| CODE | CST3811 | ||||||
| TITLE | Public Relations | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Media and Communications | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers students a comprehensive foundation in public relations (PR) with a focused examination of its strategic role within marketing communication. It explores how PR contributes to building and maintaining a brand’s public image, fosters trust among target audiences, and enhances the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Students will learn how PR functions as a core element of the promotional mix, supporting and amplifying advertising, sales promotions, and digital marketing efforts through earned and owned media. The unit draws clear distinctions between PR and marketing while showing how the two disciplines complement one another to achieve broader organisational goals. Through real-world case studies and practical exercises, students will examine how public relations professionals collaborate with marketers to launch products, promote services, and manage brand narratives. Topics covered include stakeholder identification, message strategy, press release writing, event planning, media relations, and reputation management. Special emphasis will be placed on the use of digital and social media platforms in PR, exploring how they can be leveraged to build brand communities and generate positive word-of-mouth. Students will also investigate how PR campaigns are designed to align with target market characteristics and branding objectives, helping drive customer engagement and loyalty. The study-unit also addresses crisis communication and the role of public relations in risk mitigation—particularly in the face of public backlash, negative press, or online brand criticism. Students will analyse how companies respond to crises and evaluate the effectiveness of their communication strategies in protecting brand equity. Finally, students will gain insight into the metrics and evaluation tools used to measure PR success in marketing terms, such as share of voice, brand sentiment, audience reach, and media coverage ROI. By the end of the study-unit, students will have developed the knowledge and practical skills necessary to design and implement integrated PR strategies that reinforce brand messaging and contribute to marketing success. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: - Define core public relations and marketing communications theories and practices; - Explain the role of PR within broader marketing strategies; - Apply stakeholder and media relations techniques in marketing campaigns; - Design PR approaches aligned with promotional marketing objectives; - Evaluate PR outcomes using marketing metrics; - Integrate PR functions within the marketing mix to build brand reputation and trust. 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: By the end of the study-unit, students will be able to: - Define the differences between public relations and marketing communications; - List key PR and marketing communication tools (e.g., press releases, media kits, social media content); - Explain the importance of audience segmentation in PR and marketing contexts; - Describe how PR contributes to brand building and supports promotional campaigns; - Review the role of PR in managing organisational reputation and customer trust; - Compare the use of owned, earned, and paid media within integrated marketing communications; - Evaluate public relations strategies in relation to brand positioning and corporate image. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply writing and editing skills to produce press releases and PR materials for marketing purposes; - Plan a basic public relations campaign aligned with specific marketing objectives; - Conduct media monitoring and sentiment analysis using appropriate marketing metrics; - Formulate PR responses to brand crises or reputation threats; - Design strategic PR messages tailored to specific market segments; - Integrate PR strategies into broader marketing communication plans; - Assess the effectiveness of PR campaigns using brand awareness, media reach, and stakeholder engagement data. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Broom, G. M., & Sha, B.-L. (2021). Cutlip & Center’s Effective Public Relations (11th ed.). Pearson: Hoboken, NJ. - Wilcox, D. L., Cameron, G. T., Ault, P. H., & Agee, W. K. (2021). Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics (12th or latest global ed.). Pearson: London, UK. - Harrison, S. (2023). Public Relations: An Introduction (latest ed.). Routledge: London, UK. Supplementary Readings: - Cutlip, S. M., & Center, A. H. (2021). Effective Public Relations: Pathways to Public Favor (11th ed.). Pearson: Hoboken, NJ. - Nicholas, N., & Komodromos, M. (2013). Principles of Public Relations. University of Nicosia Press: Nicosia. ISBN: 978-9963-711-14-7. - Grunig, J. E. (Ed.). (1992). Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Hillsdale, NJ. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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