Strategic Communication

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines how strategic communication is used to shape policy, manage reputation and advance organizational goals across profit and nonprofit settings. Focuses on planning models, stakeholder analysis, campaign strategy and message design. Considers how communication tools are selected, adapted and evaluated in relation to audiences, goals and contexts. Examines ethical, legal and social dimensions of strategic practice. Includes study of branding, advocacy, media use and organizational communication across institutional, public and marketplace environments. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Applies to fields such as public relations, public affairs, advocacy, corporate communication, nonprofit outreach, integrated marketing communication, branding and campaign management. Involves practices relevant to stakeholder engagement, message planning and strategic messaging across platforms. Supports preparation for professional roles that require designing, coordinating or evaluating communication strategies, as well as for advanced study in communication and related fields. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Clarifies how strategic communication differs from general messaging or publicity. Highlights the role of research, planning, persuasion, ethics and stakeholder analysis in shaping outcomes. Encourages consideration of how communication strategy interacts with stakeholder behavior, power, policy and public opinion across institutional contexts. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of campaign planning, stakeholder identification, strategic messaging, branding, media selection, ethics, policy communication and/or public influence. Course content may draw on political, corporate, governmental, community, health and/or nonprofit case contexts. Examples and applications may involve public issues, institutional challenges or policy debates as relevant to strategic communication practice. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.