8,312 research outputs found
The multi-layered nature of the internet-based democratization of brand management
The evolution of the internet, including developments such as Web 2.0, has led to new relationship realities between organizations and their stakeholders. One manifestation of these complex new realities has been the emergence of an internet-based democratization of brand management. Research about this phenomenon has so far mainly focused on investigating just one or more individual themes and thereby disregarded the inherent multi-layered nature of the internet-based democratization of brand management as a holistic, socio-technological phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to address this limitation through an investigation of the various socio-technological democratization developments of the phenomenon. To achieve this aim, a balanced and stakeholder-oriented perspective on brand management has been adopted to conduct an integrative literature review. The review reveals three key developments, which together form the essential parts of the phenomenon: (I) the democratization of internet technology, (II) the democratization of information, and (III) the democratization of social capital. The insights gained help to clarify the basic structures of the multi-layered phenomenon. The findings contribute also to the substantiation of a call for a new brand management paradigm: one that takes not only company-initiated but also stakeholder-initiated brand management activities into accoun
Interactivity and Branding, public political communication as a marketing tool
Effective communication is essential for brands to gain awareness, interest and loyalty from their consumers; the same is as true for politics as for any manufacturer or service provider. The challenge for political parties and candidates seeking support or election is finding the means to transmit their messages to an increasingly hard to reach audience. The consumer within a political context may avoid hard news or broadcast political debate, discard any direct mail received and, when receiving glimpses of political communication, simple reject any political messages as spin and propaganda. In order that brand values are accepted and understood and accepted effective, unmediated communication is crucial and increasingly political communication strategists are turning to the Internet which can not only enable the reaching of a wider audience but can also complement and augment the brand character.
As new technologies are adopted, new modes of communication are also introduced. While a website can act as a shop front from which parties or candidates can advertise their policies and personnel, the style of the site (design, language and features) can act as metaphors for the professionalism and style of representation offered. To appear modern parties are increasingly adopting Web 2.0 tools, platforms and features. These all permit, to differing degrees, users to interact with parties and candidates and have conversations across online platforms. This interactivity can, if used strategically, be used as a tool for branding a party or candidate given that the uses of such tools can be metaphors for openness, accessibility and the representational character that may be provided post election. We explore this issue drawing on original empirical data gathered through analyses of online activities during the French and US presidential contests of 2007 and 2008 and of UK parties and MPs during 2008 and 2009. Through a process of creating narratives for each of the brands analysed, based upon a content and discourse analysis of the websites and other online presences, we identify what characteristics the online shop front is designed to project. These narratives, cumulatively, suggest that the online environment is becoming a key communicational tool for those who seek election, and potentially a key source of information for the voter; thus an important location to place strategic branded information. However it appears that interactivity is better suited to the activities of candidates, nationally or locally, due to the individualistic nature of conversational interactivity. Interactivity can thus have a significant role to play within a presidential contest where the individual is seeking office, but when representatives attempt to construct their individual brand it can also challenge traditional hierarchies within party based parliamentary systems such as the UK
Web 2.0 and destination marketing: current trends and future directions
Over the last decade, destination marketers and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) have increasingly invested in Web 2.0 technologies as a cost-effective means of promoting destinations online, in the face of drastic marketing budgets cuts. Recent scholarly and industry research has emphasized that Web 2.0 plays an increasing role in destination marketing. However, no comprehensive appraisal of this research area has been conducted so far. To address this gap, this study conducts a quantitative literature review to examine the extent to which Web 2.0 features in destination marketing research that was published until December 2019, by identifying research topics, gaps and future directions, and designing a theory-driven agenda for future research. The study’s findings indicate an increase in scholarly literature revolving around the adoption and use of Web 2.0 for destination marketing purposes. However, the emerging research field is fragmented in scope and displays several gaps. Most of the studies are descriptive in nature and a strong overarching conceptual framework that might help identify critical destination marketing problems linked to Web 2.0 technologies is missing
Rethinking the participatory web: A history of HotWired’s “new publishing paradigm,” 1994–1997
This article critically interrogates key assumptions in popular web discourse by revisiting an early example of web ‘participation.’ Against the claim that Web 2.0 technologies ushered in a new paradigm of participatory media, I turn to the history of HotWired, Wired magazine’s ambitious web-only publication launched in 1994. The case shows how debates about the value of amateur participation vis-à-vis editorial control have long been fundamental to the imagination of the web’s difference from existing media. It also demonstrates how participation may be conceptualized and designed in ways that extend (rather than oppose) 'old media' values like branding and a distinctive editorial voice. In this way, HotWired's history challenges the technology-centric change narrative underlying Web 2.0 in two ways: first, by revealing historical continuity in place of rupture, and, second, showing that 'participation' is not a uniform effect of technology, but rather something constructed within specific social, cultural and economic contexts
Instagram branding frame for Arctic artists and designers based on service design
In the remote Lapland region of Finland, Arctic artists and designers face challenges due to the limited local market and networking opportunities. This research leverages social media, notably Instagram, to boost their visibility and market presence.
