MKT4634 Fundamentals of Public Relations

Part I

Course Duration: 1 Semester
Credit Units: 3
Level: B4
Medium of Instruction: English
Prerequisites:
FB2601 Marketing or
MKT2681 Introduction to Marketing
Precursors: Nil
Equivalent Courses: Nil
Exclusive Courses: Nil


Part II  

Course Aims
After completing this course, students should be able:

  • to understand the communication framework made up of different stakeholders and  the role of public relations in business context;
  • to master the basic skills of PR writing, in particular the preparation of press releases for normal communication and during crises;
  • to develop a holistic communication plan by employing the mix of public relations and marketing communication tools.

Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

No.

CILOs

Weighting (if applicable)

1.

Identify the strategic role of PR in an organization as well as duties and prerequisites of PR practitioners

1

2.

Develop practical writing skills in business context

2

3.

Identify key issues related to PR and respond effectively to corporate crises through experiential learning

2

 

4.

Utilize PR as a tool complementing the effort of corporate marketing and branding by appreciating the relationships of PR and various stakeholders encompassing employees, media, investors, customers, business partners, government, public and the community at large

2

5.

Develop and implement a holistic PR programme to tackle a corporate problem by identifying key issues, audiences and communication channels as well as formulating appropriate strategies, key messages and tactics

3

(1: Least Important CILO; 2: More Important CILO; 3: Most Important CILO)

Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

TLA1: Seminar
Concepts and general knowledge of public relations will be explained through lectures and classroom discussions. Students will be given exercises that cover relevant topics and encouraged to work along with the lecturer and their peers. These exercises will help students visualize the applications of the concepts.

TLA2: Written Assignments
Individual paper on PR writing will be assigned to equip students with practical writing skills, intellectual refinement in language and PR sense. 

TLA3: Simulation
A simulation exercise with crisis scenarios is designed to enable students to put the skills they have learnt into practice.  Students will be required to be divided into three groups, namely the crisis handling team, stakeholders and observers, to handle a crisis. Students will be required to identify the nature of the crisis so as to develop effective communication mechanisms with appropriate timing, tools, channels, key messages and strategies. 

TLA4: Group Presentation and Written Proposal
Individual groups will be required to present to the class on various PR topics and the chosen PR programme.  Other students will be encouraged to raise questions for the presenting groups.  A written proposal with emphases on readability, viability and rationale of tactics, research effort and credible writing skills will have to be submitted by each group afterwards.

CILO No

TLA1: Seminar

TLA2: Written Assignments

TLA3: Simulation

TLA4: Group Presentations and Written Proposal

CILO1

1

 

1

1

CILO2

2

2

1

2

CILO3

1

 

2

2

CILO4

2

1

1

1

CILO5

2

2

2

2

(1: Minor focus on the CILO; 2: Main focus on the CILO)

Assessment Tasks/Activities
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

AT1: Class Discussion
Class activities (such as individual/group class exercises, case study discussion, brief discussion on PR concepts and/or raising questions during project presentations, etc.) will be arranged to assess students’ abilities in applying the learnt concepts.

AT2: Individual Written Assignment
The assignment is to assess students’ competence level to apply the PR concepts to business context.  The assignments will cover various kinds of PR writing and simple exercises employing the concepts acquired in the classes.

AT3: Simulation
A simulation exercise is designed for crisis management to assess students’ ability in applying the learnt skills into action. Students will be rated on application of key concept and principles in handling a crisis scenario, overall coordination in defining the nature of crisis, identification of stakeholders, division of work, appointment of final decision maker and spokesperson, choice of communication channels, timeliness of communication, development of key messages, contents of communication, as well as participation. 

AT4: Group Project Presentation
Students will be required to develop an integrated communication programme by the end of the semester by employing different tools learnt in the classes.  The presentation is designed to gauge students’ communication and presentation skills in delivering a PR plan and working as a team. Visual aids also count towards scoring for oral presentations.

