AWARDS: 2019 SMU Advertising Awards Luncheon Winners

The annual TAI Student Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 26 was a huge success! We always enjoy honoring our distinguished students for their dedication and accomplishments in the industry. Continue reading to view the award recipients.

President
Dalya Romaner

Vice President
Alissa Llort

Treasurer
Anna Grace Godoy

Events
Hunter Jackson

Outreach
Allie Hartman

 

 

 

Equestrian
Mary Elizabeth Cordia
Sherese Rivait

Volleyball
Meryn Kennedy

 

 

 

SILVER Medal* // Art Direction & Copy
COSTCO / “Prepared for anything.”
Gaelle Gachelin, AD/CW
Anna Rose Corell, AD/CW

HomeAdvisor / “Bridging the gap between you and home repair.”
Anna Rose Corell, AD/CW

Anger Room / “Lose your Cool. Keep your security deposit.”
Megan Cruikshank, AD
Graceley Todd, CW

Instacart / “Groceries delivered fast.”
Isaac Cordova, AD/CW

Sun Bum Sunscreen / “Get out there.”
Ellie Pace, AD/CW
Charlie O’Brien, AD/CW

BIC / “Light your way.”
Abby Coon, AD/CW
Madi Castellano, AD/CW

 

National Student Show
Dyala Ashfour
Allie Hartman

Young Ones Art Directors Club
Dyala Ashfour
Allie Hartman
Brie Bernstein

 

Dallas ADDY Award Winners
Dyala Ashfour
Brie Bernstein
Abby Coon
Megan Cruikshank
Kell Klopp

District 10 ADDY Award Winners:
Megan Cruikshank
Kell Klopp

 

 

 

This Honor Society at SMU recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication. Membership must be earned by excellence in academic work and is awarded to the top 10% of seniors graduating with degrees in communication disciplines.

Undergraduate
Ellie King
Avery Lewis
Dalya Romaner
Alegra Volpe

Graduate
Cat Scholl

 

AAF Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP)
Kayla Griffis

Dallas Area Alliance for Women in Media Foundation Scholarship
Kayla Griffis

Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Student Internship
Kayla Griffis

Washington Media Scholars Foundation Scholarship
Kayla Griffis

Most Promising Multicultural Student (MPMS)
Gabby Grubb
Alissa Llort

Dallas Fort Worth Interactive Marketing Association (DFWIMA) Scholarship
Lizzie Venditti

Advertising Education Foundation (AEFH) of Houston iHeart Media Scholarship
Kaleb Mulugeta

AAF Tenth District awarded a Scholarship
Brenda Rivera Franco

Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Student Internship
Kayla Griffis
Cassidy Najarian

Institute Graduate Scholars
Pepper Barker
Joel Garza
Alex Gurasich
Reilly Horsak
Hammond Lake
Cat Scholl

Morris Hite Memorial Scholarship
Hannah Belsinger
Allie Hartman
Isaac Cordova

Roger and Rosemary Enrico Scholarship
Emma Doyle
Katherine Menchaca
Kaleb Mulugeta
Andrew White

TAI Donald John Carty Leadership Award
Dalya Romaner

 

 

 

TAI Anchor Award
Gabby Grubb 

TAI Optimizer Award
Maddy Paul

TAI Social Impact Award
Hillery Lemon

TAI Resilience Award
Allie Hartman

TAI Service Award
Alex Gurasich

 TAI Team Player Award
Wyatt Welch

Face of TAI Award
Kayla Griffis

Graduate Reader
Cat Scholl

Undergraduate Reader
Dalya Romaner

Marshal
Avery Lewis

SMU Advertising Outstanding Senior In Strategic Brand Management
Dalya Romaner

SMU Advertising Outstanding Senior In Creative
Avery Lewis

SMU Advertising Outstanding Senior In Digital Media Strategy
Hannah Tymochko

TAI Outstanding Graduate Student
Cat Scholl

 

2018 Scholar of the Year
Carrie La Ferle

Service Exemplar
Mark Allen
Sandi Edgar

Student Support Super Star
Amber Benson

RESOURCE: Let’s Save the World from Ineffective Marketing

Knowledge – Intelligence – Benchmarks – Insights – Data

The World Advertising Research Center (WARC) is now available for SMU students, faculty and staff to uncover the latest evidence, expertise and guidance on any marketing issue. Through the library website or from the Advertising Research Guide, you can access the information that thousands of marketers use to make their marketing more effective.

