Course Title: Write persuasive copy

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2017

Course Code: MKTG7931C

Course Title: Write persuasive copy

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5366 - Diploma of Marketing and Communication

Course Contact: Julia Makin

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99255175

Course Contact Email: julia.makin@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Matthew Farmer

matthew.farmer@rmit.edu.au

0405 488 152

Nominal Hours: 50

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

 

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to interpret a creative brief and evaluate a range of innovative options to write persuasive copy.

 It applies to individuals who use well-developed advertising skills and a broad knowledge base to communicate messages in a wide range of contexts. In this role, individuals may develop copy individually or may work in a supervisory, management or freelancing capacity coordinating a team of writers.    


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBWRT501 Write persuasive copy

Element:

1. Analyse and interpret creative brief

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Analyse and confirm technique/s for expressing central idea or creative concept

1.2 Identify and check content and supporting information for accuracy and completeness

1.3 Confirm schedule and budgetary requirements for creating copy

1.4 Identify legal and ethical constraints impacting copy to be developed

Element:

2. Evaluate creative options

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Evaluate design and copy options against requirements of creative brief

2.2 Select option/s enabling required information and images to be communicated within time and budgetary requirements

Element:

3. Prepare persuasive copy

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Create original copy with impact, which sets product, service or idea being communicated apart from the competition and competitor’s promotional material

3.2 Create copy which communicates required image, and features and benefits of the product, service or idea

3.3 Create copy which meets requirements of creative brief in terms of information, format, language, writing style, and level of detail

3.4 Produce copy on time and within budget

3.5 Produce copy which complies with legal, organisational and ethical requirements


Learning Outcomes


Students will learn how to  to interpret a creative brief and evaluate a range of innovative options to write persuasive copy


Details of Learning Activities

 

A range of learning activities are planned for this course including self-paced and collaborative classroom based activities.

The self-paced activities will be delivered thought various technology platforms and include your contribution to wikis and discussion threads, reflective journals, quizzes and interactive sessions.

The collaborative classroom based activities will include group discussion, group problem solving activities and opportunities to practice your skills in a simulated/real workplace environment.

We expect you to participate and contribute in all scheduled learning activities.


Teaching Schedule

  • Week 1 - Video. Features and benefits.
  • Week 2 - Introduction to course.
    • Writing exercises
      • Simple household item
      • Features and benefits of self
      • Radio ad based on 1st Writing Exercise
  • Week 3 - history of Copywriting & The 9 kinds of copywriting
    • Rough Avatar Creation
    • Writing to your Avatar
    • Surprise Product writing exercise
  • Week 4 - Direct Mail and Print Adverts
    • Look at and discuss various kinds of Direct Mail
    • Look at and discuss various print articles.
    • Headlines- Why they are important and how to write them
    • How to build a strong Avatar- worksheets and questions to ask
    • Writing Exercise- build an avatar based off a student interview, write a direct mail letter drop for them
    • Writing Exercise - write a small article for the Surprise Product
  • Week 5 – Online Ads and Critiquing
    • Looking at banner ads- images and words
    • The power of specific words
    • Introduction to Canva.
    • How to positively critique another’s work
    • Exercise- Critique someone’s banner ad.
    • Writing exercise – Random Product as a Banner ad
  • Week 6 – EDM- emails and newsletters & CLIENT BRIEFS
    • Dissecting an email.
    • Email subject lines as headlines
    • The power of a list as a target market and how to write to that market
    • Writing exercise – use an avatar and write them an email.
    • Writing exercise- build a newsletter in mailchimp and send it to me.
  • Week 7 – Press Releases, Radio Ads and TV Ads
    • The power of a press release.
      • Who writes them? Who reads them?
    • Clichés and Puns
      • When are they good?
      • When are they bad?
    • Radio ads-
      • What words work best when?
      • Scripted ads or those read by the DJs?
      • Time of day
      • Where do people listen to the radio?
    • TV Ads –
      • When are people watching TV?
      • What are people watching?
      • Where are they watching?
        • Youtube
        • Online
        • Mobile
    • WRITING EXERCISE
      • PRODUCT
        • Needs a press release
        • A Radio Ad
        • A tv/youtube ad
  • Week 8 – Websites
    • 3 kinds of copy on a website
      • Front page
      • About us
      • Product Page
    • On page SEO
      • Using the Client Brief to find SEO.
      • What words go where?
      • H1, H2, H3
    • Writing Exercise – Build a website
      • Working in pairs, create a client brief for a student.
      • Build a 3 page website for your client (On paper)
        • Front page
        • About us
        • Product page

 

  • MID SEMESTER BREAK

 

  • Week 9 Blogs, Advertorials and Social Media
    • How to build a blog.
    • The differences between an Article and an Advertorial.
    • Social Media- where less is more.
    • Writing Exercise
      • Take a client brief.
      • Write a blog for your client.
      • Make a social media post about that blog in 2 different social channels.
  • Week 10 – Assignment 2- The Client.
    • Introduction to real world clients.
    • Take a client brief for one kind of copy.
    • Lesson time to do Assignment 1 & 2.
  • Week 11 – Class time for Assignment 1 & 2
    • Assignment 1- Portfolio due 11.59pm on day of class.
  • Week 12 – Portfolio defence
  • Week 13 - Presentation to Clients
  • Week 14 – Quiz
  • Week 15 – Resubmission and resubmission


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

 

To be deemed competent in this course students must show evidence of the following:

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

  • analyse and evaluate a design brief including:
  • check information for accuracy
  • work to schedule
  • work to budgetary requirements
  • locate and adhere to organisation’s legal and ethical constraints
  • produce persuasive copy with high impact, surpassing competitor’s promotional material.

 

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

 

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

  • discuss ethical requirements which may impact production and delivery of creative copy
  • explain relevant legislation, standards and codes of practice affecting production and delivery of copy
  • outline constraints to be considered during analysis, evaluation and preparation of copy
  • explain organisational policies and procedures relevant to writing copy
  • describe persuasive writing techniques
  • explain structure of persuasive copy.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1 - The Portfolio

  • 10 items of copy produced from anything in class
  • Client Brief Document for each item produced
  • 2 critiques given to fellow students
  • 2 Critiques given to you
  • 2 critiques received from fellow students
  • Due 11.59pm of day of class, Week 11
  • Defence of Portfolio due Week 12
  • Worth 40% of overall mark

*

Assessment 2 - The Client

  • A real world client will be introduced to students
  • Client Interview and brief.
  • Production of 1 piece of copy for client
  • Presentation and defence to client.
  • Client Interviews Week 10
  • Presentation Week 12
  • Hand up to Blackboard 11.59pm on day of class, Week 12
  • Worth 40% of mark, with 10% given as input from client

*

Assessment 3 - The Quiz

A 20 question short answer and multiple choice quiz

Done in Class Week 14

Worth 20% of overall mark


Assessment Matrix

Please refer to your Assessment guide for the assessment matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview