module specification

This module focuses on the role of public relations (PR) in the commercial activities of consumer facing organisations. It addresses the importance of winning (and maintaining) customers, and with meeting competitive challenges in consumer marketing scenarios. The module discusses how PR and media relations interfaces with consumer marketing, together with the way in which organisations use PR tools to interact with consumers in a trading environment.  Delivery consists of 3-hour CCT using a combination of workshops, lectures (including guest speakers) and pre-assessment seminars.   Assessments include a group presentation of a Consumer PR campaign plan (100%)

This module will also explore PR-related aspects of the media environment and is designed to provide students with the understanding and skills required to exploit digital and non-digital media within the context of designing and delivering consumer-facing public relations campaigns.

The module also calls on students to deploy traditional and digital communications skills as part of a personal strategy to enhance their own employability.

The module also aims to assist students in the acquisition of the following skills:
• Research
• Communications/presenting – orally and in writing, including inter-cultural communication
• Creativity
• Academic writing/literacy
• Digital literacy and IT skills
• Career Management

The syllabus will cover the modern media landscape, including ownership, structure and audience in addition to the following:
• What is Consumer PR
• Consumer PR tools and techniques
• The impact of new media on PR practice and the PR toolkit
• Grabbing diverse customers’ attention in an age of information overload
• Engaging with the media: how PR influences the news agenda
• Consumerism and sustainable culture e.g. “we all have too much stuff!”
• Delivery channels and methods for media relations e.g. news releases, social media content, VNRs, photo calls, press briefings, on-line distribution techniques
• Evaluating media relations and digital media campaigns in a consumer communications context.
• Responsible & ethical consideration & codes of PR practice

Learning Outcomes LO1 - O3

The module will be delivered over a 12-week period, using a workshop approach of three hours, occasionally supported by presentations from guest speakers) and pre-assessment two-hour seminars/workshops. 

Consumer PR is currently the most significant area of specialist PR practice.  Guest speakers who are active in the practice of Consumer PR will be invited to discuss case studies with the students and also outline career opportunities in the sector. 

Videos and online case studies of Consumer PR campaigns will be used to stimulate discussion in seminars.  In the main, seminars will be student-led, and a problem-based approach will be adopted. 

The module will encourage students to reflect upon these communications campaigns, identify their personal learning and share their thoughts in structured class discussions as a result of their guided independent study. Students are expected to begin the adoption of an increasing degree of such independent learning in line with the on-going roll-out of the module.
Weblearn will be used for the dissemination of learning materials, for assessment briefs, and for regular updates by the tutor.  The timely provision of generic feedback following formative assessments will also be facilitated via Weblearn.

By the end of this module students will be able to:

1. Appreciate, analyse and demonstrate the fundamentals of Consumer PR and its role within broader integrated communications campaigns as well as evaluating the potential that digital platforms offer in order to fully appreciate all these critical factors that together drive successfully capturing diverse/multicultural  consumer  segments & focused campaigns
2. Examine how digital technology, particularly interactivity, is changing the way organisations develop relationships with their customers, the media and other stakeholders and in addition, be able to evaluate all such relevant media tools.
3. Demonstrate an ability to both understand the key tenets of effective media relations and execute related tasks that are fundamental to its practice.

The coursework - Assessment 1 - is designed to vocationally-focused marketing communication tasks within a group dynamic and in response to either a real-world client brief or prepared case study.

Core Text:
Tench & Yeomans (2017) Exploring Public Relations Prentice Hall 4rd Ed

Supportive Text:
Theaker, A (2017) The Public Relations Handbook 5th Edition, Routledge

Online:
https://www.cipr.co.uk/
The Office of Communications - www.ofcom.org.uk