MKTG90003 Public Relations
The Complete Exam Bible · S2 2026MKTG90003 Overview
- Semester 2 2026
- University of Melbourne
- Postgraduate subject
- Closed-book examination
MKTG90003 Public Relations examines public relations as a management process for relationships, issues, understanding and communication.
- Exam weight The individual end-of-semester examination contributes 50%.
- Plan method Trace every tactic back to a public, objective and research finding.
- Exam move Apply theory to case facts and match the measure to the claim.
How MKTG90003 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Group Creative Pitch | 10% | Group presentation in Week 9. The task sheet specifies a maximum of three minutes followed by two minutes of Q&A. |
| Major Group Assignment (PR Plan) | 40% | Group PR Plan of 4,000 words, due in Week 10. |
| End-of-semester examination | 50% | Individual, two hours, closed book, during the exam period. The guide describes likely case analysis and short answers. |
What MKTG90003 covers
Follow the full public relations planning cycle from formative research and public selection to strategy, media execution and evaluation.
Public Relations Foundations
Corporate PR, marketing PR, reputation, relationships, issues and communicationPublic relations is introduced as a management function concerned with relationships, issues, understanding and communication.
- PR as a management function
- Corporate reputation and relationships
- Marketing PR and third-party attention
- Relationships, issues, understanding and communication
- Above-the-line and below-the-line communication
- Mutual goodwill and organisational conduct
Strategic Planning and Situation Analysis
Formative research, SWOT, PESTLE, problem definition and feedbackStrategic planning links formative research, strategy, tactics and evaluation. The situation analysis establishes the organisation, issue, environment, publics and present problem without prematurely selecting a recommendation.
- Formative research
- Situation analysis boundaries
- SWOT evidence
- PESTLE environment scan
- Problem definition
- Research to strategy traceability
Stakeholders, Publics and Audiences
Relationship roles, issue publics, target audiences and priority decisionsStakeholders connect to an organisation because they affect its objectives or experience its decisions. Publics form around a shared issue and can communicate or organise to influence change.
- Stakeholder relationships
- Issue-linked publics
- Customer publics
- Target audience selection
- Internal and external groups
- Priority criteria
Public Segmentation and Influence
Latent, aware and active publics, opinion leadership and diffusionSituational Theory of Publics distinguishes latent, aware and active publics through recognition, involvement and perceived constraints.
- Latent publics
- Aware publics
- Active publics
- Problem recognition
- Involvement
- Constraint recognition
Goals and SMARTT Objectives
Mission alignment, measurable change, targets, timing and indicatorsGoals provide broad direction rooted in mission, while objectives specify the measurable change a PR plan intends to achieve. SMARTT tests whether an objective is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, targeted and timed.
- Mission and positioning
- Broad goals
- Measurable objectives
- Specific and targeted wording
- Achievable and realistic targets
- Timeframes
Outputs, Outtakes, Outcomes and Impacts
Communication delivery, audience response, change and organisational valueCommunication measurement operates at different levels.
- Communication outputs
- Audience outtakes
- Knowledge outcomes
- Attitude and behaviour outcomes
- Organisational impacts
- Baselines and denominators
Systems and Communication Theory
Environmental feedback, organisational adaptation and the communication auditSystems theory explains how organisations respond to environmental feedback. Closed systems ignore it, reactive systems answer without changing underlying behaviour, and open systems adapt structures, processes or goals.
- Closed systems
- Reactive responses
- Open-system adaptation
- Environmental feedback
- The 7 Cs
- Message credibility
Behavioural Change and Social Support
Readiness, triggers, intermediate action and perceived social approvalJackson's behavioural-change model moves from awareness through latent readiness, a triggering event, intermediate action and adopted change. Spiral of Silence explains how perceived social approval or disapproval can suppress expression and action.
- Awareness
- Latent readiness
- Triggering events
- Intermediate behaviour
- Adopted change
- Spiral of Silence
MPR Strategy and the Harris Grid
Media interest, consumer interest, strategic routes and tactic fitMarketing public relations builds goodwill and credible attention around brands and customers. The Harris Grid crosses media interest with consumer interest to guide different strategic routes.
- Marketing PR
- Media interest
- Consumer interest
- High-visibility campaigns
- Sponsorship
- New reasons to buy
Media Relations and Newsworthiness
Story angles, news values, outlet relevance and credible media practiceMedia relations works through journalists and outlets rather than treating them as automatic distribution channels. Newsworthiness tests facts for relevance, proximity, timeliness, prominence, conflict, novelty and impact.
