Strategic CSR Communication: A Moderating Role of Transparency in Trust Building

Based on the literature in various strategic communication disciplines, including marketing, advertising, and public relations, this 2 (company-cause fit: congruent vs. incongruent) × 2 (level of transparency: high vs. low) experiment examines message effect on trust, organizational advocacy, and skepticism in order to explore ways to effectively communicate CSR initiatives in consideration of company-cause fit and transparency. Company-cause fit has been incorporated as a strategic tool in marketing and advertising, yet transparency has been primarily discussed in terms of its ethical implications in PR literature. Most significantly, this study suggests a moderating role of transparency on the effect of CSR cause fit, in that partnering with an incongruent cause fit can help build trust with consumers when the CSR message is communicated in a highly transparent manner. Furthermore, this study suggests that transparency is a necessary condition to be strategically implemented in CSR communication to enhance trust with consumers.     

Social Media Influencers in Strategic Communication: A Conceptual Framework for Strategic Social Media Influencer Communication

ABSTRACT

Strategic social media influencer communication has become a major topic in strategic communication. However, despite the growing relevance of this new strategic communication instrument, research has paid only limited attention to elaborating its basic concepts. In this article, we adopt a strategic communication perspective to develop a conceptual framework for strategic social media influencer communication. Particularly, we draw on research findings that identify the external resources social media influencers contribute to organization-influencer cooperation. We use these findings to systematically develop functional definitions of social media influencers and of strategic social media influencer communication. We define social media influencers as third-party actors who have established a significant number of relevant relationships with a specific quality to and influence on organizational stakeholders through content production, content distribution, interaction, and personal appearance on the social web. Subsequently, we define strategic social media communication as the purposeful use of communication by organizations or social media influencers in which social media influencers are addressed or perform activities with strategic significance to organizational goals. We then situate these definitions within the broader framework of strategic communication by discussing related concepts and by describing the strategic action field that has emerged around strategic social media influencer communication.     

The Integration of Domains: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Strategic Communication Campaigns

As an emerging field of study, strategic communication is unique in that it requires integration of concepts, theories, and methods from diverse disciplinary domains. This integration is necessary to fully understand and explain the complexity of the phenomenon. As an observable manifestation of strategic communication, the campaign has received considerable attention across subdisciplines; however, no conceptualization of the strategic communication campaign as a distinct process has been forwarded, and no general theory has emerged to explain strategic communication campaigns or predict their outcomes. This article posits a definition of strategic communication campaigns that privileges the multidisciplinary capacity of the field and is distinct from other perspectives. In addition, an overview of current theoretical approaches that inform strategic communication campaigns is provided.     

Crossmedia-Verweise als Scharnier zwischen Werbeträgern

In times of information and advertising overload, cross-media campaigns seem to be a helpful strategy in mass-media advertising. The cross-media concept is based on three pillars: First, ads are circulated applying different media outlets (media mix). Second, all advertising material is following a integrated communication strategy. Third, ads contain references or pointers to other ads or communication channels (website, e-mail, telephone, etc.), adverting recipients to other media and motivating them to visit or use these media (so-called ‘appeal to use’). The paper reports on a content analysis of n?=?4.066 German TV commercials, newspaper, magazine and billboard ads and focuses on the amount and composition of such cross-media references. Besides a cross-section analysis of all four media channels in the year 2007, a longitudinal section analysis of TV commercials from 1997 to 2007 was conducted. The study reveals that cross-media references are broadly diffused in all media channels, especially in advertising with a rational and argumentative appeal (as opposed to mere emotional appeal and imagery) and in advertising of high-involvement products. Nonetheless more than half of all cross-media references do not communicate any appeal to use. Thus, we suppose that a large portion of cross-media references are not applied within truly integrated advertising strategies. As the paper finally discusses, real cross-media strategies are only suited to specific advertising tasks and will, therefore, remain one advertising strategy among others in the future.     

