ADV 225: Final Exam Review

Exam Details

Chapter 1: Introduction to Business Writing

Understanding Your Audience

  • Internal Audience: Individuals or departments within an organization.

  • External Audience: Clients, prospects, and associated public.

  • Demographics: Age, gender, occupation, education, income.

  • Psychographics: Attitudes, values, interests, fears.

Language Registers

  • Frozen: Fixed and unchanging (e.g., The Pledge of Allegiance).

  • Formal: Used in professional contexts (e.g., presentations).

  • Consultative: Less formal standard English for professional interactions (e.g., news broadcasts).

  • Casual: Informal language used among friends (e.g., text messages).

  • Intimate: Language shared among close friends or family (e.g., private nicknames).

Chapter 2: Grammar and Punctuation Basics 2/14/25

Commonly Confused Words

  • Affect vs. Effect: Affect is a verb; effect is a noun.

  • Compliment vs. Complement: Compliment is a praise; complement completes something.

  • Principal vs. Principle: Principal refers to a person in authority; principle refers to a fundamental truth.

Apostrophes Usage

  • Contractions: Used in terms like ‘isn’t’ or ‘can’t’.

  • Possession: Indicates ownership (e.g., ‘Suzie’s car’).

  • Plural Possession: Used with plural nouns (e.g., ‘students’ scores’).

Writing Tight: Active & Passive Voice

Active Voice

  • Definition: The subject performs the action (e.g., “The dog bit the boy.”).

  • Key Identification: Subject-verb-object structure; direct and engaging.

Passive Voice

  • Definition: The subject receives the action (e.g., “The boy was bitten by the dog.”).

  • Identification Tip: If a subject receives action, it’s passive; can stall clarity.

Audiences and Segmentation 2/24/25

Segmentation Process

  • Dividing audiences based on shared characteristics.

Types of Segmentation

  • Geographic: Dividing by region or language preferences.

  • Demographic/Psychographic: Utilizing characteristics like income and lifestyle.

  • Usage Levels: Understanding heavy, light, loyal, or drop-off consumers.

Nurture vs. Drip Campaigns

Nurture Campaigns

  • Triggered by customer actions; ideal for non-ready buyers.

Drip Campaigns

  • Pre-designed email bursts on a schedule; useful for engaged customers.

Business Reports

Types of Reports

  1. Periodic Reports: Regular updates on operations.

  2. Conference Reports: Communicate knowledge gained during an industry event or activity to people within the org

  3. Progress Reports: Status of projects.

  4. Compliance Reports: Adherence to regulations.

  5. Feasibility Reports: Viability analyses for projects.

  6. Recommendation Reports: Proposals for action based on analysis.

  7. Investigative Reports: Focused on specific issues.

Proposals

Types of Proposals

  • Formally Solicited: Primarily request detailed information.

  • Informally Solicited: Looser inquiries, less structured.

  • Unsolicited Proposals: Marketing brochures introducing services/products.

Earned, Owned, and Paid Media 2/26/25

Distinctions

  • Earned Media: Coverage gained through public relations and word-of-mouth; high credibility.

  • Owned Media: Content created and controlled (e.g., websites, newsletters).

  • Paid Media: Content for which you pay to gain visibility (e.g., ads).

Research Basics 3/17/25
Research is a systematic inquiry to establish facts or principles or collect information on a subject. Here’s an outline of key components in research basics:

  1. Iceberg Principle

    • The idea that only a small part of an issue is visible (the tip of the iceberg), while much of the information is hidden beneath the surface.

    • Understanding the hidden aspects is crucial for effective research and decision-making.

  2. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Qualifications (RFQs)

    • RFP: A document that solicits proposals from potential vendors for a project, detailing project specifications and evaluation criteria.

    • RFQ: A document that requests specific information to assess the qualifications of vendors and their ability to provide goods or services, usually focused on pricing and terms.

  3. Structural vs. Attitudinal Research

    • Structural Research: Focuses on quantifiable aspects, such as systems, frameworks, and organizational structures.

    • Attitudinal Research: Concentrates on understanding attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of individuals or groups.

  4. Primary Research

    • Involves the collection of original data directly from sources through methods like surveys, interviews, or observations.

    • Offers first-hand insights into specific queries and can be tailored to specific research needs.

  5. Secondary Research

    • Involves analyzing existing data collected by others, such as academic journals, books, reports, and online databases.

    • Provides background information and context, often supplementing findings from primary research.

Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) 3/19/25

CRM Campaign Benefits

  • Economic: Increased sales and customer base.

  • Awareness: Heightened brand visibility and recognition.

  • Attitude/Image: Improved corporate perception and brand loyalty.

Non-Traditional vs. Traditional Advertising 4/9/25

Traditional Marketing

  • Structured, disciplined, reliant on established frameworks; often expensive but controllable.

Non-Traditional Marketing

  • Flexible, reactive, potentially chaotic; generally lower budget with emphasis on outreach, community engagement, and virality.

Stereotypes & Gender in Advertising

Gendered Responses to Advertising

  • Women process ads more deeply; men tend to be quicker.

  • Different receptiveness to imagery and messaging.

  • Brands leveraging gendered stereotypes effectively for advertisement purposes.

Pinkwashing and Greenwashing

  • Pinkwashing: Misleading use of breast cancer awareness branding.

  • Greenwashing: False claims of environmental friendliness aimed at consumers.

Conclusion

Understanding the distinctions between communication styles, media types, and marketing strategies is crucial in crafting effective business writing and marketing campaigns. Focus on audience segmentation and clarity in reports and proposals to ensure successful communication.