There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added

PR is essentially telling stories to influence how others see and feel about a brand, company, organisation, person or group. It’s about managing reputation. However, digital transformation has radically changed the way we communicate and do business. It has led to the emergence of new ideas and expectations, shifting how we think, feel, behave, consume and engage with one another and brands. With this comes both opportunities and challenges for the modern PR professional, requiring them/us to be more creative, innovative and interactive than ever before. On this module, you will develop the problem-solving, storytelling, creative and critical-thinking skills necessary to use goal-directed PR for influence and impact in a complex and hyper-connected world. You will acquire a solid grounding in the historical and theoretical underpinnings of PR, as well as its practical application as part of strategic communications planning. You will learn the knowledge and skills to design, deliver and evaluate integrated, objective-led PR campaigns, blending digital and non-digital channels to reach target audiences at the right time, with the right content, for the right outcome. You will analyse the roles and influence of stakeholders, the power of persuasive messaging, the functions of media relations, public affairs, employee and crisis communications, and consider how they all link together with corporate strategy and reputation management. You will plan and implement local and global campaigns individually and collaborate in a group on a series of practical assignments responding to briefs. You will also consider the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion and sustainability in strategic communications and how to apply these concepts to purpose-led PR.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Identify and critically evaluate the definitions, theories and concepts relating to strategic public relations across traditional and digital media in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

LO2: Evaluate the inter-relationship of public relations with other strategic communications functions and demonstrate a sound understanding of the role of key specialisms in PR including media relations, public affairs, influencer engagement and social media for PR.

LO3: Understand and apply a strategic framework to the design, delivery and evaluation of integrated public relations programmes and campaigns, producing solutions that are inclusive, accessible and sustainable.

LO4: Identify and analyse ethical issues in strategic PR and employ effective tools to address them.

LO5: Apply creative and collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills to develop strategic communication responses to real-world PR challenges.