COM3705 Assignment 3 (Portfolio) Semester 1 Memo Due 2 June 2026

identify and engage with real, currently active, named digital communities, platforms, or sources that you have independently located; Powered by CamScanner . retrieve and cite current data from live databases (such as the ITU or World Bank websites); . reflect on your own situated experience as a student in South Africa. Responses generated by AI tools (including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and similar) will typically be unable to satisfy these requirements accurately. Fabricated or hallucinated community names, outdated statistics, and generic 'personal' reflections are identifiable and will be treated as evidence of misconduct. Prescribed readings Each question specifies which of the following readings must be used. You are expected to have read and engaged with all of them prior to the examination. ° Foroudi, P, Gupta, S, Kitchen, P, Foroudi, MM & Nguyen, B. 2016. A framework of place branding, place image, and place reputation: Antecedents and moderators. Qualitative Market Research, 19(2):241—264. ® Hitz, M, Schwaiger, M & Gabel, A. 2024. Multidimensional country reputation measurement: an integrated framework. European Journal of Marketing, 58(1):276—310. ° Hao, AW, Paul, J, Trott, S, Guo, C & Wu, HH. 2019. Two decades of research on nation branding: a review and future research agenda. International Marketing Review, 38(1):46—69. . Rasmussen, RK. 2012. Nation branding and the new public relations of states. Paper presented at the International Studies Association Annual Convention, San Diego. : Jain, R & Winner, LH. 2013. Country reputation and performance: The role of public relations and news media. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 9(2):109—123. . Seo, H. 2013. Public diplomacy and international public relations. In: Lee, Y & Yoon, Y (eds.). Public Relations: Theory, Politics and Practice. London: Routledge. SCENARIO Read the following scenario carefully before answering the questions. You must reference specific details from the scenario throughout your examination answers. Do not treat the scenario as mere context — your answers must engage with it analytically. Few countries have engineered a more deliberate and comprehensive international image transformation in recent memory than Rwanda. Once defined almost exclusively in the global imagination by the 1994 genocide — an event that killed an estimated 800,000 people in 100 days — Rwanda has spent three decades methodically constructing a new international identity: that of Africa's most efficient, forward-looking, and business-friendly state. At the heart of this transformation is a government-driven strategy that integrates international marketing, public diplomacy, tourism promotion, and digital communication into a unified national brand. Under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has invested heavily in flagship projects Powered by CamScanner designed to attract international attention and investment. The capital, Kigali, has been repeatedly ranked among the cleanest and most orderly cities in Africa. In 2018, Rwanda became the first African country to host a World Economic Forum on Africa summit. In 2022, Kigali hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a gathering of 56 nations. The country has secured a partnership with Arsenal Football Club under a "Visit Rwanda" tourism campaign that is estimated to cost USD 30 million annually and has generated millions of impressions across global media. Rwanda's marketing approach is consciously built around multiple dimensions of place branding identified by scholars. The government promotes Kigali as a "hub" for technology (a new tech city, Kigali Innovation City, is under construction), for conference tourism (the Kigali Convention Centre is among the largest on the continent), and for health (Rwanda was one of the first African countries to deploy drones for medical supply delivery). Rwanda's tourism offering centres on its mountain gorilla trekking (one of only three countries in the world where this is possible) and on a broader eco-tourism narrative that positions the country as a model of sustainable development. The reputational stakes of Rwanda's strategy are, however, deeply contested. International human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have documented patterns of political repression under Kagame's government: the silencing of opposition figures, restrictions on press freedom, and allegations of transnational repression of dissidents living abroad. The government's response has been to contest these characterisations vigorously through diplomatic channels, point to development indicators (Rwanda has among the highest rates of female parliamentary representation in the world, at over 60%), and leverage global events to reframe the international narrative. Rwanda's digital communication strategy is similarly sophisticated. The country operates active government social media accounts across platforms, including X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, and deploys carefully curated visual content featuring Kigali's skyline, wildlife, and clean streets. Visit Rwanda maintains a prominent digital presence with professionally produced short films and influencer partnerships. Rwanda's diplomatic missions abroad amplify these messages. At the same time, critical coverage of Rwanda, particularly regarding its military involvement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), circulates widely across international media and online, creating a contested digital information environment. The international flow of people is central to Rwanda's strategy. The Kigali airport has undergone major expansion. The national carrier, RwandAir, has extended its network to over 30 destinations, positioning Kigali as a transit hub for the continent. Conference tourism has grown steadily; Rwanda now consistently ranks among the top African countries for the number of international conferences hosted. In 2023, the country received approximately 1.2 million international tourist arrivals, with a government target of USD 800 million in tourism revenue by 2024. Rwanda has also positioned itself as a destination for academic exchanges, hosting African Union and United Nations events. Rwanda thus presents a compelling and complex case study in the intersection of international marketing, public diplomacy, and country reputation management. It is a country in which place branding is not peripheral but central to national strategy and in which the relationship between reputation, real socio-political conditions, and the management of international perception is richly, and sometimes uncomfortably, visible. Powered by CamScanner QUESTIONS Answer ALL questions. All questions must be answered with specific reference to the Rwanda scenario. Generic answers that could