Strategic Communication Practice Research Articles

Influence of Strategic Customer Retention Practices on the Performance of Automotive Firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Purpose: The main focus of the study was to establish how strategic customer retention practices influences performance of automotive firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study specifically focused on establishing the influence of customer support programs, technological advancements, and strategic communication practices and customer’s motivation programs on performance of automotive firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Expectancy Theory, Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Communication Theory and Customer Service Theory. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive survey research design and targeted 18 franchised automotive firms registered by Kenya Motor Industry Association. The unit of observation comprised of employees in strategic, marketing and IT departments. A total of 80 respondents were involved in the study. Primary data was utilized in the study and was gathered through 5-point Likert scale structured questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted in analyzing the collected data. The statistics were generated by help of SPSS software and results presented in form of tables and figures. The study conducted a pilot test before the main study on two randomly selected automotive firms to assess the reliability and validity of questionnaires. Respondents involved in the pilot study was not be included in the main study. Findings: The study established that strategic customer retention practices accounts for 61.8% in variations of performance of automotive firms in Nairobi County. The study further established that strategic customer retention practices comprising of customer support programs, technological advancements, and strategic communication practices and customer’s motivation programs positively and significantly influences performance of the firm. This was depicted by beta values of 0.508, 0.324, 0.216, and 0.196 and significant values of 0.000, 0.000, 0.007, and 0.012. Unique Contribution to theory, Policy and Practice: The study concluded that enhancing the strategic customer retention practices leads to enhanced performance levels of the firms. The study provided recommendations to the management of the automotive firms to enhance aspects of customer support programs, technological advancements, and strategic communication practices and customer’s motivation programs since the practices leads to enhanced performance levels of the firms.

From “minimalists” to “professional all-rounders”: Typologizing Swiss universities’ communication practices and structures

Abstract In the past two decades, the public communication of universities has become more important and received increased scholarly attention. While many studies have focused on individual university communicators (micro level) or all such practitioners in one country (macro level), our study analyzes organizational differences. It is the first-ever study to typologize universities’ communication practices and structures at the organizational level across an entire country. Based on a survey of communication practitioners in the central communication offices at all universities in Switzerland and using hierarchical cluster analysis, we classify 37 universities into four types of communicating universities: minimalists, well-resourced competitors, specialized strategists, and professional all-rounders. Those types are further characterized on the basis of official statistics. The analysis shows that the four types of universities differ considerably in their communication patterns and organizational characteristics and that the amount of resources available for communication is only loosely coupled with professional and strategic communication practices.

Automated Communication’s Impact on Strategic Communication: Implications from a Systematic Review

ABSTRACT The trend of automation, artificial intelligence, and algorithms has taken hold of strategic communication research and practice. While research on specific automated communication phenomena, such as AI influencers and chatbots, is steadily increasing in fields such as marketing and journalism, its implications for strategic communication have not yet been addressed. To offer a comprehensive overview, a systematic review of 76 articles was conducted to study the conceptualisations, methods, and normative reflections of automated communication across different social science disciplines. Findings show that automated communication has been studied in various contexts, though rarely in strategic communication. Clear and consistent terminology is often lacking and various conceptualisations for sub-phenomena, if present at all, are put forward; automated communication as an overall phenomenon has not yet been defined. Moreover, a plethora of theoretical and methodological approaches have been used, pointing to a lack of coherent knowledge. Thus, current research on automated communication is fragmented and misses a unified understanding of the phenomenon. As a remedy, this study (1) provides a typology of automated communication, (2) proposes a definition of the concept, and (3) discusses its implications for strategic communication research and practice including a research agenda.

