For this paper we have to write a media analysis on some sort of media: New movie, ad campaign, political event etc. I decided to pick Coke Cola “Share a Coke” ad campaign. I provided the document for the instructions for the final paper and would like to see if the whole paper can be completed, but for this week I really need the method section finished. I also provided what I have already wrote for the first section, which was the Introduction and Background but the professor did not really approve and said it focused more on marketing analysis rather than media analysis so be careful.
The following is a peer response I got from a classmate which I thought was helpful: I think a Semiotic analysis would be great for your paper – look into the advertisements that you mentioned in your paper and look for signs that the advertiser is trying to tell. What emotions are they trying to invoke? Do the colors used represent emotions? Do the words said in the advertisement mean anything? You can also go into connotations and denotations – what is the literal definition of something (connotation), and what are the words associated with it (denotation)? For example, rich has a connotation of having a great deal of assets and wealth, while the denotations could be well-off, selfish, happy, CEO, etc. Look into the Share a Coke advertisement first, and try to look for symbols and signs that might mean something there. I’d suggest adding another advertisement or two to analyze as well, as the final paper is going to be quite lengthy. You’ll need at least five library sources for the final paper, going to the Park database online and looking up “Semiotic analysis of advertisements” could help, or you can try looking up “Coca-Cola analysis with Semiotic analysis” as well, and that might help as well.
And another peer response: Your article does a good job of introducing Coca Cola’s famous “Share a Coke” campaign by putting it in the context of the company’s history of advertising and the culture of 2012. But it could use a better explanation of the campaign’s specific goals and how it will change how people behave and think about the brand. You give useful background information about how the campaign came to be and how it was carried out in the background part. However, you might want to add more information about why it worked and what it means for Coca Cola’s brand identity. Adding facts or statistics about the campaign’s reach and effect could also make your analysis better. If you make a few small changes to your essay, it could be a short and informative look at Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign.
Since I really need the Method section done (along with the rest ofc) here is the instructions for this weeks section of the paper:
This paper should focus on the method you will use in your analysis of the artifact/text/communication (Semiotic analysis). Use the textbook and at least three additional sources representing article done with the method you have chosen.
A. Introduction
1. Create an introduction to this section/this paper that reiterates the artifact you will be examining and identified the method you will use.
2. Give a brief explanation of why you think this method works for this artifact.
3. Preview your points to come in the body of the paper.
B. Body
1. Provide a detailed explanation of the theory/method (this should be a step-by-step “how-to” explanation– pretend you are explaining this to someone who has never heard of the ideas/method),
2. Discuss how this method has been used by others (this is generally done by referring to journal articles using the same theory as you—ask your instructor for help finding articles if you are stuck. Find three articles that talk about your theory/method and write a paragraph about each.
3. The strengths and limitations of this perspective (you will need to think about this for yourself).
We will take this paper, put it after your draft of the background paper, and this will be the first half of your final media criticism.
Lastly, this is the comment I got back from my teacher that I mentioned earlier about how she did not approve: “This looks like a summary of a Coca-Cola advertisement campaign from 2012. It looks like you state our intention is to analyze the success and failures of the ad campaign. That is not the kind of media analysis we are doing in this class. What you are proposing is the application of PERFORMANCE METRICS, a form of marketing analysis. In this class we are looking at MEDIA ANALYSIS. Several formats have been and will be presented that are accepted form of media analysis. Performance metrics is a whole other thing. You need to re-focus on media analysis, not market analysis. And you must submit five base sources”
Sorry for the mess of instructions but I hope what I have provided allows you to get the job done effectively. It is also important that the sources are scholary and not pulled of the internet. I really need this paper to focus on media analsysis and be formatted properly in the three sections. The file titled “Media Criticism final paper.docx” should help a lot with what is expected. Thank you so much in advance.