Primed Authenticity: How Priming Impacts Authenticity Perception of Social Media Influencers

ABSTRACT

Though organizations increasingly collaborate with social media influencers, such as bloggers and videobloggers, little is known as to how the contextual cues related to sponsored content affect the authenticity perception of the social media influencers among audience members. This study explores how positive and negative priming of sponsored content shapes the authenticity perception of the vlogger among its audience members. Four different manipulation conditions were constructed to study a U.S. based travel vlog on Qualtrics, with data collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. A theory-guided content analysis of 211 open viewer responses was conducted to compare perceptions of authenticity between the manipulation groups. The results verified the significance of priming: the same sponsored content can result in opposite reactions among the audience members depending on the positive/negative valence of the introductory text attached, highlighting the central importance of strategic communication related to the perception of sponsored content. The results also point out the importance of audience member engagement for experienced authenticity: The manipulation of audience participation with the vlog had a stronger effect on the perception of authenticity of the vlogger than the positive/negative valence of the introductory text.     

Where Grass Has No Roots: The Concept of ‘Shared Strategic Communication’ as an Answer to Unethical Astroturf Lobbying

As researchers pursue connections between strategic communication and management, they need to critique practices to develop norms that increase strategic communication’s long-term contribution to society. Norms of strategic communication are shaped by socially constructed standards of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and guide how strategic communication fosters organization-public relationships (OPR). Such norms are particularly important regarding deliberative strategic communication, which uses political CSR to guide corporations’ political role. Although principles of OPR and political CSR should foster more ethical strategic communication, some practices weaken such standards. To make that case, this article (1) reviews the historical foundations of deliberative discourse, (2) examines principles of OPR and political CSR, and (3) applies normative principles of deliberative discourse (4) to critique three cases of strategic political communication, known as astroturf lobbying, a deceptive lobbying practice that undermines and fakes grassroots movements. We conclude by integrating the findings into theory building that shifts CSR outcomes from advantaging individual organizations adding value to society. This theme uses ‘creating shared value’ to advocate shared strategic communication. This notion includes the normative claims of political CSR (open discourse, participation, transparency, accountability) to arrive at shared strategic communication that supports the ‘good’ organization and society simultaneously.     

A Call for Authenticity: Audience Responses to Social Media Influencer Endorsements in Strategic Communication

ABSTRACT

Utilizing social media celebrities as a communication channel has become a strategic practice for many organizations. By using the concepts of celebrity endorsement and authenticity, the effect of celebrity and content characteristics on followers’ attitudes towards the content and, in the case of sponsored content, purchase intentions are scrutinized. Instagram followers (N = 592) of 45 celebrities responded to a survey on nine photos of the celebrities. The results show that both the perceived authenticity and attractiveness of the celebrity are positively related with photo attitudes, but only authenticity has an effect on purchase intentions. Photos of social media influencers, people who have become famous through social media, increase purchase intentions more than photos of general celebrities. Congruence between the photo and the celebrity has the strongest positive effect on photo attitudes and purchase intentions. Sponsored photos are less favorably perceived than non-sponsored photos, but, among sponsored photos, sponsor disclosure has no effect on purchase intentions. The perceived authenticity of both the celebrity and her content is said to explain favorable audience perceptions. The findings imply that organizations should seek authentic matches between their message and the endorsing celebrity and that the content should align with the usual style of the celebrity.     

Paid,Earned, Shared and Owned Media From the Perspective of Advertising and Public Relations Agencies: Comparing China and the United States

Despite the existence of the “great firewall,” advertising and public relations practitioners in China, much like in the United States, are embracing and enacting social media and digital strategies on behalf of their clients. In this study, we conducted 42 in-depth interviews with advertising and public relations practitioners in the United States and mainland China to explore how emerging media and integrated marketing communication (IMC) are impacting advertising and public relations agencies in the two countries. This cross-cultural comparison revealed several critical insights, which were examined through the lenses of IMC and dimensions of culture. We found that emerging media lead to converging trends in various aspects of agency performance. The blurring of paid, earned, shared, and owned media (PESO) was evidentially observed in how executives of both countries defined and used media. Chinese agencies were media agnostic, concerned more with effectiveness of media practices. The U.S. agencies embraced collaboration and information technology better compared to their Chinese peers. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in strategic communication via providing empirical evidence of how Chinese and U.S. agencies coordinate IMC and perceive PESO media relative and in response to emerging media practices.     