Understanding tensions in strategic communication practices: a strategy-as-practice study of the music industry

PurposeIn this study, we applied the strategy-as-practice (SAP) framework to analyse strategic communication practices. SAP implies approaching strategy as something that organisational members do and is useful for understanding the tensions between emergence and formalisation and between planning and improvisation that characterise the everyday communication work of communication practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an ethnographic study of a record company and on qualitative interviews with various actors from the music industry.FindingsTensions exist between the emergence of inputs from active consumers that require flexibility and attempts to strategically formalise and continuously adapt plans and encourage consumers to act in anticipated ways. The findings revealed five strategic communication practices—meetings, working in the office, gathering and analysing consumer engagement and related data, collaboration and storytelling—that practitioners used to conduct strategic communication and navigate the tensions.Originality/valueThe study contributes to understanding the role of strategic communication practices in contemporary organisations and how practitioners manage the tensions within them. The study shows that an SAP approach can account for improvisation and emergence, as well as planning and formalisation. It also shows how SAP resonates with emergent and agile strategic communication frameworks.

Organized complexity of CSA communication strategy

PurposeBased on Lasswell’s communication model, this study investigates how four categories of factors (i.e. the source, content, medium and receiver) conjointly affect the relational, financial and social outcomes (i.e. what effect) of CSA communication.Design/methodology/approachWith a survey (N = 366), this study found configurations of core CSA communication factors leading to three different CSA communication outcomes.FindingsWhile this study found multiways to yield three different CSA outcomes, combinational logic indicated the combined effects from source, content, medium and receiver. With content and medium, individuals’ connectedness (receiver) to a CSA issue is a core factor leading to a high level of purchase intention and issue advocacy. This study also found that message strategies (i.e. informativeness, factual tone, no promotional tone) are core factors leading to a high level of trust and issue advocacy.Practical implicationsWith the theoretical guidance, this research contributes to strategic communication practice for various entities involved in advocacy communication by enabling an improved understanding of advocacy communication factors and triggering different communication outcomes.Originality/valueAs CSA communication involves multiple strategies, conventional research agenda focusing on correlational and path analysis approaches provide limited understanding of communication practice. To fill this void, this study adopts a configurational approach to understand current CSA communication practices holistically.

Predicting Public Cooperation with Face Covering at the Early Phases of COVID-19: Building Public Trust, Confidence, Knowledge Through Governmental Two-Way Symmetrical Communication

ABSTRACT Despite the agreement on the importance of two-way communication during governmental response to pandemics, few studies provided empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of such communication strategy in times of a public health crisis. Integrating the concept of two-way symmetrical communication and the Trust, Confidence, and Cooperation model (the TCC model), this study investigates how strategic communication practices, in particular two-way symmetrical communication, is related to public’s perceived trust and confidence in governments (i.e., CDC in this study), and how these perceptions may affect decisions to comply with the preventive behaviors (i.e., face covering in this study), while taking the moderating role of knowledge into consideration. An online survey was conducted with 502 participants who were living in the United States in early April 2020. The findings showed that two-way symmetrical communication may increase public trust and confidence in governments, and improve individuals’ knowledge about the pandemic, which all subsequently leads to compliance with recommended behaviors. The results contribute to the theoretical understanding of pandemic communication and provide implications for practitioners in pandemic management, suggesting that health institutions should adopt two-way symmetrical communication practices in respond to public health emergencies.

Persuasive Language Strategies Utilised by the Student Representative Council in Fundraising for Programs

Student Representative Councils (SRC) have an important role to play in fundraising and supporting a variety of student programs and initiatives. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these efforts can often live or die based on how well communication strategies are implemented. The attention of this study is relied on the persuasive language strategies used by SRC in their fundraising communications. Utilizing Aristotle’s model for rhetoric that includes ethos, pathos, and logos the research seeks to determine how these tactics are integrated and ultimately effect fundraising success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three student representatives, aged between 18 and 21 years old prior to data collection who all hold positions within high office elected through a campus wide council common themes and patterns were identified through cross-case coding, these data are presented in the study. The results suggest that SRCs favor often combining their communications using a mix of credibility (ethos), emotional appeal (pathos), and logical arguments(logos). Keeping your donors up-to-date, personally connecting with them and being more transparent were identified to help in increasing credibility and trust. Such personal emotional stories and images produced advocacy change where data driven evidence-based arguments did not, we also developed a logic model different logs for each department as well budgets which now explain our work in ways that will compel you to donate. One speaks to the literature by illustrating how strategic communication practices are relevant in educational fundraising. Suggesting tangible modifications for SRCs to enhance their persuasiveness, both influencing more effective fundraising results. The scope of future research might be widened by investigating a larger sample and involving multiple institutions as well, to enhance the generalizability. Within this context, the research evidences of importance that persuasive language plays in propelling donors to provide needed financial support towards student activities-an understanding likely beneficial for more successful fundraisers among other collegiate groups.