- Media as a public
- Newsworthiness
- Relevance and proximity
- Timeliness and impact
- Story angles
- Outlet targeting
Message Framing and Media Releases
Framing, semantics, news leads, attribution and the inverted pyramidThe inverted pyramid places the lead and essential verified facts before attribution, supporting detail and background. The 5Ws and H check completeness, while active voice clarifies responsibility.
- Headline function
- News lead
- The 5Ws and H
- Inverted pyramid
- Active voice
- Message framing
PR Plan Integration and Evaluation
Evidence, strategy, tactics, budget, timeline, KPIs and rubric logicThe PR Plan integrates executive summary, situation analysis, goals and objectives, strategy, tactics and evaluation.
- Executive summary
- Situation analysis
- Goals and objectives
- Publics, PESO media and messages
- Tactic roles
- Timeline and itemised budget
The subject distinguishes organisation-wide corporate public relations from consumer-oriented marketing public relations, then develops a strategic planning sequence that begins with formative research.
Students diagnose the situation, identify stakeholders and issue publics, define target audiences, write goals and measurable objectives, choose theory-informed strategies, select media and messages, design tactics and evaluate results.
The subject is practical as well as conceptual. Case analysis asks you to use theories and models rather than repeat definitions.
The major group PR Plan requires a professional structure linking situation analysis, goals and objectives, strategy, tactics and evaluation. The creative pitch condenses that plan for a client audience.
The end-of-semester examination covers the whole course and is described in the subject guide as closed book and most likely to combine case-study analysis with short-answer questions focused on public relations theory.
The central study habit is traceability. A recommendation should be justified by evidence about a defined public and a diagnosed problem. An objective should state a change that can be measured.
A tactic should perform a clear role in the strategy. Evaluation should distinguish delivery from audience response, outcomes and wider organisational impact. This guide uses original cases to practise that chain without reproducing assessed or past-exam material.
Worked example · free
Repair a vague public relations objective
- 1Diagnose the actual problem as incorrect understanding and application abandonment, not general awareness.
- 1Define the target public as new users who begin the eligibility process.
- 1Specify the desired change in correct eligibility understanding and completed applications within a stated campaign period.
- 1Use baseline and post-campaign knowledge measures plus application-stage data. Do not invent a percentage target before baseline research.
- 1Leave social media as a possible channel to justify later rather than embedding it in the objective.
Key terms
- Corporate PR
- Corporate public relations manages organisation-wide reputation and relationships across internal and external publics.
- Marketing PR
- Marketing public relations builds goodwill and credible attention around brands, customers and market-facing offers.
- Situation analysis
- A situation analysis diagnoses the present organisation, issue, environment and publics before recommendations are selected.
- Stakeholder
- A stakeholder affects an organisation's objectives or is affected by its decisions and conduct.
- Public
- A public forms around a shared issue and may communicate or organise to influence what happens.
- Target audience
- A target audience is a selected segment the communicator intends to reach with a defined message and response.
- SMARTT objective
- A SMARTT objective is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, targeted and timed.
- Output
- An output is communication delivered or secured, such as a release, event, post or media placement.
- Outtake
- An outtake records what an audience takes from or does with communication, such as attention, engagement or sharing.
- Outcome
- An outcome is a measurable change in knowledge, attitude, opinion, behaviour or reputation.
- Open system
- An open system uses environmental feedback to adapt organisational structures, processes or goals.
- Newsworthiness
- Newsworthiness is the relevance of verified facts to an outlet and its public, judged through factors such as timing, proximity and impact.
MKTG90003 FAQ
How hard is this public relations subject?
The source does not publish a difficulty rating or pass rate. The evidence does show a broad whole-subject examination and an applied assessment design. The demanding part is likely to be moving from definitions to case analysis: selecting the relevant public, applying a theory, justifying a strategy and matching evaluation to the claim.
What is the exam format?
The subject guide states that the exam is individual, two hours, closed book, worth 50% and covers the entire course. It says the paper will most likely combine case-study analysis with short-answer questions focused on public relations theory. Exact sections and permitted materials must be confirmed from the current Canvas exam notice.
Is there a hurdle requirement?
The captured subject guide provides the three weighted assessment components but does not publish a component-specific hurdle rule. That is not the same as proof that no hurdle exists. Check the current University Handbook and Canvas assessment information for the rule that applies to your offering.
How is the PR Plan assessed?
The plan rubric rewards situation analysis, SMARTT goals and objectives, strategy, tactics, evaluation, professional presentation and references. Strategy and tactics carry the largest allocations. Strong work makes the chain visible: evidence supports a public and objective, which supports messages, media and tactics, followed by matching KPIs.
What is the difference between stakeholders and publics?
Stakeholders connect to the organisation because they affect it or are affected by it. Publics form around an issue and may seek information, communicate or organise. A target audience is narrower again: a selected segment for a particular communication objective, message and channel decision.
