Overview
Social media has become an integral part of most people’s lives. Whether users actively post and consume media daily or engage only once or twice a week, social media serves as an efficient and far-reaching tool for audience engagement. It is also a powerful means to discover new audiences and publics.
Content producers are acutely aware of social media’s potential and often design short- and long-term campaigns to promote their work, reach interested audiences, and attract new ones. However, simply creating an Instagram or RedNote account and posting occasional updates is rarely effective. Instead, social media campaigns require a highly strategic and targeted approach that leverages the unique logic of social platforms to ensure content reaches its intended audiences and publics.
For this assignment, you are tasked with identifying a social media campaign launched between 2020 and 2025 and critically examining its operation. You can either:
- Select a past successful campaign from the Shorty AwardsLinks to an external site. (an awards programme honouring social media campaigns), or
- Find your own example.
You are required to apply the learnings from this unit (Week 1 to Week 4) to critically examine the campaign.
Requirements
This is an individual assignment with a strict word limit of 1,500 words. It must be written in an academic tone and include a reference list formatted in APA 7th style, as well as a Declaration for AI and Assessments. While there is no minimum word count requirement, 1,500 words is the absolute maximum (no +10% margin). The reference list and Declaration for AI and Assessments are excluded from the word count.
Your analysis will include the following:
1. Introduction (300 words): Provide an overview of the campaign, addressing the following:
- Name of the campaign
- Key messages or hashtags
- Associated organisation
- Social media platforms utilised
- Target audience (inferred if not explicitly stated)
- Goals/objectives/aims of the campaign
- Results or consequences of the campaign
- Include visual examples such as photos or screenshots of the campaign.
2. Theoretical Framework (400 words): Explain two concepts or themes from the unit that you will use to analyse the campaign.
- Define and elaborate on the selected themes/concepts
- Discuss their relevance in understanding social media use
- Begin with unit readings and class materials, then expand with independent research (e.g., Google Scholar, library resources)
3. Case Study (600 words): Apply the theoretical framework to your chosen campaign. Analyse how the campaign aligns with or challenges the theories, and how the theories provide a critique of the campaign.
4. Conclusion (200 words): Summarise your findings and provide brief recommendations on:
- How the campaign succeeded or could have improved
- Insights gained from your analysis that contribute to the understanding of social media campaigns in general (beyond your case study)
- Suggestions for academics and researchers based on your findings
And must include:
5. Reference List: Use APA 7th referencing style as outlined in the University of Sydney Referencing Guide. The reference list is not included in the word count.
6. Declaration for AI and Assessments: Include a declaration as per Unit guidelines. This is also excluded from the word count.
| Criteria | Ratings | Points |
Selects a relevant social media campaign (Introduction) | Full Marks 5 pts High DistinctionSelects an exceptionally relevant and extremely timely campaign that aligns perfectly with unit themes/concepts. 4.5 pts DistinctionChooses a relevant campaign that aligns well with unit themes/concepts. The campaign, however, is outdated. 3.75 pts CreditSelects a campaign that is relevant but may lack deeper alignment with unit themes/concepts. The selected campaign has moderate level of social media activity. 3.25 pts PassChooses a campaign with some relevance to unit themes/concepts but lacks depth. The selected campaign has low level of social media activity. 2.75 pts FailSelects a campaign with little to no relevance to unit themes/concepts or only select a social media presence. 0.5 pts | /5 pts |
Describes the social media campaign (Introduction) | Full Marks 10 pts High DistinctionProvides a comprehensive and engaging description with rich details and context. 9 pts DistinctionOffers a clear and detailed description with relevant context. 7.5 pts CreditDescribes the campaign adequately but lacks depth in some areas. 6.5 pts PassProvides a basic description with minimal detail. 5.5 pts FailGives an unclear or incomplete description of the campaign. 1 pts | /10 pts |
Explains the key ideas explored in the course (Theoretical framework) | Full Marks 25 pts High DistinctionExplains two unit themes/concepts with exceptional depth and understanding, skillfully engaging with relevant class materials and additional scholarly literature. 22.5 pts DistinctionEffectively explains two unit themes/concepts with clear understanding, engaging adequately with relevant class material. Explanation could be more detailed and more comprehensive. 18.75 pts CreditExplains two unit themes/concepts but may lack depth or clarity, or lack of engagement with relevant class materials. Explanations and logics are unclear in some respects. 16.25 pts PassShows minimal understanding of unit themes/units. No relevant class materials are consulted, even though additional scholarly literature might be included. Only one unit theme/concept are included. 13.75 pts FailFails to understand unit themes/units. 2.5 pts | /25 pts |
Analyses the social media campaign with themes/concepts (Case study) | Full Marks 25 pts High DistinctionProvides an insightful and thorough analysis using selected unit themes/concepts, including how the campaign aligns with or challenges the theories and how the theories provide a critique of the campaign. 22.5 pts DistinctionOffers a well-reasoned analysis with some insights using the unit themes/concepts, including how the campaign aligns with or challenges the theories but not how the theories provide a critique of the campaign. To improve, consider tightening the connections between themes/concepts and the case study. 18.75 pts CreditAnalyses the campaign but lacks depth or insight. Make use of the unit themes/concepts to analyse the campaign. 16.25 pts PassProvides a basic analysis without little use of the unit themes/concepts. 13.75 pts FailOffers little or no analysis. 2.5 pts | /25 pts |
Summarise findings and provide brief recommendations (Conclusion) | Full Marks 15 pts High DistinctionProvides a comprehensive and insightful summary of findings. Suggestions are specific, original, highly relevant, and supported by the analysis. 13.5 pts DistinctionProvides a clear and detailed summary of findings. Suggestions are relevant, thoughtful, and supported by the analysis, but lack originality. 11.25 pts CreditProvides an adequate summary of findings. Suggestions are relevant but may lack depth, originality, or strong support from the analysis. 9.75 pts PassProvides a basic summary of findings. Suggestions are limited, vague, or lack clear connection to the analysis. 8.25 pts FailDoes not provide a clear summary of findings. Suggestions are absent, irrelevant, or unsupported by the analysis. 1.5 pts | /15 pts |
APA 7th Reference List | Full Marks 10 pts High DistinctionReferences are comprehensive, accurate, and consistently follow APA 7th style with no errors. 9 pts CreditReferences are mostly accurate and follow APA 7th style, with minor and infrequent errors. 7 pts PassReferences follow APA 7th style but contain multiple errors or inconsistencies. 5 pts FailReferences are incomplete, inaccurate, or do not follow APA 7th style. 1 pts | /10 pts |
Declarations for AI and Assessments | Full Marks 10 pts High DistinctionDeclaration is complete, precise, and fully adheres to the Unit guidelines without errors. 9 pts CreditDeclaration is clear and adheres to the Unit guidelines, with minor omissions. 7 pts PassDeclaration is present but contains multiple errors or lacks clarity in meeting the Unit guidelines. 5 pts FailDeclaration is incomplete, inaccurate, or missing entirely. 1 pts | /10 pts |