WARC is an information resource that provides knowledge, know-how, and unbiased advice on almost any advertising issue.

  • Best practice and evidence on key issues from expert practitioners.
  • Distilled wisdom from effective brands to support your judgments.
  • Used by major advertising agencies and big advertisers in more than 100 countries.

Overcome your challenges with expert guidance:

  • Take advantage of best practice and ‘how to’ guides to key marketing problems, written by specialists from around the world.
  • Use WARC’s Topic pages to see the latest thinking across 100+ advertising and marketing subjects and issues.
  • Get quick guides to complex challenges through WARC’s exclusive ‘What we know about’ series.

Make your case with the right evidence:

  • Use WARC’s in-depth research papers, including peer-reviewed articles, to find the evidence you need to make the right decision.
  • Get an industry-wide view – WARC blends the best information from research organizations, trade bodies and awards organizers with its own exclusive content.
  • Be the first to see new learning on key advertising issues using our Topic Updates email alerts service.

Investigate Popular Topics by keywords such as: Brand Analysis, Luxury Brands, Youth, Brand Launches, Behavioral Insight, Social Media, Brand Positioning, Challenger Brands, Shopper Insight, Digital Media, and others.

WARC is like a living textbook. It provides…

Quick information to get up to speed on an advertising topic:

It provides succinct articles on many topics in advertising, giving you background information, summarizing what is currently known, or giving you step-by-step how to’s.  Start with WARC instead of Googling when you need to know something about advertising! In WARC, browse the “Topics” or conduct a keyword search.  Look for WARC Best Practice articles at the top of your search results.

 Research assistance for a client project:

Use the Pitch Support tool to quickly get to secondary research for your ad campaign.  This is a great place to start to get articles about your client, the product, the target audience, marketing strategy, and the media mix.

In-depth information on an advertising topic:

WARC also gives you access to research articles and extensive reports. Searching WARC can complement the research you do with our other article databases.  Look for research articles in your search results, or from the WARC homepage, choose Latest and the browse WARC Reports.

Examples of how others solved advertising problems:

Use the Case Finder to explore the thousands of case studies available in WARC. You can filter by category, audience, creative approach, media channel, campaign objectives, and more.  For example, if you were creating a campaign for a non-profit and you want to see how others have generated word of mouth, you can filter for those criteria.

 Examples of award-winning creative work:

The Gunn Report gives you access to a library of award-winning awards as well as WARC’s top 100 effective campaigns.

Need help? Want to know more about research or databases for advertising? Contact Megan.

ALUMNI UPDATE: Jolie Guz ’18

You never know where a single Instagram contest will take you. For me, one little Instagram post allowed me to present an elevator pitch to Scott Belsky, Chief Product Development Officer of Adobe. He basically makes all creative careers possible. That elevator pitch won me a trip to Adobe MAX,  an annual creative conference. During this three-day conference in Los Angeles, four thousand art directors, designers, and typeface enthusiasts join together and dive deeper into the software that makes our jobs possible. We tested out new features, listened to industry leaders, and nabbed a TON of free stuff (my favorite freebie was an ACTUAL type specimen! It’s a little metal piece of a letterpress that came in a tiny labeled test tube. SO COOL!). The conference encouraged me to get outside of my laptop and appreciate all the awesomeness of design and how it brings together incredibly interesting people and projects.

