Board cites as an important reference to valued communications about an industry and its producers to the consumers, the media, government the notion that the Pork Industry (and many other groups) only allow their message to be used in cases of high standards. The message is a validation of the reputation and Total Brand of the industry:

(Contra Midwest Plastic Fabricators Inc. v. Underwriters
Laboratories Inc., 906 F.2d 1568, 15 USPQ2d 1359 (Fed. Cir. 1990)
[Underwriters Laboratories certifies with its well known
symbol that electrical equipment meets safety standards];
In re Celanese Corp. of America, 136 USPQ 86 (TTAB 1962)
[CELANESE certifies plastic toys meeting certifier’s safety
standards])

Conclusion

There are many more questions to be addressed. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board document cited throughout contains many more pages of deliberation and debate over the value of this form of branding which should find their way into academic and trade articles testing other concepts of marketing, public relations and business. The authors’ expect to address some of the questions posed by the Appeal Board (not simply because the Appeal Board praised our research). We are embarked on a replication of the original research to retest some of the findings and more developed concepts of a more complex, stakeholder rich, and integrated world of marketing communications.

-30-

Actions will speak louder than words August 2, 2010

2010-08-03T00:50:00.000-05:00

Speech and Discussion August 2, 2010

As the Economy Recovers, Actions Will Speak Louder Words

More than two years since the start of the worldwide economic crisis, we still are struggling with some of the new language of the downturn. For instance, universities continue to increase tuition well beyond the inflation rate while providing “negative and zero salary increases.” Service providers are “decreasing the increasing rate” of fees. And the press seems to easily accept politically conjured framing words, like “public investments,” as a substitute for taxes.

These are examples of how some institutional leaders sought to mollify us with words during a time that created real pain for real people. Yet, in my mind, such language misses the real point of wordsmithing which is more like blacksmithing – based on action– and it illustrates why public relations will be essential as we enter the economic recovery.

PR professionals and experienced leaders know communications is not simply persuasive words or selling language, as so many traditional marketers believe. Rather, communications is how humans build relationships; learn to trust one another; study new ideas; and more fully understand the actions of economic, political, religious, educational and other institutions. All of these will be essential both in adjusting to a positive economic shift and in helping make it happen.

How can the PR pro help marketing and management?

As a management profession, PR can help organizations understand that communications is just part of the message. The words we use to talk about an improvement in the economy or in a company’s bottom line must be tied to actions and must speak clearly about those actions.
Did you ever try to drive a car or a single engine plane by only looking at the dashboard or instruments. It doesn’t work.

We must look not just to the financial dashboard but outside the dashboard for windshield management.

To do this most effectively, today’s PR practitioners have a four-part communications model at their disposal – one that includes stakeholders, technology, metrics, and numerator and denominator management.

Stakeholders.

Recently a senior Chicago-area executive, confronted by stakeholders who have challenged every aspect of his normally well-run business, summed up his need for help with this gut-felt statement: “I need someone to tell me how to deal with all these groups out there.” We call them stakeholders.

For more than 25 years, I have tried to teach my colleagues in schools of business and in schools of journalism where advertising and PR are taught that we need to consider more than customers for building relationships. In a very rough metric, Google counts the two words “stakeholder” and “Obama” together with more than a million hits.

It is the era of the stakeholder, and someone has to manage the relationships with dozens of organizations that directly affect a business or organization’s survival. More than any other marketing discipline, PR is uniquely positioned to do this.

Technology.

Technology has given PR and its stakeholders a gift that keeps on giving new strategies and new tools. No other organizational field has been so richly endowed over the past decade. PR has the tools to build relationships and continues to lead in their application of nearly every new communications format.

Social media may not be the right term for management or business but, as soft as it is, it is the right term for building relationships with stakeholders. PR always has found a way to fully use the inventions of Web 1.0 and 2.0. We will be there for 3.0.

If you think you might need a fan page on Facebook, a blog, a Twitter site, even a more interactive website, the usually younger professional can not only tell you why you should use the tool but how to use it effectively.

Metrics.

Basic research at universities (Wisconsin-Madison and Northwestern) and think tanks like SRI International created the theory and early models. Factiva, Lexis-Nexis and Google assembled the words. Companies (Biz360, VMSInfo, Radian6, and Growth Concepts) now offer relatively sophisticated programs.

They track what reporters, experts, columnists, bloggers, competitors, customers, elected officials, tweeters, Secondlife participants and others are saying about a corporation or other organizations.

The charts, graphs and nearly real-time tracking of broadcast, print and digital media sites can give communicators early and frequent access to boardrooms and a heads-up on potential crises.

Numerator and Denominator Management.

My academic friends might be thrilled by this notation: (∂/∂t) (ν/δ). It represents the simple idea that both the short-term and long-term value of an organization increase as the increased numerator value is divided by a reducing denominator value. To capitalize on this in a way that goes beyond academics, PR professionals can use communications to identify and eliminate denominators, i.e., actions that

(1) undermine trust in a brand,
(2) increase recalls due to failed quality systems,
(3) create employee turnover and loss of intelligence, and
(4) ignore prevention of costly crises.

Just as important, communications can help identify and build up numerators that will drive revenue growth – such as brand assets, trust, new competitive alliances, new solutions and a highly motivated workforce.
http://examples.idashboards.com/idashboards/?guestuser=wpins2

Numerator and denominator strategies are more than words, and managing them effectively will lead to stakeholders and media that view communications as a trusted precursor to actions.

Like the economic downturn, the recovery undoubtedly will introduce language of its own. As we all begin to look for words that work to talk about the economy, our companies and our brands, remember this: Actions speak louder than words.

Saying "spin" in class will cost you $1 for the beer fund

2010-07-20T16:12:00.000-05:00

The word "spin" from politics and public relations has not been my favorite term. In my graduate classes I suggest that the use of the word requires a $1 contribution to the "beer fund". The word does require explanation to my new Chinese and international students. The word has ethical and legal implications. It also contradicts the newer notion of transparency where organizations and individuals are more open about their values, background, policies and actions. The term suggests that the role of public relations and communications is to deflect, distract or otherwise mislead the reader or listener with messages that obscure the truth. However, this note from a political friend on the "other side of the aisle" is too funny not to share. I can't vouch for its precise validity but it rings true. If you want to have an intellectual discussion about it we might be stretching it's value, but here is a "spin".

"This is how you learn to spin things when you are in Washington .
It just all depends on how you look at some things...

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'

So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle.
Harry Reid:

Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

Sample Syllabus for review by colleagues, current students and readers

2010-06-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

For 2011 Draft Integrated Marketing Communications Department

Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D.

Integrated Communications

Formerly known as Communication Skills and Persuasive Messages

IMC 454, Section 20-21 9 a.m-11 a.m. Noon -2 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, Wednesday Labs 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Winter 2011

I. Class Schedule and Instructors

Lecture at MTC 3-127 and Forum Room, Sections 20/21

9-10:50 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays or 12:00-1:50 p.m., Lab depending on your assigned section

Laboratory teaching and assignment work in Fisk Basement Wednesdays Labs a. 9 a.m.-10:30, b. 10:30 a.m. – 12 noon 12-12:30 lunch 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. d. 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. e. 3:30 – 5 p.m.

