Capstone Portfolio Project: The Rationale

Prepared by Autumn Elena Pine

University of North Carolina Wilmington
COM 590: IMC Graduate Capstone
Dr. Christine Willingham
December 10, 2023
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Introduction
It is impossible for anyone to notice growth in any form without looking back to previous
accomplishments or submissions. The portfolio project linked in the appendix is a prime example
of how professionals can not only view their growth but create a recollection of why certain
choices were made in the content development stages of projects. The following rationale will
provide reasoning behind why the communication audit, research paper, Hydro Flask campaign
pieces, Junior Wilmington Seahawks deliverables, Brand Analyses for TED and UNCW, NFL
team press release, and non-profit rebrand memorandum were included in my capstone portfolio
project. The explanation for each piece of content will explain what the assignment was, the
theories associated with each piece of content, how each assignment relates to one of the four
IMC learning outcomes, and how each assignment provided a new skillset that will prove helpful
in assisting with my professional development specific to the food brokerage industry.
Communication Audit
Originally, the communication audit assignment was completed for COM 533, Org Culture
Identity and Brand. The task was for students to develop a communication audit on an
organization of their choosing and relate the findings within their audit to at least one of the IMC
theories discussed in the course on top of a brief discussion about the company culture. My
subject of focus was D&H Marketing Group, the food brokerage company that is in Hickory,
NC, and the theory of choice was Organizational Identity Theory. The goal of this assignment
was for students to understand what it’s like to be hired by a client to complete a task, analyze all
aspects of a client’s communication, and then provide recommendations for the client on how to
improve its communication practices to enforce efficiency, clarity, and effectiveness. During the
auditing process, I became fascinated with the constructs of Organizational Identity Theory and
Organizational Culture Theory as the two concepts directly correlate with one another. OIT refers
to how an organizational member views themselves based on interactions within the organization
(Littlejohn & Foss, 2009) and OCT could be defined as organizational members following
shared principles, values, rules, and beliefs to achieve a common goal (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009).
This assignment, in its entirety, correlates with the IMC learning outcomes that deal with
demonstrating mastery of IMC vocabulary and theory as well as explaining rhetorical
implications of a selected IMC problem. Students not only had to pull from their understanding
of selected IMC theories and practices to develop recommendations to solve communication
issues within a company, but simultaneously explain their reasoning based on peer reviewed
research that suggests the downfalls of not implementing the suggested changes. These are
skillsets that could be vital to utilize within the food brokerage industry as most of the work is
client centered and requires clear and effective communication on a regular basis with clients,
coworkers, and management. Not to mention, this specific communication audit featured the
food brokerage company that I currently work for and includes suggestions that could benefit the
company today. I felt audit the was necessary to include in my portfolio due to the extensive
detail that went into researching the company’s communications and the analysis that relates the
findings to IMC theory. This assignment is one of the assignments I am most proud of, not only
because of the time and effort put into it, but because of how completing this assignment sparked
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my interest into the importance of Organizational Culture Theory, a concept that helped me
understand my less favorable occupational experiences.
Research Paper
After learning about Organizational Culture Theory in COM 533, I knew exactly what I wanted
the focus of my research project for COM 502 to be; the impacts of organizational culture as well
as the importance became an interest of mine. Just like the COM 533 communication audit, the
research paper conducted for COM 502 represents the IMC learning outcome relating to
demonstrating mastery of IMC vocabulary, theory and research methods; however, the intended
audience and content included in the document differs. I used a heterogeneous sample base with
D&H employees to attempt to answer three research questions I developed prior to undergoing
the research process. I then pulled peer reviewed articles and analyzed how those sources related
to my overall topic of research as well as what I would be looking for during the observations
and survey responses from my sample base. The collected qualitative data cross referenced with
some of the quantitative data ultimately drove my conclusions about the study as a whole. The
goal was to gain insights on the impacts that focusing on maintaining a healthy organizational
culture can have on a business and its employees. Leadership for D&H Marketing Group openly
discusses their drive to implement a healthy and unique culture into its business plan, thus
making the company a prime focus for this type of study. Assignments such as this one are
typically utilized by other researchers and professionals during searches for precedent or drivers
for other studies, content development, or performance improvement. Furthermore, this
assignment also shows that I can not only develop a research study based on a specific parameter
of research questions, but I can also understand IMC theory enough to connect previous findings
to real life situations. This could prove beneficial within the professional realm when conducting
studies on customer bases to determine where D&H Marketing Group could use improvements,
or even view how company actions impact customers and employees alike.
