Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024: Marketing Communication, Advertising and Public Relations

COM4808/101/0/2024
Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024
Marketing Communication, Advertising

and Public Relations
COM4808
Year module
Department of Communication Science
This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.
BARCODE
CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 4
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ..................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Purpose....................................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Outcomes ................................................................................................................................... 7
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION .......................................................................................... 7
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................. 7
4.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................. 7
4.2 Department ................................................................................................................................. 8
4.3 University.................................................................................................................................... 8
5 RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................. 8
5.1 Prescribed book(s) ..................................................................................................................... 8
5.2 Recommended book(s).............................................................................................................. 8
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ..............................................................................................10
5.4 Library services and resources ...............................................................................................15
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ..............................................................................................16
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme .........................................................................17
7 STUDY PLAN .............................................................................................................................17
8 PRACTICAL WORK ...................................................................................................................18
9 ASSESSMENT ...........................................................................................................................18
9.1 Assessment criteria ..................................................................................................................18
9.2 Assessment plan.......................................................................................................................18
9.3 Assessment due dates .............................................................................................................19
9.4 Submission of assessments ....................................................................................................19
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions .................................................................................22
9.5 The assessments ......................................................................................................................23
9.5.1 Assignment 01...........................................................................................................................23
9.5.2 Assignment 02...........................................................................................................................27
9.5.3 Assignment 03...........................................................................................................................34
9.5.4 Assignment 04 (EXAMINATION PORTFOLIO) .........................................................................41
9.6 Other assessment methods .....................................................................................................44
9.7 The examination portfolio.........................................................................................................44
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring ..............................................................................................................44
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .........................................................................................................45
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10.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................. 45

10.2 Cheating .................................................................................................................................... 45
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES .................................................................................. 45
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 46
13 SOURCES CONSULTED ........................................................................................................... 46
14 IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 49
3
1 INTRODUCTION
Dear student
Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution. The
comprehensiveness of our curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly vocational
to strictly academic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance e-
learning character result in many students registering, who may not otherwise have an
opportunity to enrol in higher education. Our CODeL character implies that our programmes
are carefully planned and structured to ensure success for students, ranging from the under-
prepared (but with potential) to the sufficiently prepared.
Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involve multiple modes of delivery, from blended
learning to fully online. As a default position, all postgraduate programmes are offered fully
online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered in a
blended mode of delivery, where printed study materials are augmented with online teaching
and learning via the learner management system known as myUnisa. In some instances,
undergraduate programmes are offered fully online as well.
Our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the university. Unisa's
commitment to serve humanity and shape futures, combined with a clear appreciation of our
location on the African continent, means our graduates have distinctive qualities. They
• are independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens, who are able to fulfil and
serve in multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global
communities
• have a critical understanding of their location on the African continent, with its
histories, challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts
• have the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of
information and data from multiple sources, in a globalised world with its ever-
increasing information and data flows, and competing worldviews
• know how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically and

creatively, to solve real-life problems
• have an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs, and future
potential.
COM4808 is an online module. Whether a module is offered as blended (meaning we use a

combination of print and online materials to engage with you) or online (all information is
available via the internet), we use myUnisa as our virtual campus. This online system is used
to administer, document and deliver educational material to you, and support our engagement
with you. Be on the look-out for information from us, as well as other Unisa platforms, on how
to access the virtual myUnisa module site. Information on the tools available to engage with
your lecturer and fellow students in support of your learning, will also be communicated via
various platforms.
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We encourage you to log into the module site on myUnisa regularly (i.e., at least twice a
week).
Since this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the
learning activities. Visit the website for COM4808 on myUnisa frequently – it is [COM4808-24-Y].
With this, we welcome you to the COM4808 module for the honours course. We hope you will
find this module interesting and stimulating. COM4808 focuses on marketing communication,
public relations, advertising, and digital or online communication. It covers the most important
theoretical departures of the three areas of organisational communication. We look forward to
meeting you and receiving your assignments.
This tutorial letter outlines the content of the COM4808 module and describes the assignments
and the requirements for examination admission (i.e., to submit the examination portfolio).
A list of study material is provided under each assignment question. Please note there are no
prescribed books for this module. All the study material is listed under E-reserves,
Recommended Sources or Additional Sources on the module website on myUnisa. You may
also use your own academic sources, provided they relate to the assignment topic.
You should read as widely as possible on each assignment topic, to be able to present a
discussion that is logically integrated. You will only have the insight required to complete the
assignments successfully, once you fully understand the topics concerned. If you consult the
diverse study materials that are listed, you will come to understand the topics fully. To improve
your understanding, we recommend that you also consult additional literature from the library,
where possible. The answers to problems in the assignments cannot be derived directly from the
study material. Your active interpretation and integration of the content of the study material are
essential for the successful completion of the assignments.
READING FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENTS
We have included a list of recommended reading for each assignment. The list includes many
academic journal articles that are available as PDF files under E-reserves, on the online
database of the Unisa Library or via Google Scholar. You can download and save these articles
to your own computer or electronic device, and read them offline, in preparation for completing
your assignments.
In addition to the recommended reading, you must identify other sources of information on the
assignment topics. This involves an important research skill, namely identifying existing research
that is both relevant and useful to the topic(s) you are currently researching (for the purposes of
completing your assignment(s)). It may take some practice at first, but it will be extremely
rewarding, as you will discover the writings and ideas of various researchers who have explored
the topic you are working on.
5
How to access online reading material
If you are not yet familiar with how to access and download relevant reading material via Google
Scholar or the Unisa Library online database, watch this video, which is a step-by-step guide on
how to access online sources:
Video: Using Google Scholar and the Unisa Library to find sources
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IcjRZPk3Dw4XdONQbyl0eVQa2zwtUT7t/view?usp=sharing
Consult the Unisa Library Research Skills page for further guidance on how to access online
sources or reading materials.
Website: Unisa Library research skills

https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_Skills
Reading is a very important part of the learning process. We trust that, as you do the reading for
all your assignments, your learning will flourish and you will find this to be an extremely rewarding
part of the research process.
Writing your assignments
Once you have downloaded all the recommended articles listed in this tutorial letter, along with
additional readings that you selected on your own, you are ready to begin reading in preparation
for completing your assignments.
Remember: once you start writing your assignment, you must adhere to the technical aspects of
academic writing, as required of postgraduate students. For this purpose, we have also made
you a webpage with videos (think of them as “classes”) that talk you through everything you need
to know.
Website: Writing for academic integrity

https://sites.google.com/a/unisacommscience.co.za/writing-for-academic-integrity/
Remember: when writing your assignment, you must reference all the reading materials you
have cited and used. Pay close attention to “Section 3: How to Reference” on the
abovementioned website, to ensure that you cite and reference all your reading sources
correctly, both in the main text of your assignment and in the list of sources consulted, which
must appear at the end of each assignment.
Unisa, as a CODeL institution, is moving towards becoming fully online. You will therefore see
that all your study material, assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students
will take place online. The tutorial letter is intended to offer you some guidance in this regard.
We wish you every success with your studies!
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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this module is to give you advanced knowledge and skills in the field of marketing
communication, public relations, advertising, and online or digital communication, from an
integrated perspective. The module also affords you an opportunity to apply your theoretical
knowledge in a practical setting.
2.2 Outcomes
After successfully completing this module, you should have acquired

 a theoretical knowledge of the nature of marketing communication, public relations,
advertising, and digital or online communication
 the critical attitudes and skills required to analyse these fields
 an understanding of the various concepts associated with these fields
 the ability to apply advanced theoretical knowledge, and complete assignments based on
your independent integration of the knowledge relating to the fields concerned.
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the university places
curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation
includes student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment
practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies
and philosophies. All of these will be phased in at both the programme and the module levels,
and as a result you will notice a marked change in the teaching and learning strategy
implemented, and in the way in which the content is conceptualised in your modules. We
encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way,
within the framework of transformation.
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)
If you have academic or content-related enquiries, you are welcome to phone your lecturers or to
contact them via e-mail. It is also possible to organise a Teams meeting, if needed. Always make
an appointment, to confirm availability.
Note that different lecturers are responsible for different assignments. Kindly contact the lecturer
responsible for the specific assignment if you have a specific content-related question.
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Module Coordinator and Assignment 03:
Name: Dr J Hanekom
Telephone: +27 012 429 6498
E-mail: [email protected]
Assignment 01:
Name: Prof TC du Plessis
Telephone: +27 012 429 6525
Assignment 02:
Name: Dr C Swart
Telephone: +27 012 429 2633
4.2 Department
For any administrative enquiries regarding your honours studies, including Turnitin, please
contact the departmental postgraduate studies coordinator:
Name: Mrs S van Gass
Telephone: +27 012 429 6423
4.3 University
The contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries
Please include your student number in all correspondence.
5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)
There are no prescribed books for this module. We expect you to read widely on the topic and to
consult as many sources as possible.
5.2 Recommended book(s)

