The far-right’s influence on Twitter during the 2018 Andalusian elections: an approach through political leaders

New technologies allow politicians to spread their messages omitting the role of mediators. In this context, the Internet has also promoted the emergence of a new actor, digital opinion leaders, who go beyond traditional politics and seek to set the public agenda. One of the main questions nowadays is whether social media, and in particular Twitter as a consolidated tool for political communication, is only used as a sounding board for their political statements, spurring the messages of populist forces. With this in mind, the main objective of this research is to explore the influence of the far-right in the public debate of political leaders on Twitter, analyzing the specific case of the Andalusian regional elections held in December 2018. These elections can be considered a political turning point, with an extreme right party winning seats in a Spanish regional election for the first time in 35 years. In this paper we analyze if Vox used a differentiated strategy via this social network compared to the candidates of the traditional parties: PSOE, PP, Ciudadanos, and Adelante Andalucía. Using content analysis on Twitter as a method, this research determines how Vox candidates worked as influencers of the digital political debate, despite being extra-parliamentary. Vox marked the agenda for the rest of the leaders, while generating great expectation among the audience

Informational Power on Twitter: A Mixed-methods Exploration of User Knowledge and Technological Discourse About Information Flows

Following a number of recent examples where social media users have been confronted by information flows that did not match their understandings of the platforms, there is a pressing need to examine public knowledge of information flows on these systems, to map how this knowledge lines up against the extant flows of these systems, and to explore the factors that contribute to the construction of knowledge about these systems. There is an immediacy to this issue because as social media sites become further entrenched as dominant vehicles for communication, knowledge about these technologies will play an ever increasing role in users’ abilities to gauge the risks for information disclosure, to understand and respond to global information flows, to make meaningful decisions about use and participation, and to be a part of conversations around how information flows in these spaces should be governed. Ultimately, knowledge about how information flows through these platforms helps shape users’ informational power. This dissertation responds to such a need by investigating the extant state of information flows on the popular social media platform “Twitter,” user knowledge about information flows on Twitter, and explores how Twitter, Inc.’s messaging to users may impact users’ knowledge construction. Through a mixed-method approach that includes a science and technology studies informed technical analysis of the Twitter platform, a quantitative analysis of survey data gathered from Twitter users and non-users which tested knowledge of different aspects of information flows on Twitter, and a critical discourse analysis of Twitter’s messaging to users in the new-user orientation process, this dissertation theorizes how junctures and disjunctures among the three can impact individual power. Findings of this project suggest that while many of the protocols and algorithmic functions associated with real-time information production and consumption on Twitter are well understood by users and are clearly articulated by Twitter, Inc., other aspects of information flows on the platform—such as the commodification of user-generated content, the long-term lifecycle of Tweets (such as the archival of Twitter by the Library of Congress), and the differential global flows of information—are not as well understood by users, nor explained in as much detail by Twitter, Inc. This dissertation describes the resulting state of users’ informational power as one of “information flow solipsism.

Does Campaigning on Social Media Make a Difference? Evidence from candidate use of Twitter during the 2015 and 2017 UK Elections

Social media are now a routine part of political campaigns all over the world. However, studies of the impact of campaigning on social platform have thus far been limited to cross-sectional datasets from one election period which are vulnerable to unobserved variable bias. Hence empirical evidence on the effectiveness of political social media activity is thin. We address this deficit by analysing a novel panel dataset of political Twitter activity in the 2015 and 2017 elections in the United Kingdom. We find that Twitter based campaigning does seem to help win votes, a finding which is consistent across a variety of different model specifications including a first difference regression. The impact of Twitter use is small in absolute terms, though comparable with that of campaign spending. Our data also support the idea that effects are mediated through other communication channels, hence challenging the relevance of engaging in an interactive fashion

An integrated model of social media brand engagement

Despite the increasing use of social media sites to engage consumers, the consumer brand engagement construct is still in its infancy. This study aims to contribute to existing social media research by proposing and empirically testing a model in which social media brand involvement and social media brand communication are the main precursors and brand relationship quality is a relevant outcome of social media brand engagement. The findings show that the influence of social media brand involvement on social media brand engagement is stronger than the influence of social media brand communication. The latter is due to the co-creation of users and firms. Furthermore, interaction and attention are the most relevant components of social media brand engagement, followed by enthusiasm, identification, and absorption. Social media brand engagement is a useful tool for companies to gain competitive advantages. Thus, the findings could help firms better manage their social media tools in the context of social media communication

