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Integrated Marketing Communication OAP Program Final Portfolio

Kora E. Kelly

Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina Wilmington

COM 590: Capstone

Dr. Christine Willingham

November 15, 2022

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Executive Summary

The intended purpose of this document is to provide a rationale for the final portfolio I have
completed for my capstone assignment. The portfolio contains a set of eight Integrated
Marketing Communication (IMC) products that represent six academic works and two
professional works. The deliverables include a Personal IMC Plan, Communication Audit,
Memorandum, DEI Multimedia Presentation, Digital Storytelling Campaign, White Paper,
Majors Fair Deliverables, and a Social Media Campaign. The portfolio was created upon
completion of all other IMC OAP program courses at the University of North Carolina
Wilmington. The process for completing the project required collection of different IMC
deliverables, reworking the deliverables, applying theory to them through the rationale,
illustrating relevance to Capstone learning outcomes, and following the defined project plan that
I created in Module 1. This portfolio showcases my work as an IMC Master of Arts student and
future IMC practitioner.

Introduction

The goal of this portfolio is to encompass the work that I have completed as an Integrated
Marketing Communication Master of Arts candidate for the University of North Carolina
Wilmington. This portfolio project was created to address the IMC application from an
educational application to professional development. The portfolio is used to showcase the IMC
deliverables that I created throughout the program to help in my mastery of the subjects and
within the realm of professional development. The portfolio offers eight IMC products that I
completed for different IMC courses. Each deliverable is representative of the final work I
completed in the courses with two additional products from my current role and volunteer work.
Each course covers a different portion of the IMC practice and offers a holistic view of my
different educational and professional offerings to the graduate program faculty and potential
employers. My project goals allowed me to create a portfolio that is representative of my work
from the program, illustrate my capabilities as an IMC practitioner, and offer a collection of
examples for employers that are representative of my higher-level education experience and
integrated marketing communication skills.

Project Rationale

Product Group 1:

 Still I Run
 UNCW Majors Fair
 Chewy Digital Storytelling

The IMC question that the Still I Run Social Media Campaign, UNCW Majors Fair Deliverables,
and Chewy Digital Storytelling Campaign were intended to answer is: How can we best market
our brand and identity to our intended audience using digital and traditional deliverables?

The rhetorical context of the IMC question arose from a need to understand an organization’s
identity and communicate that identity to a variety of intended audiences through integrated
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marketing communication approaches. In terms of IMC theory and research, there must be a
strong application to accurately craft and communicate the intended messaging. Research
required me to evaluate competitors, understand each organization on a deeper level, and identify
potential areas for growth that could be achieved through social media and digital marketing
efforts. As we reviewed in COM 536, Digital Storytelling, strong brands require signature stories
to effectively communicate to and maintain an audience. A signature story is an intriguing,
authentic, involving narrative that delivers or supports a strategic message clarifying or
enhancing the brand vision, customer relationship, organizational values, and/or business
strategy (Aaker, 2018, p.10). We also looked at exemplar brands, the brand that represents a
subcategory and that is in a position to manage it, as part of my research and application (Aaker,
2020, p. 21). The exemplar is the desired model and therefore the goal which to model a product
or service after. I was able to use much of Aaker’s work to apply in a professional context to
digital marketing in the form of storytelling for my assistantship deliverables and volunteer
campaign.

Personal IMC Plan – COM 531

The IMC application for this portfolio item was to apply the foundational level of knowledge we
learned about IMC in COM 531 to ourselves as M.A. Candidates. The rhetorical context of the
IMC situation required that I persuasively and strategically create an argument for why I was the
“model” M.A. candidate. The product of an IMC plan was an appropriate solution for the
rhetorical situation because it strengthened our communication skills and prepared us for the
following IMC M.A. courses with a strong foundation of IMC knowledge. Strong
communication skills come from within and transcend in our academic and personal lives which
is a strong skill I was able to obtain during the 531 courses (Schultz and Schultz, p.179). The
ethical implications of the IMC plan required me to evaluate and create the plan as objectively
and honestly as I could.

The relevancy of the IMC Plan to the COM 590 Capstone Learning Outcomes evaluates the IMC
application at hand, incorporates the research methods and theory discussed above and analyzes
the IMC plan through the application of theory reviewed in the COM 531 course. In terms of
ethical dimensions for diversity and inclusivity, this product does not evaluate either area, but it
does ethically communicate myself as an IMC M.A. candidate. Narrative communication ethics
assumes that a communication ethic begins with persons’ lives guided by stories about the way
the world is or should be, protecting and promoting the good residing within the given narratives
(Arnett et al., 2018, Ch.3). Creating a personal plan requires internal reflection on the good you
are promoting, the self, and how that good came to be through experiences which helped me
promote my role as a model M.A. candidate within the plan.

