Public Relations in Specific Sectors
Code: 103156Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising and Public Relations | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Luis Fernando Morales Morante
- Email :
- fernando.morales@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Students must have passed the subject of Theory and Structure of Public Relations.
Objectives
Course Objectives:
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To introduce Public Relations as applied to specific sectors, enabling students to understand different management models, strategies, and tactics across various professional contexts.
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To foster critical thinking skills required to rigorously analyze and assess global communication management in diverse settings, through a strategic, cross-cutting, and contextualized approach.
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To understand the essential role of Public Relations as a key tool for communication, reputation management, and value creation for all types of organizations —public, private, and third sector.
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To develop the ability to plan and implement communication campaigns, with particular focus on the creative and efficient use of limited resources in budget-constrained or organizationally restricted environments.
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To explore real-world case studies and sector-specific best practices, encouraging students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical professional scenarios, promoting experiential learning and knowledge transfer.
Learning outcomes
- CM26 (Plan events in appropriate formats to reinforce the intangible value of organisations.) Plan events in appropriate formats to reinforce the intangible value of organisations.
- KM30 (Recognise the intangible value of organisations and their audiences as strategic linchpins for the design and planning of public relations initiatives.) Recognise the intangible value of organisations and their audiences as strategic linchpins for the design and planning of public relations initiatives.
- SM24 (Determine the communication objectives for the design of the most appropriate public relations actions according to the needs of organisations and the public.) Determine the communication objectives for the design of the most appropriate public relations actions according to the needs of organisations and the public.
- SM26 (Analyse the target to determine the most suitable insights for the design of the PR strategies.) Analyse the target to determine the most suitable insights for the design of the PR strategies.
Contents
Course Contents (Thematic Structure):
Introduction to Public Relations in Specific Sectors
Overview of the course and its objectives. Conceptual framework and historical evolution of PR across different professional fields. Strategic role of PR in diverse contexts.
Public Relations in the Context of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Diagnosis and communication planning in resource-limited environments. Local visibility and brand positioning techniques. Case examples of best practices.
Low-Budget Communication: Creativity and Efficiency
Design and execution of campaigns with minimal financial resources. Innovation, strategic collaborations, guerrilla actions, and low-cost strategies.
Event Planning in Multinational Environments (B2B and Mass Consumer Markets)
Key aspects of organizing corporate and commercial events in complex international scenarios. Case study with measurable outcomes.
Public Relations in the Automotive Sector
Communication strategies within the motor industry: brand values, reputational challenges, and sector-specific approaches. Case analysis of the Gung-Ho model and Cross Cultural Awareness.
International Perspective of Public Relations
Globalization, cultural adaptation, and message management in international environments. Collaboration with agencies, media, and stakeholders in multicultural contexts.
Corporate Communication in Technology-Based Companies
Communication tools and channels tailored to the digital and tech industries. Analysis of the Beauty and Automotive Clusters of Catalonia as collaborative communication ecosystems.
Communication Strategy in Political and Electoral Contexts
Role of PR in shaping leadership, reputation, and voter engagement. Practical case involving the simulation of an electoral campaign.
Branded Content and Product Placement
Integration of brand messaging into audiovisual and digital content. Analysis of narrative strategies and emerging persuasive formats.
New Strategies for Brand Visibility and Awareness
Exploration of current trends: influencer marketing, immersive experiences, transmedia storytelling, and other impactful communication formats.
Planning and Virtual Campus
A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find the various teaching materials deemed appropriate by the instructors and necessary information for effective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language. A critical approach will be encouraged to examine gender inequalities within the field of communication, and efforts will be made to ensure a non-sexist and equitable use of language in both teaching materials and learning activities. Likewise, the course will promote the inclusion of female references and other underrepresented groups in academic and professional contexts.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical classes | 15 | 0.6 | CM26, KM30, SM24, SM26 |
| Reading texts, carrying out the project, individual study | 82.5 | 3.3 | CM26, KM30, SM24, SM26 |
| Tutorials | 7.5 | 0.3 | CM26, KM30, SM24, SM26 |
| Practices and seminars | 37.5 | 1.5 | CM26, SM24 |
After a basic theoretical framework of the specificity of Public Relations in the different sectors, students will be able to know and understand the models of communication management.
They will then be applied to real case situations.
The classes will be very dynamic with participatory methods and learning activators.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR project Real case study. | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | CM26, KM30 |
| Assistance and participation | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | SM24, SM26 |
| Class work with real case studies. PR Exercises. Reality in Classroom. | 40% | 5 | 0.2 | CM26, KM30 |
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
- Activity A, Attendance and participation in class. 20% on the final grade
- Activity B, Group work. PR strategies for a company. 40% on the final grade
- Activity C, Classroom practices. 40% on the final grade.
The final grade will be the weighted sum of the three assessment items, provided that the group work and classroom practicals have achieved a minimum grade of 5.
Group work. The project will be defended by the students at the end of the semester in the classroom in an agency presentation format.
The work will be presented in PowerPoint (canvas, prezi...) in a presentation of no more than 20 minutes per group.
A report (PDF) must be attached stating how the proposal has been made, the doubts that the work has raised in its preparation and the solutions provided.
The teaching staff will consider the quality of the concepts presented, the oratory and safety in the presentation, the originality in the staging and, among others, the visual identity of the presentation.
Recovery
Students will have the right to retake the subject if they have been evaluated from the set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject.
To be eligible for the retake, an average grade of at least 3.5 must have been obtained.
Activity A, attendance and participation in class, is excluded from the retake; consequently, both the group work and the classroom practicals are recoverable. In both cases, the retake will be carried out through a theoretical test.
