HFT 2563 - Digital Marketing in Entertainment

Syllabus

Instructor:	Bill Zanetti	Term:	2020 Fall
Office:	n/a	Class Meeting Days:	N/A Online
Office Phone:	n/a	Class Meeting Hours:	N/A Online
Mobile Phone:	407.243.8454	Class Location:	N/A Online
E-Mail:	zanetti@ucf.edu	Lab Location:	N/A
Website:	billzanetti.com / UCF WebCourses	Class Section:	0W62
Office Hours:	Wednesdays by appointment	Class Code:	91612

Course Catalog Description

Investigate the role of digital and mobile marketing and the most successful techniques associated with these marketing approaches in the entertainment industry. (3 credits) 

Prerequisites

HFT 2701 Introduction to the Entertainment Industry.

Format

This online course consists of a series of modules that must be completed in order. Each module contains a combination of webpages, videos, lectures & presentations, media, activities, quizzes, exams, and assigned reading materials. Generally, each module will open on Tuesday. You will generally have until Sunday at 11:59:00pm to submit the assignments / quizzes / exams. Due Dates are scheduled for readings on Tuesday Evenings. This is when all the module's content should have been watched / read. (I use lots of videos in this course) Be aware that this is the general format for the course for every week, however there are a few assignments that deviate from this schedule.

Course Goals

This is a foundational course that introduces students to the role of digital and mobile marketing in the entertainment industry. Traditional marketing strategies are infused within the course content as they relate to modern marketing mixes. Through assigned readings, virtual lectures & presentations, and case studies, students will learn how to think strategically, creatively, and entrepreneurially.

Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the strategy, techniques, and communication media to market entertainment.
• Identify the organizations and people who conceive, create and distribute video, film, print, interactive and new technology within the framework of the entertainment marketing landscape.
• Understand how advertising, publicity, promotion, research and overall marketing campaigns are created in entertainment companies.
• Analyze the impact of digital marketing campaigns on the creative and business operations of entertainment companies.
• Understand how digital marketing campaigns are created to advertise and promote entertainment projects.
• Recognize the business relationships between marketers and the content producers, creators, and distributors.
• Evaluate the impact of promotion and marketing on entertainment projects and determine how these projects structurally fit within entertainment companies.

Required Materials

Besides the required and recommended textbooks, this course will require the use of the following additional materials and technologies:

• You should have a computer running Windows or MacOS in good working order with fast and reliable internet access.
• I also expect you to have a smartphone that runs iOS or Android, as mobile marketing is a key element of this class.
• You will also need Microsoft Word for this class, as well as Microsoft PowerPoint.
• When meeting with me, you can meet in person or online. If you want to meet online, you’ll need Zoom, Facetime, Skype, or Facebook Video. Please setup your account prior to the first online meeting with me to ensure a productive conversation.

NOTE: All of these programs are available for free for students, and I have included links to Microsoft Office for Students from UCF. Keynote is available for free through the Apple App Store. You are expected to have the latest versions of all applications. Please note that for any files you turn in, Prezi is strictly forbidden. Google Docs is also NOT accepted. 

Visual Paradigm supports University of Central Florida with the use of web based UML software, BPMN software, flowchart software and agile story mapping tools, under the Academic Partnership.

Textbooks

The following textbook is required for this class. It is available both as a paperback and a Kindle eBook format. I highly recommend the Kindle eBook format for this class since it will allow you to find things more quickly.

Lieberman, A., & Esgate, P. (2014). The definitive guide to entertainment marketing: Bringing the moguls, the media, and the magic to the world. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press/Pearson Education Inc. ISBN: 0134194675

The following textbook is recommended for this class. It is available both as a paperback and a Kindle eBook format. I highly recommend the Kindle eBook format for this class since it will allow you to find things more quickly. 

Marshall, G., & Johnston, M. (2015). Marketing Management 2e. 2 Penn Plaza, NY, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN: 0078028868

Communication

This course allows multiple methods of communication with the instructor. Please be aware that the preferred method is the messaging function through WebCourses. Although email and texting are always allowed, messages received through WebCourses will generally receive priority. Phone calls are also always welcome. Please be aware that assignment submission comments are not a good place to carry on a conversation. They are only looked at if requested, so if you need to speak to an instructor about something, do not post that request in an assignment submission comment. Class Discussions should also only be used for communication that is directed to the entire class to fulfill the obligations of an assignment.

Course Accessibility Statement

It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students, including those with disabilities that may impact learning in this class. If anyone believes the design of this course poses barriers to effectively participating and/or demonstrating learning in this course, please meet with me (with or without a Student Accessibility Services (SAS) accommodation letter) to discuss reasonable options or adjustments. During our discussion, I may suggest the possibility/necessity of your contacting SAS (Ferrell Commons 185; 407-823-2371; sas@ucf.edu) to talk about academic accommodations. You are welcome to talk to me at any point in the semester about course design concerns, but it is always best if we can talk at least one week prior to the need for any modifications.

Controversial Content

Since we will be studying entertainment marketing throughout history and into the digital era, there may be times when some of this material may include foul language, blood & gore, racial stereotypes and sexist overtones. Additionally, in the interest of keeping teaching entertaining and humorous at times, your instructor may make jokes, puns, or otherwise use humor that you may find offensive, stereotypical, or derogatory. You will understand that this is not directed at any one individual, and should not be looked at as anything but teaching with entertainment. 