The following sources are recommended, but you should also consult your own sources:
Austin, EW & Pinkleton, B. Strategic public relations management: planning and managing
effective communication campaigns.
Baack, K. 2021. Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications.
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Belch, GE & Belch, MA. Advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing communications
perspective. 9th edition.
Belch, GE & Belch, MA. Advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing communications
perspective.
Broom, GM & Sha, B. Cutlip and Centre’s effective e-public relations.
Chaffey, D & Ellis-Chadwick, F. Digital marketing.
Clow, KE & Baack, D. Integrated advertising, promotion and marketing.
Clow, KE & Baack, D. Integrated advertising, promotion and marketing communications. 5th
edition.
Einstein, M. Advertising: what everyone needs to know.
Ekhlassi, A, Niknejhad Moghadam, M & Adibi, AM. 2018. Building brand identity in the age of
social media, in Advances in marketing, customer relationship management, and e-services,
edited by AAA https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5143-0.
Fournier, S & Breazeal, M (eds). Consumer-brand relationships: theory and practice.
Gregory, A. Planning and managing public relations campaigns: a strategic approach.
Guth, DW & Marsh, C. Public relations: a values-driven approach.
Hayes, DC, Hendrix, JA & Kumar, PD. Public relations cases.
Joubert, P. Introduction to consumer behaviour.
Juska, JM. Integrated marketing communication: advertising and promotion in a digital world.
Kaplan, AM & Haenlein, M. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social
media.
Kitchen, PJ & Tourky, ME. Integrated marketing communications a global brand-driven approach.
Kostelijk, E & Alsem, KJ. Brand positioning: connecting marketing strategy and communications.
Lattimore, D. Public relations: the profession and the practice.
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Management Association, Information Resources (eds). Research anthology on social media
advertising and building consumer relationships.
Moriarty, S, Mitchell, N & Wells, W. Advertising principles and practices.
Moriarty, S, Mitchell, N & Wells, W. Advertising & IMC: principles and practice.
Moriarty, S, Mitchell, N, Wells, W & Wood, C. Advertising and IMC: principles and practice.
Nelson-Field, K. Viral marketing: the science of sharing.
Newson, D, Van Slyke, T & Kruckeberg, D. This is PR: the realities of public relations.
Pepe, M. The consumer mind: brand perception and the implication for marketers.
Rensburg, R & Cant, M (eds). Public relations: African perspectives.
Schultz, DE, Barnes, BE, Schultz, HF & Azzaro, M. Building customer-brand relationships.
Scott, DM. The new rules of marketing and PR.
Skinner, C, Von Essen, LM & Mershan, G. Handbook of public relations.
Smith, PR & Zook, ZE. Marketing communications: offline and online integration, engagement
and analytics.
Smith, PR & Zook, ZE. Marketing communications: integrating offline and online with social
media.
Smith, RD. Strategic planning for public relations.
Wheeler, A. Designing brand identity: an essential guide for the entire branding team.
Yakob, F. Paid attention: innovative advertising for a digital world.
Recommended books can be requested online, via the library catalogue.
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)
Åke, F & Grönroos, C. 2009. Rethinking marketing communication: from integrated marketing
communication to relationship communication. Journal of Marketing Communications
15(2/3):179–195.
Balmer, JMT. 2012. Corporate brand management imperatives: custodianship, credibility and
calibration. California Management Review 54(3):6–33.
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Balmer, JMT. 2013. Corporate brand orientation: what is it? What of it? Journal of Brand
Management 20(9):723–741.
Barker, R & Hanekom, J. 2022. Theoretical framework for knowledge sharing and co-creation of
messages on digital platforms: a consumer knowledge management perspective. Consumer
Behavior Review 6(1): e-252642.
Booth, N & Matic, JA. 2010. Mapping and leveraging influencers in social media to shape
corporate brand perceptions. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 16(3):184–
191.
Bostos, W & Levy, SJ. 2012. A history of the concept of branding: practice and theory. Journal of
Historical Research in Marketing 4(3):347–368.
Byrd, S. 2012. Hi fans! Tell us your story! Incorporating a stewardship-based social media
strategy to maintain brand reputation during a crisis. Corporate Communications: An International
Journal 17:241–254.
Campbell, C, Plangger, K, Sands, S & Kietzmann, J. 2021. Preparing for an era of deepfakes and
AI-generated ads: a framework for understanding responses to manipulated advertising. Journal
of Advertising (March):1–17.
Chinomona, R. 2016. Brand communication, brand image and brand trust as antecedents of
brand loyalty in Gauteng province of South Africa. African Journal of Economic and Management
Studies 7(1):124–139. https://doi.org/10.1108/ajems-03-2013-0031
Chiu, HC, Hsieh, YC & Kuo, YC. 2012. How to align your brand stories with your products.
Journal of Retailing 88(2):262–275.
Coffin, J. 2022. Asking questions of AI advertising: a Maieutic approach. Journal of Advertising

51(5):608–623.
Dens, N & Poels, K. 2022. The rise, growth, and future of branded content in the digital media
landscape. International Journal of Advertising: Review of Marketing Communications.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2157162
Duan, J. 2022. The impact of positive purchase-centered UGC on audience’s purchase intention:
role of tie strength, benign envy and purchase type. Journal of Internet Commerce 21(4):393–
417.
Du Plessis, TC. 2015. Brand storytelling: the case of the Coca Cola Journey website.
Communitas: Journal for Community Communication (December):84–103.
Greenwood, CA. 2010. Evolutionary theory: the missing link for conceptualising public relations.
Journal of Public Relations Research 22:456–476.
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Gulbrandsen, IT & Just, SN. 2011. The collaborative paradigm: towards an invitational and
participatory concept of online communication. Media, Culture and Society 33(7):1095–1108.
Gummesson, E. 2016. From relationship marketing to total relationship marketing and beyond.
Journal of Services Marketing 31(1):16–19.
Hamzah, ZL, Syed Alwi, SF & Othman, MN. 2014. Designing corporate brand experience in an
online context: a qualitative insight. Journal of Business Research 67:2299–2310.
Ihlen, A. 2012. A public relations identity for the 2010s. Public Relations Inquiry 1:159–176.
Jing, TS, Parsons, AG & Yap, S-F. 2013. Corporate branding, emotional attachment and brand
loyalty: the case of luxury fashion branding. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal 17(4):403–423.
Kaplan, AM & Haenlein, M. 2010. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of
social media. Business Horizons 53(1):59–68.
Karakaya, F. 2010. Impact of online reviews of customer care experience on brand or company
selection. Journal of Consumer Marketing 27:447–457.
Kasavana, ML. 2010. Online social networking: redefining the human web. Journal of Hospitality
and Tourism Technology 1(1):26–29.
Kaul, V. 2013. Plugging in new PR technologies. Journal of Indian Management 10(1):33–53.
Keller, KL. 2016. Unlocking the power of integrated marketing communications: how integrated
is your IMC program? Journal of Advertising 45(3):286–301.
Knoll, J. & Proksch, R. 2017. Why we watch others’ responses to online advertising –
investigating users’ motivations for viewing user-generated content in the context of online
advertising. Journal of Marketing Communications 23(4):400–412.
Lagrossen, SO & Grunden, K. 2014. Social media marketing in the wellness industry. TQM
Journal 26(3):253–260.
Layton, RA. 2011. Marketing: is management all that there is? Journal of Historical Research in
Marketing 3(2):194–213.
Lee, SS, Shin, J & Won, J. 2022. Transparency management of content creators on social
media: motivation, tenure, and status. Journal of Media Business Studies (November). 1-21.
Le Roux, T. 2011. A profile of South African public relations practitioners in top-performing

organisations. Journal of Public Affairs 11:303–315.
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Li, H. 2019. Special section introduction: artificial intelligence and advertising. Journal of
Advertising 48:333–337.
Lou, C & Yuan, S. 2019. Influencer marketing: how message value and credibility affect
consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising 19(1):58–
73.
Mansour, E. 2012. The role of social networking sites (SNSs) in the January 25th revolution in
Egypt. Library Review 61:128–159.
Martin, WC & Lueg, JE. 2013. Modelling word-of-mouth usage. Journal of Business Research
66:801–808.
McCoy, S, Everard, A, Polak, P & Galletta, DF. 2007. The effects of online advertising.
Communications of the ACM 50(3):84–88.
Mersham, G, Skinner, C & Rensburg, R. 2011. Approaches to African communication

management and public relations: a case for theory-building on the continent. Journal of Public
Affairs 11(4):195–207.
Michaelson, D, Wright, DK & Stacks, DW. 2012. Evaluating efficacy in public relations/corporate
communication programming: towards establishing standards of campaign performance. Public
Relations Journal 6(5):1–25.
Muda, M & Hamzah, MI. 2021. Should I suggest this YouTube clip? The impact of UGC source
credibility on eWOM and purchase intention. Journal of Research and Interactive Marketing
(June).
Nikolinakou, A & Phua, J. 2019. Do human values matter for promoting brands on social media?
How social media users’ values influence valuable brand-related activities such as sharing,
content creation, and reviews. Journal of Consumer Behaviour (2019) :1–11.
Oana, D. 2018. Integrated marketing communication and its impact on consumer behaviour.
Studies in Business and Economics 13(2):92–102.
Ots, M & Nyilasy, G. 2017. Just doing it: theorising integrated marketing communications (IMC)
practices. European Journal of Marketing 51(3):490–510.
Patino, A & Pitta, DA. 2012. Social media’s emerging importance in market research. Journal of
Consumer Marketing 29(3):233–237.
Pulizzi, J. 2012. The rise of storytelling as the new marketing. Publishing Research Quarterly
28:116–123.
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Qin, X & Jiang, Z. 2019. The impact of AI on the advertising process: the Chinese experience.
Journal of Advertising 48(4):338–346.
Rodgers, S. 2021. Themed issue introduction promises and perils of artificial intelligence and
advertising. Journal of Advertising 50(1):1–10.
Ruckenstein, M & Granroth, J. 2019. Algorithms, advertising and the intimacy of surveillance.
Journal of Cultural Economy (February).
Sanyal, SN, Datta, SK & Banerjee, AK. 2013. Conceptualisation of branding: strategy based on
the Indian pharma sector. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing
7(2):175–198.
Shao, G. 2009. Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratification
perspective. Internet Research 19:7–25.
Singh, S & Sonnenburg, S. 2012. Brand performances in social media. Journal of Interactive
Marketing 26:189–197.
Sweeney, J, Soutar, G & Mazzarol, T. 2014. Factors enhancing word-of-mouth influence:

positive and negative service-related messages. European Journal of Marketing 18(1/2):336–
359.
Truong, Y, McColl, R & Kitchen, P. 2010. Practitioners’ perceptions of advertising strategies for
digital media. International Journal of Advertising 29(5):709–725.
Ubeda, JE. 2013. Communication in new technology-based firms. Management Decision