I recently graduated from TAI in May but my SMU experience has given me the warmest welcome into the real world. I work with several former TAI rockstars at BBDO in New York –  several of whom were in my own cohort! I also still bother my professors even though I’m no longer in their classes (Sorry Mark for de-railing your Advanced Portfolio class a couple weeks ago!). My education didn’t stopped when I left the classroom. The foundation of skills that I learned at TAI gave me the confidence to enter the art direction world wholeheartedly. My professors taught me that it’s always okay to ask questions and to seek advice from trusted friends and colleagues to strengthen my work.

Scott said it best in his opening keynote presentation on the first day of MAX: “The best way to learn to create is by seeing how others create.” TAI allowed me to learn from and alongside some of my favorite creative minds and I feel endlessly grateful for that opportunity.

Oh, and I’m grateful for Instagram contests too!

Instagram Submission Graphics

SXSWelcome to Graduate School

by TAI Program Specialist Sandi Edgar

New grad students might be surprised by how dissimilar their experiences are compared to undergrad life: smaller classes, expectations of thorough preparation for rigorous discussions, double digit research paper requirements, and reading hundreds of pages a week. Graduate school is an agility exercise in discipline, commitment, and stamina. It is also VERY FUN and the place many students accrue classmates and professors into their professional network.

I accompanied TAI students to SXSW this week- we networked, danced, and learned A LOT! SXSW is a graduate course guaranteed to give other students FOMO; Temerlin students attended sessions by day, microblogged during breaks, and networked at parties by night. This unconventional course closely mimics the real world of advertising by challenging students through time management, decorum at client events, assignment obstacles, and sheer exhaustion!

The biggest draw for SXSW is the unparalleled access to innovative technology, often presented by world-class leaders, which provides excellent research opportunities for our students. The most common SXSW themes included Virtual Reality, the future of holograms, Artificial Intelligence, screen less advertising, millennial marketing, and cause based brands.

Temerlin students were also treated to a VIP boat party from Dallas’ Agency Entourage founder Ben Randolph (bottom), and networked with many advertising giants. We had an excellent time at SXSW and enjoyed bonding with our students (top) at this dynamic conference.

Whether you are new to advertising or looking to further your career, SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute provides access to cutting edge technology, research, and industry leaders. Learn more at advertisinggradschool.com

TAI Creative Student Jennifer Nelson Shares Copywriting Experience with Award-Winning Ad Agency: McGarryBowen

Last summer, TAI creative advertising student Jennifer Nelson worked as a Copywriting Intern at McGarryBowen’s headquarters in New York City, NY. Internship experiences can give you a greater understanding of how a large agency functions according to Nelson.

Jennifer Nelson at McGarryBowen’s office

“I was hired as a Copywriting Intern so I was responsible for writing headlines/taglines/commercial scripts, concepting ideas, assisting my Art Director partner, and working on the summer-long intern project,” Nelson said. “I was put on the Chevron and Brand USA accounts, but I ended up working on mainly Chevron as well as a bit of United Airlines. There is a commercial that will air for the Sochi Olympics this winter and I helped write the script!”

Nelson learned many important skills from this internship, but she claims that by far the most important skill she learned was working with others. She partnered with a talented Art Director intern and worked on every project almost entirely through collaboration. “If I needed help with a headline, I would ask for her opinion. If she was stuck on some art, I would give her ideas,” Nelson said. Through this method, Nelson was always prepared for client meetings.

Every day was different depending on Nelson’s schedule, but she typically got to work at 9 A.M. and headed home at 6 P.M. Once she got to the agency, she made herself oatmeal and coffee, checked her e-mail for any meetings she could have, and talked with her intern partners about their plan for the day. In the mornings, she and her Art Director partner gave each other feedback on their concepts and worked on them until lunch. Sometimes the interns had informational meetings that allowed them to learn about the different departments and roles within the office. For lunch, she typically ate outside with the interns and then headed to a client meeting.

