Texas Tech University

Michael Zahn

Associate Professor of Practice
Advertising & Brand Strategy

Email: michael.zahn@ttu.edu

Phone: +1.806.834.1602

Office: 613

Ph.D. Texas Tech University
M.A. The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. University of North Texas

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Biography

Michael is an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University in the Department of Advertising & Brand Strategy within the College of Media and Communication. He has experience in both higher education teaching and professional practice. His professional experience includes senior roles in marketing management; marketing communication development of earned, shared, owned, and paid media; leading product management teams and developing business strategy across several industry sectors including advertising, publishing, educational assessment, financial services, higher education, and nonprofit. Michael's higher education teaching experience is in learning environments that include traditional in-person, hybrid, and online classrooms. Course subjects range from advertising, marketing, internet marketing and social media, to strategic communication, organizational communication, channel management, consumer behavior, and public relations.

Research

Michael is interested in research on the communication effectiveness of integrated advertising and promotional communication across multiple channels and vehicles to improve creative development, messaging and performance. This includes the measurement of social media, email direct response, internet advertising (mobile, search and display/banner) in coordination with broadcast, print and out of home media to drive customer relationship management and to increase the return on investment on advertising and promotional communication activities. He has a particular interest in the role of media multitasking on the cognitive processing of mediated messages. This focus includes the development of target audience profiles that include media multitasking intensity in order to provide insight on improving creative and media strategy.

Methodologies

  • Surveys
  • Focus Groups
  • Interviews
  • Secondary/Archival Research

Research Areas

  • Media Multitasking Audience Behavior
  • Integrated Strategic Communication Effectiveness
  • Programmatic Advertising Planning & Evaluation
  • Message Recall, Recognition & Persuasion

 

Teaching Focus

Michael's teaching interests include approaches to planning, managing and evaluating integrated strategic communication. Courses taught include the following:

  • Multimedia Storytelling (MCOM 5322)
  • Advanced Social Media Practice (MCOM 5318)
  • Organizational Communication (MCOM 5316)
  • Strategic Communication Planning & Writing (MCOM 5310)
  • Strategic Storytelling (ADV 4301)
  • Advertising & Society (ADV 3320)
  • Advertising Management 
  • Internet Marketing
  • Channel Management
  • Consumer Behavior

 

Leadership & Awards

  • Member of the ADWEEK Academic Council
  • Member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau Talent Council
  • Service Learning Faculty Fellowship
  • American Advertising Federation Board Member
  • American Marketing Association Member
  • Public Relations Society of America Member
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Member
  • Project Management Institute Member
  • Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)