George Harmon

Office hours: Wednesdays or by appointment

3-139 McCormick Tribune Center

847 491-2092 (office), 847/446-1189 g-harmon@northwestern.edu

Clarke Caywood

Office hours: Wednesdays or by appointment and before and after class c-caywood@northwestern.edu

3-101 McCormick Tribune Center

847 491-5011 Office phone. Or 847 4915011

Rachael Mersey Office hours: Wednesdays or by appointment and before and after class rdmersey@northwestern.edu

3-114 McCormick Tribune Center

Phone: 847-491-2196

II. Course Description, Goals and Objectives

From a very senior communications executive of a top branded company: “Let me offer up Walker’s Law: The greater the amount of communication, the less valuable bad communications and the more valuable good communications. Here’s how I got there. Today, many of us communicate essentially from the moment we wake up until we turn out the lights at night, sixteen hours or more. (If you include passive one-way communication, like radio and TV, that number goes even higher.) This is far more than our grandparents or their grandparents communicated. With sixteen hours of communications a day, only the good stuff cuts through the clutter and gets noticed.

The quickest way to the top in any organization is to be able to express your thoughts concisely and compellingly. Especially for those just starting out, it provides a way to set yourself apart and show your potential in a very tangible and noticeable way. I continually remind those on my team: “If this e-mail (or memo or presentation or elevator conversation) was the only thing a top executive had to judge you by, are you OK with that?” Often it is what they will be judged on. As a result I advise every professional, but particularly those starting out, to put communication at the top of the list of things to work on. Communication matters.”

Integrated Communications (Communication Skills and Persuasive Messages) is an IMC course designed to improve students’ skills in developing and delivering traditional and newer technological communications. The course emphasizes knowledge of the how communications can contribute to policy, and strategy. It also provides the rationale or explanation of why communications is needed or a particular tactic would be productive.

The course will improve your skills in writing for business, skills in oral presentation, interpersonal skills in business environments, and, when needed, persuasive messages. The course builds on the title of the degree and your personal orientation and commitment to communication. In the professionally competitive spirit on NU’s campus, we would like to say that our goal is to make you 20 percent better communicators than your peers enrolled in the Kellogg School of Management.

This course is designed to give you an overview of the role of communications for a wide range of stakeholders relevant to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). We will address the “C” in IMC as a policy and strategic advantage for marketing and management leaders. The strategic elements are unique to communications. They include an audience based 4 step process from the international work of IMC faculty and consultants.

It also contains rich theoretical concepts that have been tested time and again to provide the argument why a particular strategy or tactic would be useful for solving organizational problems. Several strategic research and data tracking methods for communications will be introduced for your use to help you defend your recommendations. Most managers will not have the specific knowledge you will possess from this class and the IMC curriculum – you must be prepared to prove the value of your suggestions. You will learn that in this class.

We seek to:

1. Write fundamental and more advanced types of IMC messages and know the basic elements of each type.

2. Write clear, brief and accurate pieces of communication that employ correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage and context.

3. Edit our own writing for basic errors and correct them by using proper editing symbols.

4. Write and edit fast enough to be able to complete assignments under deadline pressure in a corporation, in the field, on the way to the meeting or on the podium.

5. Use Associated Press (AP) style as followed by businesses and other organizations.

6. Apply judgments to sets of facts and then synthesize those facts into openings that are concise and writing that is organized and coherent.

7. Know when to attribute information in order to avoid editorializing, and know how to handle attribution smoothly and quotations properly.

8. Gather facts and transfer them accurately.

9. The strategic process used by hundreds of businesses trained by the faculty gives the tactical methods above a means to be measured and rewarded. To evaluate the tactical activities above we will learn about general communications audits, digital database audits, readability studies and competitive message analysis software.

IV. Assignments / Projects

You will have many manageable assignments in this course. Assignments are due on the dates in the outline, but many of the assignments can be completed in the weekly lab with a writing teacher and coach supporting you. For all assignments, emphasis is on quality of writing and presentation. The intent is to constantly improve your skills.

The course imitates the standards of professional communicators and marketing communicators and researchers in corporations, agencies and consulting firms. This is not just a class but a simulation of your ability to produce communications clearly, accurately and quickly. Like the writing examinations corporations, consulting firms and agencies are administering to job applicants; we expect you to be able to write and speak intelligently about your field with grammatical and rhetorical precision.

Class participation

You should always be prepared to contribute to class discussions, demonstrating preparation by asking questions and by integrating the vocabulary and concepts from the readings into class comments. You will complete a self-evaluation for attendance and class participation at the mid-point with the help of Searle Teaching Center and at the end of the quarter. Your effective class comments may address questions raised by others, integrate material from this and other courses, draw on real-world experiences and observations, or pose new questions to the class. We encourage your thoughtful contribution from your reading, experience and inspired class discussion.

High-quality participation involves knowing when to speak and when to listen. Comments that are repetitive, disrespectful, or lacking sufficient foundation are discouraged. Students will have the opportunity to post relevant news articles via Twitter and to elaborate on their relevance in the class

Mid-term Subject Examination

There will be a one 90 minute mid-term exam in class. The exam will consist of several short essay questions about the readings and lectures. You will be given the reading before the exam and will be expected to apply the content from class to answer the questions. Some suggested topics will be part of the review session before the day of the examination.

Final Subject Examination

There will be a 110 minute final exam in class. The final exam will also consist of several short essay questions about the readings and lectures. You will be given the readings before the exam and will be expected to apply the content from class to answer the questions. Some suggested topics will be part of the review session before the day of the examination.

Final Editing Examination

You will also take a final editing examination in your final laboratory session. The exam will be your “post” editing exam to demonstrate your graded improvement from the class entry “pre” editing examination.

Peer and Personal Evaluation

Also, please note that you will be asked to complete a peer evaluation of each of your lab partners. In addition to quantitatively evaluating the contribution of each team member (including yourself), you will offer developmental feedback for each teammate as well. You and your peers will evaluate your own contributions to the progress and success of the class. The expectation is that you will share in the success of the class with your participation.

V. Evaluation

Grading:

There are four cases, 6 editing assignments, 2 oral assignments, two examinations on content (reading, lectures, panels, and cases), discussion, Twitter site usage, peer evaluation, pre and post editing examinations

All work in the course contributes to your final grade. This includes in-class assignments and lab homework, quizzes and examinations. In keeping with the proud Medill tradition, you must rewrite any assignment with a √- or a grade of C+ or below. Your grade on a rewrite will combine with the original grade for an average grade on the assignment. There is the tradition of a “Medill F” where you misspell the names of the people, company or product/service in the IMC work.