Hydro Flask Campaign
The multi-media campaign that I developed for COM 536, Digital Storytelling and IMC, was my
favorite project of the entire IMC program. For this project, students were asked to act as an IMC
professional that has been hired to develop a set of campaign deliverables for a game-changing
subcategory, a new item or serviced offered by a brand (Aaker, 2020), for an organization of their
choosing. Each deliverable had to fit the branding of that organization and had to have a rationale
with connection to the Aaker texts that discuss the importance of storytelling (Aaker, 2018) and
the relevance of game changing subcategories (Aaker, 2020). Due to the research involved,
connection to IMC theory and praxis, and amount of content creation this assignment could be
deemed as a prime reflection of the IMC learning outcome that relates to creating and analyzing
IMC deliverables. For this project, I chose to focus on the drinkware company, Hydro Flask, due
to my personal loyalties to the brand’s products and proposed values. The four pieces I chose to
include in my portfolio are the drafted Facebook and Instagram posts, the blog post, and the
press release. I chose these pieces specifically because of how they could relate to my
professional development within D&H Marketing Group. When developing the social media
posts, I wanted to focus heavily on creating an emotional rhetoric with the brand’s followers by
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including imagery of happy dogs as the new game changing subcategory was new Hydro Pet
water bowls, an item that would directly target the pet owner portion of the company’s customer
base. This focus on emotional appeal also heavily influenced the content included within the blog
post that discussed how these bowls can assist in keeping pets healthy and hydrated on all
adventures. Aaker heavily discussed the impact that sharing signature stories could have on an
audience’s emotions, especially when the audience can create imagery of themselves in a similar
situation to the story being told (Aaker, 2018). The press release had similar emotional
undertones, with a stronger, more direct expression of brand values. I based the type of
information included within this press release on a brand story that was included within the
Aaker text where a brewery company created a hockey rink as a new game changing subcategory
as a means of showing that the company values the same sport as its customers (Aaker, 2018). In
my press release, I wanted to show that the company wants to promote the values that matter,
and pets are a part of the lives of many Hydro Flask customers.
D&H Marketing Group wants to strengthen its online presence during the new year and these
four portfolio pieces shows that I can create digital content while creating a sense of cohesion in
the story being told, along with appropriate branding colors and tone of voice, across various
platforms or content types. This assignment has also assisted in my development of
understanding how to develop a story for a client and how to properly navigate the values that
might be shared between a client and its audience.
Junior Wilmington Seahawks Deliverables
Just like the Hydro Flask campaign, the Junior Wilmington Seahawks deliverables also fall under
the IMC learning outcome that deals with developing IMC content and deliverables; however,
the content creation for this course differs from the content created for COM 536. This entire
course surrounds content development for a real client in a group atmosphere. The coach for the
Junior Wilmington Seahawks met with our assigned groups to inform us about the team, brand
values, and brand needs. Based on those needs, each group developed a set of deliverables for
the client that would be beneficial for the brand to utilize while also demonstrating cohesion in
theme and messaging across various content forms. There were no hypothetical products or
clients in this situation; all content had real purpose and merit for a real client. I developed a set
of social media guidelines for the client to use for future social media posts, as well as examples
of what future posts could potentially look like, as the coach mentioned the desire for a stronger
online presence. My deliverables would act as a guidance document for the brand for future
endeavors, while also demonstrating my abilities as an IMC professional within the context of
content development. This assignment also highlights my ability to work within a group
atmosphere while still applying my own thought processes and creativity into assigned work. In
other words, the overall presentation from the group was cohesive, but the content itself differed
between group members. These notions are especially important to highlight when discussing my
professional development. D&H Marketing heavily relies on collaboration between employees
with the understanding that the work produced reflects on everyone as a team. Having the skillset
to develop content while also holding the ability to navigate difficult obstacles that arise within
the group atmosphere is crucial to my success as a D&H Marketing employee.