Grading System Categories    

Quizzes	30%
Activities	25%
Midterm	15%
Final Exam	30%
Total	100%

Point Grading Scale (For Final Grades)      

	A	100%	to 94%
	A-	< 94%	to 90%
	B+	< 90%	to 87%
	B	< 87%	to 84%
	B-	< 84%	to 80%
	C+	< 80%	to 77%
	C	< 77%	to 70%
	F	< 70%	to 0%

Weekly Format and Due Dates

Most assignments will become available on Tuesday of each week. Almost all assignments will be open for at least 5 days, due at 11:59:00 pm on Sunday Evenings. The only three exceptions to this rule are the Syllabus Quiz, the Midterm Exam and the Final Exam. Those assignments are due as specified. 

Please be aware that it is NOT recommended to wait until the last minute for assignments. This class sometimes has multiple assignments due each week (including quizzes), and it is best to expect to spend at least one-two hours per chapter to complete the work.

Each module has requirements that must be completed before moving to the next module. These requirements might be as simple as viewing the message from the instructor each week, or submitting assignments. The point is simple though: if you can't access the next module, be sure you've clicked through and submitted all assignments in the previous module. Chances are it will unlock after you do that.

Final Exam Date and Time

The final exam will be administered online from Monday, December 7, 2020 through Saturday, December 12, 2020. You will be able to choose your time to take the final exam anytime during that timeframe.

Makeup Exam & Quiz Policy

Exams and Quizzes (Tests) are important and should not be missed when administered. No make-up opportunity will be available for any assignment, including tests. You will have at minimum 3 days to complete each test, but there may be more than one test each period of 3 days. (This means you may start each test anytime during that 3-day period, however some tests are timed so you will need to finish it in the time allotted.) Be aware that work must be completed in order, and each module must be completed before moving on to the next module. Because of the nature of this course, it is not possible for you to work ahead beyond the current week’s assignments. In the event that you submit an assignment on-time but in the incorrect format(s), you will receive a 0 on that assignment. At the professor's discretion, an opportunity may be given to you to submit the assignment in the correct format(s), however this is handled on a case-by-case basis and the grade of 0 will remain until the professor has graded the re-submission of the assignment in the correct format. Be aware that certain assignments must be completed to continue forward in the course. Failure to submit these assignments on time will prevent you from continuing the course (and eventually result in a grade of F for the course).

Deployed Active Duty Military Students

Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.

Academic Integrity

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct at http://osc.sdes.ucf.edu/process/roc. According to Section 1, “Academic Misconduct,” students are prohibited from engaging in:

1. Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
2. Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
3. Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
4. Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
5. Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
6. Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
7. Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

This is an INDIVIDUAL online course. There are no group assignments. Aside from the publicly posted weekly discussions, you are not to discuss any part of this course with another person except the instructor. Violations to this policy will be met with severe penalties.

For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity http://www.academicintegrity.org/icai/assets/FVProject.pdf.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices” http://wpacouncil.org/node/9.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating
Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/docs/goldenrule.pdf. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a “Z Designation” on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade.

Campus Safety Statement

Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.

• In case of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.
• Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. Students should make a note of the guide’s physical location and review the online version at http://emergency.ucf.edu/emergency_guide.html.
• Students should know the evacuation routes from each of their classrooms and have a plan for finding safety in case of an emergency.
• If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To learn where those are located, see http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/AEDlocations-UCF (click on link from menu on left).
• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to https://my.ucf.edu and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
• To learn about how to manage an active-shooter situation on campus or elsewhere, consider viewing this video https://youtu.be/NIKYajEx4pk.

Campus Safety Statement for Students in Online-Only Courses

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.

• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to https://my.ucf.edu and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Required Statement Regarding COVID-19

University-Wide Face Covering Policy for Common Spaces and Face-to-Face Classes

To protect members of our community, everyone is required to wear a facial covering inside all common spaces including classrooms (https://policies.ucf.edu/documents/PolicyEmergencyCOVIDReturnPolicy.pdf). Students who choose not to wear facial coverings will be asked to leave the classroom by the instructor. If they refuse to leave the classroom or put on a facial covering, they may be considered disruptive (please see the Golden Rule for student behavior expectations). Faculty have the right to cancel class if the safety and well-being of class members are in jeopardy. Students will be responsible for the material that would have been covered in class as provided by the instructor.

Notifications in Case of Changes to Course Modality

Depending on the course of the pandemic during the semester, the university may make changes to the way classes are offered. If that happens, please look for announcements or messages in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email about changes specific to this course.

COVID-19 and Illness Notification

Students who believe they may have a COVID-19 diagnosis should contact UCF Student Health Services (407-823-2509) so proper contact tracing procedures can take place.

Students should not come to campus if they are ill, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID, or if anyone living in their residence has tested positive or is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. CDC guidance for COVID-19 symptoms is located here: (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html)

Students should contact their instructor(s) as soon as possible if they miss class for any illness reason to discuss reasonable adjustments that might need to be made. When possible, students should contact their instructor(s) before missing class.

In Case of Faculty Illness

If the instructor falls ill during the semester, there may be changes to this course, including having a backup instructor take over the course. Please look for announcements or mail in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email for any alterations to this course.

Course Accessibility and Disability COVID-19 Supplemental Statement

Accommodations may need to be added or adjusted should this course shift from an on-campus to a remote format. Students with disabilities should speak with their instructor and should contact sas@ucf.edu to discuss specific accommodations for this or other courses.

Course Calendar & Due Dates

This courses utilizes WebCourses' Modules Section for the official full course calendar and due dates. Be aware that the instructor reserves the right to change the calendar, assignments, tests, and/or due dates, provided adequate notice is given to the class.