VI. Honesty, Plagiarism, and Cheating

This course follows the Northwestern University code of student conduct as described in the NU student handbook and the Medill code of ethics. Questions of academic dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism, and other violations, their terms and conditions are all listed in the Student Handbook. The Student Handbook outlines the contract between the student, the instructor, and the University. Please read this and familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions.

The headline from Medill is: You cannot cheat in any way. It can cost you your graduate degree.

VII. Labs

Please attend your assigned lab. There isn’t space for extra students in the lab rooms. Unless you arrange to shift to another lab with another student and notify the instructor in advance, the instructor may give you a zero on your work that day.

VIII. Course Outline

The 10 Week 19 lecture/discussion classes would include the following topics:

1. Stakeholder Targeting and Mapping (1) (supported with video) Readings and theory related to: Eckhouse: Rhetoric and Competitive Advantage. Organization and Competitive Messages

· Mainstreaming: TV's ability to pull people to a common understanding of an issue.

What is freedom of speech for corporations? Politically oriented corporate messaging? How can we have a common understanding in a diverse nation? If it works in China should we use it in the U.S. and vice versa?”

· Technological determinism: Media communication and the technology it uses help shape the society in which we live.

What is the real effect of a wildly popular magazine in this age such as People Style Watch? What is our perception of our society? Is it the medium or the message again? How does any important issue, product or service become successful in a high tech age?

2. Applied Rhetorical Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 1 Read Competitive Communications Eckhouse Classical Argument and Modern Business and articles on specified communication theory

· Uses and gratifications: People use media to fill personal and social needs.

Can the newer cable media go too far with Fox and MSNBC? Is this the new propaganda age?

· Agenda melding: People join groups by "melding" agendas.

What about Chinese on-line buying clubs for building commercial communities? Can we integrate business and society with common green agenda?

· Dissonance: When confronted by new information, people experience mental discomfort and they work to limit or reduce that discomfort.

Do I buy gas from the local BP dealer? Should I give my fiancé a diamond (possibly conflict source)?

3. Applied Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 2 (see video for review) Eckhouse: Refutation Argument as Inquiry, Strategic Disposition,

· Parasocial relationships: People establish social relationships with media personalities.

Q scores with Fox, Good Morning America and micro channel hosts. What is the ROI value of “fame”? Is trustworthiness and branding related?

· Framing: To make sense of events, we categorize them.

“Progressive is the new liberal”. Who uses the term? The President’s talking about stakeholders. Who defines the context of business and society?

· Knowledge gap: The more information in the social system, the more the higher SES groups will gain in knowledge compared to those in lower SES groups.

Food deserts, environmental racism, hourly wages from non-union shops - What is sustainable for whom? And, who decides?

4. Applied Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 3 Eckhouse: Ethics in Argument – Classical Fallacies, Managing Ethos – Argument and Credibility

· Adoption: Adopters pass through five steps--awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption.

Is the old model too linear as some IMC experts claim? Isn’t adoption even more important in a widely growing technological, entrepreneurial and innovative economy?

· Cultivation: People who are heavy viewers of TV tend to believe that the "real" world is more similar to the world seen on TV than do light viewers.

What are the marketing and policy ethical issues? What about product alignment with the gullible or less cynical viewers (children, elderly, undereducated)?

· Symbolic Interaction: People give meaning to symbols and then those symbols control peoples' behavior.

Why aren’t graphics and imagery more important in IMC? What has happened to semiotics in the classroom and research programs of IMC?

5. Reputation Case Study in Communications, Paul Argenti book. Case brief and discussion.

§ Two-step flow: Certain members of society are active consumers of media and become opinion leaders who influence others.

Does this include bloggers, tweeters, those who are linked or use retweet or Bitly or Tinyurl?

6. Executive Panel on the Role of Communications in Leadership - Best Communication Practices in IMC. Senior managers of communications who participated in design of this class.

7. Authentic Storytelling Structure and Delivery 1 (supported with video/lab)

· Spiral of silence: Public opinion consists of those opinions you can express in public w.o socially isolating yourself.

Will we be allowed to blog about work? Can we be too transparent?

8. Storytelling Structure and Delivery 2 (Presentation of best examples from lab practice)

· Social learning theory: Children learn behaviors by watching them, including watching them on TV.

What balance should IMC put into the system? What greater damage can advertising do to marketing? Can advertising refocus its power? Doesn’t transparent PR gain in stature?

9. MARCOM Case Studies in Communications, Argenti, Brief and discussion

· Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): Persuasive messages can be processed using either the central (recipient is motivated) or peripheral routes (recipient is not motivated).

Voting compares to which purchases? Is digital buying central? How do we process increasing numbers of messages, over increasing numbers of channels?

10. Midterm Examination on readings and lectures to-date

11. Advanced Writing and Editing 1 (supported with video/lab) Eckhouse: Managing Ethos: Conciseness; Word Choice, Syntax, Punctuation, Grammar.

AP Manual of Style and Dunsky Chapters 1-4

12. Advanced Writing and Editing 2 (corporate standards for employment)

AP Manual of Style and Dunsky Chapters 5 to conclusion

13. Communication Metrics 1, How communications is measured, Eckhouse: Electronic Ethos - Computer Revision,

14. Communication Metrics 2, Simple to sophisticated metrics Kellogg Advertising and Media, Caywood and Diermeier Chapters

15. Media Presentation Practice and Theory (supported with video/lab)

· Agenda setting: The media don't tell people what to think; they tell them what to think about.

Who is setting the industrial policy level agenda? What about extreme cable as product endorsers. Does it make sense?

16. Media Case Studies in Communications, Argenti

17. Global and Cross Cultural Communications

· Cross-cultural Theory and experiences

18. Global/Cross Cultural Case Studies in Communications, Argenti

19. Executive Panel on the Role of Global Communications in Leadership

20. Comprehensive Final Examination

Communication Coaching and Labs 10 sessions

Lab sessions for coaching and editing, rewriting would be held weekly for 1.5 hours in groups of around 18 students. The five sessions would meet from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in a dedicated writing lab.

Writing and Editing 6 assignments from IMC field: The assignments would depend on your background education, experience and testing with your peers. It would continue to include advertising, public relations, direct marketing and general business assignments. All work would be evaluated on progress in performance.

Oral Communications Delivery 4 assignments: Each student will prepare two 2-3 minute presentations that will be videoed and critiqued. Some will be presented to the entire student body.

Putting the "C" back in IMC - Communication Ideas for the Curriculum at Northwestern

2010-06-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

Putting the “C” Back in Graduate IMC: The Need for a Communication-Based Theoretical Approach to Teaching Integrated Communications in the IMC Department.

Clarke L. Caywood, Ph.D. June 25, 2010

The informal title of this report is “Putting the ‘C’ Back in IMC”. The more formal title states that there is a need to consider a focus on communications theory, policy, strategies and, of course, tactics as a cornerstone of what is taught in the Medill Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) graduate level curriculum.

The report was primarily motivated by recent testing of all IMC graduate students on their knowledge and skills in communications. The same test has been used by over 200 corporations to determine the success or failure of business career promotion and advancement. Demand for the test and the instruction that accompanies it has recently increased.

