Course Title: Write persuasive copy

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2013

Course Code: MKTG6045C

Course Title: Write persuasive copy

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5281 - Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Contact : Sally Parrott

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5175

Course Contact Email:sally.parrott@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Alain Grossbard

Building 80, RMIT, 445 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIIC 3000

Tel 99255522

alain.grossbard@rmit.edu.au

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 applies to individuals who are responsible for writing persuasive copy to communicate messages in a wide range of contexts. These contexts may include television, radio, other advertising media, public relations or marketing. The unit is generally undertaken by those working in a supervisory, management or freelancing role who are primarily responsible for the development of persuasive copy. They may develop the copy individually or coordinate a team of writers.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBWRT501A Write persuasive copy

Element:

1. Analyse and interpret a creative brief

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Analyse and confirm the technique/s for expressing the central idea or creative concept
1.2. Identify and check the content and supporting information for accuracy and completeness
1.3. Confirm the time schedule and budgetary requirements for creating copy
1.4. Identify legal and ethical constraints impacting on copy to be developed

Element:

2. Evaluate creative options

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Evaluate design and copy options against the requirements of the creative brief
2.2. Select option/s which enable the required information and image to be communicated within time and budgetary requirements

Element:

3. Prepare persuasive copy

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Create original copy with impact which sets the product, service or idea being communicated apart from the competition and competitor's promotional material
3.2. Create copy which communicates the required image, features/benefits of the product, service or idea
3.3. Create copy which meets the requirements of the 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 and ethical requirements


Learning Outcomes


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


Details of Learning Activities

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

Practical activities, case studies and class discussion as well as work relevant assessments.

This course is co-delivered and co-assessed with MKTG5845C - Develop Public Relations Documents


Teaching Schedule

Week 1 - 8 July 2013 - Course Induction
• Course delivery and assessment details
• Course support documents
• Online learning environment
• Grading
• Plagiarism
• Appeals
• Extensions
• Feedback
• Privacy
• Submission requirements
• Resubmission policy
• Where to get support
• Student responsibilities
(2) Pre-Training Review
• Includes skills analysis and Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfers
(3) Course Overview

Week 2 Understanding the creative brief
Basic principles of persuasive writing
Plain English – rhythm, grammar, sentence structure, flow etc

Week 3 Audiences and stakeholders
Objectives and key messages

Week 4 Public relations documents and channels – overview of media releases, direct mail, newsletters, brochures etc

Week 5 Media releases (cont.)

Week 6 Blog introduction
Online copywriting

Week 7  Online copywriting (cont)

Week 8 Tools for persuasive writing – techniques and strategies, beyond logic

2 September - 8 September  Mid-Semester Break

Week 9 Social media integration – twitter, facebook etc

Week 10 Brochures/annual reports

Week 11 Newsletters/fliers

Week 12 Events/sponsorship proposals

Week 13 Research & Evaluation Legal/Ethical

Week 14 Final assessments due in class

Week 15 Assessment Feedback

Week 16 Resubmission 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Nil


Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
 


Assessment Tasks

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.

Assessment Tasks
This course is delivered and assessed in conjunction with RMIT course code MKTG5845C Develop Public Relations Documents.

Task 1 Written Portfolio – Group - (Due in class Week 6)
In groups of 3-4, students are to select a real world client for whom they will fulfil a copywriting brief. You will need to choose a client who is happy to be interviewed by you and who has a communications objective they need fulfilled. For example you might choose:

- A local café/bar that has just opened and needs to increase awareness
- A CBD food outlet that is launching a new menu and needs to inform its public
- A fashion brand that is launching a new range and needs to inform its public
- A sole operator such as a personal trainer who is trying to gain interest from a new market
- A retail store that needs to increase sales

Students are to:
• Work with the chosen client to complete the supplied Copywriting Brief in suitable depth paying particular attention to the client’s core objective, target market and key message
• Develop two potential Single Minded Proposition’s (SMP) for the client and a short description of suggested corresponding creative directions
• Choose ONE SMP/creative approach and work up the following communication pieces:

1 x Press Release (no longer than one page)
1 x Online Copy of 600 words to appear on the client’s website
1 x Print Ad (any size)
1 x DM Piece of 500 words (letter to customers, email copy, DM flier)
1 x A3 Poster

PLEASE NOTE that all communications pieces must carry the same key message, single minded proposition and creative angle and should include a call to action. Your work must follow the basic principles of persuasive writing, be free of spelling and grammar errors.

Task 2 – Blog – Individual - (Due in class Week 11)
Working individually, students are to establish and write a blog around a topic of interest using the theory you have gained around persuasive copy writing and best practice blog writing. Ultimately, your task is to persuade people to read and interact with your blog which will demand a combination of persuasive writing style, compelling content (copy and visual) and social media engagement. You are free to use the blogging platform of your choice.

Comprising a minimum of six blog entries (no max) and a minimum of 2000 words of your own copy (3000 max), your blog must:

• Be written in an engaging writing style that encourages readership
• Include graphics/images/moving footage and hyperlinks to other relevant content
• Integration of social media (twitter etc) in an effort to increase blog readership
• Achieve reader engagement through RSS feed subscriptions, comments, twitter follows
• You should also consider strategies that drive traffic to your blog including integration of social media, seeding of your blog on relevant sites and commenting on other blogs with links back to your own blog
• Be consistent in layout, writing style and posting regularity
Your work must be completely free of spelling and grammatical errors and must ensure the principles of ‘plain english’ are upheld and the tools of persuasive writing are employed. The copy must ensure appropriate format, language, writing style and tone for the given medium and audience.


Task 3 – Written Portfolio 2 – Group - (Due in class Week 14)
This is a group assignment. Working in groups of 3-4, the first part of this assessment will focus on the student’s ability to research, analyse and plan public relations documents. The second part will focus on the student’s ability to create and edit specific public relations documents, including analysis of audiences, channels, objectives, evaluation criteria and the ability to identify potential ethical issues and relevant legislation that would need to be considered when producing said documents.
NB: Students are required to complete 3 tasks. All tasks must successfully be completed to be deemed competent in this unit. More detailed assessment sheets for each assessment task will be disseminated throughout course delivery.
Submission Requirements: All assessment tasks need to be submitted via Blackboard.
You should:
• Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date. If your performance in the assessment is affected by unexpected circumstances, you should consider applying for Special Consideration. Information on the process and application forms is available at http://rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ls0ydfokry9rz website.
• Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks. (hard copy and soft copy)
• When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to use a cover sheet that includes a declaration and statement of authorship. You must complete, sign and submit a cover sheet with all work you submit for assessment, whether individual or group work. On the cover sheet you declare that the work you are presenting for assessment is your own work. An assignment cover sheet for submission of work for assessment is available from the Student forms website.
• Each page of your assessment should include footer with your name, student number, the title of the assessment, unit code and title and page numbers. For example, Julie Macpherson, 324567, Task 2, OHS2345C Ensure safe workplace, Page 1 of 10.


Assessment Matrix

Full details on how this course is assessed against the Unit elements and performance criteria plus critical aspects of evidence can be found in the Learning and Assessment Tool available from your course teacher.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview