{"title":"Consumers’ Gendered Responses to Influencer Marketing: A Research Synthesis","authors":"N. Apostol","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.398","url":null,"abstract":"This review distills consumers’ responses to influencer advertising based on their gender. There is a growing literature on influencer marketing, but there is no systematization of the findings related to gender, although this variable is pivotal in shaping consumers’ attitudes. To cover this gap, a mapping literature review which uses a thematic approach was undertaken. The literature search in Scopus and Web of Science returned 18 studies published between 2011 and May 2022, which were eligible as they offer empirical confirmation regarding the gendered outcomes of influencer marketing. All studies focus on consumers with cisgender identities. Descriptive data concerning the main findings about gender, the proximal source, and product/service categories were extracted. The results are synthesized in factors associated with (i) female consumers, (ii) male consumers, and (iii) cross-gender patterns. They reveal the importance of gender congruity amongst female consumers and the link between a positive attitude towards the endorser and persuasive message receptivity. Male consumers’ responsiveness displays a less predictable sequence, as it is enhanced to a higher degree by the persuasive message per se. The findings suggest that in matters of susceptibility to influencer advertising, the gender difference hypothesis holds the upper hand by comparison to the gender convergence in regard to consumers’ attitudes.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"107 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138590640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Algorithmically Mediated Nostalgia through Recordings of Post-Communist Parties on TikTok and Instagram","authors":"Anca Țenea","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.400","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.400","url":null,"abstract":"Among numerous capabilities, social media platforms have also enabled users to remix and repurpose analog videos through their features. This remediated media is further propelled by the platforms’ algorithmic systems, thus enhancing their visibility among users who, as affective publics, can interact with it and further remediate it. This paper discusses how the nostalgic discourse takes shape on Instagram and TikTok around remediated analog videos of parties and celebrations during the 1990s in Romania and how the platform affordances and the algorithmic imaginary of the affective publics influence the nostalgic discourse. The exploratory study utilizes a mixed method – combining digital ethnography, discourse analysis, and digital humanities – the research identifies a double-folded nostalgia, which is impacted by the interplay between each platform’s specific affordances and the imagined rules and styles of the platforms, imagined by their users.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"27 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138591202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Book review The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict by Mark Leonard, Bantam Press, 2021, 240 pages","authors":"Cătălina Nastasiu","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.401","url":null,"abstract":"The book The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict by Mark Leonard, published in 2021, outlines one major thought: the context that offered us more connection, is the same that drove us apart, into an era of “unwar” and “unpeace”. As the author stresses, in this current state, connections that bound the world together are also driving it apart (p.11), leading to a blurred distinction between the notion of war or peace, while connections between people and countries are weaponized in various ways.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138592747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Discursive Construction of ‘Good Parenting’ by Romanian Parenting Influencers","authors":"Florența Toader","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.2.399","url":null,"abstract":"This article analyzes promotional and educational content published online by newly emerged parenting influencers in Romania to endorse parenting education programs, workshops, seminars, or books. The paper aims to investigate how these programs construct ‘good parenting’ practices at a discursive level, what (de)legitimation strategies they use to promote products or services, and how they shape power relations between experts and parents. The study uses a multidimensional thematic, critical, and pragmatic discourse analysis approach. The results show that, through discursive strategies, influencers portray ‘good parenting’ as an anxiety and value-driven process. This approach is rooted in a parental determinist view that emphasizes the influence of parental actions on children’s health and well-being. On the other hand, parenting expert influencers depict the ‘good parent’ as a ‘conscious parent’ (a parent that is both child-conscious, and attentive to their own needs and emotions) who should reform old parenting practices to ensure a secure relationship with their children and correct old parenting mistakes. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the changing nature of parental culture in post-industrial countries, with a particular focus on Romania.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138594279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Other Side of the Coin: An Analysis by Turkish Public Relations Professionals on the Qualifications of Public Relations Academics and Curricula","authors":"Burcu Oksuz, Tevhide Serra Gorpe","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.352","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to investigate the opinions and perceptions of senior Turkish public relations practitioners on the knowledge, skills, competencies, and personal attributes of public relations academics and public relations curriculums. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with public relations practitioners working in corporations or consultancies. Results show that the top knowledge areas for public relations practitioners include sociology, psychology, and communication, the most prominent skills include communication skills, IT skills, and visioning, the most important personal attributes include good image, sensitivity/humanity, and life-long learner, and the top competencies are performing and creating. Practical knowledge is as important as theoretical knowledge. Public relations professionals have respect for public relations academics, appreciate their input, but they suggest that the public relations curriculum should be improved and that the graduates should be better informed. This paper also reveals how a dialogue can be established between Turkish public relations academics and professionals. The collected data were analyzed under the guidance of Wengers’ communities of practice framework, and suggestions for forming communities of practice were proposed by taking the dimensions of events, leadership, connectivity, membership, learning projects, and artifacts into account. By providing data from Turkey, the findings of this work can help us improve industry–academia ties and subsequently contribute to the professionalization of public relations.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"92 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135722781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zafer Kuș, Michele Bertani, Loredana Ivan, Hilal Mert
