UMKDWM-15-M Corporate Communications Assignment Brief 2026 university of the west of england

Module learning outcomes assessed by this task

1.    Critically evaluate and apply relevant theories and principles on corporate communications and public relations
2.    Examine the impact of the changing external environment for corporate communication practice
3.    Assess and prioritise stakeholders for effective corporate relations management
4.    Develop and critically evaluate a contemporary communications campaign

Use of AI in assessment: You are permitted to use Gen AI tools in an assistive role in this assessment to support you with

• drafting and structuring content
• supporting a particular process such as translating content
• providing ideas or inspiration to help you overcome a creative block.

As the use of Gen AI is optional (due to its purely supportive capacity) it’s use is not part of the skills or knowledge you need to demonstrate for this assessment. However, if you have used Gen AI to prepare or produce part or all of your work, you must acknowledge its use. For more advice on this (and its use in general) please see your Generative AI study skills guide.

Guidance on Referencing (inc AI):

Please note that the aim of referencing is to demonstrate you have read and understood a range of sources to evidence your key points.  You need to list the references consistently and in such a way as to ensure the reader can follow up on the sources for themselves. 
UWE Harvard referencing style is required. Although no marks are allocated for adherence to the principles of referencing, the accuracy of application will be reflected within the marking rubric.

Referencing - Study skills | UWE Bristol
Using generative AI at UWE Bristol - Study skills | UWE Bristol

Submission and feedback dates

Submission deadline:    Before 14:00 on Wednesday 29 April 2026

Is eligible for 48 hour late submission window

Submission format: Word

Marks and Feedback due on: 1 June 2026

N.B. all times are 24-hour clock, current local time (at time of submission) in the UK

Marks and Feedback will be provided via:

Blackboard/MyUWE, embedded comments and rubric feedback form.

Completing your assessment

What am I required to do on this assessment?

You will be analysing a contemporary corporate communications campaign. This assessment aims to apply theories and models of Corporate Communications, allowing you to critically reflect on these concepts and their implications for corporate practice, supported by appropriate theory and relevant sources.

Tasks

Using an organisation of your choice, analyse at least two different but related examples of corporate communications issued by the organisation. The communications should be from either 2025 or 2026.

1.    Context Analysis (300 words):

• Examine the context for the communications.
• Evaluate the goals of the communications using relevant theories and concepts from corporate communications
• Include copies/extracts of the communications within this section (excluded from the word count)
• If extracts have been used, full copies of the communications should be included in the appendix (excluded from the word count).

2.    Stakeholder Analysis (750 words):

• Identify, assess and prioritise key stakeholders for the communications using relevant models.
• Identify the specific communication needs and concerns for three key stakeholders

3.    Critical Evaluation (1050 words):

• Critically evaluate the core messages for these three stakeholders using relevant theories and principles of corporate communications
• Analyse the communication channels used
• Assess the expected impact on corporate reputation of the chosen communications

4.    Recommendations (900 words):

• Based on your analysis, provide three recommendations that companies can use to improve their corporate communications in the digital era

Where should I start?

Read the brief and the supporting materials carefully to ensure that you are completely clear what is expected from this assessment. If you are unsure ask your tutor.

• Attend and actively participate in lectorials
• A report style of writing (i.e. breaking the text down into sections and sub-sections) is required so that your content is clearly signposted

Practical first steps that students should take to start the assessment:

1.    Select a contemporary corporate communications campaign that interests you. This could be a recent advertising campaign, a public relations effort, or a social media initiative by a well-known company. Research and gather detailed information about the campaign, including press releases, news articles, social media posts, and other relevant materials.

2.    Ensure this is a corporate communications campaign, not a marketing/brand campaign. If you’re unsure ask your tutor for clarification.

3.    Include screenshots from the campaign and provide links, referenced using UWE Harvard referencing format.

4.    Briefly outline the purpose of the communications included (c100 words) and explain the context (c200 words).

5.    Explain how you identified the wider set of stakeholders and use models to illustrate this.

6.    Explain how you selected the chosen stakeholders and the models and criteria used for this selection.

7.    Use corporate communications theories and models to analyse the campaign and its importance for the audience. Reflect critically on the campaign’s effectiveness by considering questions such as: How well did the campaign engage its target audience?

8.    Identify the key messages and how were they were communicated? Discuss how the campaign aligned with the company’s overall brand values. Support your analysis with appropriate theories.

9.    Discuss the implications of your findings for corporate practice more generally, drawing on learnings from the analysed campaign.

10.    Apply these insights to make recommendations for future communication strategies for organisations, focusing on how communications should be conducted in the digital era.  

11.    Ensure you cite academic articles, books and credible sources in support for all information included within your work.

What do I need to do to pass?

Carry out thorough research, using a range of quality sources, including UWE library databases. All facts must be cited within the main plan and shown in the reference list. Any information contained within an appendix should also be fully referenced and all sources listed within the reference list alongside those from the main report.

