Time to teach, Part 4

(First post on this subject here. Second here. Third here.)

Thanks to everyone for their emails and comments. I feel particularly fortunate to have all your guidance help drive this curriculum for the course in the Advertising Program at MCAD.

Here's where I'm at. Next steps are to prepare a rough course outline -- basic fodder for 16 sessions. (I'm definitely planning to screen the Rory Sutherland video, Sung!) The Course Description is pretty obvious. The class Objectives would only appear if a student were searching for greater detail.

COURSE: THE FUTURE OF ADVERTISING

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Advertising is still very much about the primacy and supremacy of ideas. But the industry and its crafty are rapidly evolving. Technology, media and the consumer are dramatically effecting financial, strategic, creative and production decisions. Think of this class like preparing for a trip abroad. What’s absolutely critical to know in order to survive? What do you need to be fluent in? Where and who should you visit? What’s your place in the grand scheme? The Future of Advertising is as much about you—the future advertising practitioners, clients and consumers—as it is about cutting edge techniques and practices. This semester-long course will arm advertising students for a career in the era of digital as well as elicit their thoughts and opinions about the trip we’re all taking together. We’ll study and develop online ads and campaign websites. We’ll participate and see how social media (blogs, microblogging, widgets, MySpace, Facebook, etc.) can play an effective role in marketing. We’ll understand the inescapable role of metrics and analysis. We’ll hear from and meet the new advertising leaders to learn what they think your portfolio should say, be and do. But above all, we’ll focus on the power of ideas in a digital age.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course should practically and philosophically help prepare students for the realities of advertising as it evolves from traditional to digital. Portfolios will be enhanced and broadened with integrated ideas that include online ads, campaign sites and other digital tactics. We’ll encourage empathy and passion for these newer forms that are changing an industry through cutting-edge examples and personal experience.

Let me know what you all think! Thanks again.