CAND. MERC.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
A strategic approach to communication in a business administration context
Master Program Information Meeting for BA MMC’s 2020 Department of Management, BSS AU
Sophie Esmann Andersen, Associate Professor, PhD
WELCOME…
Part I: Coordinator Sophie Esmann Andersen:
• What is strategic communication?
• Cand. Merc. in Strategic Communication:
(structure and overall narrative, courses and exams)
• Research based teaching
• Jobs titles and functions within strategic communication
Part II: Study counsellors Naja and Nanna
• Admission, application procedure and deadlines
Questions
“Strategic communication is defined as the purposeful use of communication by
an organization to fulfill its mission”
Hallahan et al. (2007) Defining Strategic Communication.
International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3–35, p. 3
WHAT IS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION?
The Cand. Merc. specialisation line in Strategic Communication applies a strategic approach to communication in a business administration context.
Communication in a business administration context rests upon three key assumptions:
• Communication is a scientific discipline that requires advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge on what communication is, can and does;
• Communication is a strategic discipline that requires understandings of the strategic purpose of communication, sensitive to the different organizational, societal and stakeholder related contexts in which communication occurs; and
• Communication is a management discipline that requires administration and
managerial decisions on the strategic direction of communication and management of the processes related hereto.
“Strategies are totally worthless if they aren’t communicated – no matter if they deal with internal or external markets.”
“If you want to work in communication, you need to know
and speak the corporate lingo both at management and brand level; you need to understand the strategies, visions and values.”
Jonas Roholt Waaben, Partner, Campfire & Co.
CAND MERC STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
Organizational Theory Scientific Methods
Strategic Management and Organizational
communication Corporate Communication Brand Management
in theory and practice
Electives, Study abroad, Internship, Summer University
Master thesis on a strategic communication topic
1st Semester (30ECTS) Prerequisite courses 2nd Semester (30ECTS) Specialization courses 3rd Semester (30ECTS) Elective courses
4th Semester (30ECTS) Master thesis
Social Media
Communication, Innovation and Management
“In Communication at Jyske Bank we don’t have any history in hiring candidates with a cand. merc. background. But the line in Strategic Communication sounds very promising and relevant for both the communication and marketing department.
It combines all the areas, we work within: branding, communication and social media”
Per E. Jensen,
Online Communication Director, Jyske Bank
THE OVERALL PURPOSE
The overall purpose of the cand. merc. in Strategic Communication is to enable students on the basis of advanced knowledge on communication as a scientific, strategic and
managerial discipline to critically assess, design and manage strategic communication activities and processes. It qualifies the students to:
• Analyse, understand and solve complex issues and challenges within strategic communication related to multiple key stakeholders, including employees and consumers;
• Design, implement and manage communication strategies, processes and activities based on advanced knowledge within corporate communication, brand and social media management;
• Critically assess and master the complex processes of strategic communication, that create value for employees, markets, organisations and society.
“To me, the ideal candidate can ‘crush numbers’ and turn empirical data into communication strategies and organizational actions.
The ideal candidate owns a new kind of knowledge that combine traditional business administration knowledge with communication skills.”
Andreas Kjær Thomsen,
Senior Marketing Director, LEGO
ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY
The course will enable the student to understand organisations as the unit of analysis in the context of both design (structure) and emergence (behaviour) in the cross-field between individuals in the organisation and the environment in which the organisation operates.
Using theoretical inspiration from a number of interrelated fields such as (social)
psychology, sociology, economics, ethnography and philosophy, this course presents a vast number of theories, models and terms suited for analysing organisations. These approaches are organized in a number of metaphors which each set the framework for some
traditional and modern takes on organisations.
The course presents the students with various analytical frameworks with which to
understand and navigate the organisations that they are already part of and will later be working in, whether as managers, consultants, specialists or other.
Rationale: How you define, understand and approach an organisation has fundamental consequences for communication, for communication strategies and strategy execution
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Managing communication processes is central for a vast array of core organizational tasks like ensuring employee performance and satisfaction, and for developing and
implementing strategic decisions.
The aim of this course is to provide the student with a fundamental insight into classical and critical approaches to strategic management from a communicative perspective. The class will enable the student to develop, implement and evaluate any corporate strategy with particular reference to managing communication processes
Rationale: Strategic communication rests upon key insights into strategy analysis, development and execution
SCIENTIFIC METHODS
The aim of the course is to provide students with advanced skills to independently develop a methodologically sound research design based on critical reflection.