Corporate Communications from the Top and from the Center: Comparing Experiences and Expectations of CEOs and Communicators

Common viewpoints as well as divergences between top executives and communication professionals influence the institutionalization of strategic communication. However, there is little empirical evidence on the accordance between both groups. Most research explores either communication professionals or chief communication officers (CEOs). Very few studies have combined both perspectives. This article identifies the research gap, explores insights from previous research, and contributes to the body of knowledge in strategic communication with an original study that is based on two surveys with replies from 602 CEOs and executive board members as well as 1,251 communication managers from companies in the largest European country, Germany. Although top executives rate the information and motivation of employees as the most important objective of corporate communication, communication professionals focus on the creation of a positive image. Respondents from both groups also state different opinions about dealing with the demand for transparency. Both top executives and communicators give most support to a role model that describes communication professionals as a facilitator between an organization and its publics. Nevertheless the overall conclusion is that perspectives diverge quite often and attention should be directed towards a better alignment between top management and those leading the strategic communication function.     

In the Twilight Zone Between Veracity and Lying: A Survey on the Perceived Legitimacy of Corporate Deception in Reaction to Ethical Dilemmas

In their effort to attain legitimacy, corporations are tempted to resolve ethical dilemmas that arise from conflicting stakeholder expectations by ambiguous and misleading communication. Such processes of organizational decoupling may in turn threaten corporate legitimacy. Therefore this article explores public acceptance of deceptive corporate practices that range between the poles of veracity and lying: They involve half-truths and concealment but no blatant lies and they neglect veracity only to conform to conflicting ethical values. The analysis builds on the assumption that specific types of corporate deception fulfill protective functions, such as privacy protection, self-defense, and social cohesion, and are therefore socially accepted. Results from an experimental online survey (n = 1,417) indicate that protective functions are ascribed to corporate deception, yet participants show only moderate levels of acceptance and advocacy on behalf of the corporation. Corporate deception is most likely to be perceived as legitimate when it serves privacy protection and when it involves altruistic intentions. These findings point out limits of organizational decoupling and emphasize the need for pluralistic ethics in strategic communication that provide a framework for the resolution of ethical dilemmas under consideration of situational conditions.     

Understanding Green Content Strategies: An Analysis of Environmental Advertising Frames From 1990 to 2010

This content analysis examined the characteristics of environmental advertisements (N = 449) published in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report in 1990, 2000, and 2010. Findings revealed that responsibility frames were dominant as the strategy used in environmental advertisements over time. The species/habitat protection issue was the dominant issue in 1990, and energy efficiency was the prevalent issue in 2000 and 2010. Advertisements primarily were sponsored by for-profit organizations and had a positive valence over time. Results have implications for future strategic environmental communication research exploring media content and effects, public opinion and persuasion, and policy implications.     

Propaganda als ideologische Kommunikation

In view of the many military and warlike conflicts, the term »propaganda« is often used in both press coverage and in scientific analysis. It is widely ambiguous though what exactly is meant by propaganda, and to what extent it can be distinguished from similar forms of communication, such as public relations and advertising. Reviewing previous approaches concerning propaganda and using the totalitarism approach, this article argues that propaganda can only be defined as a process of communication that puts forward extensive claims which are to be enforced by the use of an ideological system. In contrast, public relations and advertising merely put forward particular resp. singular claims which are to be bolstered by the use of images and positive pictures. With regard to propaganda, the structural links between the political and the public system are so tight that the autonomy of the public system is partly or completely annihilated. As a communication process tied to the formation of power, propaganda works with the symbolically generalized communication medium of power and, owing to its ideological foundation, also with the medium of truth.     

