Advertising and Marketing Communication Strategy

Develop a rigorous approach to persuasive brand & product communication

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Course Dates

STARTS ON

August 29, 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

8 weeks, online
4–6 hours per week

Course Fee
Course Fee

For Your Team

Enroll your team and learn with your peers

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Why should marketers keep strategy at the core of communication?

The digital age has reshaped advertising—how it’s viewed by consumers as well as how it’s approached by those in charge of developing it. These days, advertising is frequently a tactical endeavor. Should we be on the new social platform? Should we purchase this data or leverage that influencer?... all at the expense of strategy. But advertising often fails to create the needed impact. This failure is the result of not taking a rigorous, systematic approach to defining suitable goals, effective targeting, and creating an insight-driven message to compel the behavior change needed to get results.

61%

61 percent of marketers and 71 percent of agencies agree that objectives are the most important element of a marketing brief

SOURCE: BETTERBRIEFS

33%

A third of all marketing budgets is misspent due to ineffective briefs, accounting for more than $200 billion of the $600 billion global ad market

SOURCE: BETTERBRIEFS

90%

90% of marketers do not brief agencies effectively, stemming from a complete lack of strategy, according to marketing experts who lead the Better Briefs Project

SOURCE: BETTERBRIEFS
While tactical decisions aren’t to blame for the failure of most advertising efforts, your best efforts won’t succeed without a solid strategy behind them. Kellogg's Advertising and Marketing Communication Strategy program has been designed to help you create a sound advertising strategy, judge an ad’s effectiveness, understand the essentials of media planning, and learn how to avoid the most common execution pitfalls advertisers face in alignment to your business goals.

Key Takeaways

Refine your strategic lens to become more effective at guiding your company’s key messages through advertising, marketing and communication efforts. Throughout the 8-week program, you will learn to:

  • Create strategic, persuasive communications across platforms
  • Create the most meaningful strategic advertising objective to drive your business
  • Select and prioritize target audiences to maximize effectiveness and efficiency
  • Identify, evaluate, and select a consumer insight to allow you to build the right message for your target audience
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of media plans and identify the key steps and best practices in ad production
  • Evaluate ads for their strategic merit and develop proper tests

Who Is This Program For?

This program is designed for client-side managers as well as senior leaders responsible for devising an integrated marketing communications strategy that drives business results. It is ideal for:

  • Junior- to mid-level marketers—such as brand managers or marketing managers, or executives taking on a new marketing role—who are responsible for managing advertising efforts.
  • Senior executives whose responsibilities include marketing/advertising who are looking to increase the success rate of their teams in advertising communications by honing their strategic approach.
  • Advertising, communications, and PR consultants/agencies who seek to offer better solutions for their clients and increase client buy-in on their strategic recommendations.

Program Topics

Module 1:

The Creative Brief

As new advertising tactics emerge weekly, focus and attention shift toward tactical decisions and away from strategy. To address this, the core framework for the program is the Creative Brief. In this tool, lies the path to bring strategy back to advertising and success to marketers.

Module 2:

Setting Objectives

Dig deeper into the Creative Brief, beginning with setting a clear objective that will help you achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes aligned to your business objectives.

Module 3:

Targeting Fundamentals

Continue to understand the Creative Brief by focusing on the next necessity: Targeting Fundamentals. Here, you will maximize the impact of your communications by selecting and prioritizing target audiences, then determine the best method to segment customers within that audience.

Module 4:

Insight

Define consumer insight and focuses on key consumer motivations. Identify human behavior that enable you to persuade a target audience, evaluate core consumer motivators, and understand the cognitive and perceptual path to persuasion.

Module 5:

Positioning

Evaluate how top brands have positioned themselves, learn to craft a positioning statement, use the frame of reference appropriately, and understand points of difference.

Module 6:

Execution

Learn to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a media plan, identify the key steps and practices needed for successful ad production, and learn the basics of data-driven digital media.

Module 7:

Evaluation and Measurement

Focus on the final component of the Creative Brief: Evaluation and measurement. As you work toward more effective advertising, develop a mindset of experimentation, learn to test ads properly, and commit to asking the right questions.

Module 1:

The Creative Brief

As new advertising tactics emerge weekly, focus and attention shift toward tactical decisions and away from strategy. To address this, the core framework for the program is the Creative Brief. In this tool, lies the path to bring strategy back to advertising and success to marketers.

Module 5:

Positioning

Evaluate how top brands have positioned themselves, learn to craft a positioning statement, use the frame of reference appropriately, and understand points of difference.