51:615–628.
Van Zyl, AS. 2009. The impact of social networking 2.0 on organisations. Electronic Library
27:906–918.
Vernuccio, M & Ceccotti, F. 2015. Strategic and organisational challenges in the integrated
marketing communication paradigm shift: a holistic vision. European Management Journal
33(6):438–449.
Voorveld, HAM. 2019. Brand communication in social media: a research agenda. Journal of
Advertising 48(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1588808
Vos, TP. 2011. Explaining the origins of public relations: logics of historical explanation. Journal
of Public Relations Research 23:119–140.
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Wellman, ML, Stoldt, R, Tully, M & Ekdale, B. 2020. Ethics of authenticity: social media
influencers and the production of sponsored content. Journal of Media Ethics 35(2):68–82.
Yu, J & Ko, E. 2021. UGC attributes and effects: implication for luxury brand advertising.
International Journal of Advertising: Review of Marketing Communications 40(6):945–967.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2021.1898773
E-reserves can be downloaded from the library webpage. More information is available at:
http://oasis.unisa.ac.za/search/r
5.4 Library services and resources
The Unisa library offers a range of information services and resources. The library has created
numerous library guides, available at: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za
Recommended guides:
• For brief information on the library, go to

https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance
• For more detailed library-related information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For frequently asked questions, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Frequently-Asked-Questions
• For research support and services such as the personal librarian service and the
information search librarian's literature search request (on your research topic) service, go
to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training
• For lending services, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Lending-services
• For services for postgraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-Postgraduates
• For support and services for students with disabilities, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-students-with-special-
needs
• For library technology support, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
• For finding and using library resources and tools, go to
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• For an A–Z list of library databases, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php
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Important contact information:
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services:[email protected]

• General library-related queries: [email protected]
• Queries related to library fines and payments: [email protected]
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: [email protected]
• Literature search service: [email protected]
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies
This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through
Unisa.
If you need assistance with the myModules system, please use the following contact details:
• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
You can access and watch short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, access
module content, view announcements for modules, submit assessments and participate in forum
activities, via the following link: https://dtls-qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130
Registered Unisa students receive a free myLife e-mail account. Important information,
notices and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note it can take up to 24
hours for your account to be activated once you have claimed it. Please do so immediately
after registering at Unisa, by following this link: [email protected]
Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official
correspondence with the university and will remain the official primary e-mail address on
record at Unisa. You remain responsible for managing this e-mail account.
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6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme
Many students find the transition from school to tertiary education stressful. This is also true in
the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. As a dedicated ODeL institution, Unisa is
very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university, where all programmes
are offered through either blended or fully online learning. For this reason, we thought it
necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support, to help them seamlessly
navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We
therefore offer a specialised student support programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first
time – this is Unisa’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme, which is designed to provide
prompt and helpful information about the services the institution offers, and how to access
information. The following FYE services are currently offered:
7 STUDY PLAN
ASSIGNMENTS
A total of FOUR (4) assignments must be submitted for this module. THREE (3) of the
assignments are formative, and ONE (1) is summative (the examination portfolio). The
due dates for assignments are available on myUnisa.
17
To pass this module, you must do the following:
1. Consult the sources specified for each assignment, as well as whatever relevant sources
you find on your own.
2. Follow the guidelines for completing the assignments included in Tutorial Letter 101/2024
(this tutorial letter).
3. Watch the video tutorials that are available on myUnisa and attend the live classes or
listen to the recordings of live classes.
4. Access and view the Announcements on myUnisa regularly.
5. Adhere to the technical requirements for assignments (see Tutorial Letter
CMNHONE/301/2024).
6. All Honours assignments must be scanned through Turnitin. All information regarding
Turnitin will be made available on myUnisa.
7. Submit ALL your assignments via myUnisa, by the respective due dates.
8. Submit the examination portfolio on or before the due date, as stipulated on myUnisa. NO
EXTENSIONS will be granted for the examination portfolio, as this constitutes an
examination.
9. Please note: Modules with portfolio (evidence-based) assessment, continuous
assessment, practical assessment or experiential assessment and those modules which
require research reports are not granted an aegrotat opportunity.
8 PRACTICAL WORK
There is no practical work for this module.
9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria
It is important to show that you can work independently on your assignments. Your knowledge
and understanding of brand communication in the context of integrated marketing communication
(IMC), public relations, advertising, consumer behaviour and digital communication, as well as
your ability to apply what you have learned to case study scenarios and real-life examples, are
assessed when we mark your assignments.
It is therefore important to show that you can take the principles discussed in the recommended
reading and additional resources and apply them practically to the conditions observed in the
marketing communication environment. We also look for evidence of critical thinking and
evaluation in your work.
9.2 Assessment plan
• To complete this module, you are required to submit FOUR (4) assessments/assignments.
• All information about when and where to submit your assessments/assignments is
available on the myModules site for your module.
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COM4808/101/0/2024
• Due dates for assessments/assignments, as well as the actual assessments/assignments,

are available on the myModules site for this module.
• To gain admission to the examination, you will be required to submit TWO assignments.
• To gain admission to the examination, you need to obtain a year mark average of 40% for
the assignments.
• The assignment weighting for the module is 25%.
• You will receive examination information via the myModules site. Please be on the look-
out for announcements on how the examinations (for the modules for which you are
registered) will be conducted.
• The examination for COM4808 is an out-of-timetable examination portfolio (see section
9.5.4 for the examination portfolio questions and guidelines).
• The examination will count 75% towards your final module mark.
9.3 Assessment due dates
• No assignment due dates are included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available on the myUnisa landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you, upon registration.
• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you have registered for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module for more information on the due dates for the
submission of the assignments.
9.4 Submission of assessments
• As mentioned, Unisa is moving towards becoming an online institution. You will therefore
see that all your study material and assessments appear online, while your engagements
with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online, with myUnisa serving as the
virtual campus.
• The myUnisa virtual campus offers you access to the myModules site, where learning
material is available online and assessments should be completed. This online system is
used to administer, document, and deliver educational material to you, and to support
engagement between academics and yourself, as a student.
• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the

myModules 2024 button to access the online sites for the modules for which you are
registered.
• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you derive the greatest benefit from using the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information.
• When you access your myModules site for the module(s) for which you are registered,
you will see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message
you will see the assessment shells for the assessments you need to complete. All
19
assessments must be completed on the assessment shells available on the respective
module platforms.
• For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules, to upload your written assessment on the myModules site of the modules for
which you are registered. Before finalising the upload, double check that you have
selected the correct file for uploading. Remember: no marks can be awarded for
incorrectly submitted assessments.
DECLARATION FOR HONOURS MODULES
When submitting your assignments via the online submission portal on myUnisa, you may be
asked to agree to an honesty declaration before you can proceed with your submission. While we
are aware of this, the Department of Communication Science ALSO requires you to include a
declaration in your assignment.
This DECLARATION has to be signed by you, and a witness. This is a legally binding document,
and every university requires its students to complete one. As Unisa is a distance education
institution and your work has to be submitted online, please note that we do accept typed
signatures and e-signatures, if you do not have access to a scanned signature.
Any assignment without a DECLARATION, with an incorrect DECLARATION, or with a

DECLARATION that has not been signed by you AND a witness, will automatically be
awarded 0%. However, in keeping with Unisa’s Tuition and Learning Policy, you will still
receive feedback on the assignment.
This DECLARATION and all the related documents are available on myUnisa under Additional
Resources. The DECLARATION can be downloaded as a PDF document and an MS Word file.
You must fill it in, sign and submit it as part of each assignment.
As this tutorial letter is in the form of a PDF document, the links and embedded documents
cannot be accessed here. However, the tutorial letter is also available as an MS Word document
under Additional Resources, and the links and embedded documents are accessible in that
version.
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COM4808/101/0/2024
DECLARATION OF OWN WORK
I, [YOUR NAME and SURNAME] confirm the following:
✓ This MODULE contains my own, original ideas and work.

