Outline

Overview

This core unit of study analyses corporate communication strategy selection in organisations to determine effectiveness. Students examine the strategic intent of a national or international corporation by studying its corporate communication tactics, specifically its annual reports and other marketing collateral. The unit will equip students to determine the effectiveness of the organisation's communication with stakeholders and strategic publics including customers, employees, environmental groups, governments and shareholders.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Charlotte Launder, charlotte.launder@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Charlotte Launder, charlotte.launder@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	PR tactics presentation n/a	30%	Multiple weeks	15 minutes (equivalent to 2,000 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Communications plan Industry Practical Assessment	30%	Week 05 Due date: 25 Mar 2022 at 17:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay Long-form essay	30%	Week 13 Due date: 27 May 2022 at 17:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Tutorial participation Weekly quizzes	10%	Weekly	5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Communications plan: Students need to prepare a strategic communications plan that could be successfully implemented in the Australian business and legal context. Students must identify a corporation or organisation that will be their ‘client’ (i.e. a case study) for this assessment.
PR tactics presentation: In groups of three, students will deliver a 15 minute presentation (with an additional 5 mins for questions from the audience). This presentation covers some of the points raised in Assignment 1, but focuses on the specific messages, tactics and communication materials that would be used in the communications campaign. Specifically, students need to choose one corporation/organisation and scenario, and then prepare a portfolio of public relations tactics (i.e. communication materials) and present these to the class. Particular tactics should be consistent with the overarching strategy presented in the communications plan.
Essay: A series of essay questions will be released (via Canvas). Students must answer one question only.
Tutorial participation: Expectations and grading of class participation will be discussed in the first seminar. Students will complete weekly quizzes based on unit content.
Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

All assessments must be attempted in order to pass the unit of study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

Professional Production Grading Criteria (Communications Plan & PR Tactics Presentation)

HD: 85-100% A grade at this level indicates work of outstanding overall quality. It will consist of an original and ambitious project, which has achieved its goals with a very good to high level of technical competence (in relation to the experience of the student). It will have been well researched and planned and exhibit a highly developed critical awareness of the medium or industry, as well as the intended audience. It will be informed by the strength of its original idea(s) and an appropriate structure, which is both engaging and professional. It will demonstrated an understanding of the theories related to ‘best practice’ in the industry and have a sound evidence base. It will be work that the Department would normally regard as appropriate to exhibit to the University or wider industry partners and communities.

DI: 75-84% A grade at this level indicates work that overall achieves a very high standard. The work will have achieved most of its goals and will demonstrate a significant degree of originality and ambition, with a good level of technical competence in relation to the experience of the student. It will be based on an original idea and will be well structured. It will show significant evidence of research/planning and demonstrate a critical awareness of the medium. It will be work that the Department would normally regard as appropriate to exhibit or publish within the School or University.

CR: 65-74% A grade at this level indicates work that overall achieves a higher than satisfactory standard. The work will have achieved its principle goal(s) and will demonstrate degrees of originality and ambition. Technically it will be competent in quality with a recognisable and successful overall structure. It will be based on a degree of research and planning and exhibit some critical awareness of the medium and of issues such as audience and representation. It will be work that the Department would normally regard as appropriate to internal Department exhibition or publication.

PS: 50-64% A grade at this level indicates work of an overall satisfactory standard but with some significant positive features. It will demonstrate some originality or ambition and a limited critical awareness of the medium and of issues such as audience and representation. Its goals will have been only partially realised although some reasonable attempt will have been made to achieve them. The level of technical competence will range from adequate to poor with significant structural weaknesses. Its weak structure will show evidence of inadequate research/planning. It will be work the Department would not normally regard as appropriate for exhibition or publication.

FA: 0-49% A grade at this level indicates work of overall unsatisfactory to poor quality with no originality or ambition. Its technical standard, content and structure will be weak. There will be no evidence of original research or of a critical awareness of the medium and the Department would not normally consider it suitable for any exhibition or publication.