Use theory and concepts from Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Relationship Management, to provide structure to your work and decision-making. Make sure you fully cover all the elements from this brief. Use the marking criteria to ensure all elements of the brief have been met to achieve a mark of 50% or above required to pass this module.

Marks will be awarded for sound theoretical knowledge, evaluation and recommendations. The use of relevant models will be essential to pass this module. Appendices can be used to accommodate tables and diagrams to support/illustrate themes in the main body of the text if required.

The following criteria will be used in evaluating this assessment:

1.    Examine the context for the communications. Using relevant theories and concepts of corporate communications, critically evaluate the goals of the communications (10%)

2.    Using relevant models, identify, assess and prioritise key stakeholders for the communication. Identify the specific communication needs and concerns for three key stakeholders (25%)

3.    Using relevant theories and principles of corporate communications, critically evaluate:

a)    The core messages for stakeholders

b)    The communication channels used

c)    The impact on corporate reputation of the chosen communications
(35%)

4.    Based on your preceding analysis, provide three recommendations for how companies can improve their corporate communications in the digital era (30%)

How do I achieve high marks in this assessment?

Thorough research and clearly justified, realistic decision-making. Correct and effective use of corporate communication concepts and communication models. Take a holistic approach to ensure your findings and recommendations reflect the contemporary environment in which organisations operate.

Attend lectorials and be prepared to ask questions for clarification. The marking criteria (see page 7) should be used to understand how work is judged at each level. This will be discussed in detail during the lectorials.

How does the learning and teaching relate to the assessment?

Each week builds content for the resulting report. The assessment is briefed in week 1 and each week it will be referred to. There is a full assessment briefing in week 9, before the Spring/Easter break. The lectorials in week 9, 10 and 11 will have time devoted to a Question and Answer session and you are encouraged to prepare for these with any questions on your submission.

What additional resources may help me complete this assessment?

The Blackboard site has supporting materials including tutor contact details, the assignment and the schedule of module content. Although lectorials are not recorded all the PowerPoint slides from these can be accessed here too. Contact details for the module leader and their office hours can also be found on the course site.

Links to the reading list and UWE library study skills:

• Content / UMKDWM-15-M - Corporate communications 25jan_1
• Specific UWE library study skills pages i.e.

• https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/study-support/study-skills
• Critical thinking and writing - Reading and writing | UWE Bristol
• Writing - Reading and writing | UWE Bristol
• Writing feedback - Writing | UWE Bristol

•  Studiosity - Study support | UWE Bristol for quick feedback on your writing

What do I do if I am concerned about completing this assessment?

It is recommended that you review all of the relevant materials on Blackboard. You can also speak to your module leader for advice and guidance.  

UWE Bristol offer a range of Assessment Support Options that you can explore through this link, and both Student Support Advisers and Wellbeing Support are available.

For further information, please see the Student study essentials.

How do I avoid an Assessment Offence on this module?

Use the support above if you feel unable to submit your own work for this module. 
If you do not understand what is expected of you then seek guidance from your tutor and ensure you attend lectorials. Avoid working with friends or in groups as this is an individual assessment. Do not copy information into your work and ensure all sources are acknowledged.
The most frequent types of academic offenses in this kind of assessment involve using information without proper citation. To prevent this, make sure to identify all sources.

Refer to academic-conduct-policy-and-academic-misconduct-procedures

Marks and Feedback

Your assessment will be marked according to the following marking criteria.
You can use these to evaluate your own work before you submit.

1.    In line with UWE Bristol’s Assessment Content Limit Policy (formerly the Word Count Policy), word count includes all text, including (but not limited to): the main body of text (including headings), all citations (both in and out of brackets), text boxes, tables and graphs, figures and diagrams, quotes, lists. 

2. UWE Bristol’s Academic Conduct Policy and Academic Misconduct Procedures (Assessment Offence Policy) is available from the Academic Integrity webpages and requires that you submit work that is entirely your own and reflects your own learning, so it is important to:

• Ensure you reference all sources used, using the UWE Harvard system and the guidance available on UWE’s Study Skills referencing pages.
  
  
• Refer to peer reviewed primary sources, rather than using AI or secondary sources
  
  
• Avoid copying and pasting any work into this assessment, including your own previous assessments, work from other students or internet sources
  
  
• Develop your own style, arguments and wording, so avoid copying sources and changing individual words but keeping, essentially, the same sentences and/or structures from other sources
  
  
• Never give your work to others who may copy it
  
  
• If an individual assessment, develop your own work and preparation, and do not allow anyone to make amends on your work (including proof-readers, who may highlight issues but not edit the work).
  When submitting your work, you will be required to confirm that the work is your own, and text-matching software and other methods are routinely used to check submissions against other submissions to the university and internet sources. Details of what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it can be found on UWE’s Study Skills pages about avoiding plagiarism.