{"title":"Developing a Digital and Traditional Political Participation (DTPP) Scale for Youth: A Validity and Reliability Study","authors":"Zafer Kuș, Michele Bertani, Loredana Ivan, Hilal Mert","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.351","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a political participation scale for youth, considering both traditional and digital political participation (DTPP). The research was conducted using 458 participants from Turkey, Italy, and Romania, aged between 15 and 29 years. Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed to test the structural validity of the scale. EFA results illustrated that scale consisted of three factors and the total variance was 61.23%. These factors were labeled as “digital political support”, “traditional political support” and “digital political following”. During confirmatory factor analysis, the three-factor structure was tested, and the resulting model produced an acceptable goodness of fit The scale consists of 39 items and the reliability coefficients for each subscale vary from .92 and .95. The results show that the scale is valid and reliable to measure traditional and digital political participation of young people.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80580273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Predictability: The Missing Variable in Public Relations","authors":"Douglas Wilbur","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2023.1.353","url":null,"abstract":"This study offers an initial and exploratory examination of the role that the variable of predictability plays in crisis management. Leveraging the situational crisis communication theory, it employed two separate but inter-related experiments. They examined how manipulations of the level of crisis predictability impacted a number of crucial variables important for crisis response. The findings strongly indicate that when a crisis is framed as having been predictable, it results in a host of negative consequences for the involved organizations and complicates the recovery process. When a crisis is framed as having been unpredictable, it results in positive benefits for the organizations involved. This study provides justification for future research exploring the role of predictability during a crisis.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81882811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surug Saleh Taher, T. Chan, Izzal Asnira Zolkepli, M. Sharipudin
{"title":"Mediating Role of Parasocial Relationships on Social Media Influencers' Reputation Signals and Purchase Intention of Beauty Products","authors":"Surug Saleh Taher, T. Chan, Izzal Asnira Zolkepli, M. Sharipudin","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.348","url":null,"abstract":"Social media influencer has become an important component of marketing communication. Hence, this research aims to determine the facets of social media influencers’ reputation signals (communication skills, influence, perceived authenticity, and perceived expertise) that contribute to the customers’ purchase intention of X beauty products, mediates by the parasocial relationship. The study applied the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model and used a survey design. The results showed that the communication skills and expertise of the social media influencers have a significant relationship with parasocial relationships, and the parasocial relationship has a significant relationship with purchase intention. In addition, the parasocial relationship was found to mediate the relationship between the expertise of social media influencers and purchase intention. The study provides valuable insights to public relations and marketing practitioners of the beauty industry to be used in building a successful social media marketing strategy.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"77 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86887002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicoleta Corbu, A. Bârgăoanu, Flavia Durach, Oana Ștefăniță
{"title":"Predictors of Engagement on Social Media and Instant Messaging Platforms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Romania","authors":"Nicoleta Corbu, A. Bârgăoanu, Flavia Durach, Oana Ștefăniță","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.346","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic raised important questions about news patterns of interaction on social network sites (SNS) and instant messaging platforms (IM), especially in the context of the massive replacement of face-to-face interactions with mediated interactions, due to the restrictive measures taken in many parts of the world. In this context, by means of a national survey conducted in Romania (N=1160), we investigated people’s willingness to engage on social media and instant messaging platforms about the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that people are eager to share information about the topic on both SNS and IM, less interested in getting involved in debates, and even less in voluntary work. All these behaviors are predicted by trust of SNS and news consumption on these platforms, perceived size of the personal digital network, belief in conspiracy theories about the virus, uncertainty about the impact of the crisis, and level of education.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82281565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Image Repair Strategies in Public Relations Crisis: A Case Study of Real Madrid’s Response Strategies to the Bernabeu Leaked Audio Scandal","authors":"Moeen Koa","doi":"10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2022.3.347","url":null,"abstract":"In July 2021, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez was in the midst of a controversial leaked audio crisis in which he heavily criticized some historical icons of the team, such as Iker Casillas, Raúl González, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luís Figo. The leaked audio clips by El Confidencial newspaper and secretly recorded ages ago by José Antonio Abellán ignited a firestorm of criticism that threatened Pérez’s reputation and integrity. Pérez offered an official statement to repair his damaged image. This article analyzes and evaluates his image repair messages, which relied heavily on reducing offensiveness. It seems that his defense helped to dispel the cloud surrounding him, as Figo accepted Pérez’s apology and adopted his point of view that the comments were taken out of context. Pérez succeeded in minimizing the event to the extent that the media shrank their discussion. He attempted to create new beliefs about El Confidencial and Abellán by attacking the accuser by undermining their credibility and honesty to diminish the attack. By employing the transcendence strategy, he tried to place the leaked audio clips issue in a broad context in a different frame of reference – the European Super League debate. Using transcendence and attacking the accuser helped Real Madrid frame the crisis in a way that backfired on the accuser. The findings of this study have significant implications for understanding how leaders at the helm of power of top sports clubs might communicate during a crisis and underscores the potential importance of image repair in sports organizations.","PeriodicalId":40874,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80433950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}