Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to Advertising & Public Relations (Face-to-Face)

COMM 1450-01

Course: COMM 1450-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: COMM
CRN: 32010

Course Description

This course is a foundation course for the strategic communication emphasis. It introduces the concepts, theories, and practices of public relations and advertising to meet a variety of organizational goals. This course surveys the history, growth, theories, messages, and effects of public relations and advertising. The focus of the course is on organizational issues in public relations and advertising and the role of strategic communication in the process of marketing and strategic campaigns.

Required Texts

There are no textbooks required for this course. However, the following books can be helpful to understand the course content. I will place chapters on canvas for the class to read.

Recommended Texts:
  • Moriarty, Mitchell and Wells, Advertising principles and practices. 10th edition. Pearson.
  • Blakeman, Robyn. Integrated Marketing Communication. 2nd Edition. Rowman & Littlefield.

Learning Outcomes

Course Goals and Objectives:

Students who successfully complete this course will:

  • Learn the history of advertising and public relations.
  • Learn about brand constructions on both visual- and social media- and print based media platforms.
  • Learn how to process a campaign of a product from brand creation to the finished campaign presentation -- Advertising and Public Relations
  • Know how to build a brand and create a brand personality and brand loyalty.
  • Know and understand Social Media Advertising Methods and Public Relations of today.
  • Learn how to analyze ads (print, digital, video).

Course Requirements

Grading Scale
A93-100%
A-90-92
B+86-89
B83-85
B-80-82
C+76-79
C73-75
C-70-72
D65-69
D-60-64
F<60
IIncomplete
Assessment Components
Assignments20 percent
Exams.30 percent
Discussions20 percent
PR Work.20 percent

Course Outline

Tentative Class Schedule:
Week 1Introduction. Course Objectives and Assignments. Review the syllabus. Getting to know each other in class What is Advertising? Reading and questions assignment.
Week 2History of Advertising. Introduction to Advertising. David Ogilvy. Reading and written report. Create Groups for Campaign Presentation Logo creation for the product
Week 3Advertising Appeals. Advertisings Role in Marketing.
Week 4Brand and positioning. The benefits of branding, Brand Personality, Image and Slogans writing. The Consumer Audience. Determine your products audience.
Week 5More on Advertising Applications and its uses. Discussion assignment.
Week 6Branding, Content and Consumer Relationships

Chapter 7 Moriarty…Strategic Creativity Broadcast and Print Advertising Internet and Nontraditional Media Representations in Advertising. Determine the audience of the product each group has chosen.

Week 7Catch up Week
Week 8Advertising and Public Relations in Society. Chapter Three from Moriarty. Moriarty Chapter 14—Design. Create an ad for a magazine, newspaper or another print applications. Fall Break on Campus…Monday and Tuesday, Oct 13 and 14th..
Week 9The Creative Side and Message Strategy Radio and Television Advertising. Branded Content and Creative Exercise.
Week 10Creative work continued. Social Media content in Advertising. Begin wok on AD-PR Campaigns and Presentations. Due campaign December of week 14.
Week 11Origins/ History of PR
Week 12Discuss the ideas of the Old and the New Public Relations.
Week 13Thanksgiving Break this week on campus.
Week 14Ad-PR Campaign Presentation of work this week.
WEEK- 15Final Written review of the product you have worked with this semester.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments: Late assignments are intolerable in the communications field and will be considered the same in this class. Late papers will be accepted but students will lose a half of a letter grade per day it is late.

Attendance Policy

This is an university course and course attendance will be taken occasionally during the course.  Your grade will not depend on attendance but participation in the course will be noted by the professor.

Course Fees

Course Fees for this course are $12.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.