*The following information is taken directly from the syllabus of this IMC course. While it is our intent to supply students with an accurate overview of the class, please note that the information was used in a previous session and, thus, is subject to change without notice.*

Course Description

This is an online course designed to provide you with an inside look at how modern industry is using emerging media to enhance the IMC process. During the semester, we'll examine many kinds of exciting emerging media including: podcasts, Webcasts, social marketing, banner ads, blogs, pop-ups, pop-unders, email, and short films. We'll also look at emerging media issues such as creativity, ethics, and targeting youth and multicultural groups.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of IMC 619, you will be able to:

• Understand how companies are using emerging media as part of the integrated marketing communications process.
• Identify opportunities to apply emerging media technologies in IMC.
• Gain an understanding of the different types of emerging media that marketers are using to reach and build relationships with consumers.
• Evaluate emerging media innovations with a critical eye.
• Understand the role of creativity and design in emerging media.
• Identify current and future trends in emerging media.

Grades

There are a total of 490 points possible in this course, and grades will be based on the following:

• Six weekly homework assignments worth 50 points each for a total of 300 points (61% of your total grade).
• Nine weeks of class discussion/participation worth 10 points each for a total of 90 points (18% of your total grade).
• A final project worth 100 points (20% of your total grade).

Participation

With the exception of Week 1 (during which you will be given both an introductory question and a topical question), I'll post one discussion question per week. In turn, you will be required to:

• Post one answer to each of the weekly questions within the thread (due every Wednesday by 11:55 p.m.).
• Respond to a total of four of your classmates’ response postings (due every Friday by 11:55 p.m.).
• Read all of the postings each week.

Assignments

Each assignment is due by 11:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the listed date. No late work will be accepted.

Final Project

The final project for this course involves the creation of your very own public blog and regular postings on it. Blogs need to be created on Wordpress.com. The URL for your new blog should be emailed to the professor at the end of Week 1.

Your blog will be an ongoing discussion on the impact emerging media is having on integrated marketing communications in the world around you and in your own life. Each week you should pick out two of what you believe to be the top ideas brought up in our discussion posts and use those ideas as the starting point for your blog entry. Expand upon the topic, provide further context, bring in new ideas, disagree, and in any other way comment upon the ideas you have selected. Your blog should be a place to reflect on the week’s lesson, discussions and e-mailed readings. Remember that although blogging is generally considered to be off-the-cuff informal gathering of thoughts, for purposes of this course you should always approach your posts with some forethought and using, at bare minimum, complete sentences. Your blog postings should not look like your discussion posts. This means you should not include reference notes on your blog postings, although significant points should be hyperlinked. Be creative. Be thoughtful. And keep your posts relevant to the topics at hand! Embedded videos, graphics, photos, charts, etc. will be viewed favorably during grading.

Each post is required to include the following:

1. Creative title/heading
2. Comply with traditional blogging formats (i.e. Should not look like your Discussion Board postings)
3. Analysis of your selected topic – remember that this blog is more than just cutesy commentary (although that is welcome as additional content.) You are looking to elevate and propagate ideation of emerging media in IMC.

You should begin your posts during Week 1 and you should make a substantial entry (i.e. 4-6 paragraphs with embedded links) in it at least two times per week. You should have a minimum of 20 postings registered on the blog by semesters end. Extra points may be considered for posts beyond the minimum requirement, based on their quality and what they add to the overall content of your blog. And any buzz-building that result in substantive reaction from blog readers aside from your classmates may also add bonus points to your overall grade. (Make sure to point these comments out in your written summary.)

Your final assignment will be a two-page, single-spaced, block paragraph style paper that summarizes this semester-long blog. Page one will include the URL for your blog followed by a listing of each of your headings, including date/time/subject. Provide a short one sentence descriptor of your topic.  Page two will be an approximately 650-700 word analysis on your semester-long blogging experience, including insight into lessons learned and implications for an IMC practioner. This two-page paper is what you will submit according to the Week 9 assignment deadline. Each of your blogs will be reviewed in conjunction with this paper to determine your final grade.

Weekly Schedule