✓ All ideas and work that are not my own, have been cited using the prescribed
referencing system, with which I have familiarised myself, as described in Tutorial
Letter CMNHON/E/301.
✓ I have not submitted the ideas or work contained in this MODULE for any other tertiary
education credit.
Policy on Research
Ethics.pdf
✓ I have read Unisa’s Policy on Research Ethics.
✓ I have submitted the ENTIRE Turnitin report (not just the digital receipt).
✓ I have familiarised myself with Writing for Academic Integrity (available at:
https://sites.google.com/a/unisacommscience.co.za/writing-for-academic-
integrity/home?pli=1)
✓ I have read and understood the Plagiarism PowerPoint for Postgraduate Studies
(available under Additional Resources on myUnisa).
✓ I have familiarised myself with the library guides offered by Unisa’s library (available at:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/research-support/plagiarism)
✓ I have read and understood Unisa’s Policy for Copyright Infringement and
Plagiarism AND I am aware that plagiarism is punishable in terms of the Copyright Act
98 of 1978. I have also read the regulations of the University of South Africa in this
respect (available at:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/static/corporate_web/Content/Apply%20for%20admission/Doc
uments/Policy_copyright_infringement_plagiarism_16November2005.pdf)
_________________
STUDENT NUMBER
_________________ _____________
SIGNATURE DATE
_________________ _____________
WITNESS DATE
21
TIMEOUS SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND ADHERENCE TO DUE DATES
We would like to reiterate that we do not accept late assignments in this module. We are
working to prepare you for the communication industry, which is deadline driven. Exceptions to
the rule will be made only if you have extenuating circumstances, such as those involving your
own illness or hospitalisation, or the death of a close family member. Should you find yourself in
such a situation, please contact your lecturer with documentation to support your request for an
extension.
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions
All assignments are defined as either elective, mandatory, compulsory, or optional.
• Elective assignments
If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
The best of the required submissions will count.
• Mandatory assignments
If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
• Compulsory assignments
If not submitted, the result on the student’s academic record will be absent.
• Optional assignments – You are encouraged as a student to do optional assignment so
that it may benefit your learning.
Elective assignments
a. the student is given a choice of which assignments within an identified group to submit,
only the best result(-s), the number of which is specified in advance, will contribute
towards the year mark.
b. elective assignments must also be grouped into an elective group.
c. for the student to select which assignment to submit, the elective assignments must be
grouped together. For such an elective group, relevant information must be provided to the
student, such as how many of the assignments must be submitted and how many of the
assignment marks should be combined into the year mark.
d. The selection criteria define how marks received for assignments in an elective group are
to be combined into the year mark. Three different criteria may be used for calculating the
year mark:
• The best mark should be used, or
• If the student submits fewer than the required number of assignments per group or no
assignment in a group, a mark of 0% will be used.
• 0% is awarded to all non-submitted or unmarked assessments. A best mark is then
calculated from all items.
Mandatory assignments
a. contributes to the year mark.
b. if a student fails to submit a mandatory assignment, no mark is awarded and the year
mark is calculated accordingly. The student will therefore forfeit the marks attached to this
assignment when the final mark for the module is calculated.
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COM4808/101/0/2024
Compulsory Assessment
a. when not submitted, the student will fail a Continuous Assessment module but will be
shown as absent from the examination in the case of other modules.
Optional assignments
You are encouraged as a student to do optional assignment so that it may benefit your learning.
9.5 The assessments
As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete FOUR (4) assessments/assignments for this
module. Details on the assessments are available on myUnisa under myModules.
9.5.1 Assignment 01
ASSIGNMENT 01: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND BRAND

COMMUNICATION
The assignment due date and unique number are available under the Assignment
Submission tab.
In today's fast-paced and competitive marketplace, organisations need to use every available tool
to reach their target audience and stand out from the competition. One of the most effective ways
to do this is through integrated marketing communication (IMC), a strategic approach that
coordinates all an organisation’s marketing communication efforts to deliver a consistent, clear
and compelling message to its customers. Brand communication is a critical aspect of any
organisation's marketing strategy, as it involves crafting a message that resonates with the target
audience, creating a distinctive brand identity and building relationships with customers.
By considering the above, discuss and explain the role of brand communication in IMC to
enhance brand message consistency across different communication channels. See the
assignment requirements below.
Learning objectives
At the end of Assignment 01, you should be able to

• discuss the concept of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC).
• explain what a brand is, today.
• explain what brand communication is.
• discuss the role of brand communication in IMC with particular reference to brand identity.
• analyse the key components of a successful IMC plan and evaluate their importance in
developing an effective brand communication strategy.
23
Prescribed study material
None.
Recommended study material

Books
Baack, K. 2021. Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications. Global

edition. London: Pearson Education.
Belch, GE & Belch, MA. 2017. Advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing
communications perspective. 11th edition. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. (You may also use an
earlier or later edition.)
Ekhlassi, A, Niknejhad Moghadam, M & Adibi, AM. 2018. Building brand identity in the age of
social media, in Advances in marketing, customer relationship management, and e-services,
edited by Eldon Y. Li. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5143-0.
Juska, JM. 2021. Integrated marketing communication: advertising and promotion in a digital
world. Oxford: Routledge.
Kitchen, PJ & Tourky, ME. 2021. Integrated marketing communications: a global brand-driven
approach. Cham: Springer Nature.
Kostelijk, E & Alsem, KJ. 2020. Brand positioning: connecting marketing strategy and
communications. Oxford: Routledge.
Wheeler, A. 2018. Designing brand identity: an essential guide for the entire branding team. 5th
ed. New York: Wiley.
Electronic reserves (e-reserves)
Keller, KL. 2016. Unlocking the power of integrated marketing communications: how integrated is
your IMC program? Journal of Advertising, 45(3):286–301.
Oana, D. 2018. Integrated marketing communication and its impact on consumer behaviour.
Studies in Business and Economics,13(2):92–102.
Ots, M & Nyilasy, G. 2017. Just doing it: theorising integrated marketing communications (IMC)
practices. European Journal of Marketing, 51(3):490–510.
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COM4808/101/0/2024
Voorveld, HAM. 2019. Brand communication in social media: a research agenda. Journal of
Advertising 48(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1588808
Additional sources
You may access these sources directly for some additional reading.
Morris, B. 2020, November 25. In today’s world – what really is a brand? Medium. Available at:
https://medium.com/swlh/in-todays-world-what-really-is-a-brand-a545d7210658 (accessed 27
March 2023).
Pecánek, M. 2022. What is IMC? Integrated marketing communications explained. SEO blog by
Ahrefs. Available at: https://ahrefs.com/blog/imc/ (accessed 27 March 2023).
Wheeler, K. 2020. How to develop a unique (& memorable) brand identity in 2020. Hubspot.com.
Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/agency/develop-brand-identity (accessed 27 March 2023).
Introduction to Assignment 01
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is situated within the marketing communication field.
In the context of IMC, brand communication occurs through various channels, including
advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing and social media,
to name a few examples. These channels are integrated to create a consistent message that
resonates with the target audience and delivers the desired organisational objective (Baack
2021). IMC aims to create a consistent and compelling message across all customer touchpoints,
to maximise the effectiveness of communication and ultimately drive organisational success. In
this process, brand communication plays a critical role, as it involves creating a distinct brand
identity and establishing relationships with customers. By utilising various communication
channels and instruments, effective brand communication engages with customers and
differentiates the brand from its competitors (Chinomona 2016).
The goal of an IMC plan is to create a seamless and unified brand experience across all
touchpoints of a customer's journey – from awareness to purchase and post-purchase
engagement. It aims to deliver a clear and compelling message that resonates with the target
audience and drives action towards the desired organisational objective (Kitchen & Tourky 2021).
25
Instructions for completing Assignment 01
• Carefully read through the learning objectives of this assignment.

• Remember that all aspects contained in the learning objectives must be included in the
discussion, while considering the assignment question.
• It is important to understand that, at the honours level, various sources must be consulted
to be able to complete an assignment successfully. The answer to this assignment cannot
be found in one source only, therefore you need to integrate various sources, after reading
widely.
• All concepts indicated in the learning objectives, should be adequately defined.
• Read widely about the IMC concept to understand its role in achieving synergy across
different brand communication channels.
• Make sure that you include at least three (3) recent definitions of IMC in your discussion.
• Understand what a brand is – recent literature indicates that a brand is more than a logo.
Provide at least three (3) recent definitions of a brand, and indicate which definition you
adopted for this assignment, and why.
• Explain what brand communication is. It must be clear from your discussion what the focus
of brand communication is.
• Discuss the role of brand communication in IMC with reference to brand identity. It is also
important to explain what brand identity is.
• Analyse the key components of a successful IMC plan and evaluate their importance in
developing an effective brand communication strategy. Each IMC plan has specific
components that will help with the successful implementation of brand communication.
Your lecturer will provide more guidance on how to approach this part of the assignment
question in a live lecture.
• Read widely and consult at least ten (10) academic sources for this assignment (excluding
tutorial letters). You can also use other relevant sources not mentioned or recommended
here. As a student of Unisa, you have access to thousands of articles via Unisa's library
site (e-resources).
• Detailed guidelines and resources will be posted on your myModules site for this module,
to help you complete this assignment. Carefully work through these guidelines before
completing your assignment.
• You will be penalised if your assignment does not meet the technical requirements.
Therefore, make sure that your assignment complies with the technical requirements, as
uploaded on your myModules site.
• Before submitting your assignment, kindly submit your work to Grammarly, a free web-
based proofreading application which you can access at https://www.grammarly.com/
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COM4808/101/0/2024
9.5.2 Assignment 02
ASSIGNMENT 02: DIALOGIC THEORY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS,

INFORMATION DISORDER, DISINFORMATION
AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
The prominence and continuous development of social media emphasise the need for public
relations (PR) to grow and develop new approaches and viewpoints, to keep up with the
challenges these advances present. Kent’s (2010:645) definition states that social media includes
“any interactive communication channel that allows for two-way interaction and feedback”. Ju,
Braun, Huynhn and McCaffrey (2021:4) name more specific commonalities of social media,
namely that it incorporates Web 2.0 applications, allows for user-generated content, allows
individuals and groups to create profiles, and enables users to form social networks. The ways in
which stakeholders are allowed to communicate, create, adapt and share content, and build
networks of social interactions and relationships, partly outline the challenges a public relations
professional faces when using social media to communicate.
This assignment investigates the dialogic theory of public relations, information disorder and the
role of social media influencers in maintaining a desired reputation.
Use theoretical discussions as well as practical examples to back up your claims throughout your
assignment.
Learning objectives

• discuss some practical aspects of promoting dialogue between the organisation and
stakeholders on social media.
• explain the five basic principles of Kent and Taylor's (2002) dialogic theory, with
reference to social media.
• discuss some of the common misconceptions about dialogue in the PR context.
• understand the essence of Men, Tsai, Chen and Ji’s (2018) social presence principle of
dialogic communication.
• explain Men et al’s (2018) three social presence strategies using real-world examples
from Facebook posts or comments.
• distinguish between the three types of information disorder, with reference to PR
examples.
• explain the concepts of disinformation and social media influencers.
• explain the possible role of a social media influencer on the output level, in relation to a
genuine disinformation campaign.
27
None.

