Objectives: The course will address Communication foundations, as internal communication, external communication and the rise of digital communication, through the analysis of the most recent theories and the management of engaging concrete case histories.

The course will go through the P.O.E.S. approach, framing all the opportunities rising from “paid, owned, earned and social” media.

It will address digital and social media marketing, communication strategies and effective execution of the plan. Students will go through the nature and implications of the internet and new technologies for communication, including content creation, media relations, networking, stakeholder management, targeting and positioning.

Learning outcomes: Students will learn how to design, set and implement a communication plan targeted on external and internal stakeholders such as media, customers, institutions and employees. Digital communication will add to the course a new valuable stream of knowledge, both technical and theoretic.

Students will also learn to assess opportunities and potential risks related to social responsibility, corporate assets and reputation. They will analyze the importance of communication and timely and effective decision making in emergency scenarios.

They will also learn how to manage communication with an integrated and strategic approach in order to strengthen accountability and corporate reputation.

Contents: After an introduction to the role of communication and the concept of branding, we’ll go thought all the steps of the communication planning process: from strategy to execution to assessment.

The following topics will be covered: brand ecosystem, communication planning process, communication objectives, how to define internal and external stakeholders and how to engage them, internal communication, media channels and digital communication: how to create contents for the web, main characteristics of social media, the foundations of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Methodology: Activities in the class include lectures, case studies, guest lecturers, project works and in-class presentations.

Means of evaluation: Active participation in the course (10% of the final grade), 1 group project work assignment (30% of the final grade) and a final 30-minutes individual written test with closed questions (60% of the final grade).