How should I prepare for case analysis?
Practise a four-part paragraph: define the useful concept, select the relevant facts, explain how the mechanism applies and conclude with a justified decision. Then test the measure. Outputs prove delivery, outtakes show audience action, outcomes show change and impacts connect communication to broader organisational results.
Questions students ask in each MKTG90003 chapter
- What is public relations in this subject?
- The subject frames public relations as a management function for relationships and communication with publics. It is broader than publicity. Practitioners identify important publics, monitor issues, build understanding and advise how organisational behaviour and communication should respond to the environment. Chapter 01 · Public Relations Foundations
- What belongs in a situation analysis?
- Include the organisational and issue context, relevant industry or competitor evidence, important publics and environmental pressures. Select facts that change a later decision. The analysis should clarify capabilities, opportunities, threats and the current problem, while distinguishing established evidence from assumptions requiring research. Chapter 02 · Strategic Planning and Situation Analysis
- Are stakeholders and publics the same?
- They overlap but answer different questions. Stakeholders have an organisational connection, while publics emerge around an issue. A stakeholder can become an active public when a consequence is recognised and involvement rises. Explain the role and issue rather than relying on the label alone. Chapter 03 · Stakeholders, Publics and Audiences
- How do latent, aware and active publics differ?
- Latent publics share a consequence but may not recognise or care about it. Aware publics recognise the problem but have not organised. Active publics perceive relevance and participate in communication or action. Use case behaviour and perceptions to support the classification. Chapter 04 · Public Segmentation and Influence
- What is the difference between a goal and an objective?
- A goal provides broad direction and usually connects to mission or organisational purpose. An objective states the concrete, measurable change the PR plan intends to achieve among a defined public within a timeframe. Tactics are the activities used later to pursue that objective. Chapter 05 · Goals and SMARTT Objectives
- Are impressions an awareness measure?
- Impressions estimate potential exposure. They do not prove that people noticed, remembered or understood the message. Keep them as output evidence and add a consistent audience measure if the objective concerns awareness or comprehension. Do not convert one level into another through vocabulary. Chapter 06 · Outputs, Outtakes, Outcomes and Impacts
- What makes an organisation an open system?
- An open system does more than collect comments. Environmental evidence reaches decision-makers and can change structures, processes or goals. The organisation then explains the action and keeps feedback open. A survey or social account does not prove openness if nothing can change. Chapter 07 · Systems and Communication Theory
- Why is awareness not enough for behaviour change?
- People may recognise an issue yet lack readiness, opportunity, confidence or a feasible next step. Jackson's sequence helps identify which stage is missing. Communication should reduce the relevant barrier and connect with practical support where the obstacle is structural. Chapter 08 · Behavioural Change and Social Support
- How does the Harris Grid work?
- Assess media interest and consumer interest separately, then choose a route suited to the combination. The grid guides strategy but does not replace situation analysis, public selection, message evidence or evaluation. Justify both axes from the case rather than from internal enthusiasm. Chapter 09 · MPR Strategy and the Harris Grid
- What makes a story newsworthy?
- The course highlights factors such as relevance, proximity, timeliness, prominence, conflict, novelty and impact. Apply the factors to verified facts and the outlet's audience. Do not manufacture urgency, controversy or significance when the evidence does not support it. Chapter 10 · Media Relations and Newsworthiness
- What belongs in the lead of a media release?
- Lead with the most consequential verified development for the outlet's public. Include the most important elements of who, what, when, where, why or how without forcing all six into one sentence. Access and immediate public action often outrank ceremony. Chapter 11 · Message Framing and Media Releases
- What structure does the PR Plan require?
- The captured format guide moves through executive summary, situation analysis, goals and objectives, strategy, tactics and evaluation. The plan should use professional headings rather than essay form. Each section should provide the evidence or decision needed by the next. Chapter 12 · PR Plan Integration and Evaluation
How to study for the exam
Build revision around decisions rather than isolated definitions. First, map the strategic planning cycle and learn the distinctions that change a case: corporate PR versus MPR, stakeholders versus publics and audiences, latent versus aware versus active, goals versus objectives, strategy versus tactics, and outputs versus outtakes, outcomes and impacts. Second, practise one original scenario per chapter.
For every response, underline the fact, circle the concept and box the decision so you can see whether application is present. Third, rehearse integration. Start with a situation finding, identify the public, write a measurable objective, justify the message and media route, choose a tactic and name the evidence that would test success.
The published guide describes a two-hour closed-book exam covering the entire course and likely using case analysis and short answers, but it defers the exact format to the final lecture. Confirm administrative details on Canvas, then use your final revision block to practise concise reasoning rather than inventing section structures that have not been published.
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