2010 - Public Relations Society of America

followed the activities of a corporation in the news media for an extended period of time.
This assignment ensures that students employ the research methods they learned in earlier
courses while at the same time encourages them to actively follow both traditional and
new media as they cover their corporations, much like a real public relations professional.
By mirroring the work of the in-house public relations specialist, students are better able
to learn the process of corporate communications as they blend abstract conceptual
learning received from the classroom with concrete experience they obtain through their
own information gathering.
Outcomes
Students often find it difficult to research beyond a basic Google search on their
laptop. Since so much of public relations is based on research this assignment pulls them
out of their comfort zone and attempts to introduce some of the information gathering
challenges they will be faced with when they enter the workforce. Creatively uncovering
information to determine potential opportunities or problems is the basis of corporate
public relations. Through this process students become more capable of seeing
connections regarding; why companies select spokespeople, how they choose target
markets, how they strategically position their corporate philanthropy and how internal
and external audiences such as employees, government and the media factor into their
overall brand position.
The goal is to extend students understanding of public relations. Many students
have not yet been exposed to the strategic side of public relations and are only familiar
with the basics of creating a media relations pitch for a product or service. This
assignment brings them into the world of corporate communications and makes them
explore the critical role public relations plays in the corporate world.
In some instances, students select a company in the middle of handling a crisis
during the course of the semester and follow closely as the company simultaneously
issues press releases, notifies employees, deals with consumer confidence and repairs a
tarnished reputation. What had seemed so simple and easy to criticize before they knew
more about the organization now becomes a strategic puzzle that the student is invested
in and determined to solve. In other instances, companies are embarking upon major rebranding
efforts and new product positioning and students get to follow along as
companies re-define themselves and approach new audiences. Many students gain a new
respect for both corporations and the profession of public relations. Some students have
even shown their final case study analysis to prospective employers and have impressed
them with their in-depth knowledge of the complexities of corporate communications.
References
Argenti, P.A. and Forman, J. (2002). The Power of Corporate Communication. McGraw-
Hill, New York
Boyatzis, R.E. and Kolb, D.A. (2000). Experiential Learning Theory, Previous Research
New Directions. In R.J. Sternberg & L.F. Zhang (eds.), Perspectives on
cognitive and learning styles. NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000
The Gallup Organization Web site: http://www.gallup.com
Lattimore, D., Baskin, O., Heiman, S.T., Toth, E.L. (2006). Public Relations:
The Profession and the Practice. 2 nd Edition. McGraw-Hill, Boston.
Laurillard, D. (2003). Rethinking University Teaching, A Conversational Framework for
the Effective use of Learning Technologies, Taylor & Francis, London & NY
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