This means that the student will learn to understand, select, apply and critically reflect upon communication research methods in relation to data collection, data analyses and data assessments in researching communicative phenomena in organizations on an advanced level. By advanced level it is meant that the student is able to independently argue for and critically reflect upon the quality, coherence and relevance of the different components included in her/his research design.
Rationale: Working profesionally with strategic communication requires the mastering of how to create relevant and reliable knowledge in and for organizations
BRAND MANAGEMENT IN THEORY AND PRACTICE
There has been a fundamental development in brand management in consumer contexts:
from understanding brands as economic assets managed as part of the marketing mix to understanding brands as ‘unmanageable’ cultural phenomena. The many various
understandings of and approaches to brands and brand management hold different notions of the market, consumers, role of communication etc., which again calls upon different methodological preferences and theoretical constructs.
The course provides students with knowledge of the fundamental assumptions and
principles guiding the different approaches to brand management and their consequences for communication and strategy selection.
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
The course aims to provide the student with knowledge of central concepts, models, theories and methods within corporate communication defined as the strategic
management of the integrated (internal and external) communication of private and public companies, organizations and institutions.
The knowledge and practical skills acquired from the course give the student relevant qualifications within strategic communication, corporate brand management, reputation and stakeholder management. These qualifications enable the student to analyze,
prepare, implement, evaluate and discuss corporate communication, reputation and corporate branding activities
Rationale: Strategic communication is a well-established research discipline and
professional practice which builds upon core concepts, models and thoughts. In order to master strategic communication, we must know the core building blocks of the
communication discipline
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION, INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT
This course aims to enhance the understanding of how digital and social technologies impact and enable communication, collaboration and innovation in the contemporary business environment.
The content of the course is structured around core themes including:
• Categorizations of social media (goals, tools and functions)
• Impact on society, organizations and organization-stakeholder relations
• Opportunities and challenges in social media management and communication
• Social media measurement
• Social media research methods
EXAMS
Uses a variaty of exam forms because communication
candidates must master all the different genres of
communication:
• Communication in teams
• Individual communication competencies
• Written communication skills
• Oral communication skills
• Communication in immediate response situations
• Communication as a reflexive practice
RESEARCH BASED TEACHING
We are a well-established group of researchers within strategic communication and with an internationally high-ranked reputation. We are engaged in teaching and research in the strategic and managerial perspectives of communication and draws on cross-
disciplinary methods and theories.
Current areas of research includes Change communication and change management, Corporate branding, CSR communication, New areas of marketing communication and brand management, Organizational communication and public relations, Crisis
communication and crisis management, Strategic conversations in organizations, Employer branding as sustainable practice, among others.
JOB TITLES AND FUNCTIONS
• Communication manager
• Brand manager
• Communication advisor
• Internal or external communications consultant
• Management communication advisor
• Campaign director
• Social media and community manager
• Communication process consultant
• Marketing communication manager
• Corporate brand director
And many many more opportunities within marketing, HRM, media management, project management etc.
WHY CHOOSE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION?
The dedicated choice: Because you are passionate about communication and dedicated to understand the complexity of communication in different strategic contexts. This is what you want to do for a living!
The confusion-driven choice: Because you are reluctant to chose one direction and the profile provides you with a broad and solid foundation to base your future career:
it combines a strategic, organizational focus (cf. SOL) with a market focus (cf. MAR) based on the idea that
The smart choice:
goes without saying!
Please contact me
if you have any questions or concerns:
sea@mgmt.au.dk
Thank you for coming
I hope to see you when the
semester starts at September
YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND HELP…
The study councellors:
Email: counsellor.bcom@au.dk Phone: 8716 4332
Adress: building 2610 (S), Aarhus BSS, Aarhus Universitet, Fuglesangs Allé, 8210 Aarhus V
The study portal for corporate communication and IT:
https://studerende.au.dk/studier/fagportaler/virksomhedskommunikation-og-it/
Any study relevant questions and concerns, please send an email to:
Director of study, Christian Waldstrøm: cwa@mgmt.au.dk or
Program coordinator, Sophie Esmann Andersen: sea@mgmt.au.dk