One of her favorite memories from her internship experience was working with other interns to present an Intern Project to the agency. “It was basically a campaign pitch for Champion. The interns were split up into three teams so it got pretty competitive,” Nelson said. “To set my group apart, I wrote a rap for us to perform at the beginning our presentation. We received a huge round of applause as well a couple chuckles. A few of the executives even praised my rap writing skills when we finished.” This experience allowed Nelson to sharpen her presentational skills.

Nelson has learned how to be a good team player from her advertising classes, and this helped her be the best partner she could in the internship.

During her internship, Nelson primarily worked with the Chevron creatives who became like a family for her. Nelson and her Art Director partner developed concepts for Snapchat games, videos, gifs, and more. Nelson also worked on a Chevron STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) event for women in Washington D.C. “That was super cool because I learned so much about the rich history of women in STEM,” Nelson said. “My partner and I ended up having the most accepted concepts for both Fresno and STEM on the team!”

On the creative floor

This internship gave Nelson amazing opportunities to create work, and was therefore allowed to experience the duties of a copywriter. In the future, she sees herself working for an advertising agency in a big city as a copywriter.

Advertising students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship prior to graduation. The hands-on experience allows students to learn about the advertising industry outside the classroom. Nelson highly recommends TAI students to apply for McGarryBowen’s summer internship!

Check the TAI Weekly Update for current internship opportunities.

 

 

Introducing SMU’S 2018 NSAC Ad Team Members

This year SMU will be competing again in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). Students were selected by Ad Team manager Professor Amber Benson to be a part of SMU’s award-winning Ad Team. The Ad Team will be working together to create a full campaign applying the scrum methodology. This year’s client is Ocean Spray and the challenge is to drive relevancy of the brand for millennials across both food and beverages.

Ad Team members shown in the order listed below.

Hayley Banas is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Psychology.

Myla Borden is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Mary Charles Byers is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Amy Cooley is an Advertising (Strategic Brand Management) and Spanish double major.

Rita de Obarrio is an Advertising (Digital Media Strategy) and Psychology double major with a minor in Business.

Harrison Fiveash is a pre-major in Advertising interested on the Strategic Brand Management track with minors in Communications and Arts Entrepreneurship .

Anne-Marie Geisler is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track with a minor in Fashion Media.

Conrad Li is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track.

Alissa Llort is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Psychology.

Alex MacKillop is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with minors in Business and International Studies.

London Mercer is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Shelby Pointer is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Juan Reyes is a Corporate Communications and Public Affairs major with a minor in Advertising.

Sara Jane Stephens is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Spanish.

Sara Ann Whiteley is a Journalism major with a minor in Advertising.

Frank Zhang is an Advertising (Digital Media Strategy) and Mathematics double major.

Four team members will be selected to present the team’s work in a 20-minute long presentation to a panel of judges made up of industry experts at each level of competition – first at the District level in Corpus Christi, TX in April, then (if they advance) at the National level in Chicago, IL in June.

 

 

ExxonMobil Lecture Series: “Signs of Humanity” Screening

Tuesday, February 28, the Temerlin Advertising Institute hosted a public screening and Q&A of documentary “Signs of Humanity” at the Angelika Film Center as part of its 2017 ExxonMobil Lecture Series.

Professor Baronet talking to Jennifer and Jesse, a homeless couple in Seattle.

“Signs of Humanity” is a documentary film created by TAI Professor Willie Baronet. The film explores themes of home, homelessness, compassion and humanity as Professor Baronet and his team travel the country collecting over 200 homeless signs and interviewing over 100 people on the streets.

“The event on Tuesday evening really opened my eyes to the important work that Willie is doing, and how many people are willing to help him,” SMU student Dalya Romaner said. “The documentary was beautiful, and I feel that everyone watching it could connect to some aspect of it, whether it was one person he interviewed, or a reason for his project, or even a city he visited. Let’s just say, I now look up to Willie not only as a professor, but as a human being, and a change maker in a world desperately needing change.”

