NAME: LONDEKA NCAMA

STUDENT NUMBER: ST10123335

MODULE: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION TEST

QUESTION 01

Q.1.1. Strategic communication is a specialized approach to distributing and receiving

information, involving planned, tactical forethought and implementation and correct
positioning around the organization’s objectives and goals. It provides consistent, relevant
information within and externally to customers. It is an academic movement that aims to
break down the silos surrounding closely related communication disciplines and create a
unifying framework. It encompasses all communication that is substantial for the survival
and sustained success of an entity. It takes the perspective of the focal organization/entity
and its calculus to achieve specific goals by means of communication under conditions of
limited resources and uncertainty. Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g.,
corporations, governments, or non-profits), as well as social movements and known
individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a distinctive role for the
formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and operationalization of
strategies. While there are many ways to investigate these research objects, strategic
communication as a discipline takes the perspective of the focal organization/entity and its
calculus to achieve specific goals by means of communication under conditions of limited
resources and uncertainty. Because of the impact of strategic communications it’s vital to
have a clear plan of action. This way, focus remains on the objectives, progress is monitored
and valuable feedback is evaluated. Developing a strategy and plan lays the groundwork for
fulfilling a purpose and allocating resources towards the greater goals. Because of rapid
expansion of media and social media, it becomes increasingly important to avoid distraction
and keep returning focus to the initial plan of action. A well-planned strategic
communications plan is essential for a company's success, but it requires patience and
thoroughness to ensure clear communications.

Frandsen, Johansen. et.al. (2007).

 https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2018.1456434
 https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2018.1452742
Q.1.2. While all squares are rectangles, not all rectangles are squares. And the same
principle applies for the difference between public relations and strategic communications.
While all PR roles involve communications, not all communications roles involve PR. Public
relations firms focus on boosting an organization’s public perception through social media,
press conferences, and press releases. By contrast, strategic communications is a mix of
education, PR, and marketing strategies to increase positive public perception, bring in new
customers, boost ROI, and distribute company messages.Strategic communication is a broad
term that encompasses a variety of career paths that use language and images to distribute
a company's message both internally and externally. PR professionals maintain a positive
relationship between employers and the community through public-facing communication,
such as press releases, special events, speeches, and social media. They promote positive
news while minimizing damage from negative news. A good deal of overlap exists between
strategic communication and public relations, as the latter is a subset of the former. Both
rely on communications to position companies for growth, and both require a similar skill
set: strong verbal and written communication, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to
work well in teams of different professionals. Despite being closely related fields, there are
several key distinctions between strategic communication and public relations. Largely, these
differences pertain to the scope of communication involved and the typical ways in which
professionals disseminate information. Strategic communication and public relations differ in
scope and focus. Strategic communication professionals work across multiple departments
to develop an organization's communication plan, while PR professionals focus on how the
public views the organization.

Master's in Strategic Communication and Leadership, (2010)

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/strategic-communication-vs-public-relations/#:~:text=PR
%20professionals%20work%20within%20one,%2C%20speeches%2C%20and%20social
%20media.
QUESTION 02

Q.2.1. Quantitative research- Quantitative research involves collecting and analysing

numerical data. It is ideal for identifying trends and averages, making predictions, testing
relationships, and generalizing results for large populations. Quantitative research collects
information from existing and potential customers using sampling methods and sending out
online surveys, online polls, and questionnaires, for example. After a careful understanding
of these numbers, it’s possible to predict the future of a product or service and make
changes accordingly. Quantitative outcome research is mostly conducted in the social
sciences using the statistical methods used above to collect quantitative data from the
research study. The results achieved from this research method are logical, statistical, and
unbiased. Data collection happened using a structured method and was conducted on larger
samples representing the entire population. This research will assist Proudly SA in being able
to promote their campaign whilst being able to monitor the progress of it.

https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/

Q.2.2. Educate consumers on the importance of buying local and on country of origin
labels.

This objective is to assist in increasing awareness of Proudly SA (products and services),

influence purchase behaviour in favour of local products, raise the profile of local products
and educate consumers on the importance of buying local and country of origin labels
through. We would promote awareness through various mass media platforms including TV,
Radio, Print, Outdoor, Online (digital) and mall advertising campaigns. We would also raise
awareness through PR activities such as press releases, radio interviews and other PR
related activities.

Q.2.3. Survey research refers to a particular type of research design where the primary
method of data collection is by survey. In this study design, surveys will be used as a tool by
Proudly SA to gain a greater understanding about individual or group perspectives relative
to the campaign of educating, promoting and monitoring if consumers are buying local and
on country-of-origin labels. The surveys will typically consist of a set of structured questions
where each question will be designed to obtain a specific piece of information. Survey
research can be undertaken for a variety of reasons, but a common theme with surveys is
that they are an easily accessible way for respondents to share or demonstrate their
knowledge or perspectives about a particular topic. A quantitative survey design is typically
administered during large-scale research and primarily relies on using closed questions to
obtain information that can be analyzed relatively quickly, such as multiple-choice or
dichotomous response answers. In contrast, a qualitative survey design is typically
administered during smaller-scale research. Under the quantitative and qualitative
umbrellas, several designs and methods will be applied to Proudly SAs survey research. In
contrast, a cross-sectional survey study will involve assessing survey responses to ascertain
what is relevant/topical at that point. Within longitudinal and cross-sectional designs,
several methods of survey administration will be used. The development and administration
of the surveys will need to be done systematically to make sure that every information is
obtained. Having a clear idea about the survey’s purpose will help Proudly SA to construct
their survey and help obtain the information that will be needed to gain information.
Proudly SA will then need to choose the right survey design, timeframe and method that will
allow to answer the aimed and research questions most effectively. Each question included
needs to have a purpose and target one facet of being able to promote Proudly SAs
campaign and be able to monitor if the message is be heard by South Africans.