All That Glitters is Gold: The Regulation of Hidden Advertisements and Undisclosed Sponsorships in the World of Beauty Social Media Influencers

What happens when a trusted acquaintance is caught lying? What if these lies have influenced your purchasing decisions? In the realm of social media influencers, the line between authentic opinions and sponsored advertisements is a blurred one. Influencers have considerable marketing power over millions of followers and their brand of authenticity makes them a desirable partner to big corporations seeking to promote their products. Under current FTC regulations, the simplified rule for advertisement disclosure is to make the disclosure “clear and conspicuous” with very little guidance beyond that phrase. Influencers are uncertain how to disclose, some choosing to toe the grey areas by hiding disclosures in a mass of text or discreet areas, and brands cast a blind eye to violations. The FTC’s lack of advertisement regulation and enforcement action against social media influencers, who expose consumers to hidden advertisements, enables unfair business practices. Brands savvy enough to utilize these unregulated influencers are able to sell their products to an audience who trust influencers because of their “authenticity.” This Note proposes a revamp of the current regulations to mirror the FTC’s German counterpart, the Landesmedienanstalten, with minor adjustments, to clearly guide influencers on how to disclose their hidden advertisements in a manner that is truly clear and conspicuous to consumers. Further, this Note suggests increasing penalties for influencers violating the regulations through enforcement actions, and promoting collaborative efforts with social media platforms to provide tools to properly disclose endorsements in addition to collaborative efforts with brands to notify influencers of the FTC regulations for endorsements

Stakeholder perspective to personal brand value in social media: turning the gaze from the self to the others

The objective of the study was to introduce the stakeholder perspective into the field of personal branding. The research problem was to find out, how the value of a personal brand is defined by its stakeholders. This problem was addressed from two research angles. First, the study was set to determine how the value of a personal brand is described by its stakeholders. Second, the study aimed to reveal how and why do the stakeholders participate in the value co-construction of personal brands in social media. The research was conducted using mixed methods. A quantitative online survey with open-ended questions was conducted to communication professionals in Finland, in order to get an overview of stakeholder perceptions of personal brand value within one professional field. Twitter accounts of the most valued personal brands, according to the survey, set the scene for the second research method, content analysis, revealing the various ways of stakeholder participation in value co-construction. The concept of social brand value (Dennhardt, 2014) was used as the theoretical lens to the analysis of the potential motives of individuals to participate in personal brand value co-construction. The study showed that stakeholder involvement has paramount importance for personal branding. Individuals assess the value of other people’s brands in terms of the brand authenticity, uniqueness and identification, communication, as well as on the basis of the perceived personal benefits. Individuals contribute to each other’s personal brands by participating in social interaction in various ways: both quantity and perceived quality of communication around personal brands seem to have a crucial effect on their perceived value. The personal brand owner has a special role in feeding and facilitating interaction, and thus, keeping the brand alive. The ongoing and active interaction provides the participants social brand value (identity value, communal value and informational value, Dennhardt, 2014) that serves their fundamental human needs and thus motivates them to engage in value exchange. The study introduces a paramount shift to personal branding, both as a field of research and practice. As an alternative to the individualistic, inside-out model dominant in the field, this study introduces an outside-in perspective, perceiving personal branding not only as output of but also as input for identity work and self-development. The study proposes that the success of personal branding is based on the individuals’ ability to deliver value primarily to others, and to evoke positive reactions among them. As a practical implication of the study, individuals need to acknowledge that personal branding is an on-going process of interaction, the effectiveness of which requires time and effort – not only in continuous self-development but also in compelling and credible communication

“Everyone in the realm has a voice”: Game of thrones, twitter and television fan engagement

