Dr. Neil Hair

It is much merriment that I can announce the finalization of the Online Advertising course to be offered in the Winter in collaboration with Professor Susan Barnes of the School of Communication. An overview of the course follows:

"Increasingly organizations and individuals are turning towards the internet as means of advertising goods, services and themselves. This course explores the role and impact of this cultural shift. Students will be exposed to the means by which modern enterprise communicates, brands and advertises in online environments. One of the unique features of this class is its blended approach towards discovery. Half of class time will be taught in a traditional in-class setting and the other will be taught in the world renowned SecondLife environment. By the end of class students will be aware of and be able to apply the strategies and tactics of branding clients and themselves online more effectively."

For successful completion of the course, the student must meet the following objectives:

1. Students be conversant with the terminology of the SecondLife and online advertising landscapes
2. Have clear understanding of strategic business and personal opportunities and have necessary skills in evaluating tactics of effective online advertising
3. Have reviewed fundamental advertising management skills and processes
4. Understood the history of online advertising methods with a view towards managing online advertising campaigns in the future
5. Have identified implementation issues surrounding the move from real world advertising to that of the virtual
6. Have an understanding of the regulatory and ethical issues related to online advertising and incorporate this understanding in their strategic recommendations

Demand is likely to be strong for this course so early enrollment is encouraged (maximum class size is 40 students). Students can look for the class under the heading Marketing Seminar in the Winter Quarter 20072 with Hair as the instructor. Prerequisites include either Principles of Marketing (0105 363) OR Principles of Advertising (0535 461). Students are encouraged to have access to their own laptop facilities. This class is also likely to attract publicity and students should be aware that RIT intends to promote the features and learning outcomes of this class heavily. This is likely to result in student interviews in the Fall quarter of 2008 (quarter 20073).

Other key features of this class include:

• Active demonstration of best practice within SecondLife
• Interviews and guest lectures from leading industry experts in this field
• Real world consultancy experience in exploring and proposing innovative solutions to live clients

As with all of my classes there is a heavy emphasis on real world application, the tangible outcome of personal competitiveness (who wouldn’t want SecondLife consultancy experience on their resume?) and a chance to say – I was there in the Winter of 07.