In the IMC Department, the same issues exist. The very recent curriculum changes required that all IMC students (not just PR specialists or those choosing an elective in PR) be required to take an editing, writing, storytelling and communications strategy class. The change-over was dramatic from a class involving fewer than 25 students to required core class of 90 in the full-time program and 35 in the part-time program.

As part of this review, there is a perception that the single current course labeled “communications” may need to be revised with more “theory” and rhetorical standards instead of the tested remedial skills that are emphasized with exercises and knowledge transfer using new digital research competencies. The report includes some relevant history of the journey of communications education in IMC.

Evolution of ‘the’ Communication Course in IMC

Each module is taught as a separate subject in two different semesters, with business writing being taken up first followed by business presentations in the following semester. Unfortunately, we have noted over the years a decline in the mastery of the English language, making it more and more difficult for students to express their ideas logically and clearly in both written and spoken (verbal and non verbal) modes of communication. (From a global colleague who teaches IMC at an highly ranked Asian private university)

For 20 years, the IMC graduate program has offered as an elective PR course a specific communications skills and knowledge class. The class was designed, developed and taught with the joint effort of faculty in Medill Journalism (primarily George Harmon) and IMC (Clarke Caywood). Other adjunct and clinical faculty have also taught the course as it expanded to be offered as an option to non-PR students.

The course journey on communications skills and knowledge began in 1992. Then Assistant Professor Clarke Caywood noted that one of his students had been “let go” (quaint term in the early ‘90s) because she could not write in the “Medill short form news style”. The student had been a successful policy shop, long form writer in Washington D.C. before returning to graduate school. Her short tour of duty in a small Houston PR agency, run by a Medill alumna, was followed by her working as a successful writer and manager in another policy and grants operation. She was a strong writer but not a marketing or journalism style writer. More careful placement questions were added to the process after that experience. We were somewhat reluctant to say that IMC students were Medill students at that time even though the relationship was critical to the PR students and to the other IMC student more than they knew.

Determined not to “embarrass” the Medill School; Caywood added to his basic PR class a “writing laboratory” commonly used in journalism schools for PR and Advertising majors. Since there are a number of successful public relations writing books, the model was not very radical. However, it was necessary.

At the request of Caywood, George Harmon, as director of the news and editing curriculum with the support of Dean Mike Janeway, was given teaching credit for working with the IMC students taking the Public Relations sequence. The number of students was usually 20-25. The lab was designed with additional class hours over the usual two classes per week of 1 hour and 50 minutes each class. The key decision was that the lab grades constituted a significant portion (up to 25%) of each student’s grade in the course. Student performance improved and Professor Harmon earned an enviable reputation for strengthening communication abilities in the IMC program.

Variations on the course concept evolved including offering a second PR class for non-PR IMC students with the writing lab. However, some students who were in their fifth quarter often complained that they should not have to be subject to writing standards. They believed from their past grades in IMC classes and past experience that they were “strong writers”. However, data from the validated Harmon pre- and post-test of AP writing and communication skills proved the opposite.

The class was also offered on a voluntary basis to our international students early in the new century. It could not be considered a success since it was optional and proof of grading results and success were difficult. The IMC faculty attitudes, at this time, were most represented by this quote “they should know how to write before they are admitted”. An additional quote was that “the course was a high school level writing course”. While such statements had kernels of truth in them; the problem still existed.

The frustration stimulated questions through which the admissions process was

challenged, the TOEFEL scores were challenged and other core classes were challenged. The subject of good communications has been a heated one in the IMC Department. The heated discussion among a freely speaking faculty was actually healthy.

Can the success or failure of a writing and oral communications class be measured? The faculty teaching in this area would claim that the measures of success or failure in the communications class are probably as clear, if not more clear, than the success or failure of the statistics classes. Using a pre- and post-test examination developed by Professor Harmon, the scores of the students (and in some cases the faculty) can be shown to be exceedingly low. Mean scores of 30 are recorded with a range of 10-50 before the class is taught.

The classes demand a “write, edit and rewrite” formula of 9 assignments (totaling 1400 graded papers) for 90 students in 10 weeks. We believe we can show that the results of a rigorous class double and triple the final scores of the students.

Clearly the students in the master’s class learn to master the standards of the AP style book (the standard of thousands of global businesses) and the standards of persuasive communications demanded by various assignments and metrics in the course. Still, the faculty teaching the course believe that the work of the graduate students in IMC is not equal of the work of sophomores taking basic writing and communications courses in the Medill school. Improvements can be made.

The most recent efforts to improve the communications knowledge and skills of IMC graduate students still reveal that writing is the key and most obvious weakness of the students. However, their oral skills to even tell a 3-minute story about themselves, is also revealingly weak. Their ability to apply expensive and inexpensive software to improve the clarity and conciseness (readability) of their work is stronger. Their ability to evaluate a company’s blog site or other communications from “competitors” has improved also with beta test software used in the class.

Some IMC faculty have acknowledged that the students now have the ability to operate “word databases”. This is high praise indeed in the data driven IMC program, but it is not enough.

The challenge continues to grow. Asked by the Department Chair, Tom Collinger, to primarily review the single core course with the content title communications in the curriculum, the author requested a redefined mission and broadened the assignment to illustrate the changing context of the department curriculum.

Additionally, we also discussed the need to redesign the IMC 454 course. I’m asking you to participate in, and help lead a curricula review of that course. The goal is produce a new syllabus for use in 2010-2011. Doing so will require a review of the current course, and student feedback, and will also take input from industry leader(s) regarding topics on Communications and Persuasive messages. It should also include a literature review of similar course work in this field, in order to produce a new syllabus. This review should include participation from IMC and Medill Journalism faculty, (we can discuss who); current students, former students, and industry practitioners. Finally, as we talked, we’d hope that the final recommendations may also include what should be added to the student learning experience on this general topic that might be better suited in workshops, labs, and/or other classes.

This report finally offers a specific model of a syllabus (in fact two syllabi). The focus on a single course requires a tremendous amount of work in one course to support the promise of graduate studies in communication. The second syllabus is broadened to illustrate that no single class or consulting training can address all the ailments or missing elements in the communications-based curriculum of a program called Integrated Marketing Communications.

The lead in this report is taken from the negotiated mandate: “Finally, as we talked, we’d hope that the final recommendations may also include what should be added to the student learning experience on this general topic that might be better suited in workshops, labs, and/or other classes”.

The barriers to the assignment that helped to redefine the issue included,

1. A slippery definition of communications and integration among independent minds,

2. the large number of theories that would need to be covered to describe the loose term “persuasive communication” (up to 17).

3. the research-based push back on the concept of one-way asyncratic communications and the paucity of courses in the IMC curriculum mentioning communications.

