Social Marketing Communication

Recently, notions of social justice and equity have come to the fore of international consciousness, via #MeToo, Truth and Reconciliation, the activism of Greta Thunberg, or ongoing challenges to the status quo of fossil fuel and other behemoth corporations. Uniting these nascent movements lies a growing societal unease with the impacts of human interactions with the natural world.

Social marketing, repurposing tools developed by the commercial sector and using them for social good, is a field of increasing relevance as it provides a solid theoretical foundation and practical strategies for individuals and organizations needing to create communication strategies that encourage informed evidence-based decision-making either at a policy or an individual level.

The courses comprising this option offer a coherent and relevant framework around the core notion of Social Marketing. In order to recognize this competence officially, the School of Social Communication offers an option in Social Marketing Communication.

Program requirements (15 units)

Compulsory Courses: (15 units)
ISC2301 Communication and Organizations (3u)
ISC2306 Media and Ethics (3u)
ISC2328 Communication Plan (3u)
ISC3301 Social Marketing (3u)
ISC3339 Introduction to Public Relations (3u)

Courses

ISC2301 COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONS (3u)
Definition of an organization. Usual approaches to communication within the organizations: functionalist, strategic, critical, and cultural. The change management issue. Impact of technology.

ISC2306 MEDIA AND ETHICS (3u)
Constitutive elements of ethical behaviour. Basic ethical criteria in media communication. Rights in communication situations. Deontology codes in use in several institutions. Case analysis in media praxis: persuasion communication and fiction.

ISC2328 COMMUNICATION PLAN (3u)
Definition of campaign, objectives, target audience, channel, public environment, etc. Planning of strategic communications. Development of a communication plan; evaluation processes. Project management.

ISC3301 SOCIAL MARKETING (3u)
Marketing in general, social marketing and advertising and related communication tools. Basic concepts; application of the marketing and advertising approaches to the promotion of social ideas, values and causes: product and audience analysis, identification of marketing and communications objectives, campaign evaluation.

ISC3339 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS (3u)
History and basic models of public relations. Main approaches, tools, audiences, work environment. Management, marketing, advertising, public affairs. Case studies.