AT5: Group Project Report
Students will be assessed if they can show excellent command of all aspects by integrating major PR concepts to analyze the objectives, target audiences and communication channels deeply, and consolidate lots of insights and implications for strategy formulation as well as key messages and tactics development.  Besides, students’ ability in presenting and organizing the communication plan excellently in a business report format will be examined. 

CILO No

AT1: Class Discussion (10%)

AT2: Individual Written Assignment (30%)

AT3: Simulation (15%)

AT4: Group Project Presentation (20%)

AT5: Group Project Report (25%)

CILO1

2

2

 

1

1

CILO2

2

2

 

1

2

CILO3

2

1

2

1

2

CILO4

2

1

 

1

2

CILO5

2

2

2

2

2

(1: Minor focus on the CILO; 2: Main focus on the CILO)

Regulation of the course
Students fail to meet the attendance requirement of the Dept. of Marketing in the course may be failed.

Grading of Student Achievement:

Grading Criteria of Assessment Task 1: Class Discussion

Excellent
A+   A  A–

Good
B+  B  B–

Adequate
C+  C  C–

Marginal
D

1.     Able to always present and communicate PR ideas excellently in oral format to analyze issues, audience, communication channels, strategies and key messages in weekly classes.

2.     Proactively participate in class discussion by offering innovative ideas and asking questions related to PR practice in business organizations.

1.   Able to frequently present and communicate PR ideas acceptably in oral format to analyze issues, audience, communication channels, strategies and key messages in weekly classes.

2.   Proactively participate in class discussion by offering innovative ideas and asking questions related to PR practice in business organizations.
 

1.   Occasionally present and communicate PR ideas in oral format to analyze issues, audience, communication channels, strategies and key messages in weekly classes.

2.   Occasionally active when urged to participate in class discussion by offering some acceptable ideas and asking limited questions related to PR practice in business organizations.

1.   Occasionally present and communicate PR ideas fairly in oral format to analyze issues, audience, communication channels, strategies and key messages in weekly classes.

2.   Reactively participate in class discussion by offering very limited ideas and asking very few questions related to PR practice in business organizations.

Grading Criteria of Assessment Task 2: Individual Written Assignment

Excellent
A+  A  A–

Good
B+  B  B–

Adequate
C+  C  C–

Marginal
D

1.    Show excellent command of analyzing the audiences, objectives and key messages independently.

2.    Able to recognize all of the PR concepts and their applications.

3.    Demonstrate excellent command of English with high accuracy in the use of tone, wording, grammar and structure.
 

1.   Show good command of analyzing the audiences, objectives and key messages independently.

2.   Able to recognize most of the PR concepts and their applications.

3.   Demonstrate good command of English with high accuracy in the use of tone, wording, grammar and structure.

1.   Show acceptable command of analyzing the audiences, objectives and key messages independently.

2.   Able to recognize some of the PR concepts and their applications.

3.   Demonstrate acceptable command of English with high accuracy in the use of tone, wording, grammar and structure.

1.   Show marginal command of analyzing the audiences, objectives and key messages independently.

2.   Able to recognize a few PR concepts and their applications.

3.   Demonstrate marginal command of English with high accuracy in the use of tone, wording, grammar and structure.

Grading Criteria of Assessment Task 3: Simulation

Excellent

A+  A  A–

Good

B+  B  B–

Adequate

C+  C  C–

Marginal

D

1.    Show excellent analysis of the real issue, victory, trigger point, influencer, strategy and tactics in a crisis context.

2.    Able to apply all PR concepts in shaping key messages and handling stakeholder relations effectively.

3.    Demonstrate the development of a highly effective alert mechanism by making use of the best communication channels and ensuring the functionality of the taskforce.

1.   Show good analysis of the real issue, victory, trigger point, influencer, strategy and tactics in a crisis context.

2.   Able to apply most of the PR concepts in shaping key messages and handling stakeholder relations effectively.

3.   Demonstrate the development of a fairly effective alert mechanism by making use of the appropriate communication channels and ensuring the functionality of the taskforce.