Essay grading criteria

HD 85-100% Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating an excellent standard of written English and of criticism, logical argument, interpretation of materials or use of methodology. Evidence of extensive research and use of primary sources, a thoughtful structure, substantial additional work and independent learning. This grade may be given to recognise particular originality or creativity.

DI 75-84% Work of superior quality, demonstrating a command of language, sound grasp of content, efficient organisation and selectivity. Evidence of relevant research, additional work and independent learning.

CR 65-74% A sound performance, competent and appropriate. Work that is well written and demonstrates good research skills. Demonstrates a clear grasp of the basic skills and knowledge. Work of good quality, showing more than satisfactory achievement.

PS 50-64% A satisfactory attempt to meet the demands of the assignment. Demonstrates understanding and command of basic skills and core knowledge. The assignment may have significant weaknesses, or may not be wholly successful or coherent, but shows at least satisfactory achievement in more important aspects.

FA 49% or less Work that does not meet the basic standards for
undergraduate work. A mark in this range indicates an inadequate understanding of the methodologies and subject matter of the field or fields studied, and significant deficiencies in argument and expression.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: strategy and tactics in PR	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Organisational goals and communication plans	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Excellence in corporate public relations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Grand strategies and contingencies	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Developing a messaging strategy	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Media relations: strategy and tactics	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Dialogic strategies for social media and the web	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Strategies for community engagement	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Crisis communication and strategy	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Strategies for issues management	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Strategies for internal communication	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Ethics, persuasion and strategy selection	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Course conclusion	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Seminar recording: Most seminars will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on a recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Week 1 Introduction: Strategy and tactics in PR

Bernays, E. L. (1947). The engineering of consent. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 250.1, pp. 113–120.

Week 2: Organisational goals and communication plans

Hallan, K. (2015) Organizational goals and communication objectives in strategic communication. In D. Holtzhausen, & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 244-266). New York: Routledge.

Week 3: Excellence in corporate public relations

Grunig, L., Grunig, J., & Dozier, D. (2002). Models of public relations. In L. Grunig, J. Grunig & D. Dozier’s Excellent Public Relations
and Effective Organizations (pp. 306-382). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Week 4: Grand strategies and contingencies

Botan, C. (2006). Grand strategy, strategy and tactics in public relations. In C. Botan, & V. Hazleton (Eds.), Public relations theory II (pp. 223-248). London: Routledge.

Glen T. C., Croop, F. Reber, B. H. (2001). Getting past platitudes: Factors limiting accommodation in public relations, Journal of Communication Management, 5(3), pp.242-261, https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540110806802

Week 5: Developing a messaging strategy

Werder, K. P. (2015). A theoretical framework for messaging. In D. Holtzhausen, & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of
strategic communication (pp. 269-284). New York: Routledge.

Hobbs, M. (2019). Conflict Ecology: Examining the Strategies and Rationales of Lobbyists in the Mining and Energy Industries in Australia. Public Relations Review, (Article number 101868): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101868

Week 6: Media relations: strategy and tactics

Kim, K. E. (2015). Framing as strategic persuasive message tactic. In D. Holtzhausen, & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of
strategic communication (pp. 285-302). New York: Routledge.

Ki, E-J. (2015). Relationship cultivation strategies in strategic communication. In D. Holtzhausen, & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge
handbook of strategic communication (pp. 285-302). New York: Routledge.

Week 7: Dialogic strategies for social media and the web

Kent, M., & Taylor, M. (2002). Towards a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review, 28, 21-37, DOI: 10.1016/S0363-
8111(02)00108-X

Week 8 Strategies for community engagement

Lane, A. & Kent, M. (2018). Dialogic Engagement. In K. A. Johnston & M. Taylor (Eds.), The Handbook of Communication Engagement
(pp. 61-72). Medford, MA: John Wiley & Sons.

Johnston, K. A. (2018). Toward a Theory of Social Engagement. In K. A. Johnston and M. Taylor (Eds) The Handbook of
Communication Engagement (pp. 19-32). Medford, MA: John Wiley & Sons.

