Public Relations COURSE OUTLINE

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Public Relations

COURSE OUTLINE

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COURSE DESCRIPTION AND AIMS

Communication and Promotion aims to explore the role of public relations (PR) in marketing strategy and organisational communication, including integration with other marketing communication tools.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to understand: (1) how to integrate PR in marketing communication strategy; (2) how to generate publicity for an organisation, cause or event; and (3) how PR practitioners can utilise various news and social media to manage relations with different audiences.

You should also be able to complete the following tasks: (1) write a news release; (2) manage a news interview; and (3) write a strategic promotion plan.

TEACHING STAFF

Lecturer

Name: Professor Brendan Gray Office: CO 6.27a

Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays 12-2pm

For administrative enquiries about the course including class changes, to apply for an extension or letting us know if you are unable to attend a class, contact MBA Curriculum Delivery Manager, Olga Meglinskaya [email protected]

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COURSE DELIVERY

This is in an intensive 3-day block course. Delivery methods include lectures, case studies, practical exercises and student presentations. After classes end you will have three weeks in which to

complete the major assessment, which is a strategic promotion plan for a non-profit organisation of your choice.

The course calendar (in this outline and on Blackboard) details Term dates, class topics, and assessment related scheduling information. Note that this calendar may change as the course proceeds. Any changes will be announced in class. Changes to class times are updated on the Otago MBA Google Calendar.

MBA Students are expected to prepare for and attend all classes to gain full benefit from the course. These activities should be prepared for by reviewing information detailed on Blackboard and

completing any assigned readings or tasks. As the Otago MBA class is small, students unable to attend a class are expected to notify the MBA Curriculum Delivery Manager as your absence is likely to impact on class discussion. Unless stated otherwise, all aspects of the course are examinable.

EXPECTATIONS AND WORKLOAD

This is a 10 point paper. Students should anticipate spending 60-80 hours on this course, including required readings before each seminar/workshop, analysis for the case studies, preparing a presentation and completing an integrated promotion plan.

COURSE MATERIALS AND COURSE RESOURCES

Recommended Readings:

(1) Sandra Oliver (2010), Public Relations Strategy, 3rd Edition, Kogan Page; (2) Various journal articles and web resources that will be provided electronically. You are not required to purchase the Sandra Oliver text, as it can be read on-line through the University Library website [http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/index.php]. If you cannot access this text, then any modern public relations text will cover the basic material.

The University Library provides online resources for students. These include subject guides, and other research resources, and citation styles.

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ASSESSMENT

All important assessment information such as due dates and times, content, guidelines and so on will be discussed at lectures.

1. In class assessment

40%

You will be required to prepare and present a one-page news release to be presented to the class (20%), plus a one-page facts sheet (20%). This will form the basis of a “live” news interview to be conducted in class. Interviews will be recorded and played back with feedback provided by two experienced PR practitioners.

2. Take home assessment

60%

Prepare a strategic promotion plan for a campaign that uses PR as the lead element (maximum 6 pages, including a 1 page planning chart that includes timelines and activities). This can be for a non-profit organisation, cause or event of your choice.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Penalty for late assignments

As with other Otago MBA courses, the penalty for late submission of an assignment is 5% off the original grade per day late. Late submissions (either without an extension or later than the extension agreed) will be marked as late. The submission will be marked on its merit alone and any penalty will clearly show:

• Original Mark

• Less Penalty • Mark Awarded

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ASSESSMENT GRID

Learning Outcome In te rv ie w w o rk sh o p (n o m a rk s) P re se n ta tio n (2 0 % ) W rit te n n e w s re le a se (2 0 % ) C o m m u n ic a tio n p la n (6 0 % ) T o ta l

Understand how to integrate PR in marketing communication strategy.

X

Understand how to generate publicity for an organisation, cause or event.

X X X

Understand how PR practitioners can utilise various news and social media to manage relations with different audiences.

X X

Be able to write a news release. X X Be able to manage a news interview. X

Be able to write a strategic promotion plan. X

Total 100%

The grading scheme used at Otago is:

A+ 90-100 C+ 60-64 A 85-89 C 55-59 A- 80-84 C- 50-54 B+ 75-79 D 40-49 B 70-74 E <40 B- 65-69

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COURSE CALENDAR

Friday 23 January 2015

Time Speaker Topic

9.00am – 10.30am Brendan Gray Welcome and introduction

What is PR? What is journalism? What is PR’s role in corporate strategy and integrated marketing communications (IMC)?

