57220 Corporate and Marketing Communication

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Description

This subject examines contemporary corporate and marketing communication objectives, strategies and methods employed by corporations and other ‘corporate bodies’ such as government agencies (e.g. transport, health, etc.) to promote their organisation, its products and services. Differences and complementation between corporate communication and marketing communication are explained. Students examine contemporary marketing communication methods with customers and potential customers, such as advertising, electronic direct mail (e-DM), promotions, events such as exhibitions and trade shows, product PR, and public social media. In addition, students explore key corporate communication concepts such as corporate identity, reputation, corporate social responsibility, and communication with stakeholders such as employees, shareholders, regulators, and local communities. Methods of internal and external corporate communication are examined, including corporate websites, intranets, internal social media, annual reports, newsletters, and corporate PR and publicity. Students are encouraged to critically examine methods of corporate and marketing communication from a standpoint of ethics and effectiveness.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:

• Apply a body of practice-oriented knowledge and skills to develop, implement and evaluate innovative solutions to real-world communication challenges with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability (1.1)
• Critically and creatively re-think and reflect on public relations, advertising and organisational change models and practices for the 21st century beyond dominant models and approaches (2.2)
• Locate, gather, organise and synthesise information across diverse platforms to guide their mastery of contemporary communication issues and challenges (2.3)
• Graduates are able to persuade and engage diverse audiences through both written and oral communication strategies across a range of media formats with consideration of others' needs and views (6.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject theoretically and practically examines a range of external and internal communication strategies through analysis of local and global scenarios from case studies that address corporate and marketing communication challenges.

Students learn through a range of modes and methods including weekly classes, block workshops, and access to online resources. Learning will be facilitated through the use of case studies, guest lectures, group discussion, and reading of academic and professional literature. Formative feedback will be provided during weekly classes, workshops and via online discussion boards. Students are expected to apply critical thinking, analytical skills, and creativity and will develop their communication skills through written work, group discussion and presentations, where pre-reading of weekly cases studies is essential to learning.

Content (topics)

Students gain an understanding of contemporary corporate and marketing communication strategies and tactics in an evolving digital environment. They examine how corporate and marketing communication should be integrated and complementary. Also addressed are the evolution of marketing communication strategies, such as mobile communications and data-based targeted marketing, and contemporary approaches to customer relationship management (CRM) and influencer marketing.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Corporate Communication Analysis

Assessment task 2: Brand Communication Analysis

Minimum requirements

Submission of assessment tasks
In this subject assessment tasks are cumulative so that each task builds understanding and/or skills, informed by formative feedback. Consequently, all assessments must be submitted in order for students to receive feedback. Students who do not submit all assessments will not pass the subject.

Required texts

Cornelissen, J. 2017, Corporate Communications: A Guide to Theory and Practice, 5th edn, Sage, CA. (UTS Library call no 658.45 CORN (ED.5).

References

Albert, S. & Whetten, D. 1985, Organizational Identity, In L. Cumming & B. Staw (eds), Research in organizational behavior, JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 263-95.

Ahmed, P. & Rafiq, M. 2003, ‘Internal marketing issues and challenges’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 37, no. 9, pp. 1177-86.

Balmer J. & Greyser, S. 2006, ‘Corporate marketing. Integrating corporate identity, corporate branding, corporate communications, corporate image and corporate reputation’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 40, no. 7/8, pp. 730-45.

Barrow, C. 2011, The 30 Day MBA in Marketing, Kogan Page, London.

Beattie, V. & Smith, S. 2010, ‘Human capital, value creation and disclosure’, Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 262-85.

Fombrun, C., Gardberg, N. & Sever, J. 2000, ‘The reputation quotient: A multiple stake-holder measure of corporate reputation’, The Journal of Brand Management, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 241-55.

Gambetti, R. & Shultz, D. 2015, ‘Reshaping the boundaries of marketing communication to bond with consumers’, Journal of Marketing Communications, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 1-4.

Hatch, M. & Schultz, M. 2003, ‘Bringing the corporation into corporate branding’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 37, no. 7/8, pp. 1041-64.

Kitchen, P. & Burgmann, I. 2010, ‘Integrated marketing communication’, in J. Sheth & N. Mulhotra (eds), International Encylcopedia of Marketing, Part 4, pp. 1–23. Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781444316568.wiem04001

Kotler, P. 2017, Marketing 4.0: Moving from traditional to digital. Wiley, NJ.

Macnamara, J., Lwin, M., Adi, A., & Zerfass, A. 2016, ‘”PESO” media strategy shifts to “SOEP”: Opportunities and ethical dilemmas’, Public Relations Review. vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 377–85.

Management Study Guide. 2019, ‘Marketing communications’, available at https://www.managementstudyguide.com/marketing-communications.htm

Management Study Guide. 2019, ‘Consumer communication and persuasion’, available at https://www.managementstudyguide.com/consumer-communication-and-persuasion.htm

Melewar T., Karasmanoglu, E. & Paterson. D. 2005, ‘Corporate identity: concept, components and contribution’, Journal of General Management, vol 31, no. 1, pp. 40-60

Rosethorn, H. 2009, The employer brand: keeping faith with the deal, Gower Publishing, Farnham, Surrey, UK.

Sheldrake. P. 2011. The business of Influence: Reframing marketing and PR for the digital age. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK.

Trcek, D. 2018, Trust and reputation management systems. Springer, Switzerland.

Van Riel, C. 2003, The management of corporate communications, in J. Balmer & S. Greyser (eds), Revealing the corporation, Routledge, London, pp. 161-70.