Abstract
Give Students the Big Picture: Offer an Intercultural Learning Experience in Advertising
International advertising education is an emerging curriculum (Dunn, 1994). An overview to assess the need and potential for intercultural communication courses is convincing. It makes the curriculum enhancement an easy sill at the college or university level. The global economy enjoys unprecedented growth and international cooperation: Its present rate of growth and potential parallels the “globalization” of the communication industry.
Advertising Age International projected that worldwide advertising spending would grow 6.4 percent for a net growth, without inflation, of 2.6 percent or to $317 billion in 1998 (Wentz, 1998) despite the Asian economic virus. International corporations are streamlining and centralizing global control to large communication agencies as brands become globally directed for growth and integration (Britt, 1998). Demand for strategic communicators is growing, and supply is limited.
Advertisers must converse with all cultures and subcultures. The advertising education industry needs to teach targeted, two-way intercultural strategic communication, which will become the global industry standard. As the New York Times (Decker, 1999) recently reported, several universities are beginning to require full-time MBA students to travel and study broad to address the global nature of business. Months of classroom preparation precede these global experiences.
There are three possible approaches when considering how to implement necessary intercultural curriculum developments. The first establishes permanent and substantive change via a new curriculum strategy; the second allows flirtation and experimentation via invigorating instructional technique; and the third is a do-nothing approach leading to curriculum obsolescence.
The straight-forward goals of this commentary are to clarify the concepts of intraglobal relationships and intercultural communication and provide an assortment of curriculum development strategies and instructional learning techniques for advertising educators to consider.
Curriculum Development
Strategic curriculum development needs to holistically assess all of the learning opportunities provided to the student. Generally, curriculum re-articulation is more than adding a course: It includes reordering coursework and the development of new courses to specifically address updated learning objectives. There are several curriculum development strategies available to advertising educators which guarantee a cross-cultural, integrative education process for advertising students. In fact, there are more than we offer here.
Require Minors
ACEJMC accreditation standards require advertising students to study an array of liberal arts courses. But what about depth in the major area of the educational experience? We suggest that advertising departments explore the possibility of requiring minors in marketing, graphic arts, computer science or other related areas of study and interest where are students are required to interact with other, related, university subcultures over a period of time.
Scholastic Integration through Coursework and Faculty
Drexel University increased their emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. They now focus on the integration of related subjects. They are using team taught, cross-listed courses and faculty-student research as well as “explicit preparation for life and work in a multicultural global society” (Terranova, 1992). Florida International University is planning to institute this strategy with a Multi-Cultural Communications course taught in the Business School.
Programs can also utilize faculty from other programs. The University of Texas at Austin's Business School uses the best person to teach a course regardless of program affiliation. Similarly, at Florida International University, College of Arts and Science professors teach classes in the Journalism School.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Inter-disciplinary degrees or inter-link certification programs are similar to the degree program suggested by International Advertising Association (IAA). In traditional certificate programs, students can select their course of study because of the program flexibility. However, major course integration and scheduling cooperation for 25% of a degree becomes almost unmanageable. As Holmes (1998) points out, regardless of the IAA track (standard, creative production, media/merchandising/public relations, or liberal arts), there are few schools whose curriculum encompasses all courses. A notable exception to Holmes's observation is Emerson College's School of Communication, Management and Public Policy. Emerson's unique curriculum offers an IAA accredited Masters degree in Global Marketing Communication and Advertising.
Instructional Techniques
Most advertising education programs, however, are not ready for a curriculum marriage and would prefer a more tentative courtship where flirtation and experimentation are welcome visitors as mutual compatibility is assessed and evaluated. Following is a listing of instructional options:
Faculty Members Study and Teach Abroad
Sabbaticals, fieldwork, data collection, collaborative research, consulting and travel for pleasure provide wonderful opportunities for personal enrichment. These life lessons can be easily disseminated in teaching. Research grants and, in some cases, tax deductions make this option more affordable and desirable.
Students Study Abroad
There are international universities on all continents that will admit your students for a proscribed period of study. As long as your program's accreditation standards are upheld, credits will easily transfer. This option generally works best when students are at least juniors, so that future internships, job searches and the senior campaign course is not affected.
Faculty and Students Study Abroad Together
Compact summer courses make this option very desirable for students and faculty. It provides both parties with an education, an intercultural experience and fun while traveling abroad. But be careful, this course can become so popular that you have to regularly travel abroad (Griffin, 1998; Heiman, 1995).
International Student Internships
This option is available as part of a study abroad program at some international universities as paid or non-paid internships. These opportunities can be found by the student via the internet or a listing of internships from the International Advertising Association (IAA).
International Faculty Internships
The same internship opportunities available to students are also available to enterprising faculty with a sense of wanderlust. These learning opportunities translate to fresh industry experience and an expanded network of international contacts.
International Student Competitions
The IAA organizes an international student competition in much the same way as the American Advertising Federation (AFF) offers it on a national basis.
Intercultural Case Studies
Give a twist to the case study method by having students introduce an American product into an international market or an American product into an American subculture like the Hispanic market. This method is especially workable with the aid of community fieldwork, the Internet, cable and satellite television research.
Culture, Country or Continent Area of Specialization
Encourage your students to develop a geographic area of special interest. Their geographic specialization can include languages, literature, family and social structure, values, attitudes, geography, economy and culture. Their means of study can be through Special Problem courses, campus courses already offered or off-campus learning opportunities.
Computer Software
Have you had enough zapping, gulping, punching and racecar driving? There is educational software available that allows market condition simulations for international trade and economic development. Turn your students into a Game Club that can host competitions or offer electronic simulation course projects (Buckles & Lange, 1991).
Cooperative Intercultural Learning Opportunities
This idea is reminiscent of pen pals and could be the most accurate portrayal of the future for advertising. The idea is to devise a single student project, which utilizes two teams from different cultures or countries to arrive at the strategic and tactical answers. This project is especially workable with inexpensive and instantaneous intercultural communication via the Internet. Two-way communication can include e-mail, two-way video cameras, web sights, digital cameras, other electronic methods and gadgetry. Crisis project ideas can come from recent examples like Coca Cola in Europe, bio-genetic product challenges faced by Monsanto in France or simply a project to describe how to introduce Power Bar into international sporting events.
These are just a few of the ideas, that have been discussed in the AAA International Pre-Conferences and published in journals. It is convenient and cost effective to offer a cosmopolitan flair (and competitive edge) in your advertising curriculum through intercultural studies. These can be across continents or across the street.