How to create and research social advertising WF-PS-N-TBRS
Throughout the course, participants are gradually introduced to the world of social advertising—its essence, goals, and mechanisms of influence. The classes begin by explaining what social advertising actually is and how it differs from commercial advertising. Students learn about the classic elements of the marketing mix—product, price, distribution, and promotion—and discover how these can be adapted for socially oriented campaigns. The discussion also touches on the concept of egocentrism in social advertising, exploring how campaigns that promote values can simultaneously serve as promotional tools for the brands or institutions behind them.
As the course progresses, attention turns to the target audiences of social campaigns and the strategies of segmentation and positioning. Students come to understand that effective social communication is built on promises and perceived benefits—clearly showing the audience what they gain by changing their behavior or attitudes. Selected campaigns are analyzed to compare strategic assumptions with the actual public response and impact.
A key part of the curriculum focuses on cause-related marketing (CRM)—marketing for a cause. Participants explore definitions, real-world examples, and the significance of CRM in a world where the line between social action and business interest grows increasingly blurred. In this context, the Dynamic Model of Brand Personality Development is discussed, leading to a critical question: is CRM an act of altruism, or simply a calculated business strategy?
Students also learn how to research and evaluate the effectiveness of social advertising. They are introduced to exploratory qualitative methods, pretesting, and various techniques for measuring campaign impact. During the practical portion, they design their own questionnaires, learning how to formulate questions and interpret the data to ensure reliability.
Subsequent sessions focus on models of communication and persuasion. Participants debate whether information or emotion holds more persuasive power, studying Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). They also explore the question of negative emotional intensity—how strong emotional appeals should be in social advertising and what factors may amplify or moderate their effects.
The course then examines overt and covert persuasion, helping students identify both explicit and subtle techniques of influence. Communication strategies such as the “Trojan Horse” approach and direct attack are discussed alongside the concept of “One Team”—a method for shifting attitudes toward stigmatized or marginalized social groups.
Ethical dilemmas are also addressed: is it more effective to promise heaven or to threaten hell? to punish or to reward? The role of empathy as a persuasive tool is analyzed, as well as the question of who should represent a social cause—an expert, a celebrity, or an ordinary person?
The workshop component encourages creativity through brainstorming sessions, campaign design, and the study of television advertising and the factors influencing its effectiveness. Students practice lateral thinking, explore the potential and risks of outdoor advertising, and consider its impact on road safety. They are also introduced to the synectics method as a tool for creative problem-solving and investigate viral advertising, identifying what makes certain messages spread spontaneously and effectively online.
In the final part of the course, participants learn about the “O”-heuristic and cognitive factors in ad creation, as well as the specific features of print advertising as a medium of persuasive communication. The course concludes with a reflection on the propaganda of good hearts and the ethics of social advertising, inviting discussion on the moral limits of persuasion—whether every form of promoting good is truly good, and whether emotional engagement always justifies persuasive methods.
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Term 2025/26_L:
Class 1 The first session introduces participants to the world of social advertising, a unique form of persuasive communication aimed not at selling a product, but at changing social attitudes and behaviors. The discussion focuses on the fundamental differences between social and commercial advertising, particularly in terms of objectives, target audiences, and methods of influence. Participants also explore the elements of the marketing mix – product, price, distribution, and promotion – and how these can be applied to social campaigns. The session concludes with a reflection on the egocentrism of social advertising, considering how pro-social campaigns can also serve as promotional tools for brands or institutions. Class 2 The second class focuses on defining the target audience of social campaigns and understanding the principles of segmentation and positioning. The central theme is that effective social communication is built on a promise – emphasizing the benefits for the recipient, which motivate behavioral or attitudinal change. Participants also analyze selected social campaigns, comparing their strategic assumptions with real audience reception. Class 3 The third session explores the concept of cause-related marketing (CRM) – marketing for a cause. Participants learn definitions and examples of campaigns in which companies support social goals through promotional actions. The Dynamic Model of Brand Personality Development is examined to show how social values can enhance brand image. The discussion revolves around a key question: Is CRM an act of altruism or a calculated business move? Class 4 The fourth session focuses on methods of researching social advertising. Participants learn about exploratory qualitative research, pretesting, and effectiveness studies. The session introduces tools for evaluating whether a campaign meets its communication objectives and genuinely influences audience attitudes. Class 5 The fifth session takes a practical approach. Participants learn how to design a questionnaire for evaluating the effectiveness of social campaigns. They go through the process of writing and constructing the questionnaire to ensure it functions as a reliable research instrument. Class 6 This session examines models of communication and persuasion in social advertising. Participants debate whether information or emotion has a stronger persuasive effect, exploring