One finding is that over the past 20 years the subject of communications has likely diminished to a smaller percentage of the content of the IMC curriculum. This is due in part to the unintended consequences of other independent curricular actions:

1. The elimination of introductory courses in the communication fields of advertising, public relations and direct marketing which each operated from a slightly different set of communication based theoretical and rich strategic perspectives, and

2. The battle to restore more database, marketing, general IMC and analytical courses in the curriculum. The response to the January 2009 IMC internal curriculum report authored by Ed Malthouse to rebalance the core classes with the electives continues to argue for more statistical and analysis based classes.

This report might be considered a continuation of the Malthouse effort. However, the report argues for a balance of more communications classes. Both reports will undoubtedly have a role in the accreditation visits this coming year.

Assumptions Regarding the Design of a Contemporary Communication Class

I seek professionals with a strategic approach to communication. That starts with an understanding of the audience and how that audience behaves. Then, I look for someone who approaches the opportunity of affecting behavior (by either reinforcing positive perceptions or mitigating negative perceptions) with communication goals, strategies and tactics that are measurable. (From a senior executive who teaches and hires our students)

Assumptions:

1. Communications is a critical intellectual and skill competency for IMC students.

2. Our traditional clients (agencies, corporate communications and marketing communications) demand the strongest possible communications competency. (See quotes from experts in the field in the report and the appendix.)

3. Communications is a competitive professional advantage for IMC compared to more general MBA program graduates.

4. Communications is a competitive advantage for IMC compared to more specialized market and marketing research degree programs.

5. The support of teaching communication theories and concepts will strengthen the strategic and intellectual problem-solving quality of IMC students.

As a department and even as a school we seem to have drifted away from the core intellectual distinctions of IMC and even journalism. Our ability to produce research and new thinking in the intellectual field of communications has been dry. Even as Mike Janeway (and most deans) searched for a way to differentiate Medill from the School of Communications (most degree holders in this field know the debate) the term “professional communications” does not seem to be rich enough to describe what IMC and Journalism have been or, more importantly, will be.

In the past, and perhaps today, the reason graduate schools can offer one year or nearly one year master’s degrees was because the candidates knew enough about communications from previous degree work. They often had an aptitude for the field that permitted some students to “master” the field in a year to 15 months. Medill’s history up until 1988 of offering a short 9-month program for those with an undergraduate degree in advertising allowed for this approach. However, the growth of the disciplines of marketing, communications and analytics has made such short programs more difficult – or so it appears.

Today we are searching for ways to provide more coursework in the same time of 15 months that we have used in the past. The growth of knowledge or our IMC expansionist view of our field, suggests that a longer program might be useful, but the cost of a private education has threatened the value of a graduate degree. Opportunity costs, placement delays and tuition are too great to justify the degree in some cases with the exception of part-time degrees. We need new approaches to IMC education including distance learning.

Definition of Communications

For this audit, communications is defined: Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Communication processes are sign-mediated interactions between at least two agents which share a repertoire of signs and semiotic rules. Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs".

The field of communication is typically broken into three distinct camps: human communication, mass communications, and communication disorders ^[4]

Using these standards of the organization of communication based knowledge gives the IMC field a very narrow definition of itself. The following feedback from a communications leader in one of the top branded businesses illustrates a practical, less theoretical, definition of the power and structure of communications:

First and foremost, the ability to write -- tight, no jargon and to the point -- has never been more important and is growing more scarce by the day, especially among MBAs. It's an ongoing indictment of some of the foremost programs in the country that require little or no competency in the written word. From a PR perspective, as media channels proliferate and become ever more granular, the more conversant your candidates can be, based on personal experience or immersion in the latest social, viral, video and experiential media, the better equipped they will be to succeed in this industry. An understanding of media management chain of command, channel scope of influence and prioritization is critical. They need to know how the media work and how to best deploy limited resources for the greatest possible impact.

In today's environment, in which Wall Street becomes increasingly intertwined with Main Street and Capitol Hill, you are wise to emphasize the essential interaction of shareholder communications, government and regulatory relations, and issues and crisis management.

This also requires an understanding of public opinion polling and design, a very different methodology than market research.

A field that is exploding almost as quickly as social media is corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability or in today's parlance, ESG -- environmental, social and corporate governance. ESG criteria measure the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a corporation by socially responsible investors and are driving corporate strategic decisions and direction more profoundly than ever before.

Finally, the industry-specific insight that may be most important of all -- except for writing of course -- is an understanding and ability to determine and document the business outcomes of public relations. This involves measuring PR's contribution to the bottom line, as well as how PR positively affects reputation and brand equity. These are elusive and still evolving metrics, but the ability to quantify the impact of a program is essential to its acceptance and success. (From a senior large agency leader who knows our students).

A List of Seventeen Viable Communication Theories for Course Content Audits

The value of the course (Persuasive Communications – Winter 2010) was to learn to write in a pithy style to a range of target audiences. The lab was also useful for practice. Work on competitive rhetoric in business at Colorado University used a book I would recommend (listed on new syllabus). (Current student in IMC Class of 2010)

A broad outline of 17 dominant theories in the field of communications illustrates why there are two Northwestern schools with the word communications in their titles or department titles at Northwestern. Only one of the schools (Communications) has a national reputation for considering the dominant communications literature over time in its research and teachings. This report illustrates why the singly titled Medill School of Journalism is exploring its future role in communications research. It is also a response to the most recent accreditation audit of the school.

There is a debate over the co-existence of two schools of communication including Journalism-Mass Communications in Big Ten schools. The debate is being relived with the challenge to the theories and concepts in IMC of “mass communications”.

Each of the 17 theories of communications listed below, if explored from our world view, provides intriguing ideas for discussion with informed graduate students. The value of these theories is that they provide the intellect, rationale and basis for creating tools and tactics that can apply the theory to professional practice. While many new theories may not have engendered operational tactics, most tactics cannot be defended or explained without a theoretical framework. In the appendix is a list of courses in the communications field (more theoretical in nature) taught at Northwestern and Syracuse (two leading private schools). Courses introductions, like the following, illustrate that communication theory can be applied:

This course examines theories and research dealing with communication in formal organizations and institutions. Various models of organizational communication are introduced, as well as historical and current research in the field. Students learn to analyze and integrate theory and research and apply what they learn to current organizations

What are the dominant theoretical hypotheses in communications? What likely IMC questions could be asked? The following list could be the cornerstone of any number of classes in a new Medill and IMC curriculum. The list is impressive and intriguing as contributed by Medill Assistant Professor Rachael Mersey and applied by Professor Clarke Caywood:

Comprehensive List of Contemporary Research-based Theories of Communications and Potential Integrated Communications Applications

1. Uses and gratifications: People use media to fill personal and social needs. Can the newer cable media go too far with Fox and MSNBC? Is this the new propaganda age?

2. Agenda setting: The media don't tell people what to think; they tell them what to think about. Who is setting the industrial policy level agenda? What about extreme cable as product endorsers. Does it make sense?

3. Agenda melding: People join groups by "melding" agendas. What about Chinese on-line buying clubs for building commercial communities? Can we integrate business and society with common green agenda?