Each year TAI hosts lectures and events as part of the ExxonMobil Lecture Series. The series is one of many ways that TAI advocates its motto “Better Advertising. Better World.” This lectures series helps to promote advertising, media and corporate ethics by hosting events to discuss varying ethical topics that can be related to advertising.

Crowd at the screening event.

“We are so pleased to recognize the creative work of Professor Baronet,” Steven Edwards, Director of the Temerlin Advertising Institute, said. “Offering the public an opportunity to view ‘Signs of Humanity,’ recognize important supporters of the project, and create a space to spur on the conversation about homelessness is part of our larger mission to positively impact our community.”

Many TAI students, as well as faculty and local industry professionals, attended the event. The night started off with a reception and networking, followed by a brief recognition of documentary creator and producers, the screening of the film, and finally a Q&A with Professor Baronet and other producers of the documentary.

“Willie and his filmmakers did a great job of providing an open-minded glimpse into the world of homelessness nationwide,” Romaner said. “They didn’t come in with preconceived notions, they treated everyone as humans, not as homeless people, and it was beautiful to watch. I really feel that it gave everyone an idea of something small we can all do to help the homeless community around us, even as small as acknowledging that they are humans too. I think the most important takeaway from the film, the event, and Willie himself, is that we need to see everyone as people going through their own struggles, and it’s that commonality that gives us the chance to connect so the world is not made up of ‘us vs. them.’”

From left to right: Professor Baronet, Director Tim Chumley, Producer Judy Burch Gass, Producer Eamon Downey

Professor Baronet is doing important work to shine a light on homelessness. The event was an opportunity for the entire faculty and Professor Baronet’s students to celebrate what has been his two-year journey to film, edit, and showcase his project. This work has provided learning opportunities for students to reflect on the intersection of art, advertising, film-making, and creative expression in a persuasive context.

“I loved when Willie said in the film that the sign exhibit isn’t about him, it’s about the people he’s doing this for,” TAI alum Mallory Ashcraft said. “As a writer and former advertising student of Willie’s, I related to that inner dialogue, and I was so inspired by the fact that he tells the story of the homeless very honestly. I think everyone needs to see this film, because it showed me that we can all do more to emotionally support the homeless individuals in our communities and cities.”

“Signs of Humanity” is the product of a larger, ongoing art project, WE ARE ALL HOMELESS, which began when Willie purchased his first homeless sign in 1993. The project’s mission is to create a more compassionate world by creating awareness and provoking conversations about people on the streets, and inspiring others to find and implement solutions to the many causes of homelessness.

Learn more about WE ARE ALL HOMELESS and their Impact Campaign here.

Introducing SMU’s 2017 NSAC Ad Team Members

This year SMU will be competing again in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). Students were selected by Ad Team manager Professor Amber Benson to be a part of SMU’s award-winning Ad Team, Praxis. The Ad Team is broken up into four teams, including Creative, Strategy/Planning, Media & Research, and Account. These teams will work together to create a full campaign for this year’s client, Tai Pei Frozen Asian Food.

Ad Team members
Ad Team members shown in the order listed below. Not pictured: Matthew Smyth, Melissa Hodges, and Mariela Tanchez.

Creative Team:

Laura Walsh is the Executive Creative Director. She is an Advertising (Creative) and Marketing double major with a minor in Graphic Design.

Matthew Smyth is an Art Director/Copywriter. He is an Advertising major on the Creative track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Tiffany Giraudon is an Art Director/Copywriter. She is an Advertising (Creative) and Studio Art double major with minors in Graphic Design and Art History.

Abby Coon is an Art Director/Copywriter. She is an Art and Advertising (Creative) double major with a minor in Photography.

Melissa Hodges is an Art Director/Copywriter. She is a Marketing major with a minor in Advertising.

Christina Skertchly is an Art Director/Copywriter. She is an Advertising major on the Creative track with minors in Business Administration and Graphic Design.

