#GetConnected: Media, Culture & Society! 

Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it – Nike 

This campaign with Colin Kaepernick as the protagonist is considered to be one of the best examples when it comes to how organisation can take a stance on a political or social issue. It’s called brand activism and forms a new challenge for the PR professional. Many organisations keep quiet out of fear for being canceled by part of their stakeholders. But staying silent is also communicating something! People expect companies to speak up and address contentious issues. They expect companies to have an added value for society, a purpose. And in this mediatised world we are living in, these people have a strong voice.    

​In the networked society people can easily get connected and form a group of like minded people to challenge the status quo of an organisation. Activist communities and NGOs become bolder in addressing sensitive issues and subsequently putting pressure on companies to take a stand and act in a for them favourable way. As a future PR professional it is imperative to know how communities thrive, how they try to engage and change the behaviour of their target audience and how they can exert influence on the policy of an organisation.   

​Purpose, brand activism, communities and behavioural change… Making the world a better place. That’s what the #GetConnected programme is all about.  

1. ​During the BAPR module you focus on doing research into the PR professional and his/her knowledge about brand activism. What is a PR professional exactly, what do they know about brand activism and what knowledge do they want to gain? Based on the insights you make a choice for a medium you want to create. This can be an eMagazine, a podcast, a platform, or something alike, that’s up to you.
2. ​During the IPR module you start creating content which is based on articles about topics related to brand activism. Needless to say, that this content aligns with the needs of the PR professional you determined in the BAPR module. Your goal is to inspire the PR professional!
3. ​The module Changing the Game (CG) consists of three parts. Part one is about analysing an activist community (NGO) or organization (a real client) on how it engages its’ members and how it tries to change the behaviour of the target audience. Based on the analysis you create an advice for the community/client that focusses on how to support the behavioural change based on the Behaviour Change Wheel model. This is part two. The third part is all about developing a serious game, through which the desired behaviour change can be achieved. This can be a board- or online game. On Game Day, at the end of the programme, you are going to play each other’s games.
4. ​Last but not least the ‘Skills’ module will teach you how to execute a convincing pitch and how intercultural.

​​​LEARNING OUTCOMES

Brand Activism and the PR Professional 

• You conduct valid and reliable desk and field research to find out the behaviour, needs and motives of PR professionals regarding Brand Activism.
• You formulate conclusions and insights based on your research relevant for choosing your medium and creating its concept and formats.  
• Based on the insights of your research you create a relevant concept and formats for your medium.
• You explain how your concept creates interaction and connection with the PR professional and between the PR professional and his/her stakeholders.  
• During the presentation you convince the PR professional of your chosen medium, concept and formats. You enlighten and refute criticism of the PR professional during a Q&A. 

​Inspire the PR Professional 

• You create a medium with a clear lay-out, attractive design/structure and cohesive content for the target audience.  
• You select relevant and topical theories and best practices which you convert into in-depth and informative content for the chosen medium (eMagazine, podcast, platform, etc.).  
• You implement the main takeaways in your content that add value for the PR professional.  ​

​Changing the Game 

• You select and apply relevant communication theories/models to analyse the client and assigned themes linked to climate change.  
• You design and execute reliable and valid research that fits the research questions for the context analysis.
• You define a target audience and determine a subtheme based on the  conclusions and insights of your research.  
• You conduct valid and reliable desk research to find out all relevant elements for behavioural change according to the Behaviour Change Wheel model.  
• You formulate conclusions and insights based on your research relevant for choosing interventions and creating a game in which you incorporate ethical deliberations.  
• Based on the insights of your research you create a relevant concept for a game as an intervention to change the behaviour of the target audience.  
• You create a fitting and attractive game for the target audience and indicate how it can be adapted into an online version.  
• You argue based on relevant theory how the game concept and content realise interaction and engagement within the target audience.  
• You design and conduct reliable and valid research to test and improve the efficacy of your game.  
• You explain how the game can influence or change the chosen behaviour.  
• You ignite enthusiasm and positive response about your game and its desired behavioural change among its players and thus add value.  