Module 2:

Setting Objectives

Dig deeper into the Creative Brief, beginning with setting a clear objective that will help you achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes aligned to your business objectives.

Module 6:

Execution

Learn to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a media plan, identify the key steps and practices needed for successful ad production, and learn the basics of data-driven digital media.

Module 3:

Targeting Fundamentals

Continue to understand the Creative Brief by focusing on the next necessity: Targeting Fundamentals. Here, you will maximize the impact of your communications by selecting and prioritizing target audiences, then determine the best method to segment customers within that audience.

Module 7:

Evaluation and Measurement

Focus on the final component of the Creative Brief: Evaluation and measurement. As you work toward more effective advertising, develop a mindset of experimentation, learn to test ads properly, and commit to asking the right questions.

Module 4:

Insight

Define consumer insight and focuses on key consumer motivations. Identify human behavior that enable you to persuade a target audience, evaluate core consumer motivators, and understand the cognitive and perceptual path to persuasion.

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Program Faculty

Profile picture of course faculty Derek Rucker

Derek Rucker

Sandy & Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing, Professor of Marketing, Co-chair of Faculty Research, Kellogg School of Management

Dr. Rucker holds the Sandy & Morton Goldman Professorship of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing. His primary research focuses broadly on the topics of social hierarchy, compensatory consumption, persuasion, and consumer behavior. More info

Profile picture of course faculty Kevin McTigue

Kevin McTigue

Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management

Kevin McTigue is a Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management teaching multiple classes for the MBA Program and Executive Education. His career spans over 20 years in teaching, consulting, brand management, and advertising. More info

Testimonials

"The tools, frameworks, and faculty. Superb, practical content."

— Andrew Srinarayan, CEO, Stradigi Marketing Inc.

Certificate

Certificate

Upon successful completion of the program, Kellogg Executive Education grants a verified digital certificate of completion to participants. This program is graded as pass or fail; participants must receive 80% to pass and obtain the certificate of completion.

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After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Kellogg Executive Education.

Note: This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from Kellogg School of Management.

Past Participants Reviews

4.7

3 Star
2 Star
1 Star
Raymond Ware
Associate Manager, Creative Services, Golub Capital
May 2022
Being able to build a kit of useful tools that I actually understand. The tools will be a valuable resource for me in my career.
Lauren Arévalo
Project Manager, MITRE
May 2022
the modules were so well done; short, sweet, informative, professionally produced & polished I think I would have liked to have one or two more mandatory networking events to connect with folks - or a closing/course completion party :)
Adam Fisk
May 2022
There were real world examples. Hearing how these ideas and tools are actually put into practice really helped me relate them to my everyday work. Overall, I loved the program. There were a few sections where the sound quality was a little tough. Especially during a few of Derek's video, I had to really crank my sound.
Jason Cruz
May 2022
The course materials and frameworks was very helpful. More time for networking and more non-US examples in the case studies would have helped more.

FAQs

  • How do I know if this program is right for me?

    After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow-up with you very shortly.


    Are there any prerequisites for this program?

    Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page, as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.


    Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English and proficiency in English is required.


    What is the typical class profile?

    More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry, and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.


    What other dates will this program be offered in the future?

    Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire if future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.

  • How much time is required each week?

    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.


    How will my time be spent?

    We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:



    • Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
    • Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific program schedule
    • Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
    • Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
    • Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
    • Completing your final project, if required

    The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.


    What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?

    More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.

    All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.

    A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.


    How do I interact with other program participants?

    Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.

  • What are the requirements to earn the certificate?

    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.

    This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.


    What type of certificate will I receive?

    Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
    The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.


    Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?

    No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.


    Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?

    No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.


    How long will I have access to the learning materials?

    You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.

  • What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?

    Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.


    Do I need to be online to access the program content?

    Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

    Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.

  • Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?

    Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.


    What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?

    The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.

    • Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
    • Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.

    What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?

    Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.


    I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?

    Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.


    How can I obtain an invoice for payment?

    Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.


    Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?

    Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.


    How can I obtain a W9 form?

    Please connect with us via email for assistance.


    Who will be collecting the payment for the program?

    Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.

  • What is the program refund and deferral policy?

    For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.

Financing Options

Climb Credit*

We offer financing options with our partner, Climb Credit*. Click here to learn more.
*Applicable for US Residents

Flexible Payment Options For All

Flexible payment options allow you to pay the program fee in installments. Click here to see payment schedule.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisors or call us at +1 315 502 3308 (US) / +44 128 291 1923 (UK) / +65 3129 4131 (SG)

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Flexible payment options available. Learn more.