4. Second-Year Course Headline (4 marks)

Create one headline promoting second-year digital courses in this program, targeted to first-year students.

You must provide:

a) Provide the headline

b) Explain your reasoning clearly using class content

“Advance your skills with Digital Marketing and Advertising Second year classes at SCC and be prepared for the future!”I personally felt this headline was effective when communicating to the first year students because it directly states what the content is about and who the target audience is. The phrase “Advance your Skills” shows professionalism and connects to what the first year students want to achieve. Which relates to how relevance, like discussed in class, is an important factor to consider when developing effective headlines. The phrase “Digital Marketing and Advertising” is clear and direct, tying into clarity, which also increases first year’s trust. The phrase “Be prepared for the future!” creates an emotional connection and employment security without being overly exaggerated, connecting to students’ long term goals and builds trust and decreases worries of not getting a job in the future.

3. SCC Advertising Program Headline (6 marks)

Create one headline for an article about the SCC Advertising Program, targeted to local graduating high school

students.

You must provide:

a) The headline

b) An explanation of the information missing from the instructions

c) A detailed justification for your headline choice based on course concepts

You are intentionally not being told what questions to ask.

“The SCC Advertising Program: Why Students are choosing the program of the Future”

When reading the instructions on the SCC Advertising Program Headline, it lacks valuable information that would engage high school students to enroll in the program. These factors include career opportunities and workshops, employment rate, and industry connections. Due to this, its key that the headline communicates why it is different then most programs and what the program has to offer. I decided to include the phrase “program of the future” because it fills the curiosity gap where high school students are more likely to engage and click on the headline to see what the program has to offer. When I was in high school looking at different programs, I was unsure what I wanted to do, and where I saw myself excelling. I considered important factors such as relevance, day to day skills, employment rate, and education timeline when it came to enrolling into this program. As discussed in class, what makes a headline effective is relevance, clarity, curiosity, and trust. The headline is clear and not misleading or overly exaggerated and is not clickbaited. Using curiosity in the headline encourages readers to learn more on why students are choosing this program and what it can offer. Lastly, the headline is rather relevant as many high school students are worried about their futures and whether or not they are choosing a career that’s meant for them. 

2. Headline Intent vs Outcome (4 Marks)

Choose one headline you created in Part B, Q#1 Part B and answer the following:

a) What is the primary intent of this headline?

 (e.g. curiosity, urgency, clarity, relevance, emotional pull)

b) What action or response is the headline designed to trigger?

c) Explain why this intent is appropriate for the target audience you selected.

The headline I chose out of the three headlines I created was “The Internet freaks out over the New American Girl Dolls, saying something feels seriously off ”with its primary intent being curiosity. The headline successfully creates a sense of curiosity encouraging readers to click and learn more on what is going on with the American Girl Dolls people know and love. The article’s intended audience is long time American Doll fans, The headline introduces an emotional tie with this audience with the article including tweets of angry fans and their thoughts on what they think is a non inspirational and unrealistic example for young girls.  The headline speaks to the fan base and its emotional attachment to the brand while also building trust.

Using the article from Part A, Question #1, you are to create three (3) different headlines.

Headline #1: “The Internet freaks out over the New American Girl Dolls, saying something feels seriously off ”

The first headline I created creates a sense of curiosity, informing that the New American Girl Collection is seriously different and engages people to find out the reason why. It doesn’t express the reason people are so shocked and disappointed with the new launch, making viewers more encouraged to click on the article and learn more on the issue. The headline is also  promising and not misleading, ensuring that information matches the content. In class, we discussed curiosity gap, a motivational psychological trigger that makes people more eager to click on a headline when the information isn’t fully included.The headline uses this method effectively because the article goes more in depth on the reasons people feel this way through tweets and isn’t a form of clickbait.

Headline #2: “5 Tweets that Show Why Fans are Upset With the New American Girl Dolls”

The second headline I created tells the audience exactly what the article is and what they will gain from clicking on the article. With a clear and easy to understand title that prevents people from having uncertainty while they decide whether or not they want to spend a few minutes out of their day reading it. This headline uses numbers to help with the readability and time relevant . In class we discuss how numbers make headlines quicker and easier to read because numbers allow readers to feel as if they are getting quick and straight forward answers on why American girl Doll fans are upset about the new American girl dolls. 