When conducting survey research, it’s a good idea to keep surveys short and sharp, unless
they have a specific reason for them to be longer. It is also useful to keep the aim of the
survey in mind during all steps of the study design and data collection process. Surveys are
often completed by many people, so it’s easy to feel like you are getting a bit ‘lost’ in the
process. Keeping the aim in mind is a useful way to keep your survey focused, which in turn
will help your results come out focused as well.

Mills, J.G. (2021)

QUESTION 03

Q.3.1. Every business should be familiar with the three levels of strategy. Like any business,
strategy comes in various shapes and sizes. The strategy for a multi-national company will
contrast with one from a start-up. Yet, the principles remain. To understand how strategies
shift, we'll look at the existing strategy levels and how Drip sneaker brand can apply them.
Drip sneaker brand doesn’t have to wait for its organization to grow to a certain size to “get
strategic instead, being conscious of where they are as a business and developing a strategy
in a way that fits and grows with the organization would be a way of ensuring success. The
three levels of strategy are corporate level strategy, business level strategy, and functional
level strategy:

CORPORATE LEVEL STRATEGY- Corporate strategies are the top-level of strategy in an

organization, created by a select strategy group with a deep understanding of the company
and strategic business knowledge. They usually span 3-5 years and their plan is to
encompass the vision of the organization, the strategic focus areas and strategic objectives.
In the corporate strategic plan, Drip sneaker brand will get to decide the markets to
compete in as an organization. Then, it will direct the creation of business-unit-level and
functional-level strategies. These strategies, in turn, will guide the downstream decisions
made by employees of all levels. If it’s not clear yet.

BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGY- The business-level strategy is the second tier in the strategy
hierarchy. The business strategy, which falls under the corporate strategy, is a way for a
particular business unit in the organization to accomplish its objectives. The business-level
strategy is used to achieve the goals of a specific business unit, but is only useful for
organizations with multiple business units. It’s important that Drip sneaker brand includes a
range of managers from each unit to participate in the strategy process because that will
increase buy-in as managers who've had a chance to contribute to the strategies creation
feel included in the decision-making.

FUNCTIONAL LEVEL STRATEGY- At the functional level of strategy, decisions made by

employees are often described as tactical decisions. They are concerned with how the
various functions of an organization contribute to the other strategy levels. Functional
strategy deals with a fairly restrictive plan. In simple terms, this is the strategy that will
inform Drip sneaker brand of the day-to-day work of employees and will ultimately keep the
organization moving in the right direction. The functional strategy level is probably the most
important level of strategy. This is because, without functional strategies, Drip sneaker
brand can quickly lose traction and “get stuck” while competition moves forward.

Morea, S. and Sage, S (2021)

Q.3.2. Situation analysis is a collection of methods used to analyze an organization's internal
and external environment to understand its capabilities, customers, and business
environment. It looks at both macro-environmental and micro-environmental factors to
indicate the company's organizational and product position. In the whilst of establishing and
introducing this newest brand “Drip sneaker brand’’, it is necessary that numerous external
outliers may in turn impact the brand based its growth and sustainability in the scope of the
marketplace. The external environment, including political, economic, social and
technological factors impact all business organizations. Thus, for the Drip sneaker brand to
successfully manoeuvre, it must confirm to the various tenets dictated by such external
environment factors. Situational analysis will assist Drip sneaker brand in developing a basis
of understanding of the environments to tackle, provide a common reference point for the
planning process and prioritizes actions, identify potential weaknesses in the plan and
branding, opportunities to develop strategic alliances, capabilities within the organization
and areas in the strategy where improvements may need to be made.

Islam, M. M., Perry, P., & Gill, S. (2020)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2018.1456434
 https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2018.1452742

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/strategic-communication-vs-public-relations/#:~:text=PR
%20professionals%20work%20within%20one,%2C%20speeches%2C%20and%20social
%20media.

Islam, M. M., Perry, P., &

Gill, S. (2020). Mapping
environmentally sustainable
practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal.
Islam, M. M., Perry, P., &
Gill, S. (2020). Mapping
environmentally sustainable
practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal.
Islam, M. M., Perry, P., &
Gill, S. (2020). Mapping
environmentally sustainable
practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal.
Islam, M. M., Perry, P., &
Gill, S. (2020). Mapping
environmentally sustainable
practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal.
Mapping environmentally
sustainable practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal
Islam, M, Perry, P. et.al. (2020). Mapping environmentally sustainable practices in textiles,
apparel and fashion industries: a systematic literature review. Journal of Fashion Marketing
and Management: An International Journal.

Mapping environmentally
sustainable practices in
textiles, apparel and fashion
industries: a systematic
literature review. Journal of
Fashion
Marketing and Management:
An International Journal
https://www.cascade.app/blog/strategy-levels

https://onstrategyhq.com/resources/the-three-levels-of-strategy/

https://www.supersurvey.com/Research#:~:text=Survey%20research%20refers%20to
%20a,concept%20or%20topic%20of%20interest.