Propaganda’s Place in Strategic Communication: The Case of ISIL’s Dabiq Magazine

This study explores how extremist groups use propaganda as a form of strategic communication. The theoretical foundation used was an adaption of neo-institutional theory for strategic communication. The sample was an issue of Dabiq, an online propaganda magazine, from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The qualitative method employed was ethnographic content analysis. The study found ISIL used Dabiq as a form of strategic communication to achieve organizational goals in compliance with neo-institutional theory. Furthermore, ISIL used strategic communication in a similar manner as nonextremist groups; it sought to advance its organization as being superior to rival ones. These findings indicate that neo-institutional theory can further understanding of how extremist groups use propaganda, as strategic communication, to achieve organizational goals. This is accomplished by analyzing the functions specified in neo-institutional theory that propagandists attempt to fulfill. In general, this study offers evidence that the academic field of strategic communication offers significant potential to advance propaganda theory. If neo-institutional theory, as adapted for strategic communication, can explain and predict what a propagandist does, other strategic communication perspectives might offer the same ability to analyze propaganda and develop propaganda theory.     

In the Wake of New Media: Connecting the Who with the How of Strategizing Communication

In this article we argue that although there has been an intensified exploration of how organizations strategize within the field of strategic communication, there seems to be a key component missing, namely questioning who these organizations are and become in the process of strategizing. Strategic communication implicitly, perhaps even unintentionally, continues to rely on a classical understanding of organizations as “social units (or human groupings) deliberately constructed and reconstructed to seek specific goals” (Etzioni, 1964, p. 3). Assuming rather than exploring who the organization is, we argue, hinders a full explanation of how strategic communication works. Aiming to tackle this issue, we first present three ways in which the classical understanding of organizations is being theoretically challenged by organization studies and empirically challenged by new media, arguing that organizations are networked, sociomaterial, and contingent processes of meaning formation. Then we examine how the reconceptualization of the organization influences the concept of strategic communication, advocating that strategies should be seen as collaborative and networked flows (the how) of shared decision making by both human and nonhuman actors (the who). Finally, we discuss how this affects the notion of strategic action, and hence, strategic communication, asking what strategic action is and who performs it.     

Strategic Communication through Social Media Influencers: Current State of Research and Desiderata

ABSTRACT

This article provides an overview of the current state of research in strategic influencer communication and highlights research desiderata. We conducted a systematic literature review of 39 peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2018. Using Lasswell’s transmission model of communication as an approach to systemize communication acts, we identified, systematized, and synthesized main findings from existing literature. The review reveals a rag rug of fragmented research questions, combined with a lack of theoretical integration and a widespread methodological monism. Moreover, questions related to the implications of influencer communication for strategic planning are understudied. Hence, more research is required to understand underlying cause-and-effect relations and managerial implementation of strategic influencer communication. In conclusion, we encourage researchers to investigate the concept of social media influencer communication from a strategic communication perspective, including applying multidisciplinary approaches and a broader range of empirical methods, which would foster a deeper understanding of strategic influencer communication.     

Grundlegungsfragen der Medienethik: Für die Rückgewinnung der Ethik durch die Kommunikationswissenschaft

Communication sciences, like all modern »empirical« sciences still seem committed to Max Webers postulation of »Wertfreiheit« — abstention from evaluative viewpoints — as the principle of all research. Philosophically regarded, their mode of reasoning is that of theoretical rationality, which reconstructs what is and how something functions. Thus they cannot lead substantiated moral discourses and are unable to build the foundations for media ethics. Even though some communication scientists try to do so, using the paradigms of radical constructivism and systems theory, their concepts of media ethics remain pragmatic (Jürgen Habermas) rather than become moral: functional normativity prevails over moral normativity. If this state of affairs is to be overcome, communication theory has to incorporate philosophical ethics: While the specific field of media communication can only be constituted as a scientific object by means of communication sciences and their rationality, the moral point of view and the ethical foundations must take to philosophical means and reasoning. Nowadays such a task can be fulfilled by reconstructing the principle of universalisation as the moral viewpoint and a concept of postsubstantial subjectivity. Using anthropological considerations, it is then possible to offer basic principles and maxims for media ethics as a human rights concept.     