Readings: Oliver (2009), Chapters 1& 5 10.30am – 11.00am Break

11.00am – 12.30pm Brendan Gray PR and IMC (continued)

Case studies: Crowd-sourcing and crowd-funding Sources: (1) http://prexamples.com/2012/05/great-case- study-mcdonalds-crowdsourcing-pr-campaign-delivers-tasty-financial-results/ (2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOmJhA0zB CQ&feature=player_embedded 12.30pm – 1.30pm Lunch

1.30pm – 3.00pm Brendan Gray Skills workshop: Creating and pitching a story 3.00pm – 3.30pm Break

3.30pm – 5.00pm Paula Hellyer, Glow Consulting

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Saturday 24 January 2015

9.00am – 10.30am Brendan Gray Corporate relations: Issues management versus crisis management

Readings: Oliver (2009), Chapters 2, 3 & 4 Roper (2012)

10.30am – 11.00am Break

11.00am – 12.30pm Brendan Gray Skills workshop: Writing a news release and a fact sheet [and filming individual news interviews] 12.30pm – 1.30pm Lunch

1.30pm – 3.00pm Brendan Gray Media relations

Readings: Oliver (2009), Chapter 6 Case study: Global Peace Index

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/our-vision/ 3.0pm – 3.30pm Break

3.30pm – 5.00pm Andrea Jones & Rodney Bryant

Skills workshop: Managing news interviews and media relations [and replaying/commenting on individual news interview performances]

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Sunday 25 January 2014

9.00am – 10.30am Class Skills workshop: Delivery of individual news releases and fact sheets

10.30am – 11.00am Break

11.00am – 12.30pm Brendan Gray PR research and promotion planning Readings: Oliver (2009), Chapter 7 Ihlen & Verhoeven (2012) Other sources:

http://publicrelationsblogger.com/2010/02/10-steps-to-creating-successful-public.html

12.30pm – 1.30pm Lunch 1.30pm – 3.00pm Brendan Gray Ethics

Readings: Oliver (2009), Chapter 8 Coleman & Wilkins (2009) Other sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFJm0KAEzFA

3.00pm – 3.30pm Break

3.30pm – 4.30pm Brendan Gray Project guidelines Conclusions

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BLACKBOARD

Blackboard provides you with access to course materials, and course notices are posted on Blackboard. Lecture slides are also posted there. Blackboard is used to email everyone on the course so it is

important that you check your student email and Blackboard regularly, or redirect your emails to your personal account. You will find helpful links to the Library referencing page, the Student Learning Centre, and writing resources in Blackboard. Course resources on Blackboard will remain available until the end of the year but will not be available in Phase Two.

As with other courses, Blackboard is used to submit assignments and register grades where possible.

https://blackboard.otago.ac.nz/

DISHONEST PRACTICE AND PLAGIARISM

Students should ensure that all submitted work is their own. Plagiarism is a form of dishonest

practice (cheating). It is defined as copying or paraphrasing another’s work and presenting it as one’s own. Any student found responsible for dishonest practice in any piece of work submitted for assessment shall be subject to the University’s dishonest practice regulations, which may result in serious penalties, including forfeiture of marks for the piece of work submitted, a zero grade for the paper, or in extreme cases, exclusion from the University. The Otago MBA is an active user of plagiarism detection software, SafeAssign.

Students are advised to inform themselves about University policies concerning dishonest practice and take up opportunities to improve their academic and information literacy. If necessary, seek advice from academic staff or the Student Learning Centre. The guideline for students is available at this link: http://www.otago.ac.nz/study/plagiarism/

The Library resource on ethical use of information is available via this link:

http://oil.otago.ac.nz/oil/module8.html

References and Citations:

All sources must be acknowledged in short form within the text and in full bibliographical form under a heading such as ‘References’ on a separate page at the end of each assignment. It may be helpful to make use of EndNote to organise your references. The Otago MBA citation style is APA, unless otherwise advised by the lecturer.

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STUDENT LEARNING CENTRE

The Student Learning Centre, which is part of the Higher Education Development Centre, provides learning support, free of charge, to ALL enrolled students. Their services include:

• a workshop programme designed to help students to improve their learning strategies and their generic skills;

• individual assistance with learning issues;

• on-line study skills advice;

• conversational English groups for students from a non-English speaking background .

The Centre also provides a very helpful study guide on Planning and Writing University Assignments:

http://hedc.otago.ac.nz/hedc/learning/managing-assignments/

DISABILITY INFORMATION AND SUPPORT

Students are encouraged to seek support if they are having difficulty with their studies due to disability, temporary or permanent impairment, injury, or chronic illness. It is important to seek help early, through the MBA Curriculum Delivery Manager.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

We encourage your feedback. This can be in the form of contacting your lecturers, participating in course evaluation surveys, and communicating with MBA staff. Continual improvements will be made to this course based, in part, on student feedback.

CONCERNS ABOUT THE COURSE

We hope you will feel comfortable coming to talk to us if you have a concern about the course. The Lecturer will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have. Alternatively, you can discuss concerns with the MBA Curriculum Delivery Manager who will follow up with MBA staff. If, after making approaches via these channels, you do not feel that your concerns have been addressed, there are University channels that may aid resolution. For further advice or more information on these, contact the Director Executive Programmes.

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DISCLAIMER

While every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate, it is subject to change. Changes will be notified in class and via Blackboard. You are encouraged to check Blackboard regularly, as it is the student’s responsibility to be informed.

Public Relations COURSE OUTLINE