​​Skills 

• You are able to deliver an attractive and persuasive presentation/pitch by implementing an array of presentation skills.
• You are able to analyse intercultural cooperation in projects and reflect on the required knowledge and skills needed for working in an intercultural team to create cohesion.  

LESSON METHOD

​​​​Brand Activism and the PR Professional​ 
This module encompasses the context and concept phase for the IPR module. During six weeks you and your publishing team will conduct research on what brand activism contains, why organisations should or should not commit themselves to an issue, and in what way brand activism can be implemented. At the same time you will talk to PR professionals to assess what they are interested in regarding the topic and in which way they prefer to be informed. The module ends with a presentation of the insights of your context analysis and the concept of your chosen medium. You conduct research according to our research design model. A visit to a PR agency and guest lectures about related topics is part of the module. This is a team assignment. 
​ 
​Inspire the PR Professional 
​With your publishing team (3/4 students) you will work together intensively to conduct extensive desk research and unravel the central topic of the week. When it comes to the content part, we do not use traditional lectures. You will study relevant articles by yourself and discuss them with your group and present the key messages in class during peer lectures. After the peer lectures you will start creating the content for your medium. On Thursdays during consult you will receive feedback on the content. This is a team assignment 
​ 
​Changing the Game 
​You will analyse an activist community or an organisation’s target audience. The focus lies on how the community or organization could improve the way they try to change the target audience’s behaviour. You will explore this behavioural change based on the Behaviour Change Wheel model. For the last step you develop a board- or online game that supports the intended behaviour change. The necessary knowledge and skills for the gamification part you will gain through (guest)lectures and workshops from professionals and workshops in our City- and/or Fablab.  These are one team and two individual assignments. 
​ 
​Skills 
As for Pitching and Intercultural Awareness you will be offered different (guest)lectures and workshops.  You will also organise a live podcast for second year Dutch students during which you explain an Intercultural Awareness theory. These are two individual assignments. 
​ 
​Study trip 
Part of the programme is a four day study trip abroad. The trip is not mandatory, if you stay in Rotterdam, you will be expected to attend a substitute programme.​ 

Entry requirements: 

The student has sufficient oral and written English language skills (at least level B2).

​​​Will be shared during the programme​. 

​​​Lectures will be planned on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.​ 

​​​There are no exams, you will be assessed based on assignments (presentation, pitch, media, game, report, podcast)​. 

   

Follow our information session! 

This information session is an interactive online meeting in Teams. You can join on your mobile phone, laptop or tablet.

We'll start with a short presentation about the minor. We will also show you some work of previous students. After that there is time for questions.

Click on the date you prefer to join the information session.

Monday 31 maart 2025 from 16:00 till 16:45h

Wednesday 2 april 2025 from 19:00 till 19:45h

REGISTRATION PROCESS
Are you a student from another educational institution and you want to take a minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, you can apply in 2 steps as follows:

1)        Register for the minor of your choice via the blue button Enroll. You can find this button at the top right of the minor's page.
Download and fill in the learning agreement.
Submit this learning agreement to the Exam Board of your study programme.
Once the Board of Examiners has given its approval, please register for the minor in step 2 no later than 23-05-2025.

2)      After approval, register in OSIRIS Aanmelding of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences via the link below (create an account first).

https://osiris.hr.nl/osiris_aanmeld_hrprd/WelkomPagina.do?proces=KOM2509&opleiding=MINOR-CMI-VT+00

Part of the registration process is to upload the following documents:
-   The learning agreement signed by you and by your institution;
-   A scan or photo of your passport or ID card.
You will receive a message from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences whether your application has been positively assessed or not.

In OSIRIS Aanmelding, you must also upload the Evidence Paid Tuition Fee (BBC) for the academic year in which you want to follow the minor. You can request the BBC from your institution after you have signed or issued an authorization for the payment of the tuition fees for the academic year in which you want to take the minor.

You will receive a message from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences when your application has been approved.