Strategic Communication Case Studies

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines strategic communication through the study of how organizations plan, design and implement communication campaigns. Examines how communication strategies are developed to align stakeholder needs with organizational goals within public environments. Considers planning models, message design, effective tactics, channel selection, evaluation, budgeting and collaboration with community or client partners. Emphasizes analysis, problem-solving and adaptation of communication practices across professional, nonprofit and/or civic contexts. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Connects strategic communication to professional contexts, such as public relations, integrated marketing communication, nonprofit campaigns and initiatives, branding, media production and/or organizational communication. Develops skills and foundations relevant to situation, organization, and stakeholder analysis, campaign planning, message development, collaboration with stakeholders and applied research. Aligns with marketplace settings where communication is used to shape perception, coordinate action and address public needs or organizational challenges. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Clarifies how strategic communication differs from general messaging, sales or promotion. Highlights the role of planning, research and ethics in shaping communication outcomes. Encourages reflection on how strategy must adjust to different audiences, purposes and constraints, rather than relying on a single model or platform. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include case analysis of campaigns; study of stakeholder identification, goals and messaging; application of communication research; media writing and visual communication; channel strategy; budgeting, collaboration with organizations; evaluation and adaptation of communication plans. Course projects or examples may involve nonprofit, corporate, governmental or community settings and may draw on diverse perspectives and public issues. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in COMM 323 and COMM 322 ; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.