Advanced Diploma in Copywriting

Purpose

The qualification aims to provide learners with a focused and specialised understanding of current theory, practice and trends in selected subfields within creative brand communications, at the core of the discipline of conceptual writing for commercial brand purposes.

The learners' experience is of a highly theoretical and applied nature as their academic knowledge is developed and refined through constant evaluation, such as: essays and applied knowledge assessments, as well as placing them within real world scenarios. This gives them the opportunity to test, evaluate and build on their critical knowledge and theoretical competency in practice. As the traditional role of the Copywriter is constantly evolving within industry, the programme aims to address this change and to evolve with it.

This process ensures that at exit level the student is able to enter the workplace as a well-rounded conceptual creative copywriter, with skills in digital online content management and creative strategy.

Rationale

The Advanced Diploma in Copywriting aims to look at the future and beyond, where Copywriters are strategic thinkers, content developers, idea incubators, and writers of brand stories. This qualification is ideal for learners who are brand advocates, who think beyond medium, who understand the mind-set of 'ideas first'. Those who question the status quo, and the ones who see stories in the everyday. This qualification aims to facilitate that vision by producing industry-ready, highly employable, internationally well-rounded conceptual Copywriters.

Entry Requirements

• Cognate Diploma, at NQF Level 6.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules

• Marketing Communications Principles, 5 Credits.
• Research and Insights Analysis, 5 Credits.
• Analytical and Critical Thinking, 8 Credits.
• Creative Strategy, 6 Credits.
• Content Marketing, 8 Credits.
• Traditional Media Platforms, 6 Credits.
• Consumer Touch Points, 8 Credits.
• Brand Storytelling Across Media, 6 Credits.
• Integrated Conceptual and Strategic Skills, 10 Credits.
• Brand Building Across Media, 12 Credits.
• The Role of Copywriters in Industry (incorporates Work Integrated Learning), 14 Credits.
• Business Communications Skills, 8 Credits.
• Visual Communications Skills, 10 Credits.
• The Future of Copywriters in Industry, 14 Credits.

1. Function effectively in the workplace as an integrated conceptual Copywriter within the marketing communications industry.
2. Solve complex brand and/or product problems through advanced strategic and writing skills.
3. Debate the role of and provide a platform for future Copywriters through in-depth research and the application of advanced problem-solving skills.
4. Launch and manage a successful start-up communications agency.
5. Implement creative analytical skills to produce multiple ideas and concepts based on insights gained from the analysis of a strategic brief.
6. Interpret various brand problems to produce strategic brand communication solutions across media platforms.
7. Critically evaluate customer behaviour and user journeys in a digitally-driven world.
8. Identify and differentiate between the various media channels and the consumer's relation to these, including traditional, digital, social media and alternative media.
9. Analyse and interpret client briefs, and generate multiple conceptual solutions across a variety of platforms.
10. Evaluate and assess the role of a Copywriter within a creative team.
11. Compose brand stories and content strategies that communicate a single-minded message across multiple platforms.
12. Generate business communication solutions across a variety of platforms to Small Medium Enterprises (SME) businesses.
13. Implement entrepreneurial and visual skills to set up a successful small to medium enterprise.
14. Use design skills to generate integrated conceptual solutions to SME businesses.

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner to the Exit Level Outcomes.

• Define marketing communications and demonstrate knowledge of different marketing approaches, orientations and roles in organisations.
• Assess the current environment and marketing opportunities by considering the competition, designing a strategic brand analysis and target market profile.
• Apply these tools practically to a selected brand.
• Set meaningful brand objectives.
• Write a concise user journey.
• Use advanced analytical and insights tools when addressing a given brand problem.
• Interpret and evaluate consumer behaviour to generate user journeys.
• Write a brand positioning based on research, ingrained in target market insights.
• Describe at least one Copywriter or Content Expert and their creative processes.
• Identify the strengths of strategic thinking to solve a complex brand problem.
• Illustrate conceptual ability by creating a journal.
• Create a visual representation outlining individual conceptual processes, and align this with a given brand problem.
• Identify the role of creative strategists, and its relation to Copywriting.
• Interpret target market insights, and how these can be used when creating a brand strategy.
• Generate a creative strategy based on research, insights, and analytical and conceptual processes.
• Resolve a given brand problem by writing a creative strategy that transcends media.
• Propose future recommendations based on the above research.
• Recognise various content types and the communication objectives it can fulfil.
• Describe the importance of brand stories and develop the tools to communicate these effectively.
• Identify the brand's target audience.
• List what types of content the target audience consume, and what content they are looking for.
• Create content themes that talk to the target audience whilst at the same time aligning with the brand positioning.
• Evaluate the value of created and curated content and when to utilise these.
• Describe user journeys and how these influence channel planning.
• Identify traditional media platforms.
• List the benefits of using traditional channels, including Television (TV), Radio, Print and Outdoor.
• Plan and generate strategic communications for these channels by solving a given brand problem.
• Develop a strategic brand story that translates successfully into traditional media channels.

Integrated Assessment

The method of assessment will vary according to the module purpose and each subject's learning outcomes and the teaching and learning approach adopted. The four key modules of the qualification have been designed in such a way as to include a focus on the theoretical learning underpinning the applied competence of each module.

Formative Assessment

Each Module has its own Formative Assessments to ensure that the outcomes of that module are met. These assessments take the form of either tests, essays, individual project hand-ins and/or group or individual presentations.

The assessments are aimed at not only assessing students' knowledge and research capabilities, but also their ability to apply their knowledge, as well as to assess their competency within a practical real-world environment. This gives students the opportunity to test, evaluate and build on their knowledge in a practical and applied manner.

Summative Assessments

There are three summative assessments

• Practical Summative Assessment (Brand Challenge) - team project completed on a live client brief with students from Marketing, Art Direction and Graphic Design disciplines.
• Interim (draft) Individual research assessment (submitted at the end of Term 3) that includes a structured Work Integrated Learning process (see the Red and Yellow WIL Policy for full details).
• A final Individual research assessment (submitted at the end of Term 4), and the curation of an end-of-year Portfolio.

The purpose of the Summative Assessments is to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained in Modules 1 - 4 in a holistic research project, which will take on the form of a formal individual assessment.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

In order to gain dynamic applied knowledge and experience as Copywriters, learners will be required to spend a minimum of four weeks within a communications environment, simulating typical day-to-day activities required of copywriters, content managers or creative strategists. Students will be assigned a mentor in a structured programme within a communications environment, who will report on the students' progress. While in the workplace, students will be monitored and progress recorded and on completion of the WIL experience, the mentor and mentee will record and reflect upon their experience and document their learning, after completion of the student's four-week work experience. The experience gained during WIL, will be integrated into the student's draft individual assessment proposal.