74 research outputs found
Branding History at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
In October 2012, the Canadian Heritage Minister announced that the Canadian
Museum of Civilization, the countryâs largest and most popular museum, would be renamed
the Canadian Museum of History. In addition to the new name, three strategiesâa strategy
of engagement, a strategy of authority, and a strategy of expansionâwere elaborated by museum
and government officials as part of the transformation. We examine these three strategies
as an example of the Harper governmentâs attempt to âbrandâ Canadian identity and
history in its own image, arguing that the strategies were designed expressly to paper over
near-unilateral changes in the museumâs mandate and transformation. Ultimately, these
changes have problematic implications for the democratic management of cultural production
in Canada
Losing the media battle, waging the policy war: The pharmaceutical industryâs response to the access to medicines crisis in the Global South
This article sheds new light on the pharmaceutical industryâs response to the public relations crisis generated by the global civil society campaign for access to HIV/AIDS medicines since the early 2000s â one of the most contentious policy areas of global trade and health governance. Drawing on interviews with industry insiders, the article explores the industryâs communicative agency in both the media sphere and key sites of power, with a focus on the European Union (EU) policy sphere. The analysis shows that the industry has focused primarily on maintaining access to policymakers and sustaining elite consensus around the existing global intellectual property rights regime through political communication activities that largely bypass mediated public arenas â from strategically promoting its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and mobilizing third-party endorsement to direct lobbying. The article concludes by reflecting on the implications of the findings for critical investigations of the interplay between media and political power in relation to global economic governance
An Integrated Framework to Assess Greenwashing
In this paper we examine definitions of âgreenwashingâ and its different forms, developing a tool for assessing diverse âgreenâ claims made by various actors. Research shows that significant deception and misleading claims exist both in the regulated commercial sphere, as well as in the unregulated non-commercial sphere (e.g., governments, NGO partnerships, international pledges, etc.). Recently, serious concerns have been raised over rampant greenwashing, in particular with regard to rapidly emerging net zero commitments. The proposed framework we developed is the first actionable tool for analysing the quality and truthfulness of such claims. The framework has widespread and unique potential for highlighting efforts that seek to delay or distract real solutions that are urgently needed today to tackle multiple climate and environmental crises. In addition, we note how the framework may also assist in the development of practices and communication strategies that ultimately avoid greenwashing
Apprehending public relations as a promotional industry
This special issue examines the growing social and political importance of promotional activities and public relations. For decades, promotional tools have been deployed to foster the aims of various societal agencies, be they corporations, political actors, public institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or citizen movements. In todayâs turbulent political and media environments, promotional practices have become more inventive, coordinated and ubiquitous, crossing transnational borders and circulating across business, politics and social institutions. Public relations is an essential tool in the promotional mix and is increasingly a stand-alone strategy for organisations of all kinds to manage their visibility, legitimacy and relationships with stakeholders. However, its influence and power in the context of an increasingly promotional culture are under-researched. In this introduction, we set out the landscape of promotional culture in which public relations activity takes place and consider how existing research on promotional work may illuminate our knowledge of contemporary public relations work
Consultocracy and its discontents : A critical typology and a call for a research agenda
Peer reviewe
Re-branding Abu Dhabi: From oil giant to energy titan
This article presents a case study of Abu Dhabi\u27s \u27energy re-branding\u27 since 2005 when it declared its intention to transform itself from an oil exporter to a total energy giant that also embraces alternative (renewable and nuclear) energy. The first part of the article identifies the benefits of this policy for Abu Dhabi\u27s external diplomacy but argues that the real driver is the emirate\u27s domestic gas shortage and its effects on economic diversification and political legitimacy. The second part of the article discusses the motivations and interactions of local and foreign agents by focusing on the implementation of alternative energy platforms. It therefore provides a rare glimpse of the policy-making process in Abu Dhabi. The final part of the article examines the extent to which energy re-branding may be linked to a process by the government to reiterate, reinterpret and repudiate Emirati identity in order to enhance regime legitimacy in the twenty-first century. Š 2012 Macmillan Publishers Ltd
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