Writing Assignment #1: Memo Evaluating an Advertisement
Objectives:
• To write a memo that clearly and concisely communicates requested information to a superior.
• To learn the process of selecting and manipulating templates.
• To sharpen skills of critical analysis and evaluation by critiquing an advertisement.
Assignment:
Write a business memorandum to your supervisor evaluating the effectiveness of an advertisement. You must make a clear recommendation about whether to continue running this ad campaign or not.
A memo letter is a type of business letter used mostly for internal communication within a company, organization, or school. A memorandum may be used to make a request, announce an upcoming meeting, or communicate some important facts.
Find an advertisement for a product or service. The ad must be digital and must be uploaded by the due date. You cannot change ads once you submit your ad. You must explain in the memo where this ad is found, and briefly describe it.
For this assignment, assume you are an employee in the Marketing Department of the company for this product or service.
Your immediate supervisor, the Vice President of Marketing, has asked you to evaluate the ad’s effectiveness. You must critique the ad (offer a summary of its positives and drawbacks), and then give a final recommendation about the ad and whether to keep running it or not.
Find a memo template in Microsoft Word or by using Google. Add a corporate logo to your memo, and change design elements to make it professional looking.
Requirements:
• Ideally the advertisement you select should be related to your field; however, this is not required.
• The memo should be no longer than 4-5 paragraphs. Business writing is usually succinct and to the point. The first paragraph states the purpose of the memo; the last paragraph is your recommendation. Other paragraphs should describe and evaluate the ad.
• You will be graded on the quality of the writing, the sharpness of your analysis and critique, and the professionalism of your memo design. A grading rubric will be used to grade the final draft.
• The ad must be a still image. It cannot be a video. This is because I want you to go in-depth, providing a detailed analysis of a single image. Video analysis is a slightly different genre.
