MDIA1003 | PR and Advertising Foundations | Assessments

Term 3, 2024

There are three assessment components: in order to pass the course you must attempt and submit all three. Take the time to carefully read the Assessment Criteria, as these are what you will be graded on.

1. Campaign Analysis Presentation (Group Task, In-class, Week 3 in class)

Value: 30%

Presentation Length: 15 minutes (10 minute talk + 5 minute Q&A)

Submission: Presentation Slides to Moodle, before your presentation class

To develop successful communication campaigns of your own, you have to understand how campaigns work. Working in groups of 3 or 4, your task is to identify and analyse a communication campaign. You must choose a public relations or advertising campaign from the past year (2023-2024) that has NOT been discussed in detail in the lectures. You will address the following:

 • Describe the campaign, including identifying whether it is PR, advertising or integrated

 • Explain what you believe were the contextual factors underpinning the campaign

•  Discuss and analyse the campaign execution (e.g. messaging, symbolism, media channels).

•  Evaluate the campaign (e.g. coverage, social media attention).

You will present WITHOUT NOTES for 10 minutes and then lead discussion about the campaign for 5 minutes. Your talk should be concise and lively. Presentation slides should contain minimal text. You should be prepared with questions for the class and to answer their questions. You will need to share speaking responsibilities.

You must engage with the readings and course materials. You should look for media coverage and commentary, as well as examples of the campaign execution. What matters most is your careful, considered and rigorous analysis of the campaign, which is borne of solid research.

Hints & Tips

1. Find a campaign that is interesting to your group, not just the first thing you think of. Discuss your interests – tech, activism, sport, fashion, music, travel, politics, business – and then Google. Look for something intriguing. Sometimes failure is as interesting as success

2. Spend time brainstorming and discussing the campaign. Try to identify all its elements, consider how they relate to one another, and discuss why you think each was used.

3. Use theory in your analysis but choose carefully and use examples from your chosen campaign.  

4. Design your presentation, and slides to be focused and light on text. Put all your references on one slide at the end. Presenting is one of the most important skills you’ll learn, so put time into this aspect of the task.

5. Do not use notes or speak from a script. during your presentation.

Assessment Criteria

• Critical analysis: ability to analyse your chosen campaign, including identification of Problem, Challenge or Opportunity, discussion of key elements, and campaign evaluation.

• Conceptual understanding: capacity to a show a strong understanding of relevant issues, concepts, and perspectives addressed by the course material.

• Presentation: developing and delivering a coherent, organised presentation, including slideshow and leadership of class discussion.

• Effective reading and research: productive engagement with sufficient scholarly resources to support your analysis and claims.

2. Client Pitch Development Milestones (Weeks 5, 7, 8 & 9 in class)

Value: 20%

Presentation Length: 200 words a piece

Submission: Turnitin assignment box during class

For four weeks you will get the opportunity to develop your thinking in terms of key aspects of your pitch. In class, you will get the chance to demonstrate your understanding of these critical elements. In weeks 5, 7, 8 and 9 you will look at these ‘component parts’ of the plan and outline your understanding of each by addressing a specific question. So, for example, ‘How do objectives differ from goals?’ The subject matter for each week will be made available before the submission, but questions will only be made known on the day.

Students are not to think that the milestones are the opportunity to start writing up the finalised pitch. See them almost akin to your pitch ‘sketches’.  To that end, these submissions are less about the presentation (although the expression is important) and more about your understanding of the different parts. So, to the hypothetical question about objectives, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between objectives and goals, and what constitutes a good objective, for instance.  

Assessment Criteria:

· Conceptual understanding: capacity to demonstrate strong understanding of the elements in question.

· Critical analysis: ability to show the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the elements and their appropriateness in terms of the wider brief.

· Expression: Coherent expression.

· Referencing: demonstrates an effective use of reference sources.

3. Client Pitch

(Week 10)

Value: 50%

Presentation Length: A 2,500-word practical writing task that includes a client pitch and content examples (excluding references)
Submission: Turnitin via Moodle

You will be briefed by a client on a public relations situation. Your task is to produce a pitch to the client for an effective public relations campaign. The Client Pitch will build on the development milestones already developed in class. To show the client how the campaign will look in action, you must also produce at least one piece of sample content (but no more than two pieces). You have 500 words for these, with images equating to 100 words each. A pitch template will be provided, with clear guidelines on the elements of the campaign that you will need to address. You can simply use the template or modify it to suit your needs. The sample content that you produce should be directed towards specific audiences, media and objectives in mind. Explain these in your pitch.

Your sample content is your opportunity to show the client how creative and effective your campaign will be! You may produce whatever best demonstrates your campaign in action. For example, you might produce social media posts, branded news content, or plans for an event. If you include images, they must be created by you. 

Assessment Criteria: 
  

• Expression and structure: clarity and coherence of expression, grammar, punctuation, sentence construction, layout.

• Understanding of PR and advertising principles: demonstrate an understanding of key PR and advertising principles and apply these with rigour and creativity to produce an effective plan.

• Quality of content samples: clarity and coherence of writing, suitability for intended audience, and alignment with campaign objectives and messaging.

• Effective research: productive engagement with sufficient scholarly and non-scholarly resources to analyse client situation and broader context.

• Referencing: adherence to proper referencing conventions.