4. Dissonance: When confronted by new information, people experience mental discomfort and they work to limit or reduce that discomfort. Do I buy gas from the local BP dealer? Should I give my fiancé a diamond (possibly conflict source)?

5. Reinforcement: If media have any impact at all it is in the direction of reinforcement. Which are the most effective and efficient media for which target? Is it important to “kiss the frog” six times in this new media world?

6. Parasocial relationships: People establish social relationships with media personalities. Q scores with Fox, Good Morning America and micro channel hosts. What is the ROI value of “fame”? Is trustworthiness and branding related?

7. Framing: To make sense of events, we categorize them. “Progressive is the new liberal”. Who uses the term? The President’s talking about stakeholders. Who defines the context of business and society?

8. Knowledge gap: The more information in the social system, the more the higher SES groups will gain in knowledge compared to those in lower SES groups. Food deserts, environmental racism, hourly wages from non-union shops - What is sustainable for whom? And, who decides?

9. Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): Persuasive messages can be processed using either the central (recipient is motivated) or peripheral routes (recipient is not motivated). Voting compares to which purchases? Is digital buying central? How do we process increasing numbers of messages, over increasing numbers of channels?

10. Adoption: Adopters pass through five steps--awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption. Is the old model too linear as some IMC experts claim? Isn’t adoption even more important in a widely growing technological, entrepreneurial and innovative economy?

11. Two-step flow: Certain members of society are active consumers of media and become opinion leaders who influence others. Does this include bloggers, tweeters, those who are linked or use retweet or Bitly or Tinyurl?

12. Cultivation: People who are heavy viewers of TV tend to believe that the "real" world is more similar to the world seen on TV than do light viewers. What are the marketing and policy ethical issues? What about product alignment with the gullible or less cynical viewers (children, elderly, undereducated)?

13. Social learning theory: Children learn behaviors by watching them, including watching them on TV. What balance should IMC put into the system? What greater damage can advertising do to marketing? Can advertising refocus its power? Doesn’t transparent PR gain in stature?

14. Spiral of silence: Public opinion consists of those opinions you can express in public w.o socially isolating yourself. Will we be allowed to blog about work? Can we be too transparent?

15. Symbolic Interaction: People give meaning to symbols and then those symbols control peoples' behavior. Why aren’t graphics and imagery more important in IMC? What has happened to semiotics in the classroom and research programs of IMC?

16. 16. Mainstreaming: TV's ability to pull people to a common understanding of an issue. Does this include freedom of speech for corporations? Politically oriented corporate messaging? How can we have a common understanding in a diverse nation? If it works in China should we use it in the U.S. and vice versa?”

17. 17.Technological determinism: Media communication and the technology it uses help shape the society in which we live. What is the real effect of a wildly popular magazine in this age such as People Style Watch? What is our perception of our society? Is it the medium or the message again? How does any important issue, product or service become successful in a high tech age?

List and definitions contributed by Assistant Professor Rachael Mersey.

Syllabus Audit of IMC Courses for Communication Theory and Tactical Content

Writing - writing - writing!! Speechwriting yes but in a corporate

communications role, you need to be the best writer in the company - board of director communications, speeches, press releases, talking points, customer communications, presentations, video scripts, marketing/advertising copy. The ability to put complex technical information or financial data in layman terms is critical. I think research skills and the ability to interpret material and analyze different situations is also a tremendous asset to a young person entering communications. (From a highly successful alumna)

A careful review of the content of the syllabi of the IMC courses (from the IMC Google database) can be organized into at least two communication based categories: 1. Theoretical or conceptual communications and 2. Tactical communications content. The former is missing in nearly all the courses; the latter is found in selected course content. Even using the search word “writing” on the list of all full-time classes in IMC (graduate and undergraduate) finds primarily undergraduate courses. http://docs.google.com/?pli=1#search/writing

Each course contains no more or no less a focus on communications (it appears) than their listing below. If communications is mentioned, it is cited in a common use manner. Tactics are not often listed but assumed as known or taught in the course. Obviously the syllabi of courses do not tell the entire story. The conclusions here (and elsewhere in the report) must be discussed by the faculty who teach the classes and are experts in the field from IMC and Medill.

Selected Core Classes:

452-020-21 Mulhern F09 Syllabus Full-time .doc Case method with reading related to the cases. The cases or sections are not labeled communications, but certainly contain elements of sales and consumer communication challenges.

451-020-21 Malthouse syllabus day_09.pdf. This class begins with objectives that include the necessity of being able to “communicate with members of the marketing research department”. It is clear that the professor wants the students to master the vocabulary of statistics in order to assist decision-makers. In some respects, the course does provide a strong tool (numbers) orientation to help students in IMC communicate. The syllabus does not seem to address any of the known theories of communications.

450 Brown Fall '09 Syllabus--IMC Format.doc

This course, like the statistics course, guides the students to be able to “…communicate with a firm’s financial area”. The method to achieve that goal is not to teach communications but to teach the vocabulary and concepts of the field of finance. The communication goal is to become “literate” in another professional field so that communications can transpire.

455 Weinberger CI Syllabus F 09 1 1.doc

This course is probably the richest source of social-psychological theory and thinking that might relate to the topic of conceptual communications. The subject areas are very proximate to the list of communication theory though none of the theories or concepts is mentioned by name. The text book by Solomon (2009) covers some aspects of communication theory. One specific topic mentioning communications was: “Self and gender in product and communications appeals”.

IMC 457 Managing the Integration Process Gruber 5th Q Fall09.pdf

Again, the course is rich in theory and practice of a field that is closely related to communications as a field of study. However, the word communications is not used in the syllabus nor are references to communication theory as currently defined. This course, along with the 455 course is probably the richest opportunity to include communication theory and competencies in the curriculum.

Win10 FT 454-021 CommPersuasiveMessages HarmonCaywood_1.doc

This course has the most clearly stated title relevant to the inquiry of this report. The authors have clearly defined the coverage of the topic in two ways: 1. Repeated variations on classic writing and editing assignments well known in business. The difference here from all the other classes is that the work is edited and rewritten by individuals. None of the writing assignments or oral assignments are for groups, which is highly unusual in the IMC program. 2. The second design difference is that the course teaches strategy in communications by showing how to measure written and oral communications in a number of simple to complex quantitative ways. This is also unique to the course except that the more advanced methods are used in the Marketing PR class later taught by Caywood. There is also a unique pre- and post-test of knowledge of writing to a very high standard that is modeled after writing and communication tests given by employers to applicants. The course does not mirror the list of communication theories or readings either, but does teach to the theory in the editing model developed by Professor Harmon.

Selected Elective Classes

IMC 458 Law Policy Ethics Hayden

This course includes a very structured format for reviewing legal decisions relevant to IMC. The format is a clear path to stronger writing to do as the teacher states: “keeping the brief brief.” The work may be individual depending on the size of the class. It was not when the course was a core class. However, the grading formula does not reflect that the briefs will be graded for more than their content. The teacher has remarked that the content and style are important but that rewrites or edits are not part of the course design.