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Brand Analyses
Moving into the brand analyses that were completed for COM 532, Critical Issues in IMC, the
content produced are prime examples of the IMC learning outcome that deals with creating and
analyzing IMC deliverables through the application of IMC theory. Each week, groups would be
assigned a brand, all within different branches of services, and students would then evenly divide
the workload to develop a brand analysis based on the criteria provided by the professor. The
main concept behind the brand analyses is for students to act as an IMC expert that has been
hired by a brand to develop a 360-degree view of the brand, and then provide recommendations
based on both current and inherited knowledge on IMC and brand tactics. These assignments not
only required students to apply their knowledge on IMC theory to a real-life professional
situation, but to also collaborate in a group atmosphere. Specific to this course, students had to
include a brand overview, brand offerings, the competitive landscape, the key audiences, brand
positioning, messaging platforms, brand communications, a SWOT analysis, brand
recommendations, and somewhere within each analysis there needed to be a connection of brand
actions to IMC theory. My specific group decided to create a visual where each group member
was required to complete a different portion of the upcoming analysis, and then rotate
responsibilities each week to allow each student the opportunity to have exposure to all portions
of a brand analysis. The two brand analyses that my group did the best on were the TED analysis
that represented a non-profit brand and the UNCW analysis that represented an institutional
organization brand. Within the TED analysis, I completed the offering and competitive landscape
sections and within the UNCW analysis I was responsible for the messaging platform and
communication sections. My group felt TED’s messaging was an example of an incorporation of
the four C’s within IMC due to the way the brand spreads consistent messaging across various
platforms over time, while also attempting to support positive change for various groups of
people (Stanford, 2020). For the UNCW analysis, my group connected the organization’s
consistent diverse messaging online to Organizational Culture Theory due to the way that the
values of the organization seemed to align with the students’ values (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). In
other words, the organization mainly posts content that would create an emotional appeal with
students, an appeal that is only possible when targeting shared values and beliefs.
While going through portfolio pieces for this project, it became apparent that I should include
both analyses to showcase my abilities as an IMC professional through at least four of the brand
analyses sections as opposed to only providing one brand analysis where I completed only two
sections. These brand analysis assignments played one of the most crucial roles within my
professional development as they create a full understanding of brands and organizations. To
properly produce deliverables for a client, IMC professionals must understand how to conduct
research on a client surrounding IMC practices, and then how to formulate a plan for that client.
Most of the assignments produced for this program can’t be done without some form of brand
analysis. This fact directly ties into how these assignments correlate with my professional
development within the food brokerage industry. Whether D&H needs assistance advertising its
recent rebrand or with client outreach, or if D&H clients need recommendations for an IMC
related issue, knowing how to obtain a full view of the brand is the only way to accurately
provide those services. Not to mention, D&H Marketing heavily values collaboration between
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employees and having these polished examples of group work shows that I can produce quality
content that is cohesive with entries from other collaborators.
Press Release
Unlike most of the assignments within my portfolio, the press release that was completed for
COM 535, IMC: Diversity and Inclusion, isn’t client centered but follower and fan centered.
Instead of acting as an IMC professional that was hired by a client to provide a deliverable or
recommendations for that client, students were given a prompt surrounding the Washington
Commanders, previously known as the Washington Redskins, name change scandal. The task
was to develop a press release that addresses fans on the recent name change, and
acknowledgment of the ethical issue at play. Producing this press release involved pulling
information obtained from the documentary, More Than a Word, along with the excerpt, Arguing
Over Images: Native American Mascots and Race. The document focused on the recent
controversy that arose over the NFL team name, Washington Redskins, and how the term
“Redskin” impacts how Native Americans are viewed. One of the biggest unforeseen
consequences is the current fight for land and water rights within Native American communities
and how terms such as “Redskins” are not only offensive but contributes to how those in power
might view issues within these communities as miniscule (Little & Little, 2017). The excerpt was
less specific to the Native American community but went into detail on the dangers associated
with utilizing mascots that stem from stereotyping specific groups of people (King, n.d.).
Specific to learning outcomes, this assignment embodies discussing ethical dimensions and
paying specific attention to the diversity and inclusions within the realm of IMC. Audiences
associate mascots with brands, and ethics aside, if a mascot is viewed as stereotypical and
offensive, those same connotations are then associated with the brand. The application of a real-
life ethical issue related to diversity and inclusion embodies this concept, and almost forces the
student to create a crisis-management piece of content. For example, my press release
surrounded informing fans of an upcoming Native American festival and press panel that the
NFL team would be hosting to educate locals on the culture withing Native American
Communities, while also addressing the team’s recent name change to suggest genuine care for
the implementation of diversity and respect within the team dynamic.
Within the realm of the food brokerage industry, or really any business that could be viewed in
the public eye, applications like this are completely necessary. Press releases create an external
dialogue where brands or organizations can communicate with their followers in a professional,
yet genuine, context. Whether a company is addressing an upcoming event or sending out a
public apology for a recent unethical action, press releases are commonly drafted to get such
information out. On top of understanding the importance of such communications, this
assignment also provided me with insights into the attention to detail that must be taken when
advertising. One person might not find a concept or visual offensive, but someone from a
different background might find the same content extremely offensive. As an IMC professional,
it’s my job to recognize those stereotypes, and assist my employer, not only being aware of
social issues and stereotypes within common advertising practices, but to avoid being a part of
the problem. I found this assignment necessary to include as it not only showcases my ability to
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draft a professional and thought-provoking press release, but also my ability to navigate ethical
issues in a respectful and insightful manner.
