Course Title: Develop public relations documents

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2014

Course Code: MKTG5845C

Course Title: Develop public relations documents

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5281 - Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Contact : Sally Parrott

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5175

Course Contact Email:sally.parrott@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Fiona McQueen
Email:  Fiona.mcqueen@rmit.edu.au
 

Nominal Hours: 80

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit applies to individuals working in public relations roles who are required to develop various marketing communication documents. Typically they would do this as part of a team working on a public relations campaign.
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBPUB403A Develop public relations documents

Element:

1. Research appropriate public relations documents

Performance Criteria:


1.1. Research previous communication documents for tone, content and style
1.2. Research previous communication media and media distribution channels using appropriate methods
1.3. Research and analyse existing evaluation data
1.4. Conduct research about target public, clients or relevant organisations
 

Element:

2. Plan production of communication document

Performance Criteria:


2.1. Identify and segment the target public
2.2. Identify and agree upon communication objectives, messages and processes with other team members or supervisors in accordance with organisational procedures
2.3. Ensure communication message is related to organisational strategic objectives and operational plans
2.4. Identify and gain agreement on appropriate communication media and media channels to send communication message
2.5. Identify and agree upon processes to test the success of planned public relations communications
2.6. Determine outsourcing resources, and provide input into developing timelines and costs
2.7. Identify legal and ethical constraints impacting on communication message
 

Element:

3. Create and edit public relations documents

Performance Criteria:


3.1. Design and write communication documents in accordance with organisational objectives which effectively communicate issues, policies and practices of the organisation to target audiences
3.2. Scan documents to ensure compliance with legal and ethical requirements and proofread to identify and correct errors
3.3. Assess appropriateness of the style and tone of text for the target public and carry out structural editing to ensure the document flows logically
3.4. Edit the document to ensure its scope and format is in accordance with the organisation's strategic communications plan and complies with house style
3.5. Seek feedback from appropriate personnel on content of public relations documents following proofreading
3.6. Test document and amend it in response to feedback
3.7. Determine and agree upon modifications and incorporate into final draft
 

Element:

4. Implement and evaluate public relations documents

Performance Criteria:


4.1. Forward any required document to outsourced resources within scheduled timelines
4.2. Distribute document in accordance with scheduled timelines using appropriate public relations publications to communicate and promote the goals of the organisation
4.3. Gather feedback and regularly monitor the effectiveness of distributed documents using appropriate evaluation methods
4.4. Evaluate results of public relations documents against communication, organisational or client objectives
4.5. Record and file evaluation results and any improvement recommendations for future reference
 

Learning Outcomes


This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design, produce and edit public relations documents for various target audiences, and to evaluate their effectiveness in the marketplace.


Details of Learning Activities

This course is structured to provide students with the optimum learning experience. Students will participate in a combination of group and individual learning activities. These activities will be provided through a combination of face to face teacher/student deliveries plus classroom work time. Additional learning activities will also be provided to students to complete outside of timetabled time.


Teaching Schedule

Week 1 - 10 February
Course Induction

Week 2 - 17 February
Introduction to the PR industry and the importance of writing
Basic principles of persuasive writing
Plain English – rhythm, grammar, sentence structure, flow etc

Week 3 - 24 February
Introduction to Public relations tools, documents and channels – overview of media releases, direct mail, newsletters, brochures etc

Week 4 - 3 March
The importance of the media release
Understanding the creative brief

Week 5 - 10 March
Audiences and stakeholders

Week 6 - 17 March
Public relations and marketing communication documents

Week 7 - 24 March
Blog introduction
Online copywriting

Week 8 - 31 March
Social media integration – twitter, facebook etc

Week 9 - 7 April
Tools for persuasive writing

Week 10 - 14 April
Short vs long copywriting

Mid semester break - 21 April

Week 11 - 27 April
Objectives and key messages

Week 12 - 5 May
Newsletters/fliers
 
Week 13 - 12 May
Events/sponsorship proposals

Week 14 - 19 May
Research & Evaluation
Legal/Ethical issues

Week 15 - 26 May
Final assessments due in class

Week 16 - 2 June
Assessment Feedback

Week 17 - 9 June
No classes - Resubmissions only
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
 


Assessment Tasks

Students are required to complete 3 tasks. All tasks must successfully be completed to be deemed competent in this unit.

Task 1 Written Portfolio – Group - (Due in class Week 6)

In groups of three to four, students will choose a virtual client from a supplied list who has a communication objective they need to fulfil. Students will need to consider how that virtual client is going to build their brand and reputation and highlight possible issues the business might be facing, for example:
• A new business has opened and needs to increase awareness
• Launching a new range and needs to inform its public
• Trying to gain interest from a new market
• Importance of increasing sales

As a group, the students will submit:
• Completed CLIENT BRIEF – following a supplied template

PLUS
• 1 x Press Release (no longer than one page – minimum 300 words)
• 1 x Online Copy of 600 words to appear on the client’s website
• 1 x Print Ad (any size)
• 1 x Direct Mail piece of 500 words (letter to customers, email copy, brochure)

Task 2 – Blog – Individual - (Due in class Week 11)

Working individually, students are to establish and write a blog around a topic of interest using the theory of persuasive copy writing and best practice blog writing. Ultimately, the task is to persuade people to read and interact with a blog which will demand a combination of persuasive writing style, compelling content (copy and visual) and social media engagement. Students are free to use the blogging platform of your choice.

Comprising a minimum of six blog entries (no max) and a minimum of 2000 words of your own copy (3000 max), your blog must:
• Be written in an engaging writing style that encourages readership
• Include graphics/images/moving footage and hyperlinks to other relevant content
• Integration of social media (twitter etc) in an effort to increase blog readership
• Be consistent in layout, writing style and posting regularity

Task 3 – Written Portfolio 2 – Group - (Due in class Week 15)
In groups of three (MAXIMUM), students are to select a real world client that they can research and create key communication vehicles for. Students are to:
• Analyse and research the possible communication needs of the real life client
• Identify a key issue that needs to be communicated to a consumer audience
• Identify audience, target market, objectives, key messages, strategies and communication vehicles.

Students are to prepare:
Four pieces in total comprised of:
• Communication Plan/Strategy (using supplied template)
• Media release (minimum 300 words)
• Written piece of MINIMUM 500 words, choose from:
o Online web material
o Newsletter article
o Brochure text

• Visual medium – professionally laid out and written choose from:
o Advert
o Poster
 


Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview