Government of the Russian Federation
Federal state autonomous educational institution of higher professional education
"National Research UniversityHigher School of Economics"
St.-Petersburg branch of federal state autonomous educational institution
of higher professional education "National Research UniversityHigher school of Economics"
SYLLABUS OF THE COURSE
Faculty of management
Department of applied political science
PROGRAM OF DISCIPLINE
«Political communications and image technologies»
Direction 030200.68 "Political science"
Author of the program: Leshchenko Olesya Aleksandrovna, instructor
Level of education: Master’s, 1-st year
Final control – credit test (pass\fail exam)
Program outline
1. Prerequisites
The present discipline is a part of a cycle of social and economic disciplines.
Studying of the discipline is based on the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Psychology
- History
- Cultural science
Students should own the following knowledge and competences:
- to speak English and to write in English (intermediate\upper intermediate level)
- to have communicative abilities;
- to have ability to express the position accurately, correspond with character of
audience;
- to carry out independent preparation of general analytical materials (reviews, notes,
reports);
- to estimate parity of political, economic and welfare factors in public processes.
This course prepares students with a comprehensive introduction to effective
management of political image and reputation. Students should learn main methods of
communications in political space, learn technologies of formation of political image
and to understand the process of formation and management of public opinion.
The content of the program of a course is based on works of the Russian and
foreign authors, on materials of modern research and publications.
2. Goals, benefits, learning outcomes
Goals of the discipline:
Forming reasonable representations about distinction in concepts of image and
reputation.
To be guided in process of formation and management of public opinion.
To learn professional conceptual and terms framework in the field of political
communications and image technologies.
To develop basic skills in comparison analyses of political technologies of
formation of image and reputation.
To learn:
- objectives, subjects, objects and communicative channels in PR, advertising,
promotion, direct marketing in policy;
- distinctions in concepts: image, reputation, branding;
- technologies of formation of political image and reputation;
- channels of distribution, features, types of direct political advertising, political PR in
press, on television, on the Internet;
- typology of political image;
- strategies of decrease of the competitor image;
- strategies of image restoration;
- typology of special events.
To be able:
- to use conceptual and terms framework in the field of technologies of formation of
political image, strategies of decrease of the competitor image, strategies of image
restoration;
- to analyze actual political information, revealing common features and distinctions in
political communications, to establish compliances between political events, to reveal
basic principles in political strategists work on concrete examples;
- to explain causes and effects of the studied political communications, events,
including special events;
- to give image characteristic to concrete components of the identity of politicians;
- to explain the studied concepts and technologies of formation of political image on
examples;
- to estimate actions of subjects of political life, including the personality, groups,
organizations, from the point of view of technologies of formation of image, strategies
of decrease of the competitor image, strategies of image restoration;
- to define possible consequences of certain political actions, events.
To have skills (to gain experience):
- in preparation of oral performance, presentation, press conference within political
communications;
- to formulate own judgments and arguments on certain problems on the basis of the
acquired knowledge;
- to search information in various sources, including foreign sources.
3. Distribution of hours
Theme
1
2
3
4
5
6
Image, reputation and branding
Objectives, subjects, objects and
communicative channels in PR, advertising,
promotion, direct marketing in policy
Political PR and advertising in press, on
television, on the Internet
Image strategies in policy
Technologies and strategies of image
formation, maintenance, restoration and
strategies of decrease of the competitor image
Management of special events in policy
Total
Class
hours\
lectures
6
Self
study
8
17
8
20
9
17
16
20
7
54
20
108
14
4. Course content
1. Image, reputation and branding
Differences and similarities of concepts of image and reputation. Structure of
image. Tangible and intangible image. Modern research. Image formation, examples
from the Russian and foreign practice.
Concept of political branding (Scammell, Chernatony, Woods). Positioning of a
brand. Branding in political communication research. Comparison of technologies of
branding. Consumer Branding in Politics: A Comparison of Presidents R. Reagan and
B. Obama.
Place of political communications in modern political space.
2. Objectives, subjects, objects and communicative channels in PR, advertising,
promotion, direct marketing in policy
Determination of the political technologies, the selective technologies. Typology
of PR-technology. Classification of public relations objectives in the election
campaign. Objectives, subjects, objects, communicative channels of public relations.
Political propaganda —purposes, objectives, subjects, objects (E. Bernays, O. Thompson).
Political advertising – functions, subjects, objects, communicative channels. Concept
direct marketing in political communications, features, communicative channels.
Features of personal sales and sales promotion in political communications.
Comparison analyses of technologies of image and reputation formation.
3. Political PR and advertising in press, on television, on the Internet
Principles of effective interaction with mass-media. Forms of information
materials for mass-media (press conferences, briefings, presentations, special events
for journalists).
Forms of political PR-communications in press, types of texts, examples of
successful and unsuccessful publications). News events in political campaigns. Some
aspects of legal regulation of political PR (including election propaganda in massmedia). Political PR and advertising on TV (features of verbal and nonverbal
communications; public performances of the candidate, political debate). Specificity in
the USA, Europe and Russia. Genres of political advertising.
The Internet in political communications. Direct political advertising (posters,
announcements, leaflets, brochures).
Practical exercises.
4. Image strategies in policy
Features, functions, structure and typology of political image. Algorithm of
forming of political image. Preferences of Russians of ideal portrait of the political
leader. The factors that form a political choice (in Russia, in the USA). Analysis of
images of competitors.
Positioning (types of positioning of the leader). Choice and development of
communicative strategy of promotion of characteristics of image.
Practical exercises.
5. Technologies and strategies of image formation, maintenance, restoration and
strategies of decrease of the competitor image
Technologies of image formation of the politician. Strategy of decrease of
competitor image (technology of “guerrilla attack” (anonymous attack) — an
anonymous or indirect attack on the competitor; “frontal attack” — an open attack of
the candidate on the competitor). Methods of information transfer in «guerrilla attack»:
transformation of the information, formulating or changing new information
(technologies and acceptances), creation of a determined information context
(methods). Examples. Practical exercises.
Strategy of recovery of image (Technologies of counteraction to “guerrilla
attack” / to "frontal attack"). Examples. Practical exercises.
6. Management of special events in policy
Role of special events in political communications. Typology of special events.
Technologies of preparation and carrying out of special events. Interactions of special
events as management method. Legal features of carrying out of special event in the
Russian Federation.
Requirement to oral performance (kinds of public speech, preparation of
performance, a manner of the speech, unforeseen situations).
Practical exercises.
5. Assessment
Type of testing
Current
Intermediate
Final test
Form of testing
Activity on
seminars, analysis
of cases, practical
tasks
Essay
Credit test
(pass\fail exam)
Parameters
Form: written, oral.
Form: written.
Form: oral. Final questions on
discipline
6. The reading materials
1. Bernays E. Propaganda. Brooklin, N.Y., 2005.
2. Brants K., Voltmer K. Political Communication in Postmodern Democracy\
Challenging the Primacy of Politics. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
3. Grinberg T.E. Political technologies: PR and advertising: Textbook for
students of high schools. — M.: Aspect Press, 2005.
4. Sharkov F.I. Communicology: bases of the theory of communications. – M:
Dashkov and Co. 2009.
5. Scammell, M. Political Marketing: Lessons for Political Science, Political
Studies, 47 (4), 1999.
6. Savigny Н., Тemple М. The media and political marketing. Political Studies,
58(5), 2010, С. 1050.
7. Sonies S. Consumer Branding in Politics: A Comparison of Presidents Ronald
Reagan and Barack Obama. American University School of Communication.
April 28, 2011.
8. Swanson D., Nimmo D. New Directions in Political Communication: A
Resource Book. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1990.
9. White, J., & Chernatony, L. New Labour: A Study Of The Creation,
Development And Demise Of A Political Brand. Journal of Political Marketing,
2002.
10.Woods R. Exploring the emotional territory for brands. Journal of Consumer
Behavior, 3(4), 2004. pp. 388-403.
(The list of basic textbooks will be add in the near future)
7. Contact person:
Leshchenko Olesya Aleksandrovna, instructor
Lestchenko@mail.ru