With the broad adoption of Twitter and other social networks, the concept of social TV has sought to explain emerging viewing behaviours of active audiences to use social media alongside television to connect with like-minded fans and discuss televised content online. TV programmes on their part took the opportunity to engage fans in these online spaces to drive live viewing. This dissertation will examine how fan engagement practices are leveraged by the HBO series Game of Thrones on Twitter, raising the fundamental question of the nature of interaction between television professionals and viewers and whether Twitter indeed is the catalyst for discussion and open exchange the service likes to portray itself as. For this specific case study we combined both qualitative and quantitative methods and applied them to collected Twitter data, mainly focusing on a content analysis of transcribed tweets sent by the official Game of Thrones Twitter account between May 2014 and April 2015. Based on the results of this analysis, we argue that in the case of Game of Thrones meaningful exchange and engagement is kept at a minimum and Twitter’s potential is not fully exploited, but rather used as another one-to-many communication channel for promotion alongside others. For future research the question is raised whether other television programmes operate equally and whether Twitter as a medium might not be suited for extended discussion.Com a adoção generalizada do Twitter e de outras redes sociais, o conceito de Televisão Social veio explicar comportamentos de visualização de audiências ativas que utilizam as redes sociais, juntamente com a televisão, para que se faça uma ligação entre fãs com o mesmo tipo de gostos e discutam o conteúdo televisivo online. Os programas de televisão, por seu lado, retiram partido desta tendência e aproveitam a oportunidade de agarrar os fãs nos espaços online disponíveis, que proporcionam uma visualização em direto do programa de televisão. Esta dissertação vai analisar a forma como o compromisso dos fãs aumenta na série Guerra dos Tronos, da HBO, através do Twitter, levantando a questão fundamental da natureza da interação entre os profissionais de televisão e os telespectadores e a forma como o Twitter pode ser catalisador de discussão e partilha aberta, tal como o serviço gosta de se intitular. Para este estudo de caso específico combinámos ambos os métodos de análise qualitativa e quantitativa e aplicámos os mesmos aos dados recolhidos através do Twitter, focando a atenção, principalmente, na análise de conteúdo dos tweets transcritos que foram enviados pela conta oficial do Twitter da Guerra dos Tronos entre Maio 2014 e Abril 2015. Baseados nos resultados desta análise, argumentamos que, no caso da Guerra dos Tronos, o impacto da partilha e o compromisso é mínimo e o potencial do Twitter não é explorado ao máximo, mas sim utilizado como um canal de comunicação e promoção de um-para-muitos. Para investigação futura, a questão prendese com a forma similar como outros programas de televisão operam e até que ponto é que o Twitter, como meio de comunicação, pode não ser adequado a discussões prolongadas

The Activist Tale of Emergent Crowds & Mobilized Communities: Investigating the Interplay Between Consumer Activism & Consumer Collectives

Consumers are collaboratively and collectively engaging in activist performances in the marketplace to challenge market(er) hegemony and power. Facilitated and enabled by online technologies, consumer collectives are waging battles both behind and outside of the screen, but is the performance of activism from a collective perspective influenced by the nature of the collective itself? This dissertation explores the intersection and interplay between consumer activism and collectives by addressing the questions of how the nature of a primarily online consumer collective influences its performance of activism, and conversely, how the performance of activism influences the evolution of pre-existing collectives. Analyzing five activist campaign sites using a netnographic method, this dissertation proposes that two types of collectives, the Emergent Crowd and the Mobilized Community, differ significantly in terms of their identity work and leadership organization and structure. These differences impact the campaigning behaviors exhibited; knowledge, resources, and platforms used; and tactical choices developed and enacted that constitute the activist performances. Furthermore, Mobilized Communities are shown to experience relationship transformations within and external to the collective that impact both individual behavior and the collectives evolutionary trajectory. In particular, alliance formation efforts, particularly enabled by social media platforms, are examined and discussed, ranging from non-responders to collaborative partners. Conclusions for practical and research applications regarding the distinct performances of activism in light of the collective a company or cause encounters, including suggestions for managing and taking advantage of value-creating opportunities, are suggested and discussed

The Growing Use of Social Media in Political Campaigns: How to use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to Create an Effective Social Media Campaign

A political campaign is carefully crafted for each candidate, to address their constituency and present the candidate and party in the best possible way. After the creation of the United States suffrage was limited to land owning white men, these men were involved in politics by reading local newspapers and visiting the politicians face to face. However as we fast forward to the 1930’s President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the radio to connect with the American public, and then in 1960’s Nixon and Kennedy’s debate introduced the mass-produced version of face-to-face politics through televisions all over the country we begin our dissent into celebrity politics. This advance in technology has created a more opportunity for citizens to participate, as they learn more about each candidate and have easier access to the candidates themselves