Ateneo - UPO

The course examines the relationship between companies and the media, with a focus on social media, from an organisational and managerial perspective: how a company structures, oversees and assesses its presence on digital platforms, which corporate functions and professional roles are involved, and which collaborative tools support communication work. The course combines a historical and theoretical framing of the company–media relationship, an analysis of how platforms and the influencer marketing market operate, and the application of these tools to real cases through a group project work.

N. Vittadini, Social Media Studies. I social media alla soglia della maturità: storia, teorie e temi, FrancoAngeli, Milan 2018 – chapters 1 and 2.
E. Hund, L'industria degli influencer, Einaudi, Turin 2024.
G. Colletti, Siamo tutti influencer, ROI Edizioni, Milan 2024.
Materials and data from research and institutional sources (industry reports, AGCOM data, IAP guidelines on transparency in online commercial communication), available on the course DIR page.

Use of materials for assessment. For the historical and theoretical framing: Vittadini, chapters 1 and 2. For the analysis of the influencer marketing market and for designing the project work: Hund and Colletti. For the empirical component of the group assignment: institutional and research data and reports.

The course contributes to the educational objectives of the Degree Programme in Business Administration by providing students with the tools to understand and manage the relationship between the company and digital media as an organisational function, rather than as a purely promotional activity.

There are three specific objectives:

to enable students to reconstruct the evolution of the company–media relationship from the 1990s to the present and to recognise the corresponding organisational models of communication management;
to enable them to analyse the digital presence of a real company, documenting it with data from research and institutional sources;
to enable them to formulate, on the basis of that analysis, reasoned managerial recommendations that are sustainable in reputational terms.

Breakdown of credits by type of teaching activity. The course is worth 2 ECTS, corresponding to 50 hours of total workload, distributed as follows:

lecture-based teaching (DE): 7 hours, of which 0 in presence and 7 at a distance (TEL-DE), in the form of lectures and video lectures;
interactive teaching (DI): 8 hours, of which 7 in presence and 1 at a distance (TEL-DI), in the form of guided case analysis, supervised group work and presentation of assignments;
independent study: 35 hours, devoted to reading, data collection and preparation of the group assignment.

The course has no prerequisite courses. No specific prior knowledge of media and digital communication is required. Familiarity with the basic notions of business economics and management acquired in the first year of the degree programme — in particular the distinction between corporate functions and the notion of market positioning — is useful but not necessary. Students are expected to be able to read and interpret tables and charts from industry reports and to use presentation software for the oral presentation of their assignment.

The course is organised as follows:

lectures, in presence and at a distance (DE and TEL-DE, 7 hours): historical, theoretical and market framing, with screening and discussion of audiovisual materials and industry data;
guided case analysis in class (DI, 3 hours): collective discussion of the digital presence of real companies, applying the analytical framework presented in class and available on the course DIR page;
group project work (DI, 3 hours of supervised work in class, in addition to independent study hours): groups of 3–4 students analyse the social media presence of an assigned company and formulate managerial recommendations; the lecturer follows the groups throughout, with at least one intermediate review session;
presentation of assignments (DI, 2 hours): each group presents its work to the class and answers questions from the lecturer and fellow students.

The combination of group work, peer review and public presentation supports the achievement of the intended learning outcomes in terms of making judgements and communication skills, and encourages students to take an active role in the learning process. All materials (slides, analytical framework, data sources, project work briefs) are made available on the course DIR page, including for non-attending students.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (DSA) or Special Educational Needs (BES) may request dedicated services and tools by contacting the Student Careers and Services Staff and consulting the dedicated page of the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabili-e-dsa . Once they have contacted the University Staff, students with disabilities, DSA or BES may contact the lecturer regarding the arrangements for the examination and teaching matters.

All teaching materials, the analytical framework and the project work briefs are available on the course DIR page from the beginning of the semester, including for non-attending students. The lecturer is available by appointment arranged via e-mail.

Attending students. Assessment consists of the in-class presentation of a group assignment and comprises two components, neither of which is selective with respect to the other, contributing to a single mark out of 30. There are no written tests or separate oral examinations.

Group assignment (up to 20 points). Analysis of the digital presence of an assigned company, maximum 15 slides or 8 pages, submitted at least five days before the presentation. Assessment criteria: correct application of the analytical framework presented in class and available on the DIR page (up to 8 points); relevance, currency and documentation of the data sources used (up to 6 points); consistency and managerial realism of the recommendations, including the assessment of the gender representations conveyed by the company analysed (up to 6 points).
Group oral presentation (up to 10 points). A 15-minute presentation to the class with visual support. Assessment criteria: clarity, organisation of the presentation and time management (up to 4 points); ability to answer the lecturer's questions and to defend conclusions against objections (up to 6 points). Questions are addressed individually to each group member and concern the analysis presented: the methodological choices made, the sources used, the recommendations formulated and their managerial implications. They are the means by which individual contribution is assessed, and the score for this component may therefore differ among members of the same group.