Week 9: Crisis communication and strategy

Benoit, W. L. (2015). Image repair theory in the context of strategic communication. In D. Holtzhausen and A. Zerfass (Eds.), The
Routledge Handbook of strategic communication (pp. 303-311). New York: Routledge.

Coombs, W. T. & Holladay, S. J. (2015). Strategic intent and crisis communication: The emergence of a field. In D. Holtzhausen and A.
Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of strategic communication (pp. 497-507). New York: Routledge.

Week 10: Strategies for issues management

Heath, R.L. & Ihlen, Ø. (2018). Public relations and rhetoric: Conflict and concurrence. In Ø. Ihlen & R. L. Heath (Eds.), Handbook of
organizational rhetoric and communication (pp.51-66). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.

Burgoon, M., Pfau, M., & Birk, T. (1995). An inoculation theory explanation for the effects of corporate issue/advocacy advertising
campaigns. Communication Research, 22, 485-505.

Week 11: Strategies for internal communication

Marchiori, M. & Sergio, B. (2015). Strategy as communicational practice in organizations. In D. Holtzhausen and A. Zerfass (Eds.), The
Routledge Handbook of strategic communication (pp. 190-200). New York: Routledge.

Week 12: Ethics, persuasion and strategy selection

Heath, R. L. (2009). The rhetorical tradition: Wrangle in the marketplace. In R. L. Heath, E. L. Toth, & D. Waymer (Eds.), Rhetorical and
critical approaches to public relations II (pp. 17-47). New York, NY: Routledge.

Fitzpatrick, K. (2006). Baselines for ethical advocacy in the “marketplace of ideas”. In K. Fitzpatrick & C. Bronstein (Eds.), Ethics in
Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy (pp. 2-14). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. analyse the effectiveness of different corporate communications strategies
LO2. research, design, and construct a communications plan
LO3. create public relations tactics consistent with an overarching communications strategy
LO4. implement public relations strategies that are ethical and effective
LO5. develop advanced industry skills in integrated public relations.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Student feedback is always taken into consideration to ensure teaching excellence.

Additional information

Detailed Assessment Instructions

Assessment 1: Communications Plan

Length: 2000 words

Due: 5pm, Friday of Week 5

Students need to prepare a Strategic Communications Plan that could be successfully implemented in the Australian business and legal context. Students must identify a corporation or organisation that will be their ‘client’ (i.e. a case study) for this assessment.

The goal of this assessment is to develop a strategic communications plan applicable to one of the following scenarios:

1. Improve the overall public image of a company following a major crisis, such as product failure, social scandal, industrial relations
crisis, or environmental destruction.
2. Help an organisation to persuade relevant publics to take actions supportive of an organisation's goals or social issue.
3. Generate significant public interest in a new product, brand or service.
4. Refresh and reposition a product, brand or service so that it is more appealing to consumers.
5. Assist a controversial multinational corporation to establish and maintain ‘mutual understanding’ with its strategic publics.
6. Influence the creation of legislation through an effective internal and public lobbying campaign.

Once a corporation/organisation and scenario have been chosen, students need to conduct research into the background, brands, products, publics, and issues relevant to their case study. For instance, the database Factiva can be used to locate all news stories on a particular corporation and is therefore a great source of independent information. Likewise, annual reports are an excellent source of information on a corporation’s values, operations and finances. Primary research in the form of a small-scale survey or focus groups can also be conducted with classmates and the public in order to test message strategies or understand public perceptions of a particular product or company. More information on these research methods will be provided in class.

This communication plan should be written in report format and include the following sections:

1. Introductory Information

Executive summary (introduce the organisation, the scenario and the aims)

2. Research and analysis

Background to the problem, issue, scenario or brand
Situation analysis
Research findings (primary and secondary findings)

3. Strategy development

Goals and Objectives (the latter needs to be measurable)
Publics and Stakeholders
Key messages and tactics
Third party actions (that you might depend on in order to make your communication effective)
Risk management
Ethical considerations
Budgeting (be realistic by sourcing current industry prices)

4. Implementation

Project management
Timing

5. Evaluation and adjustment

Measuring the effectiveness of messages, media and outcomes

6. References (these will not be included in the word count)

This is an industry assessment item. As such, students can make use of bullet points and tables where appropriate, but fragmented expression should be avoided. Evidence will also be needed to support the strategic approach outlined in the Communications Plan. Accordingly, students should provide in-text citations and a list of references. Both academic and industry sources will be valuable sources of evidence, and should be cited using the APA system of referencing. All Communications Plans must be submitted through Canvas.

