Summer Springboard
Digital Advertising
ON THE CAMPUS OF CAL POLY SLO
UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY AND MASTER THE ART OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING THROUGH ADVERTISING, SOCIAL MEDIA, VIDEO CONTENT AND INFLUENCER STRATEGY
THIS IS A TWO-WEEK PROGRAM WHERE YOU’LL FOCUS ON ONE COURSE FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION.
Digital Advertising @ Cal Poly
- Learn about the Marketplace of Attention and the ubiquity and impact of modern mass media, and the power and limitation of the Internet compared to traditional media.
- Gain experience creating Stakeholder Relationships and learn about the nature of relationship and responsibility of an organization with its consumers, employees, community, and other stakeholders.
- Explore Branding Psychology theories and concepts of influence and building a persona.
- Perform Market and Consumer Analysis to identify key audiences, market segmentation, and the makeup of target personas.
- Discover the role of Campaign Channels and Tracking in broadcast, direct, and socially orchestrated through marketing communications campaigns.
- Develop Effective Visual Storytelling skills using the principles of visual design, character development, tone, coherence, and messaging as told through media such as graphic design, photography, video and audio production.
Summer Springboard
Digital Advertising
About This Course
This two-week course introduces students to digital advertising in a fast-paced, creative setting.
Are you interested in the impact and design of digital public relations and advertising storytelling? From video commercials, content marketing, social media advertising, influencer marketing, to billboards and sponsorships, advertising and public relations messages are everywhere!
Students will be exposed to higher level thinking as media consumers and test their theories through a final project. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding about the marketplace of attention and create effective narratives of their own creation.
TOPICS YOU'LL EXPLORE
Hands-on Learning
Students will test their skills by designing and producing a strategic communications campaign, a video commercial, and social media content for a client.
Career Exploration
Learn about the Roles and Production of real-world jobs and careers in the field that use strategic communication skills through hands-on experiences.
RESOURCES
Course Infosheet
Click here to view or download the printable infosheet for this course.
Program Catalog
Click here to request our catalog to learn more about our summer programs and courses.
Campus Page
Click here to view the website page for this campus and learn more.
“I met a lot of people and I was able to learn about the area of study I want to pursue. I was also able to get out of my comfort zone since I wasn’t surrounded by people who knew me.”
– Antonio P.| Alumni Student
Summer Springboard
Digital Advertising
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. McDonald-Liu specializes in how organizations communicate to publics using a tonality similar to that of humans on social media. She began her career working in digital communications at Walt Disney Studios and as an assistant to the Vice President of International Marketing. She also worked as a digital sales specialist for Valpak and ran her own cosplay catering business after spending time in Japan as an ESL instructor.
DR. CASEY MCDONALD-LIU
“Summer Springboard was such a great time and I believe I have met some lifelong friends here. I really got to know the career path that I want to pursue.”
– Sophia W.| Alumni Student
Summer Springboard
Digital Advertising
Dates & Tuition
| 2026 Dates |
|---|
| Session 1: July 5 – July 17, 2026 |
Click here to enroll in this course using our online enrollment form.
| Tuition |
|---|
| Residential Tuition: $5,398 |
| Commuter Tuition: $2,998 |
Tuition Protection Plan: Allows for cancellation for any reason up until the day of the program.
| Location |
|---|
| City: San Luis Obispo |
| State: California |
| Campus: Cal Poly |
Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly, UW Foster and NYSID which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.