Grounded in digital service design and participatory design, the study employed the Double Diamond model across three phases: Interview and landscape analysis, Generating Workshops, and Prototyping. Data sources included interviews, landscape analysis, participatory workshops, and service prototypes.
The data gathered shed light on Arctic artists and designers' motivations, challenges, and branding practices. It also yielded a frame with tailored 68 recommendations, covering themes, scheduling, content, and services. These recommendations facilitate branding, visibility, engagement, and efficiency
YouTube automobile branding: Success metrics in YouTube
The potential for marketing via YouTube grows each day, yet there is still much that is unknown about this new channel of digital media. YouTube reports that over 100 hours of video content are uploaded every minute and over 1 billion unique users visit the site every month (YouTube 20 15). This study investigates how the automobile industry uses YouTube to promote successful content. Specifically we apply the Aristotelian appeals persuasion theory (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) in understanding the relationship between video characteristics and ratings. We find that videos with Ethos and Pathos appeals have significant positive correlations with video ratings. The implications of this study are far reaching not only to help Auto Managers reach a larger audience, but also extend the research inquiry on persuasion theory and its applications to digital media. Keywords
Higher education stimulating creative enterprise
This report summarises the research undertaken by the Business & Community School at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), analysing ways that higher ediucation (HEIs) can support, and indeed stimulate, the creative economy. The research, in collaboration with the Arts University College Bournemouth (AUCB) and the University of Winchester, serves as a mere snapshot of the numerous ways that Universities engage with the diverse industries under the 'creative' nomenclature and of the very real and poistive ways that the higher education sector contributes to the growth of the creative economy in thhe UK
#ILoveMyJob: Drivers of Online Employer Brand Advocacy at a Multinational IT-Company
Objective of the Study
The objective of the study was to evaluate what drives employer brand advocacy online at the case company, a Nordic-based multinational IT-company. Operating in an industry where the competition for attracting and retaining top talent is fierce, the case company seeks to make use of its employees to spread the word of the company as a preferable place of work. The study sought answers to the main research question: What drives employer brand advocacy online at a multinational IT company? and three subsequent sub questions: (1) What themes relating to the employer brand of the employer are employees at the case company willing to advocate for? (2) Which factors act as limiting aspects for employer brand advocacy online? and (3) Which motivators support employer brand advocacy at the case company?
Methodology and Theoretical Framework
The study was conducted as a single case study, combining data from semi-structured interviews and online material gathered from employees’ Twitter feeds. Five employees in the case company’s B2B unit were interviewed, with online material gathered from four employees. The theoretical framework includes three levels: (1) thematical topic of advocacy content, (2) limiting factors for advocacy online, and (3) motivational factors behind advocacy.
Findings and Conclusions
The study resulted in three main findings: (1) employees are most inclined to advocate for interest aspects of the employer brands, and unwilling to advocate for economic aspects, (2) choice of channel is the main factor limiting advocacy, with Twitter and LinkedIn identified as the most suitable channels for employer brand advocacy content, with Facebook deemed unsuitable for the purpose, and (3) advocacy being motivated mainly by two factors: altruism and ability to show expertise. These findings suggest that employer brand advocacy in the context of the case company can be used to communicate about the employer brand, with focus on interest topics. Furthermore, advocacy can be facilitated by focusing on channels that support advocacy, and encouraging employees to advocate by appealing to their willingness to help the employer or their desire to build their personal brand as experts within the industry
- …