Composition and thresholds of the mark. The final mark is the sum of the two components. The examination is passed with a total of at least 18 points, provided the group assignment has obtained at least 11 points: an insufficient assignment cannot be fully compensated by the quality of the presentation. Distinction (lode) is awarded to students who, having obtained 30 points, demonstrate full independence of judgement and originality of analysis in the discussion.

Correlation between level achieved and mark.

18–21: knowledge of fundamental content; correct but minimal application of the analytical framework; at least one relevant data source; comprehensible but loosely structured presentation.
22–25: sound knowledge of content; complete analysis documented with several sources; consistent but not fully developed recommendations; well-ordered presentation.
26–28: in-depth knowledge; analysis connecting the case to the theoretical models covered; well-argued recommendations; effective presentation and good handling of questions.
29–30: command of the content; critical analysis of sources; recommendations taking account of resource constraints and reputational risks; professional presentation and independently sustained discussion.
30 cum laude: the above, with originality in the design of the analysis and the ability to formulate independent assessments of critical aspects not discussed in class.

Non-attending students. No differentiation applies: the examination arrangements, assessment criteria, scores and thresholds are the same as those set out above. The analytical framework, the project work briefs and all materials needed to prepare the assignment are available on the course DIR page from the beginning of the semester. Non-attending students should contact the lecturer by e-mail to be assigned the company to analyse and to arrange the date of their presentation.

Materials for exam preparation. For the assignment and the presentation: the analytical framework, the project work briefs and the institutional and research data sources available on the course DIR page. To develop the analysis the questions are based on: Vittadini, chapters 1 and 2, for the historical and theoretical framing; Hund and Colletti for the influencer marketing market.

1. Companies and media 1990–2025 (3 hours). From corporate communication mediated by traditional media to digital disintermediation. Three phases of the company–media relationship: the broadcast model and the press office; the conversational model and the emergence of in-house social media teams; the platform model and data management. Organisational consequences: the position of the communication function within the organisational chart, its relations with marketing and institutional affairs, insourcing and outsourcing of activities.

2. History and structure of social media (3 hours). Origins and development of social platforms. Technical and social architecture: profiles, connections, content flows. Algorithmic logics of content selection and distribution and their effects on the visibility of corporate messages. Platform business models and implications for companies investing resources in them.

3. Social media marketing and management of digital presence (3 hours). Objectives, audiences and metrics. Building an editorial plan. The influencer marketing market: actors, supply chain, contractual forms, creator selection criteria. Transparency in online commercial communication and the obligation to make advertising recognisable. Reputational risk and crisis management.

4. Case analysis (3 hours). Application of the analytical framework to the digital presence of Italian and international companies. Reconstruction of stated objectives, audiences reached, consistency with positioning and measurable outcomes.

Integration of the gender dimension. Within module 4, one class (2 hours) is devoted to the analysis of gender representations in corporate digital communication. Campaigns that reproduce gender stereotypes and campaigns that challenge them are examined, the related reputational risks are discussed, and the main references on non-discriminatory commercial communication are introduced. Students are required to include in their group assignment an assessment of the gender representations conveyed by the company analysed. The gender composition of digital communication professions and of the creator market is also considered.

5. Presentation of assignments (3 hours). Presentation of group project works, collective discussion and evaluative feedback from the lecturer.

Knowledge and understanding. By the end of the course, students are able to: describe the evolution of the company–media relationship from 1990 to the present, distinguishing at least three phases and their corresponding organisational models; explain the architecture and algorithmic logics of the main social platforms and their effect on the visibility of corporate content; identify the corporate functions and professional roles involved in managing digital presence; describe the influencer marketing supply chain and the transparency obligations of online commercial communication.

Applying knowledge and understanding. They are able to: analyse the social media presence of a real company by applying the framework provided, identifying its objectives, audiences and consistency with positioning; find and use data from at least two research or institutional sources to support the analysis; formulate at least three reasoned managerial recommendations consistent with the organisational constraints of the company analysed; organise group work by allocating tasks and meeting intermediate deadlines.

Making judgements. They are able to critically assess the effectiveness and reputational sustainability of a digital communication choice, distinguishing verifiable data from the promotional claims of corporate sources, and to recognise stereotyped gender representations in the content analysed.

Communication skills. They are able to present the results of their analysis in a 15-minute oral presentation with visual support, suitable for a professional audience, and to sustain a discussion by responding to objections and requests for clarification.

Learning skills. They are able to independently find up-to-date sources in a rapidly evolving field and assess their reliability, a necessary condition for updating their skills after the end of the course.

Minimum pass level. To pass, students must: correctly reconstruct the phases of the company–media relationship; apply the analytical framework to a case without errors of approach; document the analysis with at least one relevant data source; formulate at least one managerial recommendation consistent with the analysis; present the results in a clear and orderly manner.

Advanced level. For an excellent grade, students must: independently connect the case analysed to the theoretical and organisational models covered; critically discuss the limitations of the data sources used; formulate recommendations that take into account resource constraints and reputational risks, including those related to gender representation; sustain the discussion by arguing independently in response to objections.