Strategic measurement and evaluation of municipal social media: insight from front-line personnel in the United States

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how a sample of US municipalities use social media for strategic communication, focusing on efforts to effectively measure and evaluate that communication. Research questions focus on measurement and evaluation practices, as well as the motivations and impacts associated with these practices.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with 12 municipal government personnel responsible for social media communication. The self-selected participants represent 10 states and all US Census regions. Data was content analyzed and categorized according to four research questions, with emergent themes described.FindingsThe results show a diverse set of approaches and motivations, with surface-level measurement and evaluation methods. Initial efforts at more ad hoc use of social media are moving toward more deliberate strategies, but limited resources inhibit progress for some municipalities.Originality/valueFew studies exist which explore how US municipalities formally measure and evaluate their social media activities as part of their overall strategic communication efforts. This study adds to the existing literature by providing insight into the measurement and evaluation practices that municipalities use to assess their social media communication. The study also provides a basis for larger and deeper investigations of municipal strategic communication practices related to measurement and evaluation.

Understanding Who is Blamed for COVID-19: Dynamics of Conspiratorial Beliefs, Blame Attribution, Perceived Economic Threat, and Consumer Ethnocentrism

ABSTRACT This study investigates individuals’ conspiratorial beliefs about China’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on their attitudes toward China. While many conspiracy theories about China had been propagated on both traditional and social media, little is known about how this affected individuals’ views on China’s responsibility in the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of such views. An online survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 521 Australian citizens in October 2021. The findings showed that individuals who believed in conspiracy theories regarding China’s role in causing the COVID-19 pandemic (a) attributed blame to China, (b) perceived China as an economic threat to Australia, and (c) exhibited stronger preferences for Australian products over Chinese products. This study will contribute to strategic communication scholarship and practice with key insights into how and why specific groups of individuals develop or adopt conspiratorial beliefs during a crisis.

The Role of Instagram as a Promotional Media in Bananakong Blitar Food Product Sales

The presence of social media has now changed the way a person thinks and acts in everyday life. Social media can be used for broader, strategic and interactive two-way communication practices. In this modern era, each of us has our own social media such as; facebook, instagram, whatsapp, twitter, and others. With social media, we get carried away by trends that make us who we are. The problem with this research is that there are many culinary business competitors, especially processed food products from bananas in Blitar City due to the development of viral banana processed food businesses, making culinary business people open these businesses to meet their needs. This is worth researching because with many competitors, it can cause a decrease in sales turnover. So a strategy is needed to increase sales turnover, namely by creating new products that are attractive and meet consumer needs and we all know that the role of marketing, especially now in the digital era, will have an influence. One way is to use an Instagram account. The role of Instagram is very important for new business people and old business people, because promotion via Instagram is better known to a wider audience. The problem formulation is what is the role of Instagram as a promotional medium for the sale of Blitar bananakong food products. This research aims to analyze the role of Instagram as a promotional media for the sale of Blitar bananakong food products.
 In this study using a qualitative descriptive method and using a purposive sampling technique in collecting informants. Data collection uses the following techniques: 1) Observation, 2) Interview, 3) Documentation. The results of this research are the role of Instagram as a promotional medium for the sale of Blitar bananakong food products, that the Instagram application has a very important role in an online business/business to promote and advertise the products or services being sold to customers and potential customers to buy products or services. which is offered. Customers will inform family or relatives about bananakong products and provide testimonials regarding taste, variants and prices and ensure that Blitar bananakong products are really delicious and have a distinctive taste. Postings on the Blitar bananakong Instagram account can attract customers' buying interest because every post about the Blitar bananakong menu variant really makes customers tempted to try and buy Blitar bananakong products. However, the Instagram application sometimes experiences problems such as the network and application not responding/lag. Therefore, the owner overcomes problems like this by deleting the cache and waiting a few minutes so he can use the Instagram application again.

