The minor ‘Communication’ is complementary to a broad variety of major studies. It contributes to the communication competence of professionals in different situations and settings. To build up a corporate reputation it is not enough to ‘be good and tell it’. Every company and organisation must position itself clearly to be recognized, remembered and distinguished from competitors. Branding and thinking as a brand are essential. The final goal is to give our clients, consumers or employees the feeling that the brand is part of their community, or even that the brand is in the heart of a community. Well planned strategic communication is the key factor for success. Below you can find some examples for different areas of interest.

EXAMPLES

Education

As a teacher you will be work with groups from different cultural backgrounds. How can you create a bond with and between the children? Also you will try to make the identity of your school visible to parents. You probably want a clear and open contact with parents.

Marketing

You know that consumer loyalty is hard to obtain but easy to lose. You will have to add value and emotion to your brand. Find new ways to catch the attention and sympathy of possible clients. Get extra attention by surprising and pleasing your business partners And of course reach commitment and enthusiasm with the employees in the shop.

There is a broad variety of media, means and methods you can use to obtain your goals. But it is not enough to have a lot of possibilities: you must also make the right choices!

Advertising and public relations

Communication is changing at tremendous speed. Mass communication by broadcasting is still very important in advertising and educational campaigns. But it is not enough to establish trust and loyalty. Internet is becoming the main vehicle for communication campaigns: viral advertising, web logs, pod casts, internet communities, and forums. And equally important are: events, sponsoring, product and environmental design, outdoor advertising.

Journalism

The face and place of the news is changing rapidly. Commercial media tend to give less space to information and education. They want to please their shareholders and advertisers and do not want to take risks with controversial programming. Sometimes news is primarily seen as a form of entertainment.

On the other hand the new media create a new form of journalism. With high speed and low standards: everybody with a cell phone and a computer can be a journalist. Newspapers are confronted with heavy competition of the Internet that offers news cheaper, faster and uncensored.

Management

Without effective communication, no organisation can survive in the turbulence of modern society. You have to be able to monitor trends and issues in the environment, to be pro-active in your strategic decisions. Internal information and communication has be fast and accurate, well dosed and effective. Employees do not only want to stay informed on important subjects, they also want to be interactive. Specialized professionals should be able to give feedback on strategic plans.

Social Studies

As a social worker you are confronted with people who have trouble coping with modern life. They may struggle with the feeling of being isolated, useless, and discriminated. Culturally heterogeneous neighbourhoods have a lack of social cohesion, which makes them unsafe places for some. You will be looking for creative low budget projects to chart and increase social involvement.