Below are the assignments crafted for this class. Please feel free to ask me questions if you need further clarification. have fun learning and discovering!
1. Individual ASSIGNMENT – 15%
New media technologies such as the web is blurring the lines between producers and consumers of text and information transmitted widely to the publics. Nowadays, consumers can use technology to become the producers without having to deal with any gatekeepers and can produce and reproduce messages at a very low cost or none at all. Consumers can communicate with each other and compare prices with anyone else who share the same interest and concerns by just having an internet access. The development has created an online activism activities where consumers come together to a particular site to discuss issues about products and services. From McSpotlight(an activism site against McDonald products) to exxposeexxon (grassroot support for a boycott of Exxon Mobil), grassroot activism through the web has grown tremendously over the years.Does new technology empowers consumers? Does computer mediated communication promotes the same feeling of solidarity that may come more readily from face to face group membership? If there is a consumer-activists website created against your product and services, as a PR person for that organization, what kinds of strategies and tactics would you use to deal with this website and still sustain your organization's reputation? Please discuss and answer all questions. Please identify and include any PR or communication theories necessary to support your answer.Please support your arguments and analysis with facts and appropriate examples and references.
- Length- between 1500-2000 words.
- Due Date: September 9th, 2008
2. Group Project – 40%
· Your group needs to establish a website. The website will consist of the following:
. Please come up with a made up company. You can create a new company or you could use existing ones and change the name and some of the information to make it your made up company. I want all of you to focus on a coffee/tea making company. It can be local or international.
. The introduction should start as ‘ This website is part of the requirements for PRO622 course. Company A is a make-believe company and is used only for the purpose of this course.
. Then you can continue with the introduction of the company. You can include pictures, charts etc. You need to include company’s name, logo, vision and mission, products and services offered, a bit of the staff backgrounds or an organization chart if you can.In order to come up with these information, a little brainstorming is needed among you and your team members.
. Also equip the website with a feedback channel.
Due Date: July 22nd, 2008
o Your second task is to create your CEO’s blog
. The blog needs to be linked to the company’s website.
. The blog is by the CEO of the company but you need to work collaboratively to come up with the first entry.
· The first entry of the blog
. Introduce yourself(CEO) and tell your publics why you are writing and initiating this blog
. Create a topic to just get the blog going. Please use bloggers/blogspot as the blog's host.
Due Date: 29th July, 2008
o A customer has decided to use the blog as a grievance channel. He/She complained about your product/service which was according to her/him thatit is overpriced.The customer was using your close competitor as a comparison. Reply back using the blog to this complaint.
Due Date:August 5th, 2008.
· The Third entry
o Your company wanted to do something green for the environment. Please create an entry outlining what you have done to contribute to the environment. It has to be related to your product and services
Due Date: August 12th, 2008.
· The Fourth Entry
o A journalist has used this blog to enquire about the negeative publisity that you had received a couple of weeks back in the papers about criminal bridge of trust. Answer the query.
Due Date: August 19th, 2008
· The fifth entry
o A non-profit organization’s representative decided to use the blog to garner your support for a cause they are advocating (please pick a cause). They are asking for resources or donation (pick one or both), Please answer the question.
Due Date: August 26th, 2008.
o Create a videoblog to reflect a scenario that you feel words would just not do. You can provide a videoblog in connection to an emerging issue. Before coming up with a video, there needs to be an entry explaining the issue. Furthermore, the answer needs to be made into video form and divided into three blog entries. Please create the video on your own, together with your team mates of course.
Due Date : September 2nd, 2008.
o This is where your friends will post a PR related question/statement that would require you to answer.
Due Date : September 9th, 2008.
· The tenth blog
o Please describe your group members
o Please upload a photo of all your group members .
Due Date:September 16th, 2008.
o All the grievances, questions and statements made in entry 2- 8, you need to get your group mate to post first before you can answer. Each member in your group needs to participate.
o The websites and the blogs are due on the presentation day.
o All websites and blogs need to be linked to the PRO622 blog.
o The presentation day: September 23rd, 2008.
3. Online interaction (Individual) – 5%
· Each student will post a question or statement to any of the other blogs that would require the CEO to answer. Please create an issue, PR related question or statement to the respective companies other than those posted in entry 2-8. Just one question/statement per student.
· As and when you are required, you need to participate in the PRO622 blog.
4. Final Test – 30%
· Format- 3 Case studies/essay questions
· Date: September 30th, 2008
That's about it! Let's have fun learning!