Books
Freberg, K. 2016. Social media, in Encyclopedia of corporate reputation, edited by CE Carroll.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Freberg, K. 2019. Social media and emerging media: theoretical foundations, in Public relations
theory, edited by BR Brunner. Blackwell: Wiley.
Taylor, M, Kent, ML & Xione, Y. 2019. Dialogue and organization–public relationships, in Public
relations theory, edited by BR Brunner. Blackwell: Wiley.
Suárez‐Monsalve, AM & Molleda, JC. 2019. Strategy, in Public relations theory, edited by BR
Brunner. Blackwell: Wiley: 43–74.
Kent, M.L. 2010. Directions in social media for professionals and scholars. Handbook of public
relations. SAGE
Lane, A & Kent, ML. 2018. Dialogic engagement, in The handbook of communication
engagement, edited by K Johnston & M Taylor. Medford, MA: Wiley Blackwell:61-72.
Thompson, G. 2020. Post-truth public relations: communication in an era of digital

disinformation. New York: Routledge.
Briones, RL, Kuch, B, Liu, BF & Jin, Y. 2011. Keeping up with the digital age: how the American
Red Cross uses social media to build relations. Public Relations Review 37: 37–43.
Capizzo, L. 2018. Reimagining dialogue in public relations: Bakhtin and open dialogue in the
public sphere. Public Relations Review 44(4):523–532.
Chen, YRR, Hung-Baesecke, CJF & Chen, X. 2020. Moving forward the dialogic theory of public
relations: Concepts, methods and applications of organization-public dialogue. Public Relations
Review 46(1).
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0363811119305405
(Accessed 14 March 2022).
Enke, N & Borchers, NS. 2019. Social media influencers in strategic communication: a
conceptual framework for strategic social media influencer communication. International Journal
of Strategic Communication 13(4):261–277. Freberg, K, Graham, K, McGaughey, K & Freberg,
LA. 2011. Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality.
Public Relations Review 37:90–92.
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Huang, J & Yang, A. 2015. Implementing dialogic communication: a survey of IPR, PRSA, and
IABC members. Public Relations Review 41:376–377.
Ju, R, Braun, S, Huynhn, D & McCaffrey, S. 2021. Status of social media public relations
research: an analysis of recent developments and trends. Prism 17(1):1–16.
Kent, ML. 2013. Using social media dialogically: public relations role in reviving democracy.
Kent, M. 2017. Principles of dialogue and the history of dialogic theory in public relations.
Available at: file:///C:/Users/cswart/OneDrive%20-%20University%20of%20South%20Africa/
Documents/COM4804/Kent%202017%20Principles%20of%20Dialogue%20and%20the%20Histo
ry%20of%20Dailogic%20Theory%20in%20PR.pdf
Kent, ML & Lane, AB. 2017. A rhizomatous metaphor for dialogic theory. Public Relations Review
43:568–578.
Kent, ML & Taylor, M. 1998. Building dialogic relationships through the World Wide Web. Public
Relations Review 24:321–334.
Kent, ML & Taylor, M. 2002. Toward a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review
28:21–37.
Men, LR, Tsai, WHS, Chen, ZF & Ji, YG. 2018. Social presence and digital dialogic
communication: engagement lessons from top social CEOs. Journal of Public Relations
Research 30:83–99.
Moreira, V & Eiró-Gomes, M. 2019. Information, misinformation, disinformation: the role of

communication professionals in liquid modernity.
https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-391420190000004013
Theunissen, P & Wan Noordin, WN. 2012. Revisiting the concept “dialogue” in public relations.
Valentini, C. 2015. Is using social media “good” for the public relations profession? A critical
reflection. Public Relations Review 41(2):170–177.
29
Verčič, D, Verčič, AT & Sriramesh, K. 2015. Looking for digital in public relations. Public
Relations Review 41(2):142–152.
Wang, Y & Yang, Y. 2019. Dialogic communication on social media: how organizations use
Twitter to build dialogic relationships with their publics.
Documents/COM4804/Wang%20&%20Yang%202019%20Dialogical%20communication%20on%
20social%20media.pdf
Additional sources
Agboro, G. 2020. Disinformation and its impact on society: A case study from South Africa.
Available at: https://openinternet.global/news/disinformation-and-its-impact-society-case-study-
south-africa
Bouvier, K. 2021. 4 PR trends to monitor heading into 2022.

Available at: https://www.bouvierkelly.com/4-pr-trends-to-monitor-heading-into-2022/
Council of Europe. 2022. Information disorder.

Available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/freedom-expression/information-disorder
Harkett, J. 2022. Five PR trends to incorporate into your 2022 planning.

Documents/COM4804/Five%20PR%20trends%20to%20incorporate%20into%20your%202022%
20planning.html
PRSA. [Sa]. About public relations.

Available at: https://www.prsa.org/about/all-about-pr
South African Government. [Sa]. Stop fake news.

Available at: https://www.gov.za/covid-19/resources/fake-news-coronavirus-covid-19
Wasserman, H. 2021. UCT’s Herman Wasserman leads global study on disinformation.

Available at: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2021-01-26-ucts-herman-wasserman-leads-
global-study-on-disinformation
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COM4808/101/0/2024
Dialogic theory of public relations [YouTube video].

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhXA5EMJAxk
What is social media? Social media explained [YouTube video].

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObKbG85162E
The view is that people are more widely connected, and the communication of an organisation
has a wider reach due to the variety of communication media in use (Moreira & Eirό-Gomes
2019:179). This presents unique opportunities to public relations professionals to engage in
dialogue with their stakeholders on different types of media particularly to build organisation-
public relationships (OPRs) and to protect the reputation of the organisation.
In today’s world, developments in social media particularly affect how organisations and
stakeholders connect and share information; they have a profound impact on how mutually
beneficial relations are achieved. According to Freberg (2016), social media provides the
ultimate online centre of activity for information, dialogue and relationships. Furthermore, it
enables users to share knowledge, use conversations and visual elements to tell their stories,
collaborate, exchange problem-solving ideas, and create communities with common interests
and needs (Freberg 2019:192). According to Suárez‐Monsalve and Molleda (2019:58), the
many voices, publics, communication spaces with access to information, and influences all
challenge public relations practitioners to navigate and engage in meaningful dialogue, and to
ensure that stakeholders have a positive view of the organisation. Apart from offering unique
opportunities to engage in dialogue and build OPRs on various social media sites, unrestricted
discussions and sharing of information take place, which also have the potential to harm the
reputation of the organisation.
Thompson (2020:25, 36) contends that PR finds itself in an era that necessitates a new way of
thinking about the practice of PR, and claims that such thinking also requires reflection on
changes in society, media and culture that shape how PR is currently practised.
The purpose of this assignment is two-fold: first, to investigate the dialogic theory of PR for
social media communication; and secondly, to investigate information disorder and the role of
social media influencers in maintaining a desired reputation (as public relations professionals
are tasked with protecting the reputations of organisations).
Building relationships with key stakeholders across multiple platforms is central to PR, in order
to shape and frame the public’s opinion of the organisation (PRSA [sa]). Though relationships
between the organisation and the public appear to be the most important, the process to
establish relationships that benefit all parties is being rewritten in the moment and presents new
31
challenges as a result of advances in social media. This means that the methods used to form
relationships are not permanent and will change, as PR and social media evolve. According to
Ju et al (2021), public relations professionals are increasingly using specific theoretical
frameworks to navigate the current communication landscape, and their findings show that the
dialogical theory of PR is the most commonly used (Kent & Taylor 1998, 2002). In 2002, Kent
and Taylor proposed that PR could facilitate dialogue by establishing distinct channels and
procedures.
Different perspectives exist on whether dialogue is the result of a process, such as relationship
building, or a means to achieve relationships (cf. Kent & Taylor 1998; Kent & Lane 2017). For
the purposes of this assignment, Huan and Yang's (2015:376) perspective is used, which states
that "dialogic communication is an ethical practice approach that aims to improve community
relationships and organization–public relationships". In other words, the starting point is that
dialogue is important in the development of organisation–public relationships (OPRs). Some
misconceptions about dialogue that exist in PR research, must be addressed. Taylor, Kent and
Xiong (2019) offer the following observations: (1) dialogue is distinct from two-way
communication in that it encompasses much more than the two-way exchange of “ideas and
information”. As a result, it can only be considered dialogue when there is a desire to listen and
learn; (2) public relations professionals should be aware that not all conversations are dialogic,
such as when asking for directions or when one person does not listen to the other; (3) not all
online interactions are dialogic, and they can only be dialogic if people are free to exchange
ideas, debate or argue, and negotiate meaning. Furthermore, to achieve successful dialogue,
organisations must recognise the importance of relationship building and commit to it
(Theunissen & Wan Noorden 2012:10). Kent and Taylor (1998) conceptualised dialogic
principles and provided practical guidelines for engaging in organisation–public communication
on the internet (cf. Taylor, Kent & Xiong 2019). These principles have been refined and made
applicable to social media over time and through various research studies.
To discuss the dialogic theory of public relations, information disorder and the role of social
media influencers, you should divide your assignment into three sections.
In Section 1, discuss some the practical aspects of promoting dialogue between the
organisation and stakeholders on social media. Kent (2013:341–342) highlights specific aspects
in this regard (sections 3.2 and 3.4).
Section 2 is divided into two parts: Part 1 requires you to briefly explain the five basic principles
of Kent and Taylor's (2002) dialogic theory, with specific reference to social media. Discuss
some of the common misconceptions about dialogue in PR. You should also consult more
recent sources on this theory and social media, which will provide insights into some of the most
recent understandings in a social media context. Part 2 explores the social presence principle
of dialogic communication as proposed by Men, Tsai, Chen and Ji (2018). In well-structured
paragraphs, discuss the essence of this principle. Explain briefly the three social presence
strategies used by Men et al (2018) in their study. Choose an active Facebook page of a large
organisation and identify real posts or comments on that page which illustrate each of these
social presence strategies.
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Section 3 deals with information disorder. According to Harkett (2022), PR faces a new reality
that is characterised by significant changes to the media, an increase in fake news, and rapid
developments in social media (Bouvier 2021). The issue of information disorder, and particularly
disinformation or fake news, is an increasingly global concern that Wasserman (2021) explains
as “the large-scale contamination of the public sphere with rumour, hate speech, dangerous and
unfounded conspiracy theories, harmful misunderstandings, and orchestrated campaigns of
deception”. The question pertains to how PR professionals could deal with disinformation on
social media. Freberg, Graham, McGaughey and Freberg (2011:90) describe a social media
influencer as someone who is not an employee of a company, yet shapes “audience attitudes
through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media”. Enke and Borchers (2019:261) add
that influencers provide access to hard-to-reach stakeholders and may well influence them.
Furthermore, as social media users increasingly seek more authentic communication,
influencers add authenticity by presenting messages in a natural manner (Thompson 2020:153).
In Section 3 you should distinguish between the three types of information disorder, using
examples relevant to PR (see Council of Europe [sa]). Read more about disinformation and
include a more in-depth discussion of it. You must describe what a social media influencer is
and how s/he can support the organisation when dealing with information disorder (Enke &
Borchers 2020:268). Following that, you must identify and discuss a genuine disinformation
campaign that has been designed intentionally to mislead either the stakeholders of a specific
organisation, or a community. Refer to Enke and Borchers (2020:265–266) and explain the
functions of a social media influencer. Consider the views held by Enke and Borchers and
describe the various communication activities or outputs that an influencer may provide during
or after this specific disinformation campaign.
• Keep in mind that this assignment must address all aspects of the learning objectives.
• It is very important that you read all the sources provided in the assignment, in order to
submit a well-thought-out assignment.
• Discuss some practical aspects that may enable the organisation to engage in social
media dialogue with stakeholders. Consider Kent's (2013) article and the
recommendations in sections 3.4.1 and 3.4.2.
• Become acquainted with Ken and Taylor's (2002) dialogic theory, as well as some of the
common misconceptions about dialogue in PR.
• Read about Men et al’s (2018) social presence principle of dialogic communication.
• Make sure you understand the three social presence strategies (Men et al 2018) and how
organisations can use these strategies on Facebook.
• Look for genuine posts and comments on a large organisation's active Facebook page
that demonstrate affective, interactive and cohesive strategies.
• Familiarise yourself with the terms “information disorder” and “social media influencer”.
• Understand the role of a social media influencer, particularly in terms of output level (see
Enke & Borcher 2020).
33
• You will be penalised if your assignment does not meet the set technical requirements.
Please ensure that your assignment complies with the technical requirements stipulated
under Additional Resources on myUnisa and in Tutorial Letter CMNHONE/301/2024.
• Before submitting your assignment, kindly submit your work to Grammarly, a free online
proofreading application which you can access at https://www.grammarly.com/
9.5.3 Assignment 03
ASSIGNMENT 03: ADVERTISING THEORY, AI ADVERTISING AND