Single assessment
The single evaluation system of the subject is based on the following percentages:
A) 40% Theoretical Test. Grade upper to 5 to pass the assessment (indispensable condition). Book reference of Chamorro Miró, Juan Manuel (2023). Diagnostic models of corporate culture: A practical guide for managers. Self-published on Amazon.
B) 30% Resolution test of 4 case studies or communication challenges.
C) 30% Delivery of a final project: study on the managementand structure of an organization's PR based on primary sources (interview with a Dircom and/or PR manager). A (40%) + B (30%) + C (30%) = 100%
Single Assessment Retake
Students will have the right to retake the subject in single assessment (AU) if they have been evaluated from the set of proposed activities. The weight of the grades will be equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject.
To be able to take the retake exam in AU, you will have had to obtain an average grade of 3.5. To retake the subject, students will be able to repeat tests B and C.
Criteria for “Not Assessable”
According to the UAB Academic Regulations, when it is considered that the student has not provided sufficient evidence for evaluation, the final grade will be marked as “not assessable”. In this regard, a student will be considered “not assessable” if they have not submitted or participated in at least two-thirds of the assessable activities established in the course guide.
Second enrollment
From the second registration, the evaluation of the subject may consist of a synthesis test that allows the evaluation of the learning outcomes foreseen in the teaching guide of the subject. In this case, the qualification of the subject will correspond to the qualification of the synthesis test. The details of the test will be communicated in due time to the students who decide to opt for this type of evaluation.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, and/or translations. Students must clearly identify the parts generated using these technologies, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced their learning process and the final outcome of the assignment. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in assessed tasks will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the grade for the activity, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Plagiarism and irregularities
If the student makes any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be graded, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. If several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0.
The performance of any irregularity in an evaluation act (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, unless this use is expressly authorized by the teaching guide), which may lead to a significant variation in the grade, assumes that this act will be graded with a 0. In the event that the teaching guide foresees that in order to pass the subject it is an essential requirement to have obtained a minimum grade in this evaluation act or that there are several irregularities in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade of this subject is 0. Apart from this, a disciplinary process may be instructed to the student that incurs any of these irregularities.
Any student suspected of submitting assignments that have been generated by AI, written by others or copied; include unattributed AI-generated content, or fall outside the permitted scope, may be asked to provide the preliminary work or other materials that can demonstrate it is original work and the result of their own authorship. They may also be asked to separately explain or justify their work. Teachers may also use AI detection systems or carry out any verification tasks they deem appropriate. If, after review, the instructor detects irregularities, the assignment may be graded zero, and the student may be subject to further disciplinary action.
Bibliography
Canel, Maria José & Piqueiras, Paloma y Ortega, Gabriela (2017). La comunicación de la Administración Pública. Conceptos y casos prácticos de los bienes intangibles. Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública.
Canel, Maria Jose, Luoma-aho, Vilma. & Oliveira, Evandro. (2017). Exploring citizens’ judgments about the legitimacy of public policies on refugees: In search of clues for governments’ communication and public diplomacy strategies. Journal of Communication Management, 21 (4), 355-369.
Chamorro Miró, Juan Manuel (2023). Modelos de diagnóstico de la Cultura Corporativa: una guía práctica para directivos. Autoeditado y disponible en Amazon.
García Galera, Maria del Carmen; Fernández Muñoz, Cristobal y Del Hoyo, Mercedes (2017) Ciudadanía informada, ciudadanía participativa. La movilización de los jóvenes en el entorno digital. Prisma Social, 124-143
Gonçalves, Gisela & Oliveira, Evandro (2022-In print) The Routledge Handbook of Non-profit Communication. Routledge
Luoma-aho, Vilma. & Canel, Maria José (Eds.), (2020). Handbook of Public Sector Communication. Wiley-Blackwell.
Oliveira, Evandro, Simões, Mariana (2022-forthcoming) A legitimidade através da comunicação no sector público: o caso da câmara municipal da Covilhã em tempos de covid. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas.
Oliveira, Evandro (2019) The Instigatory Theory of NGO Communication. Springer
Oliveira, Evandro (2017) Comunicação e legitimação no Terceiro Sector. In C. Cerqueira, S. Lamy (Eds.) Vozes Plurais. A comunicação das organizações da sociedade civil (pp 65-82). Documenta, Sopcom.
Oliveira, Evandro & Gonçalves, Gisela. (2016). Talk to me and I will talk for you: Relationships betweenCitizens and Politics on the example of Portuguese Members of Parliamentonline communication. In Dahlgreen, P., Gonçalves, G., & Serra, J. P. (Eds). Politics and Web 2.0. (pp. 89-121) Vernon Press.
Oliveira, Evandro, Melo, Ana, & Gonçalves, Gisela. (2016) Strategic Communication for Non-Profit Organisations [Hardback] Challenges and Alternative Approaches. Vernon Press.
Oliveira, Evandro (2015). A Comunicação em Organizações sem fins lucrativos. In Carvalho, Susana, Portugal, Maria. & Caetano, Joaquim. (Hrsg.), Relações Públicas e Comunicação Organizacional. Volume V: Colecção Desafios da Globalização (S. 327-376) Lisboa: Escolar Editora
Oliveira, Evandro (2011). Comunicação estratégica integrada para a participação cívica, activismo e campanhas para mudanças em organizações sem fins lucrativos : Greenpeace, Amnistia e Ser+ em Portugal. Universidade do Minho. Open Acess http://hdl.handle.net/1822/13951
Software
No software required.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 5 | English | second semester | afternoon |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 51 | English | second semester | afternoon |