Course Code: PBRL 2001
Academic Year: 2025-2026
The practice of public relations is a management process. PR makes strategic use of communications to achieve organizational goals while meeting public expectations. PR programs, projects and processes link and leverage communications to strategic priorities. Planning communications is "systematic, requiring research and analysis". This approach drives good strategy, which in turn, underpins the selection of effective communications tactics. This course focuses on strategic communications planning across a wide range of sectors and analyzes best practices. Students gain an appreciation of the communication planning process first by undertaking a "situational analysis" case study that focuses on the variety of communication tools used including social media. Students also study the components of a communication plan by examining and discussing a variety of other topical, real world case studies. Further, they develop the skills and experience required to identify a public relations opportunity/problem, and develop an appropriate comprehensive written public relations plan. This PR plan will address an actual public relations client needs and opportunity. Working in groups, students will develop their plan and present their findings to a public relations professional/client for relevant and realistic feedback. Students will a examine variety of public relations cases and explore examples of communications planning best practices.