Assessment 2: PR Tactics Presentation

Length: 20 minutes in total

Due: During class, Weeks 7 – 12

In groups of three or four, students will deliver a 15-minute presentation (with an additional 5 mins for questions from the audience). This presentation covers some of the points raised in Assignment 1, but focuses on the specific messages, tactics and communication materials that would be used in the communications campaign. Specifically, students need to choose one corporation/organisation and scenario, and then prepare a portfolio of public relations tactics (i.e. communication materials) and present these to the class. Particular tactics should be consistent with the overarching strategy presented in the communications plan.

Student groups should complete any six of the following for their tactics portfolio:

Media release (300words) (all groups must complete)
Backgrounder (300 words)
Fact Sheet (the best will include images or graphics, A4 page)
Profile Article for newspapers or blogs or websites (400 words)
Newsletter (400 words, professional layout, with images and messaging strategy)
Features story (400 words)
Photographs/images (for distribution with media releases on other written tactics)
Detailed plan for a media event, with speech notes for an opening address (600 words)
An issues pamphlet (should be created using design software)
A direct-mail letter on an issue (300 words) (with correct formatting and a specific messaging strategy)
Chief Executive Officer’s statement for an annual report or media conference (300 words)
Detailed plan for social media campaign, which might include the use of influencers (messages, hashtags, distribution strategy, etc.)
20-30 second video (this can be a promotional video, TV or YouTube "issues advertisement", or a "Q&A style" video)
Spot ad for a newspaper, magazine or website (should be created using Adobe InDesign software)
30 second radio advocacy advertisement (this needs to be an audio file: can be recorded using a smartphone or similar audio recorder)
Advertorial (should be created using design software so that its images and text look ready for distribution)
A small collection of internet memes or gifs (be creative as the goal is for this tactic is to be shared on social media)
Billboard for a strategic location
Other tactic not listed (approval must be provided by the Unit Coordinator).

Proposed format of the presentation:
1. Introduction;
2. Objectives (Informational or Motivational);
3. Target publics and stakeholders (audiences);
4. Key messages (strategy, framing, positioning, etc.);
5. Tactics (at least six tactics, with justifications for their use); (copies to be provided to class members);
6. Evaluation (here you will discuss how you will measure the success of your campaign).

The presentation is group work and involves ALL group members, plus questions and answers from the class. PowerPoint should be utilised as part of this presentation, and with tactics imbedded into the slides. While the presentation might be brief, students must be sufficiently prepared to answer questions on their hypothetical campaign. Groups should rehearse their presentations in order to identify any issues before the day of their presentation. Interpersonal conflicts or other issues regarding group dynamics and contributions should be brought to the attention of the Unit Coordinator before the presentation. Where group members have not sufficiently contributed to their group work assessment items, they will be allocated an alternative assessment item and/or marked on individual basis.

The final numerical score for these presentations will reflect both the quality of the presentation (50%) (i.e. public speaking skills, professional
use of PowerPoint or similar software, etc.) and the quality of the PR tactics presented to the class (50%) (i.e. creativity, professionalism,
potential effectiveness, etc.). Additional advice on this assessment will be provided in class.

Assessment 3: Essay

Length: 2000words

Due: 5pm, Friday of Week 13

A series of essay questions will be released via Canvas on Friday of Week 11. Students must answer one question only.

Assessment 4: Tutorial Participation (10%)

Length: 5 minutes per quiz

Due: 5pm each Sunday (to be completed in student’s own time)

Students will complete a weekly quiz based on the previous week’s content.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MECO6908: Strategy Selection in Corporate PR

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect