Public Relations Campaigns

About this course: One of the most widely implemented and exciting areas of Public Relations is Public Relations Campaigns. What are PR campaigns and what are the best practices for putting together campaigns? What does the campaign process look like? How to go about putting together a campaign and evaluating it? Drawing from my experiences in researching, carrying out, and teaching campaigns, I will give you an overview of the campaign process. In this course, you will learn the structure of a PR campaign and the steps involved in putting it together. You will learn about the nuts and bolts of setting up objectives, developing strategy and creating tactics. In doing so, the course will take you through a brief tour of various campaign theories. You will also learn about the key lessons that have been derived from critical analyses and synthesis of the research on campaigns. Finally, you will pick up the key elements of campaign evaluation. I am looking forward to enjoying this journey with you in learning about PR campaigns.

Created by:  National University of Singapore

• Taught by:  Mohan Dutta, Professor, Head of Communications and New Media

  Communications and New Media

Basic Info Course 3 of 5 in the Public Relations For Digital Media Specialization Commitment 4 weeks of study, 6-8 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.5 stars Average User Rating 4.5See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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National University of Singapore A leading global university located in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, and offers a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Introduction to Campaigns



Welcome! In this section, I will be introducing you to Public Relations Campaigns. We will learn what Public Relations campaigns are, what a PR campaign looks like. Taking a historical stock-taking of campaigns, we will go on to grasp a flavor of campaigns from around the world. We will then discuss various categories of PR campaigns, and the features of these campaigns. Finally, we will also learn about the process of developing Public Relations Campaigns.


17 videos, 1 reading expand

1. Video: Welcome Video
2. Reading: Pre-course Survey
3. Video: Defining Campaigns
4. Video: Typology of Campaigns
5. Video: Campaigns in Ancient Civilizations
6. Video: Campaigns in USA
7. Video: Campaigns in Singapore Part 1 - Campaigns in Singapore Early Days
8. Video: Campaigns in Singapore Part 2 - Campaigns in the 1970s to Recent Days
9. Video: Campaigns for Consumer Products and Services
10. Video: Political Campaigns Part 1 - Overview
11. Video: Political Campaigns Part 2 - The Effectiveness of Political Campaign
12. Video: Health Campaigns
13. Video: Social Change Campaigns
14. Video: Campaign Basics
15. Video: Global Campaign: Communicating Across Cultures
16. Video: Campaigns and New Technology
17. Video: Campaign Process
18. Video: Campaign Plan

Graded: Quiz Module 1

WEEK 2


Theories of Campaigns



Now that we have had an overview of PR campaigns, let's explore some of the main theories of PR campaigns. We will learn about the role of theory as a conceptual map in guiding the development of campaigns. You will see how practical many of these theories are and the ways in which theories shape the selection of messages, source characteristics, appeals, and channels! In this section, I encourage you to keep thinking about the practical relevance of the theories you are picking up and the ways in which you might incorporate these theories when you start putting together campaigns.


20 videos expand

1. Video: Situation Analysis and Campaign Proposal
2. Video: Secondary and Primary Research Part 1 - Gathering Data and Analysis
3. Video: Secondary and Primary Research Part 2 - Writing Situational Analysis
4. Video: Audience
5. Video: Yale Persuasion Research
6. Video: Message Content Part 1 - Message Arguments
7. Video: Message Content Part 2 - Fear Appeal
8. Video: Message Content Part 3 - Social Appeal
9. Video: Message Organization
10. Video: Source Characteristics
11. Video: Theory of Reasoned Action
12. Video: Applying Theory of Reasoned Action
13. Video: Elaboration Likelihood Model Part 1 - Central and Peripheral Route
14. Video: Elaboration Likelihood Model Part 2 - Involvement and Cognitive Responses
15. Video: Key Lessons From Elaboration Likelihood Model Part 1 - Arguments Quality & Arguments Quantity
16. Video: Key Lessons From Elaboration Likelihood Model Part 2 - Source Factors
17. Video: Stages of Change Model Part 1 - Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation
18. Video: Stages of Change Model Part 2 - Action, Maintenance, Termination
19. Video: Narrative Theory
20. Video: Theories of Sharing and Opinion Leadership

Graded: Incorporating Theory

WEEK 3


Campaign Design, Research, and Implementation



A strong Public Relations Campaign is based on the systematic development of objectives, strategies, and tactics. In this section, we will learn about the key elements of PR Campaign strategy and the role of research in guiding effective strategy. We will study the steps of PR planning and how to create a PR plan based on theoretically informed strategies and tactics. This is the fun part of the campaign process, and it is also the most challenging part as you have to make strategic decisions that are guided by research and are at the same time creative.


15 videos expand

1. Video: Problem Statement
2. Video: Campaign Objectives
3. Video: SMART Objective
4. Video: Strategy Overview
5. Video: Content Strategy
6. Video: Source Strategy
7. Video: Appeal Strategy
8. Video: Channel Strategy
9. Video: Novel Relevance
10. Video: Storytelling
11. Video: Narratives
12. Video: Transmedia Strategy
13. Video: Tactics
14. Video: Timing and Budget
15. Video: Campaign Implementation

Graded: Public Relations Campaigns

WEEK 4


Evaluation and Digital and Cultural Trends



Every campaign must have a clear evaluation plan that tells the team and the management whether the campaign worked or not. In this section, we will learn about the various types of evaluation, and the ways in which we might put together these evaluation frameworks. Once we have discussed the evaluation framework, we will shift our attention to the digital and cultural trends in the campaign communication landscape.


14 videos, 1 reading expand

1. Video: PR Campaigns Evaluation Overview
2. Video: Quantitative Methods for Evaluation Part 1 - Randomized Controlled Framework
3. Video: Quantitative Methods for Evaluation Part 2 - Pre-Post Design
4. Video: Evaluation in New Media
5. Video: Qualitative Evaluation
6. Video: Media Convergence
7. Video: The Language of Conversations
8. Video: Engagement
9. Video: Listening
10. Video: Virality
11. Video: Channel Complementarity: Offline and Online
12. Video: From Many to Many: User Expectations
13. Video: Cultural Concepts
14. Video: Culture and Appreciation
15. Reading: Post-course Survey

Graded: Quiz Module 4