Weighting: 50 points

General Assignment

Write two versions of a persuasive message that could be used by our client, the office for institutional advancement.  One version is to be most effective under a high involvement situation; the other is to be most effective under a low involvement situation.  Additional materials or issues associated with the message issue will be distributed or discussed in class if they become available.

Some Specifics

1. The assignment requires preparation of a PRINT advertising message; do not submit video/audio tapes, etc.

2. The message will be in the form of a printed advertisement which can include non-text illustrations as part of the message.  Illustrations may be simple mock-ups to suggest work that could be outsourced to an artist.  You are not required to use graphic illustrations, however.

3. One message is to be most effective under high involvement conditions and the other is to be most effective under low involvement conditions.  This is a very specific assignment: merely submitting two messages will receive a failing grade if theory and guidelines associated with recipient involvement and attitude change are not followed.

4. Each message is to be contained on a single, separate page.  Clearly mark which message is for high and which message is for low involvement conditions.

5. Additionally, include a one or two page discussion for each message.  (Please limit the discussion for each message to two pages maximum.)  This discussion must:
   1. explain the sorts of situations in which the recipient would be expected to be under higher or lower levels of involvement when exposed to the message,
   2. explain why each message is expected to be more persuasive under one condition of involvement than the other, and
   3. explain why each message is expected to result in a more stable and enduring attitude change under one condition than the other.
   Note that you might be using cues in the message itself to invoke higher or lower levels of recipient involvement: if so, explain what you did to manipulate these differing levels.  Your discussion must be based on concepts and theories that we have discussed with respect to motivation, involvement, attention, and attitude change.

6. You will work in teams of two.  The team is of your own choosing.  Note, however, that both members of a team will receive the same score.

7. Neatness is considered a minimal requirement in your grade.  Neatness is defined here to include grammar, spelling, typos, correct use of paragraphs, and such.  Problems with these would not be acceptable in "real" promotional copy and are therefore not acceptable in this assignment; shoddy work will receive a failing grade.  Note that neatness as defined here does not require that you have access to any special sort of equipment or software applications; you are merely creating a mock-up.

8. Please do not use any kind of report folders.  Just use plain white paper with a single staple in the top left corner.

9. You are encouraged to visit the professor outside of class to discuss your ideas.