UNCW Communication Studies Communication Audit – COM 533

The IMC problem the communication audit was designed to solve was whether the current level
of organizational culture and communication within the Communication Studies department was
satisfactory for both faculty and students. The rhetorical context of the communication audit
found that while many of the staff members were pleased with the current communication levels,
students felt that in terms of transparency and inclusivity there were areas for improvement
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which asked how, as IMC practitioners, can the department improve this? Using an extensive
amount of qualitative research and IMC theory discussed in COM 533, I provided an audit
complete with recommendations for the faculty members to utilize. I first needed to assess the
organizational culture, defined by Tracy (2009) as “the shared assumptions, values, beliefs,
language, symbols, and meanings systems in an organization (p.2). After I was able to articulate
the culture, I looked at their communication to assess faculty and student satisfaction. Eisenberg
(2009) defines organizational communication as the process by which language and social
interaction promote coordinated action toward a common goal. By evaluating the language and
social interaction of the department through qualitative research, I was better able to evaluate
internal communication perceptions. The audit was an appropriate solution for the IMC problem
because it incorporated mixed research methods to find valuable information on the current
stance of the organization, provided a plan for how to achieve better communication, and created
recommendations for faculty to closely follow.

Contextual communication ethics recognizes variations in culture, persons, and communication

settings when applying communication ethics principles, protecting and promoting the good of
the particular context and the good residing in that context (Arnett et al., 2018, Ch.3) Contextual
communication ethics is necessary to incorporate within this assignment to perceived the culture,
individuals, and communication setting within the department to accurately communicate
messaging design across all channels. This particular product is relevant to the COM 590
Capstone Learning Outcomes as it incorporates IMC theory and research methods, analyzes IMC
artifacts used by the department to gage their success, and ethically communicates the
departments goals to create as inclusive of a cultural and communication space as possible.

Memorandum – COM 534

The memorandum product was designed to assess the IMC application of the nonprofit, PATH’s
rebrand and assess how communication ethics impacted the rebrand. The rhetorical context of
the IMC application required research of PATH’s rebrand to better understand why it was
needed and how it was ethically implemented. By utilizing IMC, PATH was able to make the
individual parts of the organization larger, where the whole is indeed greater than the individual
sum of parts (Arnett et al., 2018, p.188). By incorporating an integrated marketing
communication strategy, PATH was able to successfully rebrand their organization. The value of
IMC pivots on public recognition and integrated use of communication processes that yield
clarity and direction for a brand, product, and organization (Arnett et al., 2018, p.188). PATH’s
ability to redirect their brand was evaluated and stated within the memo. As a result, the memo
was an effective way to bring attention to PATH’s need for a rebrand and provide an explanation
for how they met that need. The ethical implications of the memo evaluated the universal-
humanitarian communication ethic to ensure ethical communication was relevant to my
audience. Universal-Humanitarian Communication ethics fits the IMC of the PATH organization
since it protects universality and duty to humanity and human life (Arnett et al., 2018, p.46-47).
Ethically, the organization works to do as much good as it can for its audience, which allowed
me to ethically communicate their message and rebrand through the memo. The memo seeks to
protect and promote the good PATH offers, which is universal health opportunities.

UNCW Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Multimedia Presentation – COM 533

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The IMC problem that the DEI Multimedia Presentation solved was the lack of Indigenous
student and faculty representation on public university campuses, specifically the University of
North Carolina Wilmington. The rhetorical context of the presentation arose from the evaluation
of campus research that looked at student and faculty populations amongst minority groups. A
multimedia presentation is an appropriate deliverable for this IMC problem because it explicitly
visualizes and verbalizes the issue at hand while offering recommendations and proposed
solutions. Using IMC theory and research that was conducted in the course, it was important to
note that media and communication outlets are powerful forces to when it comes to creating,
sustaining, and perpetuating limiting representations of people, places, and things through
retelling of stories (C. Roberts, Personal Communication, June 7, 2022). It is also important to
understand organizational and why we should care (Watkins, 2013). As IMC practitioners, it is
our responsibility to create a space that is inclusive and representative of all individuals and
share awareness of misguiding messaging. This starts with strong organizational culture which is
a process of “sense-making.” Sense-making can be accomplished by “creating shared awareness
and understanding out of different individual’s perspectives and varied interests,” (Watkins,
2013, para.6). When communicating in all aspects, but particularly through media, it’s important
to use a culturally sensitive approach so that groups can identify with a person or organization
and feel they are equally represented (Ulmer et al., 2022, p.69). The ethical implications of the
product are to protect the assessed good, student and faculty, and identify them as the value
center for the IMC product. Everything had to start and end with this concept to ethically
communicate my message to the Admissions department at UNCW (Arnett et al., 2018, p.3).
Crisis COM White Paper – COM 537

