CW2 Communications Engagement Report – Client Stream
This assignment requires students to produce an individual 2,000-word Communications Engagement Report in the form of an engagement communications campaign for Stream. Stream is a collaboration between 16 UK water companies, supported by industry and civil society partners including the Open Data Institute, with the aim of unlocking the potential of water-sector data to benefit customers, society and the environment. The organisation has established data-sharing infrastructure designed to enable data to be used to generate insights, support innovation, improve decision-making and contribute to greater transparency across the water sector. The central focus of the assignment is to develop a communications campaign that attracts and engages the research and academic community. Stream has identified postgraduate and postdoctoral students, together with relevant university faculty leads, as an important priority audience because of their potential to transform published water-sector data into valuable research insights, innovative products and services. Relevant academic departments may include computer science, engineering, mathematics, environmental science, social science, town planning and business development. Students are expected to consider how this audience can be reached, segmented and prioritised according to its interest and willingness to engage with Stream. The proposed campaign should build awareness of Stream, communicate the value of accessing and using water-sector data, and encourage longer-term engagement between Stream, universities and students. Existing communication channels include LinkedIn, the Stream website and communications distributed through delivery partners such as the Open Data Institute and Aiimi, as well as Ofwat. Key campaign opportunities include Open Data Day in March and Open October in mid-October. These events should be considered as important campaign moments while also being integrated into a longer-term communications programme. The report should include an introduction and background to Stream, including brand history, market position, competitive analysis, the need for an engagement communications campaign and relevant market research. It should establish short-, medium- and long-term communication objectives with clear timeframes, define the target audience, and apply an appropriate theoretical framework to develop the communication strategy. Students must provide four recommended communication pieces supported by detailed rationale, together with a Gantt chart showing campaign timings and a clear campaign measurement approach. The report should conclude with a summary of the overall proposal. The assessment requires critical application of communication theories and concepts, research evidence and relevant literature. Students must demonstrate analysis, evaluation and justification rather than simply describing communication activities. A minimum of 15 high-quality references is required, including at least eight journal articles, using Cite Them Right Harvard referencing. The report is assessed on presentation and structure, intellectual curiosity and referencing, content and application, campaign integration, discussion, conclusion, recommendations, campaign timeframes and measurement.
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