Strategic Communications Management

Master 2026/2027

Type: Compulsory course (Marketing: Digital Technology and Marketing Communications)

Delivered by: Department of Marketing

Where: HSE Graduate School of Business

When: 2 year, 2 module

Open to: students of one campus

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 24

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Abstract

The course "Strategic Communications Management" is mandatory for students of the trajectory "Marketing Communications and Branding" of the educational program "Marketing: Digital Technologies and Marketing Communications." The purpose of the discipline is to provide students with the necessary knowledge, practical skills and form competencies for finding non-standard (creative) solutions and effective management of communication campaigns of corporate, commodity and personal brands in the public sphere when interacting with various audiences of the public. This goal is concretized through a number of tasks, namely: 1) to acquaint students with the basic principles, tools and practices of communication activities in Russia and abroad; 2) introduce students to the capabilities and tools of communication campaigns and campaigns using event marketing tools to influence various groups of the public, change the balance of power of various interest groups in public space; 3) form competencies in reputation management in crisis situations and make reasoned anti-crisis decisions in the field of marketing communications; 4) consider the impact of strategic communications on the business of organizations and develop skills in using methods and criteria for assessing the effectiveness of communication campaigns in the public sphere, taking into account the balance of interests of stakeholders; 5) prepare students for the adoption and implementation of reasoned and effective management decisions when organizing communication campaigns in the public sphere.

Learning Objectives

To develop advanced competencies in using social technologies to solve practice-oriented PR tasks aimed at both external and internal stakeholder audiences.
To introduce students to the basic principles, tools, and practices of PR activities in Russia and abroad as a form of communication management.
To develop knowledge and skills in using modern public opinion research methods as a tool for diagnosing problems in the interaction between social groups and business structures.
To develop the skills to perform situational analysis of processes occurring in the public sphere in order to choose an appropriate and effective format of interaction with diverse public audiences, both offline and online.
To familiarize students with the opportunities of PR campaigns and campaigns using event marketing tools in terms of influencing various public groups and changing the balance of power among different interest groups in the public sphere.
To examine the impact of PR communications on organizations’ business performance and develop skills in using methods and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of communication campaigns in the public sphere, taking into account the balance of stakeholders’ interests.
To prepare students to make and implement well-reasoned and effective managerial decisions when organizing communication campaigns in the public sphere.
To develop competencies in reputation management in crisis situations and to make well-reasoned crisis-response decisions in the field of marketing communications.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Understand the essence of a "crisis" in communications and the role of PR in conflict management, develop proactive and reactive crisis communications, engagе information allies and opponents, identify the features of psychological information perception in crisis situations.
Understand the specifics of promoting corporate, product and personal brands in the public sphere, select a communication campaign strategy depending on the business segment, objectives and target audiences.
Analyze PR trends, understand how traditional media and social media work.
Understand the relationship between reputation management and PR, understand the difference between image and reputation in the information space, develop strategies for building, changing, and protecting reputation.
Conduct media analysis, SWOT analysis, target audience research, assessment of the company's external environment, analysis of resources and opportunities; manage communication with the internal audience from developers to CEO; make decisions on the tools and methods for implementing a campaign; understand the relationship between business objectives and communication goals; shape the company's information policy; select information channels and spokespersons.
Understand the social, economic, and political prerequisites for the development of PR; key terms and concepts; PR objectives; regulation of PR activities; PR institutions; subjects and objects of PR; PR development trends in the 21st century.
Understand the key differences between PR and other types of marketing communications, know PR technologies, identify types of communication participants and their informational roles, understand the specifics of media relations and modern media in Russia, know examples of global and Russian practices of media content creation and distribution, can negotiate and build relationship with the media, can create content as the foundation of communications.
Understand the difference between the terms “reputation management” and “PR” and between “image” and “reputation” in the information space, develop strategies for creating, changing, and protecting reputation
Synthesize the results of applying strategic analytical models in order to gain a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the organization’s position and the strategic challenges it faces.
Characterize modern media in Russia, provide examples of global and Russian practices in media content creation and distribution, identifу technologies for building relationships with the media, can create content as the foundation of communications.
Name the major media holdings and the media outlets within them, major social media platforms; list the principles of their functioning within the modern media relations system.
List the specific features of public relations at the international level; name and elaborate on the main objectives of international PR communications, regulation of PR activities, PR institutions, subjects and objects of PR, trends in the development of PR in the 21st century in international marketing.

Course Contents

Introductory Lecture. Definition of the Discipline. Key Concepts.
Overview and Analysis of PR Tools
Media Landscape in Russia
PR and Marketing in the Experience and Hospitality Industry
PR in the Public Sector and Major National Projects
International Communications

Assessment Elements

Project work “Developing a Communication Strategy for a Russian Product/Client”
Group assignment: developing communication and media strategy solutions, followed by a seminar presentation of the results.
Project work “PR for Experience Economy Brands”
Project assignment on PR technologies in the experience economy and cultural sector.
Practical assignment: developing a project brief
Practical assignment on developing a brief for an outsourced PR agency.
Exam
The exam is conducted in the form of a test that includes various types of test questions and short tasks (open-ended questions).
Attendance
Attendance of lectures and seminars of the course.

Interim Assessment

2026/2027 2nd module
0.1 * Attendance + 0.2 * Project work “Developing a Communication Strategy for a Russian Product/Client” + 0.1 * Practical assignment: developing a project brief + 0.4 * Exam + 0.2 * Project work “PR for Experience Economy Brands”

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Чаган, Н. Г., Public Relations: управление преднамеренными коммуникациями : учебное пособие / Н. Г. Чаган. — Москва : Русайнс, 2024. — 289 с. — ISBN 978-5-466-05316-6. — URL: https://book.ru/book/953028 (дата обращения: 09.12.2025). — Текст : электронный.
Чумиков А.Н., Бочаров М.П. - Государственный PR: связи с общественностью для государственных организаций и проектов - 978-5-16-013075-0 - ИНФРА-М - 2023 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/product/1904453 - 1904453 - ZNANIUM
Чумиков, А. Н. Связи с общественностью и медиакоммуникации : учебник для вузов / А. Н. Чумиков. — 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2025. — 199 с. — (Высшее образование). — ISBN 978-5-534-15991-2. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/564576 (дата обращения: 02.07.2026).

Recommended Additional Bibliography

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Introduction to strategic public relations : digital, global, and socially responsible communication, Page, J. T., 2019
Nation branding : concepts, issues, practice, Dinnie, K., 2022
PR. Полное руководство, Маркони, Дж., 2006
Public relations : a managerial perspective, Moss, D., 2011
Как взорвать медиапространство : [искусство PR], Масленников, Р., 2021
Коммуникационный менеджмент : учеб. пособие, , 2020
Медиасистема России : учебник для вузов, Вартанова, Е. Л., 2021
Связи с общественностью в органах власти : учебник и практикум для вузов / под редакцией В. А. Ачкасовой, И. А. Быкова. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2025. — 163 с. — (Высшее образование). — ISBN 978-5-534-07448-2. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/564892 (дата обращения: 02.07.2026).

Authors

VETROVA TATYANA VLADIMIROVNA
BELOZERTSEVA IRINA MUNEROVNA

Course Syllabus