Cultural Harmony in Motion: Revealing the Communication Prowess of Saung Angklung Udjo Community in Enriching Local Traditions

The research explores Saung Angklung Udjo's strategic communication practices, highlighting their successful preservation and promotion of traditional Indonesian culture in the digital age. Aligned with Machfoedz's communication principles, Saung Angklung Udjo crafts a dynamic strategy merging cultural preservation with modern marketing techniques. The study underscores the significance of Saung Angklung Udjo's strategy, harmonizing content and form to engage diverse audiences. Kang Puji Yanandra's insights reveal a meticulous process emphasizing clear objectives, target markets, and tailored messaging. Saung Angklung Udjo's storytelling coupled with diverse media platforms practically translates theoretical principles. Furthermore, the research underscores Saung Angklung Udjo's adeptness in addressing consumer needs through precise information communication. Merging emotional appeal and factual data, Saung Angklung Udjo effectively conveys cultural significance, creating a meaningful connection between audience and heritage. The creative strategy and media selection exemplify Machfoedz's theories, creatively engaging audiences and countering cultural appropriation. The @InfoWisataBandung Instagram case study showcases the synergy of traditional and digital channels in reinforcing the cultural message. Beyond Saung Angklung Udjo, the study offers a model for cultural communities to safeguard heritage and engage wider audiences. By merging traditional and contemporary communication, Saung Angklung Udjo demonstrates the power of strategic communication in preserving cultural identity. Amid evolving digital landscapes, their success illustrates effective communication's potential in celebrating and sustaining cultural heritage.

Navigating moral minefields in a VUCA world: the contribution of moral foundations theory to strategic communication research and practice

PurposeIn today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, organizations deal with fragmented publics in contested public spheres. At the core, public opinion is not so much divided by issues per se but by deeply rooted moral concerns. Hence, while normative perspectives on morality prevail in strategic communication research, understanding the moral motives of stakeholders and publics from a descriptive standpoint becomes vital. In this light, the present conceptual paper discusses the implications of moral foundations theory (MFT), as an influential evolutionary-anthropological approach to morality, for strategic communication research and practice.Design/methodology/approachAdopting micro-, meso- and macro-perspectives, MFT's potential contribution to strategic communication research is explored regarding three foci: (1) moral framing, (2) narratives and (3) public discourse dynamics.FindingsThe paper concludes that frames and more complex narratives in strategic communication allude to MFT's five foundations – care, fairness, loyalty, authority and purity – in diverse ways and are given different readings by stakeholders and publics. Building on MFT, novel empirical tools are available to access and understand the complex web of moral meaning infused in public discourses.Originality/valueFor the first time, MFT is discussed systematically and in detail in the context of strategic communication research. The theory contributes to deepening the understanding of the conditions, e.g. for issues management and strategic mobilization. On broader view, this paper adds to the discussion on evolutionary perspectives in strategic communication research.

