As media continues to evolve, social media has become even more integral to public relations activities, presenting new opportunities and challenges for practitioners. Relationships between publics and organizations continue to be first and foremost, but the process and possibilities for mutually beneficial relationships are being rewritten in situ. This volume aims to explore and understand highly engaged publics in a variety of social media contexts and across networks. The hope is the expansion and extension of public relations theories and models in this book helps move the discipline forward to keep up with the practice and the media environment. Contributors analyzed a range of organizations and industries, including corporate, entertainment, government, and political movements, to consider how public relations practitioners can facilitate ethical and effective communication between parties. A consistent thread was the need for organizations and practitioners to better understand the diverse backgrounds of publics, including age, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, beyond surface-level demographic stereotypes and assumptions. This book will be of interest to researchers, academics, and students in the field of public relations and communication, especially those with a particular interest in online engagement and social media as a PR tool.

Culture and Public Relations explores the impact of culture – societal and organizational – through the global lens of public relations. Structuring the volume around three themes -- culture as an environment for public relations; the culture of PR globally; and the impact of PR on culture -- the editors bring together compelling discussions on such questions as how spirituality, religion, and culture have affected public relations, and how public relations culture has been affected by the "corporate cultures" of business enterprises. Additionally, the volume provides studies on the effect of culture on public relations practice in specific countries. With contributors from Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, this collection offers international perspectives on a topic that is growing increasingly important in public relations study and practice. It is required reading for scholars, researchers, and students in public relations and also has much to offer the business discipline, for those seeking to integrate culture and communication to their practices.

Given the high rate of social media use by the public, organizations are compelled to engage with key audiences through these outlets. Social media engagement requires organizations to actively participate with public groups, and this highly-interactive exchange raises a new set of ethical concerns for communicators. In this rapidly changing communications environment, the long-term implications of social media are uncertain, and this book provides the much needed research to understand its impact on audiences and organizations. Through an examination of a broad range of ethics concepts including transparency and online identities, policies, corporate responsibility, and measurement, this book explores a variety of topics important to public relations such as diversity, non-profit communication, health communication, financial communication, public affairs, entertainment communication, environmental communication, crisis communication, and non-profit communication. The chapter authors, expert scholars within their fields of public relations, offer insights drawn from original research and case study examples of ethical dilemmas raised by social media communication.

African nations are seeking ways to build strong institutions that are development-oriented and people-centred. Extant literature has reported the negative consequences of ineffective government communications with the public. In response, this book — the first of a two-volume edited work — focuses on marketing communication themes related to branding, public relations, trade fairs and exhibitions, and public sector communications. Public sector marketing communication plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between society and the government. Building a relationship with the public through appropriate communication tools and platforms is sacrosanct to restoring public sector image and trust. The book supports this effort by sharing conceptual and theoretical research towards the marketisation of Africa’s public sector as it strives to become an effective partner with the public it serves. Together with the second volume, which focuses on traditional and digital perspectives, this collection fills an existing information gap that is evident in Africa’s public sector.

A comprehensive volume that offers the most current thinking on the practice and theory of engagement With contributions from an international panel of leaders representing diverse academic and professional fields The Handbook of Communication Engagement brings together in one volume writings on both the theory and practice of engagement in today’s organizations and societies. The expert contributors explore the philosophical, theoretical, and applied concepts of communication engagement as it pertains to building interaction and connections in a globalized, networked society. The Handbook of Communication Engagement is comprehensive in scope with case studies of engagement from various disciplines including public relations, marketing, advertising, employee relations, education, public diplomacy, and politics. The authors advance the current thinking in engagement theory, strategy, and practice and provide a review of foundational and emerging research in engagement topics. The Handbook of Communication Engagement is an important text that: Provides an overview of the foundations and philosophies of engagement Identifies the contexts of engagement relating to specific areas across government and corporations, including CSR, consumer, activism, diplomacy, digital, and social impact Includes examples of contemporary engagement practice Presents applications of engagement and technology Offers insights on the future directions of engagement The Handbook of Communication Engagement offers an essential reference for advanced undergraduate, graduate students, practitioners and scholars from communication, media, advertising, public relations, public policy, and public diplomacy areas. The volume contains a compendium of the writings on the most recent advances on the theory and practice of engagement. Winner of the 2018 PRIDE Award for Innovation, Development, and Educational Achievement from the Public Relations Division of the National Communication Association.

Social Media and Crisis Communication provides a unique and timely contribution to the field of crisis communication by addressing how social media are influencing the practice of crisis communication. The book, with a collection of chapters contributed by leading communication researchers, covers the current and emerging interplay of social media and crisis communication, recent theories and frameworks, overviews of dominant research streams, applications in specific crisis areas, and future directions. Both the theoretical and the practical are discussed, providing a volume that appeals to both academic-minded readers as well as professionals at the managerial, decision-making level. The audience includes public relations and corporate communication scholars, graduate students studying social media and crisis communication, researchers, crisis managers working in communication departments, and business leaders who make strategic business communication planning. No other volume has provided the overarching synthesis of information regarding the field of crisis communication and social media that this book contains. Incorporated in this volume is the recent Social-mediated Crisis Communication Model developed by the editors and their co-authors, which serves as a framework for crisis and issues management in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

This text offers a pathway to understanding and developing public relations campaigns and other types of strategic communication. The author presents a step-by-step unfolding of the strategic campaign process used in public relations practice. The text serves as a guide to field-tested procedures, offering practical insights that apply to public relations campaigns and case studies coursework.

The aviation industry faces an unprecedented challenge – the digital transformation revolution. While digital technologies promise immense benefits in terms of efficiency, safety, and passenger experience, they also bring forth intricate challenges. Navigating through complex regulatory frameworks and safeguarding against cybersecurity risks has become a paramount concern for aviation professionals and academics alike. The industry's future success hinges on its ability to adapt to this digital revolution while effectively managing the potential pitfalls it presents. Harnessing Digital Innovation for Air Transportation emerges as a timely and comprehensive solution for academic scholars in aviation management. It offers a profound exploration of how digital innovations are shaping various facets of aviation and provides in-depth strategies to address the challenges presented by this digital revolution. From understanding the impact of digital transformation to harnessing data analytics, managing safety, enhancing the passenger experience, and delving into emerging technologies, this book equips readers with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the digital age of aviation.