Public Relations

Students will gain a general understanding of Public Relations, a field that plays an increasingly central and pivotal role in an organization’s ability to attain its strategic objectives and to fulfill its mission.

Historically, Public Relations has been one of the two branches of an organization’s Communications Strategy, along with Marketing Communications.

However, the field has been undergoing a rapid evolution, as Public Relations is increasingly seen as a tool through which an organization can present a consistent image of itself to the various stakeholders upon which its survival and success depend.

Students are expected to gain an understanding of several components of the Public Relations field and to be able to combine them into an integrated approach. Areas treated include: Corporate Reputation, Stakeholder Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Media Relations, and Crisis Management.

Students will achieve an integrated view of Public Relations and an understanding of their role as a key component of any organization’s Communications Strategy. The course will enable students to gain a fundamental understanding of:

• The strategic role of PR.
• The relation between PR, Marketing Communications and Corporate Communications.
• Current trends in PR.
• Corporate Reputation.
• Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Stakeholder Relations.
• Media Relations.
• Crisis Management.

The course content will combine theory, case review, workshops and teamwork. Starbucks Coffee Company will be explored and developed as a case study spanning the course.