1.   Show acceptable analysis of the real issue, victory, trigger point, influencer, strategy and tactics in a crisis context.

2.   Able to apply some of the PR concepts in shaping key messages and handling stakeholder relations effectively.

3.   Demonstrate the development of a acceptably effective alert mechanism by making use of the appropriate communication channels and ensuring the functionality of the taskforce.

1.   Show marginal analysis of the real issue, victory, trigger point, influencer, strategy and tactics in a crisis context.

2.   Able to apply a few PR concepts in shaping key messages and handling stakeholder relations effectively.

3.   Demonstrate the development of a barely effective alert mechanism by making use of different communication channels and ensuring the functionality of the taskforce.
 

Grading Criteria of Assessment Task 4: Group Project Presentation

Excellent
A+  A  A–

Good
B+  B  B–

Adequate
C+  C  C–

Marginal
D

1.    Present and communicate a PR plan effectively and excellently in oral and electronic format.

2.    Show excellent coverage of contents and demonstrate excellent time management skills.

3.    Provide quality answers to questions raised in the presentation Q & A session.

1.   Present and communicate a PR plan effectively in oral and electronic format.

2.   Show good coverage of materials and contents and demonstrate good time management skills.

3.   Provide good answers to questions raised during the presentation Q & A session.

1.   Present and communicate a PR plan acceptably in oral and electronic format (with some areas need improvement).

2.   Fair coverage of materials and contents and acceptable time management skills.

3.   Provide acceptable answers to questions raised during the presentation Q & A session.
 

1.   Marginally present and communicate a PR plan in oral and electronic format (with major areas need improvement).

2.   Marginal coverage of materials and contents and poor time management skills.

3.   Provide fair answers to questions raised during the presentation Q & A session.

Grading Criteria of Assessment Task 5: Group Project Report

Excellent
A+  A  A-

Good
B+  B  B-

Adequate
C+  C  C-

Marginal
D

1.    Show excellent command of all aspects by integrating major PR concepts to analyze the objectives, target audiences and communication channels deeply, and consolidate lots of insights and implications for strategy formulation as well as key messages and tactics development.

2.    Demonstrate excellent ability to apply the PR concepts and develop a credit PR programme to tackle current corporate problems and issues.

3.    Present and organize the PR plan excellently in a business report format.
 

1.   Show good command of all aspects by integrating major PR concepts to analyze the objectives, target audiences and communication channels and suggest some implications for for strategy formulation as well as key messages and tactics development.

2.   Demonstrate good ability to apply the PR concepts and develop a credit PR programme to tackle current corporate problems and issues.

3.   Present and organize the PR plan in an organized business report format.

1.   Show acceptable command of most aspects by integrating major PR concepts to analyze the objectives, target audiences and communication channels and partially able to link them up with for strategy formulation as well as key messages and tactics development.

2.   Demonstrate acceptable ability to apply the PR concepts and develop a credit PR programme to tackle current corporate problems and issues.

3.   Present and organize the PR plan fairly in a business report format.

1.   Show marginal command of a few aspects of major PR concepts to analyze the objectives, target audiences and communication channels but unable to link them up with as well as key messages and tactics development.

2.   Demonstrate marginal ability to apply the PR concepts and develop a credit PR programme to tackle current corporate problems and issues.

3.   Present and organize the PR plan fairly in a business report format.


Part III

Keyword Syllabus
Internal and external communications, corporate advertising, corporate identity, corporate culture, corporate image, branding and re-branding, event marketing, sponsorship, change management, media relations, government relations, employee relations, investor relations, labour relations, community relations, corporate social responsibilities, lobbying, audience analysis, communication channels, issue and crisis management, reputation management, corporate collaterals and publicity, corporate governance and transparency, business ethics, PR agency and PR department

Related Links
Department of Marketing