#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 who are the key players in the arena, how they can exert influence on the policy of an organisation and, most of all, how you can engage with them.

Another important theme that we tap into during this programme is how brands can support and push sustainable behaviour change. Advertising/PR can play an important role in setting the agenda and/or supporting behaviour change. So if a brand chooses to commit itself to one of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, how can you persuade your target audience to jump on the same bandwagon?

​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 and two are related to the international Ad Net Zero Competition (https://edcom.eu/students/https-edcom-eu-students-ad-net-zero-competition-2025/) in which you will participate. You start with conducting research into the advertising industry and brands related to enhancing sustainable behaviour of consumers. Your insights will lead to a video that will explain how you think that advertising can encourage more sustainable, positive consumer habits. Part two focusses on how you can influence these habits by applying a behaviour change model. 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 

1.       You select and apply relevant communication theories/models to analyse the situation. 
2.      You design and execute reliable and valid research that fits the research questions for the context analysis. 
3.      You describe a target audience and determine specific desirable  behaviour based on the conclusions and insights of your research. 
4.      You conduct valid and reliable desk research to find out all relevant elements for behavioural change according to the Behaviour Change Wheel model.
5.      You formulate conclusions and insights based on your research relevant for choosing interventions. 
6.      You create a fitting and attractive game for the target audience. 
7.      You design and conduct reliable and valid research to test and improve the efficacy of your game.
8.      You explain how the game can influence or change the chosen behaviour.
9.      You ignite enthusiasm and positive response about your game and its desired behavioural change among its players and thus add value.

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)​. 

Minor Choice Week | 2–5 March 2026

Online minor information sessions
Attend an online information session for this minor! View the programme and register here.

Minor fair
This minor will be present at the minor fair. Will you join us? View the programme and register here.

Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Time: 4:00–7:30 p.m.
Location: Kralingse Zoom

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APPLICATION PROCESS (KOM)

Are you a student from another educational institution and would you like to follow a minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences? If so, you must apply in two steps:

Step 1

• Register for the minor of your choice via the blue Apply button. You can find this button at the top right of the minor’s page.
• Download the learning agreement and complete it.
• Submit this learning agreement to the examination board of your study programme.

Once the examination board has granted approval, register for the minor in Step 2 no later than 01-07-2025 at 9:00 a.m.

Step 2
After approval, register via OSIRIS Application of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences using the link below (first create an account).
https://osiris.hr.nl/osiris_aanmeld_hrprd/Welkom.do?proces=KOM2609&opleiding=MINOR-CMI-VT 00

Part of the application process is uploading 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 be informed by Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences whether your application has been approved.

In OSIRIS Application, you must also upload the Proof of Paid Tuition Fee (BBC) for the academic year in which you wish to follow the minor. This can be done from 01 May 2026 onwards. You can request the BBC from your institution after you have signed or issued an authorization for the payment of the tuition fee for the relevant academic year. You may also choose the option for your institution to send the BBC directly to collegegeld@hr.nl.

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