Non-traditional Diplomacy and the Construction of China-Arab Community With a Shared Future

Abstract Compared with the traditional diplomacy based on the behavior of national leaders and professional diplomats, non-traditional diplomacy relies on more diverse actors such as political officials, well-known scholars, academic institutions, business elites, ethnic groups, and media organizations to carry out strategic communication, policy interpretation, agenda setting and other practices with the people of other countries, so as to achieve the purpose of guiding public opinion and influencing government decision-making. During the development of relations between China and Arab countries, non-traditional diplomatic practices carried out in the form of government public relations, international communication, people-to-people exchanges, cultural and educational exchanges, which has effectively promoted policy communication, people-to-people and conceptual exchanges between China and Arab states. With the continuous deepening of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, non-traditional diplomacy will play a positive role in enhancing political trust, promoting economic and trade benefits, and fostering mutual appreciation of civilization, to expand the practical path, innovate the institutional mechanism and consolidate the foundation of public opinion for the construction of China-Arab community with a shared future.

Holistic understanding of individuals’ prosocial behaviors: A configurational approach

This study examined individuals’ prosocial behaviors by integrating two theories (STOPS: situational theory of problem solving and AAM: anger activism model). To explicate the causal relationship between individuals’ perceptual, cognitive, and emotional factors and prosocial behaviors adoption, this study used a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). With a survey (N = 312) of individuals who participated in certain types of prosocial behaviors between 2020 and 2021, this study found configurations of core antecedent factors leading to different types of prosocial behaviors. The findings from this study complement the limitations of each theory on its own and contribute to strategic communication practice for nonprofit organizations or other entities involved in encouraging prosocial behaviors.

Digital performance at the side stage: the communicative practices of classical musicians and music hobbyists on Instagram

ABSTRACT This paper examines musically active individuals’ communication work online as part of post-professional platformized cultural production, inquiring into classical musicians’ and music hobbyists’ strategic communication practices on the visual mobile app Instagram. The sample consists of pianists’, violinists’ and cellists’ (N = 269) personal but public Instagram accounts. Described as unpaid, visibility, relational and aspirational labour, professionals, amateurs and individuals between these poles are making use of the platform’s communication possibilities to share their musical lives. A thematic analysis of the profile strategies focused on the communicators’ institutional roles, account strategies and platform-specific formats indicated that musicians communicate on Instagram in different professional positionings that imply different communicative strategies, while the platform-specific formats used in communication are rather the same across categories. The uses can be characterized as a virtual ‘side stage’ – a staged and mediated space that differs from the public frontstage and private backstage.

A call for reconfiguring evaluation models, pedagogy, and practice: Beyond reporting media-centric outputs and fake impact scores

Evaluation is an essential part of strategic communication practices including public relations and corporate, government, and organizational communication. Evaluation can potentially demonstrate effectiveness and value, facilitate learning to improve practice, and provide insights to inform future strategy. In the age of digitalization of media and information, there are more readily available data to enable evaluation than ever before. However, despite half a century of theorizing and discussing measurement and evaluation (M&E), literature reports “stasis” and a “deadlock” well into the 21st century In some cases, invalid practices such as advertising value equivalents (AVEs) continue to be used. Furthermore, when M&E collectively is part of communication practice, evidence shows that reports continue to focus on outputs and algorithm-generated fake impact scores, rather than genuine outcomes and impact. Despite the body of literature on M&E, it is clear that more needs to be said – and done. This discussion calls for reconfiguring common evaluation models to overcome false logics and for a reconfiguring and broadening of pedagogy and practice to break the deadlock and realize the benefits of evaluation.

