COM3705 Portfolio Semester 1 2026 - Due 2 June 2026

COM3705 PORTFOLIO 2026 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 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