Status of Image Management Research in Public Relations: A Cross-Discipline Content Analysis of Studies Published Between 1991 and 2011

This study reviews the status of image management research published in public relations-specific journals, as well as broader management, business, strategic communication, and communication journals, to extrapolate important trends for future research and practice. A content analysis of relevant research (n = 261) was conducted based on several criteria (area focus, application group, country of study, methodology, application of theory or conceptual framework, type of focus on image, communication type and medium). Findings suggest two considerations for the strategic communication of organizational image: 1) image as outcome, and 2) image as social influence in online communication.     

Qualität auf dem Anzeigenmarkt und ihre publizistischen Implikationen

In the field of communication and journalism, an old subject is revived: the criticism of advertisers’ influence on the content of print media. The assumption of such an influence — first claimed in articles by Karl Bücher from the twenties — is supported by hinting at the sources for publishers’ revenue, i.e. the dominance of revenue from advertising over that from paper or magazine sales, and also by the tougher competition. A susceptibility of publishing houses to yield to advertisers’ demands also when they concern news or editorial content is deduced from this. As a consequence, the product as traded among a market of readers is formed by the demands on a market of advertisers. This suggests negative consequences for the quality of a paper. At first, this article investigates quality criteria on the advertisers’ market and its interdependence with the readers’ market. Then it evaluates the (potential) consequences of advertisers’ influence on the media product. Finally, it presents an explicatory model of relevant mechanisms.     

Organizing and Disorganizing Strategic Communication: Discursive Institutional Change Dynamics in Two Communication Departments

This article explores the institutionalization of strategic communication as a dynamic interplay between macro- and mesolevel discourses. The change processes in the two cases of this study involved both a reorientation of the purpose of the communication function and a physical relocation of the professionals to a centralized department. In both organizations, the transformation toward a strategic management function failed and the communication professionals are now working in ways similar to those before the change was initiated. The analysis illustrates that the institutionalization of strategic communication is effected by organizational-level processes and mechanisms that are not always controlled by communication professionals. The institutionalization of strategic communication is bound by organizational discourses as well as by the actions of communication practitioners and general managers. The study also shows that macro- and mesolevel discourses influence the ways in which change initiatives are translated and strategic communication effected on an organizational level. Hence, institutionalization processes of strategic communication will comply with management trends but can change direction when these trends are challenged. Our results expose that new ideas or practices of strategic communication are translated discursively within organizations in processes of recontextualization, reinterpretation, and reframing. Consequently, new ideas and practices of strategic communication are adjusted to organizational discourses and organizational settings. The translation of a new idea or practice will therefore change the initial meaning of that same idea or practice. For that reason, institutionalization of strategic communication should not be reduced to a unidirectional process but conceptualized as a dynamic interplay between discourses on different levels that moves institutionalization in multiple directions.     

Social Media as a Communication Strategy: Content Analysis of Top Nonprofit Foundations’ Micro-blogs in China

As Web 2.0 has become a trend, an increasing number of nonprofit foundations in China have started to utilize social media for strategic communication. Based on a quantitative content analysis, this study examines how social media, more specifically Sina Weibo, was used by the top 300 nonprofit public-fundraising foundations in China to advance their missions. Message strategy and dialogic communication strategy used to build and maintain organization-public relationships were identified. The result shows that top nonprofit foundations in China mainly relied on Sina Weibo to disseminate information, promoting issues and activities as well as calling for help. Two-way communication process and dialogic loops between foundations and audience were revealed. Audio, video, emotional appeals, dialogic, and interactive features have not been fully utilized, although micro-blog posts with certain multimedia and dialogic/interactive features were significantly more likely to be commented, shared, and liked. The implications of the findings are discussed.