Strategic Leadership Practices and Sustainable Performance of Private Primary Schools in Turbo Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Purpose: This study sought to establish the influence of strategic leadership practices on sustainable performance of private primary schools in Turbo Sub County, Kenya. The study specifically aimed at establishing the influence of Strategic direction practices, human capital development practices, ethical leadership practices and Strategic communication practices on sustainable performance private primary schools in Turbo Sub County. The study was guided by the following theories; System Theory, Human Capital Theory, Path Goal Leadership Theory and Communication Theory.
 Methodology: This study used descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised of 93 private primary schools in Turbo Sub County, Uasin Gishu County. The unit of observation was both head teachers and senior teachers. All head teachers and one senior teacher from each primary school were targeted in the study making a total of 186 respondents. Research instruments used in this study was questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics included percentages, frequencies, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics comprising of correlations and regression were applied in assessing the relationship between the study variables.
 Findings: The study established that Strategic direction practices, Human Capital Development Practices, Ethical Leadership Practices and Strategic Communication bears a positive and significant influence on sustainable performance of private primary schools in Turbo Sub County, Kenya. This is shown by respective beta values of 0.296, 0.534, 0.628 and 0.335 and respective significant values of 0.003, 0, 0 and 0.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The findings led to conclusions that Strategic direction practices, Human Capital Development Practices, Ethical Leadership Practices and Strategic Communication influences sustainable performance of private primary schools in Turbo Sub County to positive and significant level. The study recommended the management of private primary schools in the Sub County to enhance practices surrounding Strategic direction, Human Capital Development, Ethical Leadership and Communication since the practices results into improved sustainable performances.

Applying Signaling Theory to Examine Credibility and Impression Management on Social Media

This study adapts and extends signaling theory to examine perceptions of credibility, gender, homophily, and impression management on social media. Specifically, the influence of different signal types – conventional, assessment, and strategic signals. A 2x3 experimental design was conducted to examine the effect of source gender and signal type on receiver perceptions of source and message credibility, homophily, and impressions of the source. Findings confirm that different signal types affect the perception of message and source credibility on social media. Concepts of gender and homophily were not impacted by signal types in this research. With the increase of image-oriented social media such as Instagram, these results demonstrate the sender's role in the person perception process. The role of signaling theory for strategic communication practices is addressed, and future theoretical directions are considered.

‘Healthy Publics’ and the pedagogy of It’s a Sin

The UK television series It’ s a Sin (2021) emerged alongside ongoing cultural projects that re-script acquired immunodeficiency syndrome crisis narratives and contribute to a broader ‘post-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ media culture. In this Cultural Commons piece, we consider how community health promoters have adapted the imagery from It’ s a Sin to create new human immunodeficiency virus educational materials. We situate these media practices in relation to an ongoing practice to think about the ‘end of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ through strategic health communication practices and question the cultural significance of adapting It’ s a Sin for health advocacy initiatives. We argue that more attention needs to be paid to the exchanges between popular culture and health promotion imagery. Critical health and media scholars should develop more complex cultural health criticism to capture the exchanges between health promotion and melodrama, to create accountability and avoid re-scripting normative perspectives of health and illness within post-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome media.

Examining the prominence and congruence of organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in medical tourism provider websites

PurposeThis study examines the prominence and congruence or “fit” between corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and medical tourism providers (MTPs). In doing so, this study seeks to understand the forms of CSR commonly used in the marketing of health-care services by international MTPs.Design/methodology/approachExploratory quantitative content analysis methods are used to examine CSR communication provided by MTPs. Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance are used to analyze the data.FindingsResults show that 22% of MTP websites provided CSR information. There was a high degree of congruence or “fit” between the MTPs and the CSR. Furthermore, each MTP averaged between three and six CSR engagements demonstrating a commitment to not only the practice of CSR but also the stakeholders and communities who benefit.Research limitations/implicationsThis analysis focused on organizational websites and did not examine CSR communications delivered through alternative media channels (e.g. digital platforms, promotional brochures, print advertising, etc.).Practical implicationsThis study adds to the CSR framework in the medical tourism context by discovering what forms of CSR are commonly used in the marketing and promotion of international health services and further analyzes the strategic communication techniques used to deliver these messages.Social implicationsCSR is argued to have direct impacts on employee satisfaction, investor relations and consumer behavior; therefore, current findings may contribute to the development of measurement tools for empirical studies that test relationships between the persuasiveness of CSR messages on the attitudes of medical tourists.Originality/valueResearch inquiries into the CSR strategic communication practices help to identify strengths and opportunities, while informing reputation management and relationship-building practices.