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Due to disruptive technological advancements, advertising has undergone rapid changes and
progressed from uni-directional mass media messages to multi-directional, multi-channel,
interactive conversations, which afford consumers opportunities to generate and co-create
content. Even though some scholars predicted an end to advertising, it has, instead, reinvented
itself by adopting the latest technologies and methods, including trends and developments such
as user-generated content (UGC), message co-creation and artificial intelligence (AI)
(Mckivergan 2023; Schalkwyk 2023). Consumers remain integral to the advertising process as
they co-create, share UGC, engage, interact, and have conversations as authors of brand and
advertising content. However, in a new era where AI is applied, the advertising process has
changed, as have the roles and powers of consumers.
In light of the above, critically discuss the impact AI has on advertising and consumer behaviour.
Learning objectives
• Define Al in the context of advertising

• Explain the characteristics of Al advertising
• Critically discuss the uses of, and opportunities for Al in the advertising process
• Define and discuss consumer behaviour in the context of advertising
• Critically explain consumer behaviour in the context of the digital online environment and
social media in terms of consumer engagement, involvement, interaction, conversational
opportunities, etc
• Highlight the importance of UGC and message co-creation as the latest trends and
developments in consumer behaviour
• Provide a theoretically substantiated argument on how Al affects advertising and
consumer behaviour.

None.
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Books
communications perspective. 11th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Chaffey, D & Ellis-Chadwick, F. 2016. Digital marketing. 6th edition. London: Pearson Education.
Clow, KE & Baack, D. 2012. Integrated advertising, promotion and marketing communications.
5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Einstein, M. 2017. Advertising: what everyone needs to know. New York: Oxford University
Press.
Joubert, P. 2013. Introduction to consumer behaviour. 2nd edition. Cape Town: Juta.
Management Association, Information Resources (eds). 2022. Research anthology on social

media advertising and building consumer relationships. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Moriarty, S, Mitchell, N, Wells, W & Wood, C. 2019. Advertising and IMC: principles and practice.
11th edition. London: Pearson Education.
Smith, PR & Zook, ZE. 2016. Marketing communications: offline and online integration,
engagement and analytics. 6th edition. London: Kogan Page.
Yakob, F. 2015. Paid attention: innovative advertising for a digital world. London: Kogan Page.
Behavior Review 6(1):e-252642.
Campbell, C, Plangger, K, Sands, S & Kietzmann, J. 2021. Preparing for an era of deepfakes and
AI-generated ads: a framework for understanding responses to manipulated advertising. Journal
of Advertising (March):1–17.
Coffin, J. 2022. Asking questions of AI advertising: a Maieutic approach. Journal of Advertising