IMC 464 Intuitive Marketer Zechman 5th Q Fall09.doc

“…students are taught and challenged to express their marketing communication ideas” states the first few words of the syllabus. As the classes become more specialized and related to the professional practice of IMC, the tactics are clearly expected to be communications grounded. No theory is mentioned.

IMC 498-027 Global Communications Don Schultz 5th Q Fall 09.pdf

Refreshingly the course includes a reading on “social networks” and more on cross cultural communications conflict.

IMC 473-020 Inv Relations Hobor 5th Q Fall 2009 syllabus.doc

While the course is known to be demanding on the quality of writing for two papers and more, the course is also aimed at building specific legal and strategic knowledge of the corporate investor field. The mention of communications is very specific: “The role of investor relations and corporate governance in communicating with investors…”

IMC 464 The Intuitive Marketer 5^th quarter Fall 09

This course is our strongest effort to provide some of our students with the competitive advantages of the more creative master programs at schools like UT-Austin. The course is clearly creative. It is not clear if the writing and oral skills of the students are honed or evaluated individually. Again, a review of courses by a faculty group would allow us to answer the question of which courses support the rigor of business rhetoric.

IMC 442 IMC Capstone Collinger 5th Q DraftFall09.doc

While the solution is required to be an IMC solution the outcome is more generic and does not seem to rely on any communication advantage or concept to organize the strategy. Students are to act as “…consultants leading the strategic marketing plan.”

IMC 472 Marketing Public Relations Spr10 Caywood.docx

This course uses a communication award planning model specifically designed to address dozens of communication questions. The tactics must be communication based whether they are integrated or not (except in the Integrated Communication category). The book and lectures rely on an understanding of the traditional media, use of media and communication (tracking systems) and a full range of A-Z tactics that are specifically communications based. Only a little theory is covered.

IMC 485 Customer Loyalty Spr10 Wang.pdf

This course uses the word communications in the syllabus more than most IMC classes, but the word social networking is not used in a theoretical or technical manner. Again, the course will certainly result in communication solutions but it does not use communication theory to justify or stimulate the use of specific communication tactics.

Findings of Audit, Review of Expert Comments and Observation

1. There is a clear absence of the opportunity to demonstrate oral and written communications. Group projects, content grading and the failure to demand rewrites or rework of assignments is a sign that communications is expected to have been taught in another class or assumed in the admissions process.

2. The direct topic of persuasive theoretical communications is not addressed in the curriculum in any substantive way except as an outcome measurement in the core Harmon/Caywood class. As expected, the courses all use a managerial approach to thinking about a subject and then demand communications based tactics from a specialty area to solve the written cases, live cases or problems.

3. The list described above of highly credible research topics and theories are not covered in any detail in the Department. While the list is expansive and would usually require up to 3-4 courses to cover in detail, the Department faculty are not addressing this critical area of the field. IMC remains primarily atheoretical.

4. From a curriculum review of two top communications schools, Syracuse and NU’s Communications Schools seems to be the richest source of courses using the theoretical definition of communications. The rush away from mass communications theory in the IMC program may be the reason that viable theories based on mass communications (and taught in Schools of Journalism and Mass Communications) may no longer be taught at Medill and in IMC.

5. Topics that are addressed at the conceptual level include onsumer sociology, psychology and anthropology. Marketing management is covered at a nearly theoretical level. However, there is no focus in the wide range of an estimated 50 IMC graduate courses on the specific topic of communication theory or concepts. Communication tools without justification are cited in abundance.

6. When academic textbooks, and not professional trade books, are used the theory of a subject seems much more likely to be addressed in the course.

The following courses in the curriculum seem to contain elements of the theories or at least concepts of communications. The faculty teaching these core classes can be said to constitute the core communications (or “C”) faculty in the IMC program. These faculty members should be asked in an appropriate way and with sufficient time to discuss their contributions to the “communications framework” of the curriculum.

FUTURE ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK: COMMUNICATION-BASED THEORY

Understanding the psychology of communication, from attitude formation to attitude change and reinforcement, as well as overcoming resistance to change is something that underlies all communication transactions. From an understanding of the sociology of communication the manager or marketer can better tailor messages to specific sub-audiences. An understanding of the rhetorical bases of message creation—from Aristotle to Marx and Gadamer to Homans to Sapir and Whorf—is important in understanding the process of creating and maintaining an argument across cultures and interactions. (From a leading private university communications professor).

In the end, the development of a curriculum cannot be static and mechanistic. It must be fluid and organic. Communications is a not a “dead language”. The field, if anything, has been supercharged by the context of technologies, diversity, faith, war, terrorism, disaster and economic tsunamis. Business communications is more complex than ever. Marketing is more intertwined into the fabric of a disenchanted society.

Our students need explanations. They need reasons for making recommendations and not more atheoretical strategies and tactics. We need leadership in our birthright field of communications augmented by the relevant power of marketing and the rigor of numeric and word databases. We also need leadership on whatever our theory based research and teaching tells us is the next powerful insight to relationship building and behavior.

The theory check list below will not solve the problem, but perhaps a battle over the checklist from engaged minds will help. I have one more question (at this time) and then the appendix will take this report and refine it into an open-ended syllabus (or two): Are we the leading the world in rethinking the role of communications through integration or are we following in the shadow of marketing? It our choice and the choice of our prospective students.

Conclusion

. Just as customer service is never ‘over,’ managing cash flow is never ‘complete,’ safety is never ‘done;’ so too with effective business communication, it is on-going and unending. It is the most used skill used in the workplace. (From a senior communications consultant)

A review of the Medill IMC courses currently taught in the full-time program suggests that the subject of “communications” is not directly or comprehensively taught. The readings are very, very limited and the use of communication textbooks containing theory is nil. However, the coverage of very traditional tactical applications of communication practice within the fields of advertising, direct marketing and public relations seems to thrive and continue.

We might argue that the recommendations should have been the answers. However, it would be even more presumptuous for the author or sponsor of the study to move too quickly toward another course syllabus to be sacrificed on the altar of limited student experience. We don’t want to take the students by surprise too often. Recommendations to pre-test the two syllabi included in this report should prevent premature evaluation or application of a course without more rigorous scrutiny. The leaders of the curriculum in IMC have over 165 years of full-time teaching and course and curriculum development experience.

As we have discovered in many topical areas of the curriculum; it may be necessary to be more transparent. What is communications?

· We may need to more clearly label the areas of competencies of a student who “masters” the subject matter. What do we expect them to “master”?

The faculty and students are substantial “risk takers” with respect to pioneering a newer field of study. It is even more incumbent that the faculty and administration be very clear on what areas of advanced competencies are applied to the “core”. What is the core?

· We are also compelled to prove that the subjects we teach are connected to advanced practice in the wide range of disciplines that constitute IMC. Should we acknowledge that the jobs and professional fields of advertising, public relations and direct marketing still dominant the market definition of marketing communications?

A review and endorsement of this study by the faculty should allow more than one of the core classes to cover critical communication theories. Should we also identify which theories fit into other courses?