Emma Clayton is an Art Director/Copywriter. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track.

Rachel Kainer is the Copy Chief. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track with Psychology and Sports Management minors.

Eric Sedeno is the Graphic Designer. He is an Advertising major on the Creative track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Kendall Krieger is the Video Producer. She is an Advertising (Digital) and Film double major.

Strategy/Planning Team:

Nicholas McCall is the Planning Director. He is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track with minors in Chinese and Statistics.

Cheyenne Tilford is the Strategy Manager. She is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with minors in Fashion Media and Arts Entrepreneurship.

Joanna Fennessey is an Integrated Strategist. She is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Psychology.

Cooper Wildeson is an Integrated Strategist. He is a Marketing and Advertising (Digital) double major.

Paige Brown is an Interactive Strategist. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track with a French minor.

Rebecca Romero is an Interactive Strategist. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track with minors in Psychology and English.

Sara Jane Stephens is an Experiential Strategist. She is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Spanish.

Amy Cooley is an Experiential Strategist. She is an Advertising (Strategic Brand Management) and Spanish double major.

Media & Research Team:

Gifford Mellick is the Research & Media Director. He is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track with a minor in Statistics.

Peyton Turbeville is the Insights Manager for Primary Research. She is an Advertising (Strategic Brand Management) and Psychology double major.

Gyeryeong Kim is the Insights Manager for Secondary Research. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track.

Chad Brennecke is the Business Analyst. He is a Marketing major with an Advertising minor.

Yuan Yuan Wu is a Media Planner. She is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track.

Emma Flores is a Media Planner. She is an Advertising pre-major.

Account Team:

Lex Pedraza is the Group Account Director. He is a Markets & Culture major with an Advertising minor.

Jessica Giraudon is the Project Manager. She is an Advertising major on the Strategic Brand Management track.

Donald Conkey is the Assistant Project Manager. He is a Political Science major with an Advertising minor.

Mariela Tanchez is the Production Manager. She is a Communications major with an Advertising minor.

Margot Wynant is a Business Development Manager. She is an Advertising major on the Digital Media track with a minor in Graphic Design.

Alex Gurasich is a Business Development Manager. He is an Advertising major on the Digital Media Strategy track.

Four of these Ad Team members, not yet decided, will be selected to present the team’s work in a 20-minute long presentation to a panel of judges made up of industry experts at each level of competition – first at the District level in Fort Worth, TX in April, then (if they advance) at the National level in New Orleans, LA in June.

Industry Guest Speakers to Visit TAI Professor Kim’s Digital Media Strategy Class

In the upcoming weeks, TAI Professor Eunjin (Anna) Kim will be hosting multiple guest speakers in her Digital Media Strategy 1 class. She is inviting any interested students to come sit in her class on the day of these speakers as well.

James Moore, Chief Revenue Officer at Simpli.fi
James Moore, Chief Revenue Officer at Simpli.fi

The first guest speaker is James Moore, Chief Revenue Officer at Simpli.fi, specializing in Programmatic Advertising & DSP (Demand-Side Platform). On Tuesday, October 18, Moore will speak about Programmatic Advertising. He will address the evolution of online marketing and how data driven RTB (Real Time Bidding) has changed the way media is bought and sold; common tactics and real life applications for programmatic display, mobile, video, and social; how the target works: Geo-Fencing, Site RT, Search RT, category and keyword contextual; and what’s next in programmatic.

Paul Buckley, President of D Custom
Paul Buckley, President of D Custom

The second guest speaker will be Paul Buckley, President of D Custom, a Content Marketing Subsidiary of D Magazine. On Tuesday October 25, Buckley will speak about Content Marketing. He will be talking about content marketing strategy, trends, challenges and opportunities for digital marketers, and what’s next in content marketing.

The third guest speaker is Mike Wylie, Managing Director Dallas at Wpromote, specializing in Paid Search and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). On Thursday, October 27, Wylie will speak about Search Marketing.