apply to any country will not earn full marks. Use Harvard referencing throughout. Question 1 — Introduction (2.5 marks) Write a well-structured academic introduction that: . contextualises Rwanda’s situation within international communication scholarship; . identifies the two or three key theoretical themes your examination answers will address across the paper; and . provides a clear roadmap of the analytical argument that follows. Your introduction should demonstrate that you understand Rwanda as a communication case — not merely a political or tourism case. A strong introduction will signal engagement with at least one prescribed reading and at least one concept from Learning Unit 5 or Learning Unit 7. Question 2 — International Marketing Analysis (20 marks) Drawing on Learning Unit 5 and Foroudi et al. (2016), analyse how Rwanda applies international marketing principles in its global strategy. Your answer must address each of the following: 8 Identify and explain at least THREE of the six environmental (uncontrollable) factors discussed in Learning Unit 5 that specifically shape how Rwanda markets itself internationally. Do not list definitions — apply each factor to the Rwanda scenario with concrete evidence from the scenario text. . Using Foroudi et al. (2016), distinguish clearly between place branding, place image, and place reputation as they are visible in Rwanda's case. Provide a specific example from the scenario for each concept. . Identify ONE element of the marketing mix (the four Ps) that you believe is most central to Rwanda's international marketing strategy and justify your selection with reference to both Learning Unit 5 and the scenario. Question 3 — Country Reputation (15 marks) Drawing on Hitz, Schwaiger & Gabel (2024) and Hao et al. (2019), analyse Rwanda's country reputation. Your answer must address each of the following: . Explain what country reputation means as a scholarly concept, drawing on Hitz et al. (2024). What dimensions of reputation are relevant to Rwanda's case, and why? Powered by CamScanner ° Analyse how Rwanda's reputation is simultaneously being constructed and contested. Your answer must engage with the tension in the scenario between development achievements and human rights criticisms — and explain how reputation scholars would account for this tension. ° Using Hao et al. (2019), explain the relationship between nation branding and country reputation. Is Rwanda's strategy primarily a branding exercise, a reputation management exercise, or both? Justify your answer with evidence from the scenario. Question 4 — Public Diplomacy, Nation Branding and Media (20 marks) Drawing on Rasmussen (2012), Jain & Winner (2013), and Learning Unit 7 (Diplomacy), analyse how Rwanda uses public diplomacy to shape its international reputation. Your answer must address each of the following: . Define public diplomacy as a form of international communication, drawing on Learning Unit 7. How do the forms of diplomacy discussed in Learning Unit 7 (formal, public, cultural, media diplomacy) apply to Rwanda's strategy as described in the scenario? . Rasmussen (2012) argues that nation branding functions as a new form of public relations for states. Critically evaluate this claim with reference to Rwanda's case. In what ways does Rwanda's strategy confirm or complicate Rasmussen's argument? ° Using Jain & Winner (2013), analyse the role of news media — both international and domestic — in constructing Rwanda's reputation. The scenario mentions both favourable and critical media coverage. How does this dual media environment affect Rwanda's reputation management? Question 5 — Digital Communication and Online Reputation (10 marks) Drawing on Seo (2013) and relevant concepts from Learning Units 5 and 7, analyse how digital communication contributes to and complicates Rwanda's country reputation. Your answer must: . explain how digital platforms and social media are used by Rwanda as instruments of public diplomacy and international marketing, with at least two specific examples from the scenario or from your own knowledge of Rwanda's verified digital strategy; . discuss how critical content about Rwanda also circulates in the digital environment — and explain what this means for a government attempting to manage its international reputation online; and . draw on Seo (2013) to explain how public diplomacy in the digital age differs from traditional public diplomacy. Question 6 — International Flow of People (10 marks) Drawing on Learning Unit 7 (Tourism and Diplomacy), analyse how the international flow of people contributes to Rwanda's reputational strategy. Powered by CamScanner Your answer must address TWO of the following three dimensions as they appear in the scenario: . International tourism as a reputational and economic strategy, including the role of the tourism industry actors (tourist, host, travel industry, governments) as theorised in Learning Unit ie ° Conference and event tourism (e.g. CHOGM, WEF, international conventions) as a form of diplomatic communication. . The role of academic, cultural, or sport exchanges (as discussed in Learning Unit 7) in building Rwanda's soft power. Your answer must draw on the specific theoretical and conceptual content of Learning Unit 7 — not only the Rwanda scenario — to make your analysis credible. Question 7 — Critical Reflection (10 marks) This question requires genuine analytical synthesis, not description. You are expected to develop and defend an argument, not simply summarise the scenario. Critically discuss the following claim: "Rwanda’'s international reputation is primarily the product of sophisticated communication strategy rather than the outcome of genuine socio-political transformation. In the long run, reputation built on branding cannot be sustained without the underlying reality." In your response: . Engage directly with the claim — you may agree, disagree, or offer a nuanced position, but you must take a clear stance and defend it with evidence. . Draw on theory from at least TWO of the prescribed readings and at least ONE concept from Learning Unit 5 or Learning Unit 7 to support your argument. ° Use specific evidence from the Rwanda scenario to anchor your argument. Question 8 — Conclusion (2.5 marks) Write a substantive academic conclusion to your examination. Your conclusion should: . synthesise the main arguments you have developed across your answers — do not simply repeat your introduction or list question responses; . reflect on the broader significance of Rwanda as a case study for understanding the relationship between international marketing, public diplomacy, and country reputation in the contemporary communication environment; and . identify at least ONE specific, intellectually substantive unresolved question or tension that your analysis has surfaced and that warrants further scholarly attention. Technical Presentation (10 marks)