Digital

Every click tells a story. Jump into a world of technology, data and interactive experiences. Learn the latest in digital strategy, e-commerce, computational advertising and AI, and help to shape the future of our field.

Tech and Advertising Campaigns

With the maturation of the internet as an advertising and media channel, advertising, journalism, and communications students need to know more about technology and how that impacts their messages and designs. Likewise, computer scientists could benefit from knowledge of what the end user is looking for when designing web content, applications and other web-based media. Students in this course will gain design knowledge as well as a hands-on experience in completing a technology-driven advertising campaign. Students will participate in engineering, advertising and project management activities with individual as well as team responsibilities.

Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) (EU)

This directive regulates media services across the EU, particularly concerning advertising targeting children. It limits certain types of ads, such as those for unhealthy food or toys, during children’s programming.

Prompt

Discuss how AVMSD compliance affects cross-border ad campaigns on digital media platforms.

Digital Markets Act (DMA) (EU)

The DMA limits control that these large platforms have over the distribution of content and advertising revenue. The DMA promotes interoperability and prevents anti-competitive practices that could harm smaller content creators and platforms.

Prompt

How does the DMA regulate ad platforms classified as “gatekeepers”?

AI and Advertising

How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) impact advertising – now and in the future? From virtual influencers to research or content creation, students will explore the ethics and efficacy of using AI for advertising.

AI Act (EU)

The proposed AI Act will regulate the use of artificial intelligence in various industries, including advertising/ Advertisers will need to ensure that their AI tools comply with transparency and ethical standards, possibly leading to more cautious use of AI in decision-making processes and ad placement.

Prompt

How might the AI Act regulate the use of AI in automated ad creation and targeting?

National Data Privacy Laws

Other countries have implemented privacy laws that impact how advertisers can use consumer data. These laws create challenges for global advertising sales by requiring compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

Prompt

How do data privacy laws impact the use of AI in personalized ad targeting?

Computational Advertising

Surveys the emerging landscape of computational advertising. It will provide students with a thorough understanding of the technologies including web-search, auctions, behavioral targeting, and mechanisms for viral marketing that underpin the display of advertisements on a variety of locations. These locations include web pages (banner ads), on prominent search engines (text ads), on social media platforms, as well as cell phones. The students shall also learn about new research areas in computational advertising including electronic billboards, moving objects (banners atop taxi cabs) and algorithmic synthesis of personalized advertisements. This class will also discuss issues related to consumer privacy.

Copyright Directive (EU)

The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was passed to modernize copyright laws across the EU, particularly regarding digital content. Article 17 (previously Article 13) of the directive holds platforms accountable for copyright infringements made by users.

Prompt

How does the Copyright Directive shape automated content generation for advertising?

Algorithmic Accountability Act (U.S. Proposed)

This proposed U.S. law would require companies to assess the impact of algorithms, including those used in advertising research for targeted marketing.

Prompt

How would this Act affect the development of algorithm-based ad targeting?

Innovations in Advertising

Intended to improve creative and critical thinking skill in advertising planning by understanding the core technology and perspective of digital and other innovative media in the context of integrated communication. This will allow students to understand how consumers perceive and process digital advertising messages; to research critical questions in digital consumer behavior; to learn how to utilize digital and non-digital media in the context of integrated communication; to apply knowledge of digital communication technology to the real-world advertising cases.

AI Act (EU)

The proposed AI Act will regulate the use of artificial intelligence in various industries, including advertising/ Advertisers will need to ensure that their AI tools comply with transparency and ethical standards, possibly leading to more cautious use of AI in decision-making processes and ad placement.

Prompt

Discuss the potential limitations the AI Act could place on AI-driven innovation in digital advertising.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (U.S.)

COPPA restricts the collection of personal data from children under 13 without parental consent, affecting media planners targeting family-friendly or children’s content. This regulation impacts media choices, particularly on platforms or apps directed toward children.

Prompt

How does COPPA impact innovative ad formats targeting children?

Amazon Advertising Experience

This industry immersion course is a partnership with Amazon Advertising and Global Overview designed to provide students with an experiential learning opportunity relevant to building careers in advertising, marketing, media and related fields.

Digital Services Taxes (DSTs)

Several countries, including the UK, France, and India, have introduced digital services taxes targeting large tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. These taxes apply to revenue generated from digital services, including online advertising and streaming services.

Prompt

Discuss the impact of DSTs on platform-specific advertising costs and strategies.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) (U.S.)

This U.S. law impacts how digital works are distributed and protects against copyright infringement in online spaces. It also addresses the liability of digital platforms hosting user-generated content.

Prompt

Analyze the Directive’s impact on ad-tech platforms and user-generated content.

Advertising Tech and the Digital World

Digital communication and information technologies have profoundly changed nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Advertising stands as the central funding model for many of these technologies, including search engines, social networks, news media, and a host of other platforms and services. This course systematically examines the role of these technologies in shaping our lives—and the role of the advertising industry in shaping these technologies.

Copyright Directive (EU)

The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was passed to modernize copyright laws across the EU, particularly regarding digital content. Article 17 (previously Article 13) of the directive holds platforms accountable for copyright infringements made by users.

Prompt

Analyze the Directive’s impact on ad-tech platforms and user-generated content.

Algorithmic Accountability Act (U.S. Proposed)

This proposed U.S. law would require companies to assess the impact of algorithms, including those used in advertising research for targeted marketing.

Prompt

Evaluate the implications of algorithm accountability on ad-tech tools and platforms.

Digital Portfolio

Digital portfolios offer a way to brand yourself and share your work and experience. In this hands-on class, you will create your own digital portfolio, essentially "packaging" and showcasing your unique experiences and content you've created in classes, extra-curricular activities, jobs or internships (e.g., press releases or news articles, creative projects from ad campaigns to short films, research projects, media plans, video reels, etc.).

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) (U.S.)

This U.S. law impacts how digital works are distributed and protects against copyright infringement in online spaces. It also addresses the liability of digital platforms hosting user-generated content.

Prompt

Create a “Copyright & Attribution” policy for your portfolio that addresses content rights and copyright issues.

National Data Privacy Laws

Other countries have implemented privacy laws that impact how advertisers can use consumer data. These laws create challenges for global advertising sales by requiring compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

Prompt

Write a short “Privacy Notice” to include on your portfolio that explains what data (if any) your site collects, how it’s used, and your commitment to protecting visitor privacy.