Program Overview

Data: The Key to Truly Strategic Communications

Course Overview

This course is essential for understanding the difference between tactical campaign plans and strategic communication plans, and how to apply data insights to each stage of the communication planning process. As a manager or advisor in communications, PR or marketing, these concepts are essential to the success of your organization and your career. Led by a seasoned industry professional, you'll apply standards-based methods to develop an organization-level or department-level communication strategy aligned to measurable business outcomes that demonstrate the impact of effective communication on business performance.

Course Details

• Course code: CECM 200
• Duration: 30 hours
• Mode: Online
• Fees: $940

Upcoming Dates

• Term: Winter
• Section: 1
• Mode: Online
• Fees: $940
• Dates: January 14 March 18, 2026
• Schedule: Wednesday, 18:00 21:00

Your Takeaways

This course is a great way to help you:

• Develop a strategic communication plan aligned to business outcomes that demonstrates measurable impact
• Apply ethical considerations to all aspects of the communications planning process
• Create a key messaging architecture aligned to target audiences
• Formulate an implementation plan to deliver on strategic communication objectives
• Design a measurement framework to demonstrate the potential impact of the plan on business results
• Write an evidence-based pitch to justify the budget and resources needed for the plan and pitch it for management buy-in using facts and figures in appropriate business language

Our Approach

This course is project-based, meaning you'll practice hands-on strategic thinking and planning skills using your own business cases. You'll also engage in practical and critical thinking to reflect and project yourself into your current or future work environment. Your teacher will use case studies, group discussions, team presentations, and introspection questionnaires to apply your learning to real-world experiences. Most importantly, you'll be challenged to apply data insights to all aspects of your work.

Who Benefits the Most

• Early-career public relations or communication specialists who want to step up to a strategic role as managers or advisers
• Individuals at any level in the profession looking to refresh or upgrade their skills in applying data literacy to strategic communication planning
• Individuals in marketing, advocacy, or public affairs who want to apply professional communication best practices to improve the effectiveness of their work

CCE Loyalty Discount

Students will receive a 10% discount on their CCE course or workshop tuition fees if they meet any of the following criteria:

• They previously completed a CCE, undergraduate, or graduate course at Concordia University
• They completed a language proficiency test at CCE
• They completed a CCE Professional Development Seminar/Workshop