The White Paper I created in COM 537 addressed the crisis communication problem surrounding
public officials’ use of social media to spread misinformation in response to crises. This white
paper was intended to act as an educational tool to address and provide solutions for the
proposed problem that I identified. While creating the white paper, I was also tasked with
providing a poster visual to support my research findings and reflect contents of the white paper.
This assignment required me to apply my IMC skills from COM 501, COM 534, and COM 537.
The rhetorical context of the IMC problem and application required me to utilize the course text
and conduct my own external research to better understand the problem at hand. Through this
research I was able to identify a clear issue; the need for public officials to adapt their crisis
communication via social media and apply theory to the work to support my proposed solutions
to the problem. I used the Exemplification Theory and the Crisis News Diffusion Theory
discussed by Ulmer et al. to support my first two solutions (2022). I also incorporated the
Culture-Centered Approach suggested by Littlefield et al. for my third and final solution to the
IMC problem (2022). The topic I addressed within the white paper required that I communicate
ethically to ensure the solutions were inclusive and accurate in nature. Going back to COM 534,
I followed the contextual communication ethic metaphor to craft my strategy. The contextual
communication ethic metaphor states that it’s necessary to “recognize communication ethics
variations across differing cultures, persons, and settings when applying communication ethics
principles,” which I accomplished by incorporating the Culture-Centered Approach (Arnett et al.,
2018).

Methodology/Process
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The process behind creating my portfolio was to collect IMC products that were a strong
representation of the work I completed in the IMC M.A. program. I established the content I felt
was most representative of my strengths as an IMC practitioner and decided which ones could
benefit from another round of editing. After reworking the pieces, I compiled them in a Weebly
site with an explanation for each. My goals were to house all my works on a professional
platform while creating this rationale that incorporates theory, research, and praxis into my
portfolio.

Relevance to COM 590 Capstone Learning Outcomes

The outcome of the proposal exemplifies the COM 590 Capstone Learning Outcomes that
illustrate the rhetorical implications of the selected IMC problems, methods, and application, a
mastery of IMC theory and research methods, a cohesive analysis of IMC artifacts and
deliverables, as well as an accurate presentation of ethical dimensions of the selected IMC
products. By the end of this term, I intend to have a completed portfolio that is representative of
the work I have done within the M.A. program as well as two products that were created in a
professional context. The project offers eight IMC products for review. The project portfolio is
valuable because it houses my finalized work as an IMC M.A. student and will be beneficial for
future employment to set me apart from potential competitors.

Conclusions

The main takeaways of the final portfolio project are that it can be used as an academic portfolio,
a tool to showcase my work to potential employers, and encompasses a diverse variety of content
throughout my time as an IMC M.A. student and employee of UNCW’s Communication Studies
department. This portfolio is the culmination of my work over the last year and is a reflection of
the different subjects I studied. Utilizing theory and research throughout the course of the
program, each aspect of the portfolio is intended to represent different IMC perspectives and
approaches. The portfolio is meant to encompass my mastery of IMC at a master’s degree level.
My portfolio is very relevant to the practice of IMC, as it houses deliverables of creative designs,
written work that communicate IMC practices, and the implementation of theory, research, and
ethics to better understand the reasoning for my works relevance and its importance.
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References

Aaker, David (2018). Creating signature stories: Strategic messaging that persuades, energizes,
and inspires. India Portfolio. 
Aaker, D. (2020). Owning game-changing subcategories: Uncommon growth in the Digital age.
Morgan James Publishing. 

Arnett, R., Harden Fritz, J., & Bell, L. (2018). Communication Ethics Literacy and difference:
Dialogic learning. Communication Ethics Literacy: Dialogue and Difference, 1–
279. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452204048.n12 

Chadwick, R. (2022, June 7). Media as a Social and Cultural Force [Lecture Recording].
Canvas@UNCW. https://uncw.instructure.com/courses/56890/pages/module-01-lecture-
materials-representation-and-media?module_item_id=2268851

Eric M. Eisenberg (2009). "Organizational Communication Theories," Encyclopedia of

Communication Theory (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage). 
Littlefield, R. S., Sellnow, D. D., & Sellnow, T. L. (2022). Integrated Marketing
Communications in risk and crisis contexts: A culture-centered approach. Lexington
Books. 
Sarah J. Tracy (2009). "Organizational Culture," Encyclopedia of Communication
Theory  (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage). 
Schultz, D. E., & Schultz, H. F. (2004). Imc, the next generation: Five steps for delivering value
and measuring returns using marketing communication. McGraw-Hill. 
Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2022). Effective crisis communication: Moving
from crisis to opportunity. SAGE. 
Watkins, M. D. (2014, August 7). What is organizational culture? and why should we
care? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from
https://hbr.org/2013/05/what-is-organizational-culture 

Appendix

Portfolio webpage and webpage link: https://korakelly.weebly.com

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