51(5):608–623.
De Corniere, A & De Nijs, R. 2016. Online advertising and privacy. RAND Journal of Economics
47(1):48–72.
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Dens, N & Poels, K. 2022. The rise, growth, and future of branded content in the digital media
landscape. International Journal of Advertising: Review of Marketing Communications
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2157162
Duan, J. 2022. The impact of positive purchase-centered UGC on audience’s purchase intention:
role of tie strength, benign envy and purchase type. Journal of Internet Commerce 21(4):393–
417.
Kim, AJ & Johnson, KP. 2016. Power of consumers using social media: examining the influences
of brand-related user-generated content on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior 58:98–
108.
Knoll, J. 2016. Advertising in social media: a review of empirical evidence. International Journal
of Advertising 35(2):266–300.
Knoll, J & Proksch, R. 2017. Why we watch others’ responses to online advertising –
investigating users’ motivations for viewing user-generated content in the context of online
advertising. Journal of Marketing Communications 23(4): 400–412.
Knoll, J & Schramm, H. 2015. Advertising in social network sites – investigating the social
influence of user-generated content on online advertising effects. Communications 40(3):341–
360.
Lee, SS, Shin, J & Won, J. 2022. Transparency management of content creators on social
media: motivation, tenure, and status. Journal of Media Business Studies (November).
https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2022.2141531
Li, H. 2019. Special section introduction: artificial intelligence and advertising. Journal of
Advertising 48:333–337.
Lou, C & Yuan, S. 2019. Influencer marketing: how message value and credibility affect
consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising 19(1):58–
73.
Malthous, EC, Calder, BJ, Kim, SJ & Vandenbosch, M. 2016. Evidence that user-generated
content that produces engagement increases purchase behaviours. Journal of Marketing
Management 32(5/6):427–444.
Muda, M & Hamzah, MI. 2021. Should I suggest this YouTube clip? The impact of UGC source
credibility on eWOM and purchase intention. Journal of Research and Interactive Marketing
15(3):441-459.
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Nikolinakou, A & Phua, J. 2019. Do human values matter for promoting brands on social media?
How social media users’ values influence valuable brand-related activities such as sharing,
content creation, and reviews. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 19(1):1–
11.https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1790
Rodgers, S. 2021. Themed issue introduction: promises and perils of artificial intelligence and
advertising. Journal of Advertising 50(1):1–10.
Ruckenstein, M & Granroth, J. 2019. Algorithms, advertising and the intimacy of surveillance.
Journal of Cultural Economy 50(1): 1-10 .https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2020.1868233
Schultz, D. 2016. The future of advertising or whatever we’re going to call it. Journal of
Advertising 45(3):276–285.
Wellman, ML, Stoldt, R, Tully, M & Ekdale, B. 2020. Ethics of authenticity: social media
influencers and the production of sponsored content. Journal of Media Ethics 35(2):68–82.
Yu, J & Ko, E. 2021. UGC attributes and effects: implication for luxury brand advertising.
International Journal of Advertising: Review of Marketing Communications 40(6):945–967.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2021.1898773
Wellman, ML., Stoldt, R., Tully, M. & Ekdale, B. 2020. Ethics of authenticity: Social media
influencers and the production of sponsored content. Journal of Media Ethics 35(2): 68-82.
In this question, you are expected to provide critical theoretical discussions and arguments
related to the latest trends and developments in advertising. The literature on advertising has
previously reported on developments such as online and digital advertising, and advertising on
social media. Most recent research in consumer behaviour reflects the role of consumers in the
marketing, branding and advertising processes, due to their ability to have conversations, co-
create, generate content, interact and become authors. In a post-digital and pseudo-modern era,
however, advertising has moved beyond online, digital and social media adaptations, to the use
of artificial intelligence (AI). Mckivergan (2023) regards the use of AI in advertising as a
necessity, rather than a new trend or development. Therefore, similar to the impact that
digitalisation, the online environment and social media had on consumers and their behaviour, AI
will have an impact on consumer behaviour. In the context of recent technological advances, the
latest trends and developments in consumer behaviour emphasise the importance of UGC and
message co-creation as forms of engagement, interaction and conversation. This question
37
requires critical theoretical discussions on all the major theoretical constructs underlined in the
question, as well as theoretically supported arguments on the impact which AI has on advertising
and consumer behaviour.
At the outset, you have to define AI in the context of advertising. Defining a theoretical construct
is important, as it allows you an opportunity to explore, analyse and understand. Qin and Jiang
(2019:338) define AI as “a set of disruptive technologies which simulate human intelligence and
realize machine intelligence”. Based on this definition, it is evident that AI is disruptive, in that it is
changing many aspects of life and organisation – including advertising. Since it is emphasised
that it mimics human intelligence, the impact thereof on humans (in this context, consumers)
should be considered. However, for the purpose of this question, first explain the characteristics
of AI advertising, which can be discussed in terms of, for example, how it is data based, tool
based, synchronised and efficient (Qin & Jiang 2019:344).
Next, it is important to understand how AI affects the advertising process, and what the uses and
opportunities for AI in advertising are. Qin and Jiang (2019) explain how AI, Big Data, smart
advertising and algorithms have changed the manner in which Chinese advertising agencies
operate. They further explain that AI is applied in advertising research and market analysis. AI
provides possibilities for “real-time data gathering and processing” (Qin & Jiang 2019:340).
Consumer data are collected and used to obtain information on consumer needs, wants,
preferences, etc. Thus, by using AI, research and market analysis for the advertising process can
be obtained (Qin & Jiang 2019:340). A further application and use of AI for advertising, is during
the design and copywriting stages. By analysing the search keywords consumers use, AI is used
to write copy and design advertisements that match consumers’ interests and desires (Qin &
Jiang 2019:341). AI is even used in the media planning and buying phase of the advertising
process. Qin and Jiang (2019:341) use the term “programmatic buying” to explain how AI is used
to identify prices and quantities and identify advertising space in different media. AI can further be
applied to evaluate performance and analyse feedback. Qin and Jiang (2019:341) explain that “AI
technologies are applied to generate real-time feedback and responding action plans on
advertising impact”. Consider how this will, for example, affect consumer behaviour. Consumers
have the ability to generate and co-create content and have conversations with organisations and
brands. If feedback is “machine” generated, how will this affect consumers’ needs and
motivations to interact with organisations, brands, marketers, advertisers and co-consumers?
Qin and Jiang (2019:341) further suggest new steps in the advertising process based on the
application of AI. These steps include consumer insight discovery, advertisement creation, media
planning and buying, and advertisement impact evaluation. The process further allows for
additional advertising activities which, in turn, ensure an enhanced advertising impact.
Of particular interest is how AI allows for the discovery of consumer insights, using technologies
that analyse data from sources – in this case, consumers. These types of insights include
knowledge of consumers’ “digital lifestyles” (Qin & Jiang 2019:341), their needs, wants, interests,
desires, movements, recent purchases and consumptions, etc. AI thus allows organisations,
marketers and advertisers to acquire individualised information about consumers, so as to be
able to target them with suitable advertising messages. AI further allows for creating content,
messages, and images for advertisements based on the individualised information obtained from
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consumers (Qin & Jiang 2019:342). A further use of AI for advertising centres around planning
and buying media for advertising. In this step of the advertising process, organisations,
marketers and advertisers aim to obtain and use media that directly match consumers’ daily
offline and online media usage. This is also based on the individualised information obtained
from consumers in the first step of the advertising process, using AI. The last stage in the AI
advertising process, is to evaluate the impact of AI-generated advertisements (Qin & Jiang
2019:342). By using AI, it is possible to obtain real-time feedback on the reach and impact of
advertisements. Advertising impact can thus be measured by AI technologies, after which
advertising content and media can be adapted to suit individuals’ needs (Qin & Jiang 2019:343).
Following your exploration of the uses of AI in advertising, you are required to critically explain
consumer behaviour in the context of the digital online environment and social media in terms of
consumer engagement, involvement, interaction, conversational opportunities, etc. Einstein
(2017:55) defines consumer behaviour as “the mental and emotional processes and the physical
activities of people who purchase and use goods and services to satisfy particular needs and
wants”. At its core, this definition focuses on consumers’ behaviour in terms of their buying
behaviour, or their use of a particular service. For the purpose of this discussion, however, the
focus is not only on consumer behaviour in terms of buying a product or using a service, but also
on how consumers behave when consuming information, such as advertising messages. The
creation of advertising messages is evidently based on consumer psychology, emotions and
mental aspects, all of which explain the importance of considering consumer behaviour in the
social media era, where consumers are co-creators of, and interact with, advertising messages. It
is further important to study consumer behaviour in order to grasp the motivation behind
consumers’ purchasing and message consumption behaviours. For the advertiser, it is vital to
know how different segments of consumers react to different advertising messages, or how they
co-create a message in a social media context. Consumer demographics, according to Einstein
(2017:67), thus provide a basis from which advertisers can determine shared experiences, in
order to link a product to a target audience.
Social media have contributed to online consumers’ ability to control their exposure to, and use
of, advertising messages. The contribution is due to the need for online consumers to find and
interact with online and digital messages in an active and voluntary manner. Online consumers
thus have control, making their interaction with online and digital communication messages
inevitable. Interactivity enables consumers to search for, interact with, and discard, online
messages as they choose. Therefore, with the advent of social media as a result of the
introduction of Web 2.0 technology, online audience members have adopted more dynamic ways
of engaging with the products and services of an organisation, than was possible in the past. Not
only are online audience members now both sharing and creating online content, they have also
become empowered by earned media (Hung-Joubert 2019:338) to have an impact on a global
audience with potentially millions of members via “electronic word of mouth” (eWOM).
Next, you are required to highlight the importance of UGC and message co-creation as the latest
trends and developments in consumer behaviour. Barker and Hanekom (2022:11) posit that
digital platforms (including social media) allow consumers to share UGC and co-create
messages. Such content generation and sharing takes place between the organisation and the
consumer, in that the consumer has the ability to co-create and share due to the technological
39
advances of digital platforms. The sharing of messages and content generated by consumers
serves to empower consumers, which allows for collaboration and the sharing of “knowledge,
opinions, feelings and concerns” (Barker & Hanekom 2022:11). Consumer UGC and message
co-creation facilitate interaction where consumers generate and share information and
knowledge. This could further lead to enhanced consumer behavioural processes and decision
making (Barker & Hanekom 2022:11). Consumers can share rational or emotional UGC: rational
UGC regards the effectiveness of a product, organisation of service, while emotional UGC deals
with consumers’ emotive connectivity to products, services and organisations (Barker &
Hanekom 2022:11).
The last requirement of this question is to explain how AI affects advertising and consumer
behaviour. For this part, you are required to draw on your previous theoretical discussions and
put forward a theoretically substantiated argument on how AI could have an impact on
advertising and consumer behaviour. Your arguments could include an explanation of how
advertising has progressed to include digital platforms and social media, and how those changes
advance the use of AI in advertising. You could further explain how AI is changing the advertising
process and argue whether this is a sustainable way of obtaining consumer information, creating
advertising messages and content, identifying suitable media, and evaluating advertising impact.
In addition, you should further explore how AI has changed consumer behaviour in terms of its
impact on the way in which consumers co-create messages and share UGC.
• Define AI in the context of advertising.
• Explain the characteristics of AI advertising.
• Critically discuss the uses of, and opportunities for, AI in the advertising process.
• Define and discuss consumer behaviour in the context of advertising.
• Critically explain consumer behaviour in the context of the digital online environment and
social media in terms of consumer engagement, involvement, interaction, conversational
opportunities, etc.
• Highlight the importance of UGC and message co-creation as the latest trends and
developments in consumer behaviour.
• Provide a theoretically substantiated argument on how AI impacts advertising and
consumer behaviour.
Note:
• You will be penalised if your assignment does not meet the set technical requirements.
Please ensure that your assignment complies with the technical requirements stipulated
under Additional Resources on myUnisa and in Tutorial Letter CMNHONE/301/2024.
• Before submitting your assignment submit your work to Grammarly, a free online
proofreading application which you can access at https://www.grammarly.com/.
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9.5.4 Assignment 04 (EXAMINATION PORTFOLIO)
ASSIGNMENT 04 – EXAMINATION PORTFOLIO
o No extensions of the due date will be granted, as this is an examination portfolio.

