SFB51416 Copywriting (Autumn 2019)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Compulsory course in the Bachelor's Programme in International Communication.

Recommended requirements

The course builds on previous knowledge from the two courses in professional communication in the first year of study, or on equivalent English communication skills.

Lecture Semester

3rd semester (autumn).

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The candidate

• has acquired knowledge of writing in the fields of advertising and PR, in particular the linguistic, pragmatic and cultural factors that are the prerequisites of effective copy.
• is familiar with theories for analysing situation and target group, as well as adapting the communication to function and recipient.
• is familiar with the theory of multimodal critical discourse analysis.

Skills

The candidate

• is able to produce effective, functional texts in English in the fields of advertisning and PR, with a focus on analysing situation and target group and adapting to function and recipient.
• has sound practice in critically analysing and using texts of the mentioned genres.

General competence

The candidate

• has achieved general competence in writing copy, with a view to necessary qualifications for communicators who use both English and Norwegian as their working language.
• has acquired a professional, critical attitude to advertising and PR.

Content

• Differences between Norwegian and English language use
• English for specific purposes (ESP): terms and usage in persuasive communication
• Copywriting theory
• Analysing and writing marketing and advertising texts

Forms of teaching and learning

Seminars with active student participation: analysing, discussing, writing and assessing their own texts and those of fellow students. The course is taught in English but source texts may be in Norwegian.

Workload

Total workload: approx. 280 hours

Practical training/internship

None.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• Four texts, specified in the semester plan, are to be submitted for approval by given deadlines.

The coursework must be approved before a student may register for the final examination. The texts from the required coursework can not be submitted as part of the portfolio assessment / final exam.

Examination

Individual portfolio assessment

The portfolio comprises two individually produced texts of the same type and extent as the required coursework texts.

Assessment is given on the A-F grading scale.

Examiners

External and internal examinator or two internal examinators.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

If the portfolio is given a fail, it may be improved and resubmitted.

If students wish to improve their grade, they have to submit a new portfolio at a new regular exam.

In the case of an appeal about the assessment, the entire portfolio is subject to new assessment.

Course evaluation

The course is evaluated by the students each semester in accordance with HiØ's quality procedures.

Literature

The reading list is last updated May 16th 2018.

Main course texts:

Hellum, Bjørg (2014/2015/2016). Marketing Communication, texts and contexts. Compendium, local print. (Available in HIOF bookstore)

Maslen, Andy, Persuasive Copywriting: Using Psychology to Engage, Influence and Sell, Kogan Press, London, 2015.

Additional compendium (also available in HIOF bookstore or as pdf on LMS - about 60 pages) of short extracts drawing from a range of texts including:  

Barry Brummett,  Rhetoric in Popular Culture, Sage, 2018.  (Ch.2 pp.41-50 and Ch 3. pp 79-83)

Percy, Larry & Elliott, Richard,  Strategic Advertising Management,  Oxford, 2016    (Ch.11 - pp.230-235). 

Marieke de Mooij,  Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes, Sage London, 2014.   (Ch.7 pp-208-220 and Ch.9 pp.276-293)

Norman Fairclough - Language and Power (Short extract from Introduction)

Jonah Berger - Contagious: Why Things Catch On (Short 2-3 page extract)

Seth Godin - Purple Cow (and some others) (Short 2-3 page extract)

Andy Maslan - The Copywriting Sourcebook (Short Extract from Ch2&Ch 8)

Strunk and White - TheElements of style (Ch 1)

Other texts kept on the Learning Management System (LMS); (Fronter OR Canvas).