PRA 420 | Course Introduction and Application Information - Department of Public Relations and Advertising

Course Name

Content Marketing

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
PRA 420	Fall/Spring	3	0	3	5

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Elective
Course Level	First Cycle
Mode of Delivery	face to face
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	Discussion Case Study Q&A Lecture / Presentation
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	-
Course Lecturer(s)	Öğr.Gör.Dr. SUBHİ CAN SARIGÖLLÜ
Assistant(s)	-

Course Objectives	This course aims to give students a working understanding of content marketing as a brand communication discipline: how content differs from advertising and PR, why brands publish, how a content strategy is built, how content is assigned to channels with distinct roles, and how results are measured, taught through historical examples and current cases.
Learning Outcomes	The students who succeeded in this course; Define content marketing by distinguishing it from advertising and public relations Develop a content strategy (mission, content pillars, brand voice) for a given brand Classify content by its function and channel role Derive content opportunities from search and social listening data Analyze creator-, user- and community-based content models Evaluate content performance using a KPI hierarchy Explain the limits and ethical requirements of AI-assisted content production
Course Description	The course has four parts: strategy (definition and history of content marketing, the role of content in the consumer journey, audience and insight, content strategy), model (content types and channel strategy), production (content formats, working with creators, story and authenticity, editorial operations) and measurement (reporting, AI and the future). Each week pairs a conceptual framework with a Turkish or international case. Assessment is by midterm and final examination.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

Course Category	Core Courses
	Major Area Courses	X
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation
1	What content marketing is and is not: the line between advertising, PR and content; content in the age of the attention economy, ad blocking and zero-click search
2	Content marketing from past to present: The Furrow (1895), the Michelin Guide (1900), the Guinness Book of Records (1955), recipe books and soap operas, Red Bull, the era of brands as YouTube publishers (the "Hamur Bizim İşimiz" case), creators and short video	Content Marketing Institute. The History of Content Marketing. contentmarketinginstitute.com
3	What content is for: the role of content in the purchase journey; awareness, consideration, conversion and loyalty content; the messy middle	Google (2020). Decoding Decisions: Making Sense of the Messy Middle. thinkwithgoogle.com
4	Audience and insight: personas, search intent, social listening, trend analysis; understanding a trend versus chasing it	Sprout Social (2025). The Sprout Social Index, Edition XX (executive summary).
5	Content strategy: content mission, content pillars, brand voice and tone
6	The Hero-Hub-Help model: campaign content versus always-on content; evergreen content; earned media through content	YouTube (2015). Hero, Hub, Help: YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands.
7	Channel strategy: a role for every channel, content-channel fit, cadence and scheduling, platform-native language	HubSpot (2026). State of Marketing Report (channels and formats sections).
8	Midterm Exam
9	Story and authenticity: strategic storytelling, purpose-driven communication and purpose-washing, content that spills into the real world	Cannes Lions 2025-2026 Social & Creator winning cases (distributed in class).
10	Content formats: written and long-form content (blog, newsletter, search visibility); video and short video (hook, vertical format, repurposing)
11	Working with creators: the creator brief, co-creation, user- and employee-generated content, community, disclosure
12	Editorial operations: content calendar, workflow, brief, content audit, governance	Content Marketing Institute (2025). B2B Content Marketing Trends: Insights for 2026.
13	Measurement and reporting: KPI hierarchy, vanity versus business metrics, attribution, return on content, first-party data	HubSpot (2026). State of Marketing Report (measurement section).
14	AI and content: AI in production, labelling and trust, the uncanny valley; the future with social commerce and fandom	Deloitte (2026). Digital Media Trends.
15	Semester Review
16	Final Exam

Course Notes/Textbooks

No required textbook. The course is taught from the lecturer's slides and the weekly readings. Optional reference: Pulizzi, J., & Piper, B. (2023). Epic Content Marketing: Break Through the Clutter with a Different Story, Get the Most Out of Your Content, and Build a Community in Web3 (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-1264774456.

Suggested Readings/Materials

Rose, R. (2023). Content Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Your Brand's Voice. Kogan Page. ISBN 978-1398611504.
Handley, A. (2022). Everybody Writes (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-1119854166.
Pulizzi, J. (2021). Content Inc. (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-1264257546.
Google (2020). Decoding Decisions: Making Sense of the Messy Middle. thinkwithgoogle.com
YouTube (2015). Hero, Hub, Help: YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands.
Content Marketing Institute (2025). B2B Content Marketing Trends: Insights for 2026. contentmarketinginstitute.com
HubSpot (2026). State of Marketing Report. hubspot.com
Sprout Social (2025). The Sprout Social Index, Edition XX. sproutsocial.com
Deloitte (2026). Digital Media Trends. deloitte.com

Semester Activities	Number	Weigthing
Participation	1	10
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm	1	40
Final Exam	1	50
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade	2	50
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade	1	50
Total

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	14	4	56
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments			0
Presentation / Jury			0
Project			0
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms	1	20	20
Final Exam	1	26	26
		Total	150

#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to critically interpret theories, concepts, methods, instruments and ideas that form the basis of Public Relations and Advertising field.	-	-	-	-	-
2	To be able to collect and use necessary data to produce content in the field of Public Relations and Advertising with scientific methods.	-	-	-	-	-
3	To be able to use theoretical knowledge gained in the field of Public Relations and Advertising in practice.	-	-	-	X	-
4	To be able to use analytical thinking skills in the field of Public Relations and Advertising.	-	-	-	-	-
5	To be able to convey creative ideas and solution suggestions supported by scientific data in written and oral form to stakeholders.	-	-	X	-	-
6	To be able to take responsibility as individual and group members to solve problems encountered in the practice of Public Relations and Advertising field.	-	X	-	-	-
7	To be able to develop solutions that favor public good and raise awareness by having knowledge about regional, national and global issues and problems.	-	-	-	-	-
8	To be able to relate the basic knowledge of other disciplines supporting the field of Public Relations and Advertising with his/her own field of expertise.	-	X	-	-	-
9	To be able to use the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired by following regulations, innovations, changes, current developments, and occupational health and safety practices closely in the field of Public Relations and Advertising; in a lifelong manner and for individual and social purposes.	-	-	X	-	-
10	To be able to collect, interpret and share data by considering social, scientific and professional ethical values in the field of Public Relations and Advertising.	-	-	-	-	-
11	To be able to collect data in the areas of Public Relations and Advertising and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1)	-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently.	-	-	-	-	-
13	To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise.	-	-	-	-	-