Non-Profit Rebrand Memo
Lastly, the final portfolio piece I included in my portfolio is the non-profit rebrand memo, an
assignment that displays the IMC learning outcome related to discussing ethical dimensions or a
problem and applying IMC knowledge with special attention to diversity and inclusion, that was
completed for COM 534, IMC and Communication Ethics. The assignment was for each student
to focus on a recent rebranding of their choosing and then write a memorandum that discusses
how the rebrand relates to IMC ethics, the goals of the rebrand, and how successful the rebrand
was overall. The intended audience for this assignment would be a client that recently underwent
a rebranding that hired an IMC professional to analyze the success of the rebrand under the lens
of IMC ethics. I chose to focus on Choose Mental Health, previously known as Youth
Champions Charity, as the organization rebranded its name and online presence to solidify the
goals leadership has for the organization, create a space to network with people that might use
the resources they provide, and also create a better understanding for viewers about the
organization’s goals and practices overall. I connected the rebrand within this organization to the
three metaphors of communication ethics praxis (integrated marketing communication, public
clarity and caution, and integration) as well as the contextual communication ethics approach.
After viewing the rebranding and making these informed connections to theory, I suggested that
the organization utilize a democratic communication ethics approach instead as it would allow
viewers to communicate with one another to develop a dialogue and make decisions based off
that dialogue (Arnett et al, 2018) as opposed to only hearing from the organization about
resources as there is value in shared experiences. This assignment forced me to not only do
research on this specific rebrand but do research on rebranding in the non-profit sector as a
whole. Research for this assignment was the first exposure I had to the importance of storytelling
within branding as I found an article that elaborated on the importance of sharing real stories
within non-profit branding to create emotional appeal and develop a bond with an audience
(Mitchell & Clark, 2021).
Relating to my professional development within D&H Marketing Group, this assignment applies
in several ways. Understanding how to operate ethically within IMC practices is crucial as
organizations are communication with various groups of people all with different backgrounds
and values. Knowing how to navigate social issues and unethical actions when developing
campaigns or creating content can make or break a brand in the eyes of the public. This
assignment not only shows that I can research branding processes and relate specific practices to
theories that regulate organizational actions but also that I can develop a professional document
that properly displays these findings and discusses sound recommendations for improvement
without bias. As D&H Marketing is going through a rebranding in the new year, these skills
could prove useful in creating online messages that are purposeful and without offense.
Conclusion
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To summarize, the entirety of the UNCW IMC graduate program has not only provided me with
the skills necessary to drive success within the food brokerage industry, but as a professional in
general. Having the ability to connect IMC theory to past occurrences within the professional
world had instilled me with an understanding of why people act the way they do in certain
situations and has helped me to check my behavior and modes of thinking within the workplace.
This level of clarity not only assists in being a team player, but also growth as an individual
employee. Specific to the food brokerage industry, this program has supplied me with the
necessary skills to conduct research, connect that research to sound recommendations, and turn
those recommendations into outcomes. The vast amount of exposure to content development that
was experienced during this program will become crucial in assisting D&H Marketing Group
with revamping its online presence, as well as assisting with the company rebranding when
needed. Before taking on the IMC program, my background was only in communication and
writing; I have always been drawn to storytelling and communicating in creative ways as I am
primarily an introvert who struggles with speaking at times. This program forces students to not
only understand communication tactics between people in both verbal and nonverbal forms, but
also determine the best way to tell stories with the help of theory and praxis. Not only do I
understand why professionals develop specific messages, but I also understand why messages
are construed on specific platforms at certain times. I understand the why and the how instead of
only understanding what needs to be done; the dots are beginning to connect. While building this
portfolio, I have developed a confidence in my ability to create quality content through various
mediums, along with a genuine appreciation for the IMC professionals and professors that have
participated in contributing to my professional growth. I never put much merit into portfolios
before this project, but I am proud of the work that has been completed over the past year, and
being able to look at where one started verses where they are now is an extremely valuable tool
when attempting to visualize growth and accomplishment. I am ecstatic to see how my portfolio
of skillsets will develop over time, as well as the opportunities that are waiting for me across the
stage in Trask Coliseum.
Appendix
Click HERE to view my portfolio.
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References
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Arnett, R.C., Bell McManus, L.M. & Harden Fritz, J.M. (2018). Communication ethics and
literacy dialogue & difference (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Creswell, J.W. & Creswell (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
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Cortese, A. J. (2015). Provocateur: Images of women and minorities in advertising. Rowman &
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