o There is no sick or special (second) examination.
o The submission of the examination portfolio is compulsory.
o The following assignment is your examination portfolio.
Answer the following three questions:
Question 4.1
Revisit the questions in Assignment 01, about the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
plan. Keeping your answers to these assignment questions in mind, now apply some aspects of
the IMC plan to the portfolio question indicated below.
You have been hired as a marketing consultant by a (fictitious) organisation that is launching a
new product in the market. Your task is to develop an integrated marketing communication (IMC)
plan that effectively communicates the brand message and increases brand awareness among
the target audience.
Answer the following three questions, considering this statement:
(a) Develop a brand positioning statement that clearly communicates the unique value
proposition of the product. You may refer to any fictitious product of your choice. Also
explain what a brand positioning statement is. (5)
(b) Develop a creative brief that outlines the objective, key message, target audience and key
benefit of the product. Also explain what a creative brief is. Refer to the same fictitious
product. (10)
(c) Recommend a mix of marketing communication instruments (brand communication) that

will be most effective in reaching the target audience and achieving the desired
communication objectives for your fictitious product. You must include at least five (5)
marketing communication instruments in your discussion. Also briefly explain each
marketing communication mix instrument, and then indicate how this instrument will
communicate the brand message and increase brand awareness. (15)
[30]
41
Question 4.2
The dialogic theory of PR is still the most commonly used to meet the challenges of today’s
communication landscape, and it is essential that public relations professionals understand this
theory. From a PR standpoint, the principles of Kent and Taylor (1998, 2002) have been refined
and applied to social media. Men et al (2018), for example, focus specifically on the social
presence principle in their research. Focus your discussion on the following points:
4.2.1 Explain the importance of social media dialogue in PR. (5)
4.2.2. Discuss the three social presence strategies proposed by Men, Tsai, Chen and Ji (2018) in
their investigation of dialogic communication. Include examples from the active Facebook
pages of any large organisation, to illustrate these strategies. (10)
4.2.3 Distinguish between the three types of information disorder, using examples relevant to
PR. (5)
4.2.4 Describe what a social media influencer is, and how an influencer can assist the
organisation in dealing with information disorder on social media. Identify the various
communication activities or outputs that an influencer may provide. (10)
[30]
Question 4.3
Advertising has progressed to include AI in the advertising process, particularly to obtain

consumer data, create advertising content and messages, recommend suitable media and
channels, and analyse feedback and evaluate effectiveness. With each new development in the
advertising process, consumers’ behaviour responds by adapting and changing. Even though the
growth of advertising has seen many adjustments and adaptations, ethical considerations remain
a fundamental concern for advertisers, marketers, organisations, brands and consumers.
In light of the above, explain the impact AI has on the advertising process and consumer
behaviour. Also explore the ethical implications of using AI in the advertising process, and how
an ethical framework should guide consumers in terms of their ability to co-create and share
UGC.
Structure your answer as follows:
4.3.1 Explore the application of AI in the advertising process. (5)
4.3.2 Critically explain consumer co-creation and UGC in the context of digital platforms, social
media and AI. (5)
4.3.3 Critically discuss the ethical implications of using AI in the advertising process. (15)
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4.3.4 Critically discuss how ethical considerations affect consumers’ co-creation abilities and
sharing of UGC. (5)
[30]
Technical presentation (refer to Additional Sources on myUnisa and Tutorial Letter
CMNHONE/301/2024) [10]
TOTAL: [100]
Guidelines for completing Assignment 04
1. Obtain the relevant academic literature (± 30 sources) you would need to complete the
examination portfolio. Refer to your revised assignments (those you submitted and
reworked, based on the markers’ comments).
2. Provide in-depth theoretical discussions, accompanied by relevant arguments. If the

question requires application, provide a detailed theoretical discussion, and then apply the
theory, as required.
3. Avoid similarity to other sources and ensure that your examination portfolio is original. A
high degree of similarity will be severely penalised. Read the section on plagiarism in this
tutorial letter, as well as on myUnisa under Additional Resources and in Tutorial Letter
CMNHONE/301/2024. Also submit your portfolio to Turnitin, and then submit the Turnitin
report (saved as a PDF file) as part of your portfolio. If you fail to do so, you will be
awarded 0% for the examination.
4. In addition to the requirements regarding Turnitin, you must adhere to the technical
requirements set out in the guidelines under Additional Resources on myUnisa and in
Tutorial Letter CMNHONE/301/2024.
5. Before submitting your assignment, submit your work to Grammarly, a free online
proofreading application which you can access at https://www.grammarly.com/
Sources for section 4.1 of the examination portfolio:

See the sources listed under Assignment 01, or any other relevant academic sources.
Sources for section 4.2 of the portfolio:
Sources for section 4.3 of the portfolio:

43
9.6 Other assessment methods
No other forms of assessment are used in this module.
9.7 The examination portfolio
Refer to section 9.5.4 for the Examination Portfolio questions and guidelines. Examination
information and details on the format will be made available to you online via the myUnisa site.
Keep an eye out for information shared by your module coordinator (where relevant), and for
communications from the university.
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring
Since 2020, Unisa has conducted all its assessments online. Given the stringent requirements of
professional bodies, and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to unlawfully
assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the university has been
compelled to assure its assessment integrity through the use of various proctoring tools: Turnitin,
Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will authenticate students’ identity
and flag suspicious behaviour, to assure the credibility of their responses during assessments.
The description below is for your benefit, as you may encounter any (or all) of these in your
registered modules:
Turnitin is plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost
writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses for use with Turnitin software.
The Moodle Proctoring tool is facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identity
during their quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop
camera. Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings, prior to the
assessments.
The Invigilator mobile application-based service verifies the identity of an assessment

participant. The Invigilator App detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and ensures that the
assessment participant is the registered student. This invigilation tool requires students to
download the app from the Play Store (Google, Huawei and Apple) on their mobile devices
(camera enabled), prior to their assessment.
IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides for
both manual and automated facial verification. It has the ability to record and review a student’s
assessment session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the student, for review by an academic
administrator. IRIS software requires installation on students’ laptop devices that are enabled
with a webcam.
Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious, dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports, will be referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceedings.
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Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to
determine which proctoring or invigilation tool will be used for their formative and summative
assessments.
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others, and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:
• Copying and pasting from any source, without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing, without acknowledging the original source of the information.
For more information on plagiarism, click on the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another

student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment-related information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, in contravention of examination guidelines.
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability who would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, please contact Dr J Hanekom at [email protected] to discuss the assistance
you need.
45
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Most of the frequently asked questions for the module have been answered in this tutorial letter,
but you are welcome to contact us if you have any other questions.
13 SOURCES CONSULTED
Behavior Review 6(1): e-252642.
communications perspective. 11th edition. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. (You may also use an
earlier or later edition.)
Bouvier, K. 2021. 4 PR trends to monitor heading into 2022:

Available at: https://www.bouvierkelly.com/4-pr-trends-to-monitor-heading-into-2022/
Chu, S-C & Kim, Y. 2011. Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth
(eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising 30(1):47–75.
Council of Europe. 2022. Information disorder.

Available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/freedom-expression/information-disorder
Du Plessis, F, Van Heerden, N & Cook, G. 2010. Integrated marketing communication. 3rd
edition. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
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14 IN CLOSING
We wish you a successful academic year. Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance, and
try to visit myUnisa as often as possible to interact with your lecturers and fellow students.
Kind regards
The COM4808 team

©
Unisa 2024
49

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COM4808/101/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024

Marketing Communication, Advertising

Department of Communication Science

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

10.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................. 45

• know how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically and

COM4808 is an online module. Whether a module is offered as blended (meaning we use a

READING FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENTS

Website: Unisa Library research skills

Writing your assignments

Website: Writing for academic integrity

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

After successfully completing this module, you should have acquired

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

Please include your student number in all correspondence.

5.2 Recommended book(s)

Baack, K. 2021. Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications.

Broom, GM & Sha, B. Cutlip and Centre’s effective e-public relations.

Chaffey, D & Ellis-Chadwick, F. Digital marketing.

Clow, KE & Baack, D. Integrated advertising, promotion and marketing.

Einstein, M. Advertising: what everyone needs to know.

Fournier, S & Breazeal, M (eds). Consumer-brand relationships: theory and practice.

Gregory, A. Planning and managing public relations campaigns: a strategic approach.

Guth, DW & Marsh, C. Public relations: a values-driven approach.

Hayes, DC, Hendrix, JA & Kumar, PD. Public relations cases.

Joubert, P. Introduction to consumer behaviour.

Lattimore, D. Public relations: the profession and the practice.

Moriarty, S, Mitchell, N & Wells, W. Advertising principles and practices.

Rensburg, R & Cant, M (eds). Public relations: African perspectives.

Scott, DM. The new rules of marketing and PR.

Skinner, C, Von Essen, LM & Mershan, G. Handbook of public relations.

Smith, RD. Strategic planning for public relations.

Yakob, F. Paid attention: innovative advertising for a digital world.

Recommended books can be requested online, via the library catalogue.

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

Coffin, J. 2022. Asking questions of AI advertising: a Maieutic approach. Journal of Advertising

Kaul, V. 2013. Plugging in new PR technologies. Journal of Indian Management 10(1):33–53.

Le Roux, T. 2011. A profile of South African public relations practitioners in top-performing

Mersham, G, Skinner, C & Rensburg, R. 2011. Approaches to African communication

Sweeney, J, Soutar, G & Mazzarol, T. 2014. Factors enhancing word-of-mouth influence:

Ubeda, JE. 2013. Communication in new technology-based firms. Management Decision

5.4 Library services and resources

• For brief information on the library, go to

• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services:[email protected]

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (select option 07 for myModules)

6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme

9.2 Assessment plan

• Due dates for assessments/assignments, as well as the actual assessments/assignments,

9.3 Assessment due dates

• No assignment due dates are included in this tutorial letter.

9.4 Submission of assessments

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the

• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

DECLARATION FOR HONOURS MODULES

Any assignment without a DECLARATION, with an incorrect DECLARATION, or with a

DECLARATION OF OWN WORK