The last guest speaker is Brad B. McCormick, Chief Digital Officer at Moroch, a Dallas-based top 10 independent ad agency. On Tuesday, November 8, McCormick will speak about Social and Mobile Media Marketing.

Detailed topics for the last two speakers will be distributed soon.

While these lectures will occur in Professor Kim’s Digital Media Strategy 1 class, all interested students are welcome to attend any of the lectures. All lectures will be at 12:30pm in ULEE 234.

TAI Professor Anna Kim and Communication Arts Librarian Megan Heuer Create Information Literacy Certificate

This semester in TAI Professor Eunjin (Anna) Kim’s Digital Media Strategy 1 course, first-year advertising students on the digital track are working towards getting their Information Literacy Certificate. This certificate program is specially designed to help students nurture sophisticated secondary research skills in the field of advertising.

Many colleges across the country have a version of an Information Literacy Certificate or Program, and generally these programs are not specific to one discipline. However, SMU’s Information Literacy Certificate Program, developed by Professor Kim and Communication Arts Librarian Megan Heuer, requires ten hours of training and includes actual practice of research tools as part of the program specifically for advertising.

For more information on the Information Literacy Certificate, go to guides.smu.edu/infolitcertificate.
For more information on the Information Literacy Certificate, go to guides.smu.edu/infolitcertificate.

“When I talked to industry people who were guest speakers in my class, they all said that when kids [like our students] grew up with the Internet they think they know it well,” Professor Kim said. “But they were disappointed by the quality of the research these kids came up with because it wasn’t credible or it took too long. We’re teaching our students how to identify, located, and evaluate information as well as sources and turn information into something more valuable.”

While the new program is being included as part of Professor Kim’s course, Professor Kim and Librarian Heuer hope to offer the program to all interested students next semester. Currently, this program is not in the curriculum of any other courses at SMU; therefore, Librarian Heuer will be offering the program outside of registered SMU classes.

“We did it this semester to get feedback from students on the program,” Librarian Heuer said. “The work that Professor Kim’s students are doing in class now can be done in a workshop setting outside of class. This program offers extra practice, training and understanding of research outside of the classes these students are taking. The program helps them flesh out their skillset.”

To achieve this certificate successfully, students must complete online tutorials, attend sessions and turn in work, and then pass the final assessment. Professor Kim is holding in-class sessions for her students to complete this certificate by the end of the semester. The topics of these sessions include Ethical Use of Information, Basics of Advertising Research, Advanced Internet Search Skills, Finding & Evaluating Statistics, Demographics & Psychographics, and Problem-based Case Studies.

Professor Kim and Librarian Heuer are currently working on creating the final test for completion of the program.

“The test will be setting out research tasks that you might have to research in the real world and tracking how well students do with it,” Librarian Heuer said. “We will look at the answers students got, the quality of information they found, and what their thought process was in conducting research, including strategies, tools, and how they found what they did.”

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to add the certification to their resumes, as well as gaining a digital badge on their LinkedIn profiles.

“We started from an ethical point of view because [TAI is passionate about] ‘Better Advertising. Better World.’” Professor Kim said. “So the students will know how to credit their source or provider correctly. They will get a paper certificate itself and Megan [Heuer] is going to create an online badge for LinkedIn. Employers will value this certificate because the students will have formal and strategic training in research. Students will be more prepared for their jobs, where they tend to be doing a lot of research.”

Students have responded very positively to the program and are excited about adding these new skills to their resumes.

“Once they see tasks that they need to be able to do, they appreciate having support to be able to complete those tasks in a better way,” Librarian Heuer said. “[Having this skillset] saves them time and makes them better. There’s not one right way to do research. Students come up with things I haven’t even thought of, and it’s exciting to see.”

“I believe TAI Information Literacy Certificate would not only help me get an internship but would also help me stand out as an intern,” TAI Digital Advertising student Rita de Obarrio said.