The audit and course development work should be done with the help of Assistant Professor Rachel Mersey (who should be asked to help teach some elements of a joint journalism and IMC theory module in our classes). She has expressed a specific goal to co-teach a Journalism/IMC (Medill) course with more applied theory based on the theory section of this report. Should we integrate within Medill? George Harmon and Rob Mark can contribute to the skill areas in great detail.

· The work should also include more direct investigation with the prestigious Communications School at NU. It is suggested that only a combined effort to reintroduce communications to the IMC curriculum can guarantee that the richness of communications theories and tools can be reestablished in the department. Should we integrate with Northwestern University?

Draft Design Syllabus of a Course in Integrated Communications

Single Course Concept: Example: Monday and Thursdays Lecture Discussion 9-11 a.m. and 12-2 p.m., Wednesdays Labs: 9-10:30 a.m., 10:30 -12, 1-2:30, 2:30-4, 4-5:30 p.m.

To manage the rich amount of knowledge that must be transferred to the students intellectually and experientially, the course for a student would meet 5.5 hours per week. The faculty would have student contact in class and laboratory 11.5 hours per week for the core class of 90 students. The students would meet with a single faculty member or dual team twice a week for 1 hour and 50 minutes (2 hours) for lecture, case solving, discussion, simulations. The students would also meet with a writing and oral communications teacher coach for 1.5 hours per week lab. This person must have superb editing and communication instructional skills as well as a dedication to guaranteeing the quality of the students’ work and improvement.

The new course structure would allow the faculty to increase the additional content material in the class by 50 percent or more. The course assumes the role of modern rhetoric (definition: the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a: the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b: the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion (Merriam Webster). The ideal teaching team on this course would be Caywood, Harmon and Mersey. The team approach would ensure the continuation of the course over time and refinements from newer research and theory.

The 10 Week 19 lecture/discussion classes would include the following topics:

1. Stakeholder Targeting and Mapping (1) (supported with video) Readings

2. Applied Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 1 Read Competitive Communications

3. Applied Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 2

4. Applied Communications Theory in IMC and Journalism 3

5. Reputation Case Studies in Communications, Dartmouth, Paul Argenti

6. Executive Panel on the Role of Communications in Leadership of Best Communication Practices in IMC

7. Storytelling Structure and Delivery 1 (supported with video/lab)

8. Storytelling Structure and Delivery 2

9. MARCOM Case Studies in Communications, Argenti

10. Midterm Examination

11. Advanced Writing and Editing 1 (supported with video/lab)

12. Advanced Writing and Editing 2

13. Communication Metrics 1

14. Communication Metrics 2

15. Media Presentation Practice and Theory (supported with video/lab)

16. Media Case Studies in Communications, Argenti

17. Global and Cross Cultural Communications

18. Global/Cross Cultural Case Studies in Communications, Argenti

19. Executive Panel on the Role of Global Communications in Leadership

20. Final Examination

Grading

Four cases, 6 editing assignments, 2 oral assignments, two examinations on content (reading, lectures, panels, cases), discussion, Twitter site usage, peer evaluation, pre and post editing examinations

Video

The course is a large core class in the second quarter. The professors will contribute additional time to recording selected portions of lectures and coaching information. Students will be able (if they choose) to watch and learn from the video work before and after class. The students will also be able to “self-test” their progress on the content material.

Communication Coaching and Labs 10 sessions in 10 weeks

Lab sessions for coaching and editing, rewriting would be held weekly for 1.5 hours in groups of 18 students. The five sessions would meet from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in a dedicated writing lab.

Writing and Editing 6 assignments from IMC field. The assignments would depend on the negotiation with other IMC faculty but would continue to include advertising, public relations, direct marketing and general business assignments. The work in the lab would include taking the “AP Business Communication” examination administered by George Harmon. All work would be evaluated on progress in performance.

Oral Communications Delivery 4 assignments. Given the large number of students the only possible way to accomplish personal presentation goals would be to ask each student to prepare two 2-3 minute presentations that will be videoed.

Proposed Integration of Communications into the IMC and Medill

Curriculum Content

Based on the approach of the Handbook of Strategic Communications and Integrated Communications and the goals of the Journal of Integrated Communications the IMC faculty would restore elements of integrated communications to the curriculum. Integrated Communications is nearly the same as IMC. As practiced Integrated Communications explicitly includes broader social and economic policy, plus strategies and tactics with a wider range of stakeholders than the consumer and customer.

To achieve this reconsideration of the curriculum, first we would host a nominal group technique and audit of our curriculum for communication content. The audit would include evaluation of the writing and speaking skills of individual students. Next the IMC faculty would offer new approaches for teaching both communication theories, linking to policy issues, stating specific strategies and proposing theory and concept justified tactics. The goals of the meeting of faculty would be to propose new objectives in the design of the IMC graduate curriculum. Some of the following would be considered:

1. Courses in marketing, IMC, finance, law, creative and management would require at least three individually written (and re-edited) assignments in each class. Graduate grading help would be offered.

2. Course syllabi would concretely list areas of study that depend on policy, concept, theories and practices that are uniquely communications.

3. Faculty and administration would sponsor with funds and encourage more than one speaker’s club for after school programming.

4. Where theory rich textbooks, literature summaries and reports can be used in classes they would be encouraged.

5. Examinations and case studies would require a theoretically grounded explanation of solutions and analysis.

6. Medill Journalism and IMC would teach cooperatively communication theory, practice and research to maximize limited resources in Medill.

7. Students with undergraduate (recent) degrees (major or minors) in communications or journalism would be identified for more advanced work and independent study.

In the case of the single course modification and in the broader curriculum changes, the faculty would agree on several metrics.

§ First an approach on how to monitor, balance and improve the courses communications and analytical content would be determined. The agreed model would allow us to more gradually alter the curriculum on key dimensions rather than go through period of disappointment, rediscovery and reconsideration.

§ Second, the faculty would examine the evaluation system of CTEC and its continued low participation. Alternatives from the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence including observation and class discussion would be examined as part of the Department’s metrics. Students would also be asked to evaluate their peers and their own contribution to the success of the class. Other new measures of student learning and participation beyond mere experiential involvement would be found.

§ Third, the faculty would reestablish its past active role in the recruiting and admission of graduate students.

§ Fourth, the additional 2010 research conducted by Professor Malthouse on predictive scoring on GRE, GMAT would be developed for decision making.

§ Fifth, short term curriculum changes and demands by students would be carefully examined to avoid fads.

§ Sixth, the contribution of the summer project and individual residency program would be more integrated into the curriculum.

§ Seventh, pre-enrollment education and training requirements would be bolstered beyond a 1-2 week short class model.

§ Eighth, pre and post testing in specified areas of competencies would be approved and encouraged.

§ Ninth, the faculty would monitor closely any cluster of students with low standing in early classes in the degree program.

§ Tenth, the faculty would write a comprehensive list of “competencies” that would be used to continuously evaluate the progress of the curriculum, the students and the faculty.

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