Public Relations in Specific Sectors
Code: 103156 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising and Public Relations | OP | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Jose Salvat Sangra
- Email:
- josep.salvat@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Students must have passed the subject of Theory and Structure of Public Relations.
Objectives and Contextualisation
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 (Competence) Plan events in appropriate formats to reinforce the intangible value of organisations.
- KM30 (Knowledge) Recognise the intangible value of organisations and their audiences as strategic linchpins for the design and planning of public relations initiatives.
- SM24 (Skill) Determine the communication objectives for the design of the most appropriate public relations actions according to the needs of organisations and the public.
- SM26 (Skill) Analyse the target to determine the most suitable insights for the design of the PR strategies.
Content
Course Contents (Thematic Structure):
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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
The detailed schedule with the content of the sessions will be explained on the first day of the course and will be available on the UAB Virtual Campus. In this space, students will find all the teaching materials and the necessary information to properly follow the subject. In case of a change in the teaching modality due to force majeure, the teaching staff will inform students of any changes to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Practices and seminars | 37.5 | 1.5 | |
| Theoretical classes | 15 | 0.6 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 7.5 | 0.3 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading texts, carrying out the project, individual study | 82.5 | 3.3 |
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.
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.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| PR project Real case study. | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 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.
To pass the subject, it will be necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5 in all activities.
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 able to take the retake of the subject, an average grade of not less than 3.5 must have been obtained.
Activity A, attendance and participation in class are excluded from the recovery.
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% NOTA FINAL DE L’ASSIGNATURA
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.
Plagiarism
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.
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.
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.
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.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 51 | English | second semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 5 | English | second semester | afternoon |