Corporate Storytelling
| Module title | Corporate Storytelling |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEMM263DA |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Alex Connock (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 14 | 14 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Business communications are of existential importance: they can make or break your firm in any sector. In fact, you will most likely tell the story of your business every day of your business career.
In this module you will learn how to do that — in the context of the rapidly evolving media of the 2020s. Designed to give a business leader the tools and strategies to excel in this vital undertaking, the module acknowledges that in the 21st century every business is at some level a media company — by learning the lessons that media businesses have themselves used to create meaningful content and long term value.
The module material ranges from the creation of a simple, credible purpose and narrative, to the integration of ESG principles; from effective social and digital marketing to approaches to managing risk for the era of black box Artificial Intelligence which can make decisions on your company's behalf without you even knowing how. The module looks at dynamic content optimisation, disinformation and other facets of modern communication, again with respect to the correct identification and positioning of the corporate story.
The module is designed to build knowledge and understanding through lectures, visiting guests, interactive group work, self-guided learning and research and student presentations.
Module aims - intentions of the module
On completion of this module you will be able to articulate and iterate the story of your company in a range of contemporary settings — from the Linkedin feed to the investor presentation.
You will have understood the value of having a clear purpose, and of mapping the corporation's strategy to ESG goals.
You will have understood how to codify a story and its delivery approaches for channels in paid, owned and earned media.
You will understand how to dissect and interpret how other businesses tell their own stories in order to better understand them as suppliers, clients, investments and partners.
You will understand the value and risks of tools like AI for the modern business.
You will have undertaken multiple practical and group exercises to replicate the kind of challenges that occur in corporations, and prove to yourself that you are capable of executing all of these things in a realistic setting.
Finally you will have submitted a detailed and systematic assessment of how well a particular company of your choice is managing its corporate story, with your own recommendations for how they might proceed.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Define the purpose and function of a company or product, based on its corporate strategy
- 2. Plan the framework and distribution channels by which that corporate story will be distributed
- 3. Implement effective visual social media communications for that corporate story
- 4. Implement effective verbal/tone of voice for social media communications for that corporate story
- 5. Create and deploy video as an effective communications tool
- 6. Capitalise upon and risk-minimize the earned media dimension in the media mix
- 7. Marry the corporate story to ESG principles in such a way that accusations of 'greenwashing' and 'astroturfing' cannot be made
- 8. Discuss the risks of black-box AI to the reputation of a corporation and mitigate them
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. Structure and narrate a clear articulation of the purpose and strategy of a company
- 10. Structure and narrate a clear articulation of your own career strategy and purpose
- 11. Launch a product with a clear and effective multimedia presentation
- 12. Present a company as an investable entity to investors
Syllabus plan
- Overview: the power and significance of the corporate story in modern business
- Purpose, ESG and the challenge of Greenwashing
- Paid media — brand advertising
- Paid media — performance marketing
- Owned media in social — the value of video
- Owned media in social part two — you are your words and tone of voice
- Earned media — exploiting opportunity, managing risk
- The opportunities and dangers of dynamic content optimisation and black box AI
- Your own personal storytelling — from your brand, to performance
- Exercise: the product launch: an exercise in creation and presentation
- Exercise: the investor/stakeholder presentation
- Final presentations
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | 268 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 24 | 4 X Masterclass days, each of 2 X 3-hour sessions, including group exercises |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 8 | 4 X 2-hour Webinars |
| Guided Independent Study | 94 | Use of online learning materials. Completion of assessments required to monitor progress. Consultation with academic staff. Preparation of presentations in groups for class. |
| Placement/Study Abroad | 174 | Time in employment used for consolidation of skills and knowledge |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly learning Journals | 300 Words | 1-12 | Mentor |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | 10 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective assignment | 45 | 2,000 words | 1-12 | Written feedback from academic tutor |
| PowerPoint presentation | 45 | 20 minutes | 1-12 | Written feedback from academic tutor |
| Exam | 10 | 1 hour | 1,3,4,7 and 8 | Marked exam |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective assignment | As original (45%) | 1-12 | Written feedback from academic tutor |
| PowerPoint presentation | As original (45%) | 1-12 | Written feedback from academic tutor |
| Exam | As original (10%) | 1,3,4,7 and 8 | Marked exam |
Re-assessment notes
All passed components of the module will be rolled forward and will not be reassessed in the event of module failure.
Defer – as first time
Refer – capped at 50%
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Suggested reading:
- Waller, D., & Younger, R. (2017). The Reputation Game: The Art of Changing How People See You. Simon and Schuster.
- Sweeting, P. (2021, March 30). Variety. Variety. https://variety.com/vip-special-reports/artificial-intelligence-and-media-a-special-report-1234783682/
- Hill, K., & White, J. (2020, December 28). Do These A.I.-Created Fake People Look Real to You? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/21/science/artificial-intelligence-fake-people-faces.html
- GPT-3: Its Nature, Scope, Limits, and Consequences. (n.d.). Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, 30(4), 681.
- No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. (2020). Library Journal, 145(4), 166–121.
- No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. (2020). Publishers Weekly, 40, 71–72.
- Galloway, S. (2017). The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. Random House.
- Wu, T. (2017). The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads. Atlantic Books.
- Use of AI in Online Content Moderation. (2018). OFCOM. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/157249/cambridge-consultants-ai-content-moderation.pdf
- S. (2022, October 4). Opinion | Apple’s C.E.O. Is Making Very Different Choices From Mark Zuckerberg. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/opinion/apples-ceo-is-making-very-different-choices-from-mark-zuckerberg.htm
Additional suggested reading:
- Further suggested reading materials will be provided on ELE – Library to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/01/2022 |
| Last revision date | 20/03/2023 |