the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) developed by Petty and Cacioppo. The discussion highlights how different processing routes influence audience responses to social advertising. Class 7 The seventh session investigates the impact of negative emotions in social advertising. Participants search for the optimal intensity of emotional appeal—enough to engage, but not repel, the viewer. They also analyze moderating factors, such as context, audience experience, and the credibility of the source. Class 8 This class focuses on overt and covert persuasion in social advertising. Participants learn to recognize subtle forms of influence that operate below the level of conscious awareness and explore how these are used in social campaigns. Class 9 The ninth session explores different communication strategies: “Trojan Horse” or direct attack? The discussion compares indirect versus explicit persuasive approaches. Participants also examine the “One Team” concept as a strategy for changing attitudes toward stigmatized and marginalized groups. Class 10 This class raises key questions about persuasion: Is it more effective to promise rewards or threaten punishment? Participants analyze the role of empathy in persuasion and reflect on who should represent a social cause—an expert, a celebrity, or an ordinary person? Class 11 The eleventh session takes the form of a brainstorming workshop, during which participants generate ideas for their own social campaigns. The discussion then turns to television advertising, exploring its mechanisms of influence and the factors that determine the effectiveness of audiovisual communication. Class 12 The twelfth session introduces lateral thinking as a creative approach to communication. Participants study outdoor advertising, learning about its advantages and limitations, and discuss how outdoor advertising can affect road safety. Class 13 The thirteenth session focuses on the synectics method and viral advertising. Participants examine what makes a message go viral on social media and which conditions increase its persuasive effectiveness. Class 14 The fourteenth session examines the “O”-heuristic and the role of cognitive abilities in the process of creating advertisements. The discussion also covers print advertising, its characteristics, and how persuasive messages are constructed in traditional media. Class 15 The course concludes with a reflection on the propaganda of good hearts and the ethics of social advertising. Participants discuss where to draw the line between genuine concern for the common good and emotional manipulation, questioning whether every form of pro-social persuasion is ethically justified. |
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
(in Polish) Opis nakładu pracy studenta w ECTS
Subject level
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
W01 Scientific theories in the field of marketing and social communication.
U01 To identify a social problem, plan its research, interpret the results, and apply them in marketing activities.
U02 To plan a social communication strategy.
U03 – to create a persuasive message based on acquired psychological knowledge
K01 To responsibly fulfill the role of a person engaged in social marketing, adhering to ethical principles and contributing to the development of the profession.
Assessment criteria
For a very good grade (5.0):
The student independently defines and explains all key concepts related to social advertising, its goals, and mechanisms of action. They are able to comprehensively analyze examples of social campaigns, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and formulating original conclusions regarding message effectiveness. The student knows and interprets theories of persuasion and communication (e.g., ELM) and understands the principles of segmentation, positioning, and the promise of benefits in social campaigns (W1).
In the final paper, the student demonstrates a high level of independence and creativity (U02), making functional use of academic literature (U01, U03). The student actively participates in class, demonstrates a critical, reflective, and ethical attitude, and engages in discussions and creative projects (K01).
For a good grade (4.0):
The student correctly defines most concepts and mechanisms of social advertising. They can discuss the main elements of an effective campaign and apply basic communication and persuasion models in analyzing examples. In the final paper, the student presents a logical line of reasoning, makes correct use of literature, and can identify key factors influencing advertising effectiveness (W01).
The student often demonstrates engagement, participates in discussions, expresses their own opinions, and is able to argue and maintain a critical stance (U01; K01).
For a satisfactory grade (3.0):
The student knows the basic concepts and mechanisms of social advertising and can discuss selected elements of campaigns and their significance. In the final paper, they present the essential content, using basic literature sources. The student can list the most important communication models and indicate general principles of constructing pro-social messages (W01).
The student participates in classes, makes an effort to engage in discussions, and shows willingness to deepen their knowledge independently (U01; K01).
Final project – preparation of a social campaign strategy on a selected topic.
Test with multiple-choice questions (one correct answer per question).
Final grade – calculated as the average of the project and the test.
Practical placement
Nie dotyczy
Bibliography
Adkins, S. (1999). Cause Related Marketing. Butterworth, Heinemann.
Bagozzi, R. P., & Moore, D. J. (1994). Public Service Advertisements: Emotions and Empathy Guide Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Marketing, 58, January, 56-70.
Keller, P. A., & Block, L. G. (1996). Inreasing the Persuasiveness of Fear Appeals: The Effect of Arousal and Elaboration. Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 22, March, 448-459.
King, W. K., & Reid, L. N. (1990). Fear Arousing Anti-Drinking and Driving PSAa: Do Physical Injury Threats Influence Young Adults? In J. Leigh & C. Martin (Ed.), vol. 2, 155-175.
Maison, D. (2003). Propaganda dobrych serc, czyli rzecz o reklamie społecznej. Kraków: Agencja Wasilewski.
Maliszewski, N. (2005). Koń trojański w reklamie społecznej. Warszawa: Medical Tribune.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: