Communication of Information

Code:

MCI0015

Acronym:

CI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Social Science

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Information Science

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MCI	10	Plano de estudos oficial	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

1. Master the main concepts in Communication Sciences (redundancy/entropy, icon/symbol; denotation/connotation, …) and its applications in the spheres and professional activities of Communication;

2. Master the Communication Mix (branding, publicity, advertising), the "blended marketing" and the “life cycle” of the Communication Plan, applying scientific concepts and tools for strategic planning to practical situations;

3. Recognize the social, economical and cultural role of brands and their place in the marketing communication context, mastering concepts, dimensions and basic techniques for its creation, management and activation;

4. Master strategic principles of Institutional and Marketing Communication concerning Social Media, its main trends and problems;

5. Know and apply a basic set of specific techniques for communication of information, namely in the areas of “strategy of the message”, briefing, publication of textual contents and organization of speech.

6. Question commonplaces and preconceived ideas about communication, speech and Media.

Learning outcomes and competences

Skills and Learning Outcomes: 

After the successful completion of this course unit, students should be able to: 

1. Define and to distinguish the principal schools and scientific models of Communication, differentiating the notions of information, meaning, communication and persuasion, and interpret some of its applications in the spheres and professional activities of Communication; 

2. Identify, describe and relate the technical and professional scope of the Institutional Communication (branding, publicity, advertising) and the "life cycle" of the Communication Plan, and its transformation and growth in digital, applying in practical situations and concepts and tools for strategic planning; 

3. Recognize the social, economical and cultural role of brands and their place in the marketing communication context , dominating concepts, dimensions and basic techniques for it’s creation, management and application; 

4. Know and apply a basic set of knowledge and specific techniques for communication of information, through the eyes of a “Manager of Information”, namely in the areas of the “strategy of the message”, of briefing, of the publication of textual contents and of the organization of speech. 

5. Apply strategic principles and professional technics of Institutional and Marketing Communication concerning Social Media, knowing its trends and risks.

Working method

À distância

Program

I. Communication, its Sciences and Models

The mathematic/processing and semiotics schools and scientific models. The main double concepts of the Communication Sciences: redundancy/entropy, icon/symbol; denotation/connotation, metaphor/metonymy).

II. Communication and Brands

Semiotics and Branding. The brand: goals, evolution and trends. Notoriety and prominence; reputation and longevity; interaction and engagement. Positioning / differentiation, management, extension, licensing.
Activation strategies and practices.
The "storytelling".
"Superbrands" - cases. Corporate identity in organizations.

III. The Communication Plan: Institutional Communication and its “life cycle”.

Strategic positioning. Public strategy; Message strategy; Media Strategy. The Communication Plan and the communication management cycle.

IV. The communication mix

Branding, Publicity and Advertising. Organizational realities and the communication market. Challenges of digital.

V. The Social Media. Opportunities, trends, risks. Dimensions of a strategy.

VI.Communication and the Editing of Textual Information

The "plain language": objectives and techniques. The briefing: structure. The "style guide" in content management and text editing.

VI. Presentation and discussion of practical assignments.

Mandatory literature

John Fiske ; trad. Maria Gabriela Rocha Alves; Introdução ao estudo da comunicação. ISBN: 972-41-1133-4
João Pinto e Castro; Comunicação de marketing. ISBN: 978-972-618-463-8
Marques, Vasco; Marketing Digital 360, Actual Editora, 2018. ISBN: 9789896942946
REGO, Arménio; Comunicação Pessoal e Organizacional, Edições Sílabo, 2010
Jon Miller & David Muir; O negócio das Marcas. ISBN: 978-972-8955-92-2

Complementary Bibliography

Joaquim Caetano, Luís Rasquilha; Gestão da comunicação. ISBN: 978-972-589-146-9
CASTRO, João Pinto; Marketing Ombro a Ombro, Texto Editores, 2011
Naomi Klein; No Logo. ISBN: 972-708-673-X
Gonçalves, Gisela ; Introdução à Teoria das Relações Públicas , Porto Editora , 2010
FIDALGO, António; Manual de Semiótica, UBI, 2005 (Versão electrónica disponível em http://bocc.ubi.pt/pag/fidalgo-antonio-manual-semiotica-2005.pdf), 2005
Roland Barthes; A aventura semiológica
Marshall McLuhan; Compreender os meios de comunicação. ISBN: 978-989-641-029-2
Brochand Bernard 070; Publicitor. ISBN: 972-20-1585-0
Público; Livro de estilo. ISBN: 972-8892-37-3

Teaching methods and learning activities

The professor will plan specific sessions to foreign students (Erasmus programme) on the main contents of the course unit and supervise the individual research and practical group work.

Software

ZOOM (para aulas à distância)

keywords

Social sciences > Communication sciences > Public relations
Humanities > Philosophy > Semiotics
Social sciences > Communication sciences > Business communication
Social sciences > Communication sciences
Social sciences > Economics > Marketing > Publicidade Advertising
Social sciences > Economics > Marketing

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	56,00
Estudo autónomo	54,00
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Students have to reach a minimum grade of 6 out of 20 in the continuous assessment component.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final Grade= 0.5CA + 0.5 FE

CA - Continuous Assessment
FE- Final Exam

Examinations or Special Assignments

1. Open-book exam (50% of the Final Grade).
2. Execution and presentation of a practical assignment on a subject matter to be agreed with the professor. It is worth 50% of the Final Grade.

Classification improvement

Students may improve their grades by attending recurso (resit) exam.

Observations

Main Bibliography of the Course Unit, in English: 

FISKE, John, Introduction to Communication Studies (Studies in Culture & Communication),Routledge.

CHANDLER, Daniel, Semiotics: The Basics, Routledge.

MILLER, Jon & MUIR, David, The Business of Brands, Wiley.

MCLUHAN, Marshall, Understanding Media, Routledge.

LEVY, Justin R., Facebook Marketing: Designing Your Next Marketing Campaign, Que Biz-Tech, 2010.