Headline #3 “Why long time Fans are Criticizing the New American Girl Dolls”

The thirst headline I created is clear and identifies who they are targeting and the issue the article is addressing. Speaking to Gen X and Gen Z audiences who have an emotional tie to American Girl Dolls in their early childhood memories. The headline is direct and informative,simple to understand and does not over exaggerate or add any sense of clickbait. This headline follows class concepts because it focuses on non-clickbait and relevance. These factors are key when gaining a reader’s trust and their time to read your article. 

3.  Click Motivation (8 marks)

1. Provide a different headline you recently clicked on.
2. Include the exact headline and a screenshot
3. Explain why you clicked it, not why you liked it
4. Tie your reasoning directly to course concepts. 23 Perfect Tweets About Alysa Liu, Because She Is Now The Internet’s People’s Princess- Buzzfeed Published on Feb 24, 2026

I clicked on this headline because Alysa Liu was getting a lot of attention online after competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics winning Gold for the Americans after not competing and retiring for 2 years. The headline is positive, stating “ The Internet’s people’s princess” showcasing how widely she’s supported and loved. I wanted to read more on her story and success, while also getting other people’s opinion on her online through the form of tweets. The headline uses curiosity to lead viewers on clicking the article and reading on what others have to say about Alyssia Liu in a positive light while getting more insight on why she’s trending. This article stood out to me and ties back to what we learn in class because of its odd number “23”, the number resonated with me because it seemed informative and easier to read though, while also using clarity to clearly state the article has tweets. The article was also relevant to what I was searching for. When searching for an article on BuzzFeed, I wanted to find a trending or funny article as opposed to a serious one. In conclusion, the headline “23 Perfect Tweets About Alysa Liu, Because She Is Now The Internet’s People’s Princess” along with the article was effective though curiosity and information, fulfilling my curiosity gap and keeping me up to date with social trends. 

Was the headline in Question #1 An accurate representation of the article content?

a) Explain your reasoning clearly

Yes, the headline in question #1 is an accurate representation of the article’s content because the article discusses the major backlash received after announcing and launching the new 40th American Girl Dolls collection. Many complained that the new dolls seemed too modern and influencer linked and didn’t portray the same inspirational and historical feel. The article references real time comments and expresses real negative emotions people have on the new dolls and its changes. 

b) Reference course discussion on misleading vs effective headlines.

In class we discussed the differences of misleading and effective headlines and how to distinguish between the two. Headlines naturally act as decision triggers, if the headline is inaccurate and misleading, readers lose trust and will leave a page. Although the headline is a bit exaggerated and dramatic, the headline is effective because it draws  and prepares the readers on what the article’s content is about and its criticism faced online, rather than using non related clickbait. Additionally, the headline uses curiosity gap, a psychological tool that boosts engagement, making readers naturally more curious to learn more on the new American Girl Doll launch and its controversy on the internet. 

Find one (1) headline you recently encountered that you felt was effective.

a) Provide the exact headline

The headline I chose that I’ve recently encountered and felt was effective was a short article on Buzzfeed that talked about the beloved American Girl Dolls stating:  The Internet is Calling The Updated And Ozempic-Fied American Girl Dolls “Ai-Looking” and “Really, Really bad” this article was published Feb 26 2026. 

b) Explain why it resonated with you

This headline from Buzzfeed resonated with me because it brings back nostalgic memories when it came to my childhood. The American Girl Doll was one of the most popular dolls, and every little girl wanted to own one. They were slightly different then a regular barbie, they were bigger in size, more realistic and lively looking, and considered luxurious. Each doll was different, with different back stores, and tied to American culture and history. This headline criticizes the American Girl Dolls as Ozempic-fied and unrealistic looking, which took me by surprise as the American Girl Doll is supposed to represent aspirational stories where young girls and young adults look up to and inspire to reach their goals with confidence.

c) Tie your explanation directly to specific headline elements discussed in class

According to what we have discussed in class, the headline connects with certain elements such as emotional appeal and public curiosity. The headline  “The Internet is Calling The Updated And Ozempic-Fied American Girl Dolls “Ai-Looking” and “Really, Really Bad” engages readers to click and read more on how the new updated American Girl Dolls reflects a negative perspective to young girls and expresses that multiple people believe the American Girl Doll is no longer an aspirational toy and loses the educational and historical look and is more mature.