Category: News

ISCOM receives EACA Accreditation in Commercial Communications Education

Posted on by edcom Team

Institut Supérieur de Communication et Publicité (ISCOM) in Paris, France, has successfully received the EACA Accreditation in Commercial Communications Education by the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA). The Accreditation for the International Commercial Communications course (ICC course) will be valid for 3 years from December 2017.

The EACA Accreditation in Commercial Communications Education endorses specialist Bachelor and Master programmes that prepare students for a career in commercial communications. The accreditation is restricted to members of the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education (edcom) and is endorsed by EACA, which brings together the advertising, media and sales promotion agencies across Europe, promoting responsible advertising and high professional standards.

Depending on the scope of their curriculum, applicants can be accredited either for the complete framework curriculum in Commercial Communications or for a specific sub-course or discipline. Applicants are assessed by a Board comprising leading international professionals and educators and through a personal inspection visit.

The EACA Accreditation process is based on the fundamental principle that courses should offer students a balanced mix of theoretical and practical subjects in commercial communications. After a rigorous process of self-assessment, a school visit and a review by the Board, the Creative Design Branding course at ISCOM was given a positive report and received the EACA Accreditation as a result. According to Anne Castermans, Board representative and school inspector, “the course offers the perfect balance between theory and hands-on experience as internships and work experience in agencies play a big role. What’s more, ISCOM proves to have a wide network of industry contacts and partnerships which brings tremendous value to the students”.

ISCOM’s course Creative Design Branding is « an unprecedented branding program that integrates the values ​​and methodology of Design Thinking, with the aim to create or strengthen brands. The creativity of Design Thinking empathises brands, respect for the individual and the environment and allows a new agility in line with current marketing issues. The course offers a pragmatic approach (from field observation to prototyping) and a cross-functional approach to communications (from creative strategic planning to agile and innovative brand management) with the aim to train communicators capable of working in multi-disciplinary teams. » says Sylvie Gillibert, Programme Director at ISCOM.

The EACA Accreditation will also be awarded to students who have passed their final examinations and have earned a diploma or certificate from a nationally accredited edcom member school. The accreditation will thus complement, not replace, their school qualification. The EACA Accreditation in Commercial Communications Education therefore offers benefits for edcom students, academics and schools, who will jointly form the nucleus of experienced forward-looking specialists, helping to advance the standards of commercial communications and marketing proficiency for the ultimate benefit of consumers.

ABOUT EACA

The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) represents more than 2,500 communications agencies and agency associations from 30 European countries that employ more than 120,000 people. EACA members include advertising, media, digital, branding and PR agencies. EACA promotes honest, effective advertising, high professional standards and awareness of the contribution of advertising in a free market economy. We encourage close co-operation between agencies, advertisers and media in European advertising bodies. EACA works closely with EU institutions to ensure freedom to advertise responsibly and creatively. We are here to share and address international experience and issues on a pan- European basis and provide an important link between agencies, advertisers and the advertising media in Europe and around the world.

ABOUT EDCOM

edcom – the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education – was launched by EACA to promote excellence in commercial communications education and research and to encourage exchanges between the European commercial communications sector and academic partners. Click here for more information.

For more information, please contact:

Pauline De Pelsmacker

Training & Education Manager

Pauline.depelsmacker@eaca.eu

+32 (0) 2 740 07 18

Tamara Daltroff

Director of European Affairs

Tamara.daltroff@eaca.eu

+32 (0) 2 740 07 15

EACA Summer School nominated for Best Training Initiative

Posted on by edcom Team

A positive prospect to look forward to in 2018: the EACA International Advertising Summer School has been nominated for Best Training Initiative for the European Association Awards. Organised by the Global Conference Network, the European Association Awards celebrate associations who are striving ahead and setting standards for and on behalf of their members, therefore making a real impact.

The EACA International Advertising Summer School is an annual training initiative aimed at students and young professionals in the advertising industry. During one week, participants are guided through the world of advertising and commercial communications by industry professionals whilst developing a campaign for a real client in international and multidisciplinary teams. At the end of the week, students pitch their campaign to an external jury who also provides them with valuable feedback and a certificate to recognise their participation.

The summer school was founded in 2010 and has hosted over 500 participants from across 20 European countries and beyond.  Originally, the summer school was only open to Bachelor and Master students, designed to inspire them to make a significant step forward in their understanding of the commercial communications sector. As the demand grew for young professionals to receive similar training on the principles of commercial communications, the school opened an Advanced course for professionals with less than two years of experience in the industry.

The prestigious jury looked at criteria such as research and planning, target audience, implementation of the training initiative, results and feedback and plans for the next edition. The winner of the award for Best Training Initiative will be announced on 23 February 2018 at the European Association Awards Ceremony at the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s Hotel in Brussels.

Fingers crossed!

edcom Industry Council meets in London

Posted on by edcom Team

On Monday 4 December 2017, the edcom Industry Council will meet for the first time in London to discuss the agenda for 2018. The edcom Industry Council was founded as part of edcom President Jan Binar’s strategy plan for 2017-2019, together with the edcom Secretariat. The main mission of the council is to help bridge the gap between academia and the industry in commercial communications. Its members are senior industry professionals from across Europe, representing agencies, national associations and academia and all have shown a vested interested in education and training in the advertising industry.

The cooperation will be focused on two central questions: what can academics do for the industry and what can the industry do for academics, and secondly, how can edcom implement these suggestions or ideas into its strategy.

In a previous online meeting, the council had earlier established that the advertising industry is struggling to promote itself to students and young graduates as an innovative, dynamic and exciting labour market as opposed to tech giant such as Google, Facebook or Apple. It will therefore look into concrete proposals to make the advertising industry more attractive as an employer, and by doing that, bring the industry closer to students and universities in the field of commercial communications.

An update of the outcome will be shared at the next ecdcom members’ meeting in February 2018.

For more information, please contact Pauline De Pelsmacker, EACA’s Education & Training Manager, at pauline.depelsmacker@eaca.eu .