The document discusses the rise of social media and how it is ushering in a new communication culture. It outlines some key driving forces behind this change, including the shift to more open and participatory online communication tools. This is empowering recipients to become "investigative proponents" who actively seek, share and discuss information. As a result, communication management faces challenges in adapting to new rules and structures around authenticity, communities, and narrowcasting information.

1. The Social Web – Challenges for Communication Management Prof Dr Ansgar Zerfass, University of Leipzig, Germany Euroblog 2007 International Research Symposium Ghent, Belgium, March 16-17, 2007

2. Agenda Introduction Social web – heralding a new communication culture? _ Using structuration theory to analyse change _ Driving forces, rules and resources _ Recipients as „investigative proponents“ Challenges for communication management

3. Social Web – heralding a new communication culture? www.flickr.com/photos/59199819@N00/263834246/in/set-72157594317981825/

4. Do-it-yourself communication is booming More podcasts than radio channels worldwide: establishing a new media format faster than ever before in history

5. But the hype generated by media and agencies conceals relevance and productivity www.globalprblogweek.com/images/2005/tmurphy_pr_hype_cycle.gif

6. Agenda Introduction Social web – heralding a new communication culture? _ Using structuration theory to analyse change _ Driving forces, rules and resources _ Recipients as „investigative proponents“ Challenges for communication management

7. A new medium will never be able to substitute former ones The „Law of Riepl“ „ It is a kind of basic law within the development of communications that the most simple means and methods, once they have been habitualized and recognized as feasible, will never ever been displaced entirely and constantly by the most advanced and perfect media and fall into desuetude, but they will be obtained besides them, though they will have to look for new functions and applications.“ Wolfgang Riepl, Das Nachrichtenwesen des Altertums [Communications in old ages], Leipzig 1913

8. Change of media and communication culture as an interplay of action and structure (Giddens) Anthony Giddens, The Constitution of Society, Cambridge 1984 Structures (Rules and Ressources) Action enable and orientate reproduce and modify Time

9. Structures as rules and resources Rules of communication _ Modes of understanding: articulation, symbols, performance _ Modes of influencing: manipulation, instruction, promotion, negotiation, teaching, argumentation, …; discourse (meta-communication) Ansgar Zerfaß, Unternehmensführung und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, 2nd edition, Wiesbaden 2004, p. 169 ff. Resources for communication _ Material resources: means needed for production, transferring, mediating and reception of messages _ Autoritative resources: ability to communicate meaning and to receive information _ Cooperative competencies: needed to establish practices of communication within social relations » Analyzing drivers that influence those dimensions

10. Agenda Introduction Social web – heralding a new communication culture? _ Using structuration theory to analyse change _ Driving forces, rules and resources _ Recipients as „investigative proponents“ Challenges for communication management

11. Adjustment of rules and resources      Shift of autoritative resources and rules of communication Investigative Proponent Reader/User Recipients New modes of influence: online search routines; digital reputation Narrowsearch Broadcast Communication Autoritative resources by consumers and citizens grow (trust in „person like yourself“) Authenticity Lifestyle Values Cooperative competencies are rising: building identities using social networks and brands Communities Milieus Social life Material resources are widespread: Weblogs/ CMS, Broadband/Mobile, Digital Life Hardware Usability Performance Technology

12. Usability: „smart“ technologies are prevailing Offline und Online merge private data and movies stored on the web, software updates online, search engines combine desktop and internet Open technologies foster innovation Web service APIs, Ajax, RSS, … Social Software forces communication and collaboration Weblogs, wikis, podcasts, vodcasts, networking vommunities, virtual worlds (Second Life), social bookmarking, …

13. Communities: NGO campaigns and political programmes are organised using wikis

14. Authenticity – „persons like yourself“ are relevant for building trust and reputation Edelman Trust Barometer 2007, p. 9

15. Communication: new rules and structures of governance within the Google World Castells 2000; Castells 2001; Zerfass/Boelter 2005, pp. 81-91 Gutenberg Galaxy McLuhan Galaxy Internet Galaxy Google World Most important media channel Book Television Internet (Linear Applica-tions: Websites, E-Mail) Internet (Social Soft-ware: Weblogs, SearchEngines) Overcoming the barriers of … Space Time Sequentiality Linearity Kind of mediation Narrowspread Broadcast Narrowcast Narrowsearch Enabling … Mass communication Mass communication Mass comm., Personal comm. Mass comm., Personal comm. Gatekeeper – Journalists Online journalists Search engines, Bloggers Bottleneck Distribution Media agenda Attention Digital reputation Drivers of success Availability Coverage Credibility Authenticity

16. Agenda Introduction Social web – heralding a new communication culture? _ Using structuration theory to analyse change _ Driving forces, rules and resources _ Recipients as „investigative proponents“ Challenges for communication management

17. University of Leipzig, www.blogstudie2007.de – Q: „Why do you use blogs?“, n= 474, February 2007 » Blog-user are looking for new, fast and in-depth information Recipients: Why Internet trendsetters and heavy users use weblogs (in Germany)

18. » Writers of weblogs are extroverted, readers show consumer behavior Motivations of weblog writers and readers University of Leipzig, www.blogstudie2007.de, February 2007 Blogger (writers) Recipents (readers)

19. „ because I‘ve got something to say and I like to write“ „ to get rid anger of criticism“ „ to enlighten the people“ „ in order to influence others“ „ share ideas with others“ „ get in touch with friends“ „ getting acquainted with new people“ Active Consumers 22,8% Information seekers 18,9% Self promoters 17,7% Social Networkers 17,7% Knowledge junkies 23,7% „ reading something that won‘t be found in the media“ „ because traditional media don‘t live up to my needs“ „ because journalists lack expert knowledge“ „ getting news faster“ „ knowing the topics behind the news“ „ looking for product information“ „ giving recommendations, sharing tipps and tricks“ » The majority of weblog users ara investigative proponents – consumers who are well connected, like to know more and share information actively Typology of blog users in Germany University of Leipzig, www.blogstudie2007.de, February 2007

20. Shifts in recipient behaviour are relevant – because a new generation of „digital natives“ is growing up BBC/Reuters/Media Center Poll, Trust in the media, 2006, n= 10.230, worldwide

21. Young people are socialized as senders of mobile content, not as receivers of broadcast programmes Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest, JIM Jugendmedienstudie 2006, Nov. 2006 Internet activites and mobile phone equipment of 12 to 19 year-old people in Germany Full sample Girls Boys

22. Public Relations and marketing are still focussed on the old rules and resources Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest, JIM Jugendmedienstudie 2006, Nov. 2006 Media that 12 to 19-year old people in Germany won‘t miss at all Media usage Spendings (recipients) (industry)

23. Agenda Introduction Social web – heralding a new communication culture? _ Using structuration theory to analyse change _ Driving forces, rules and resources _ Recipients as „investigative proponents“ Challenges for communication management

24. Challenges for communication management Authentizität Libertarianism Globalisation Open Innovation Peering, Mass Collaboration Investigative Proponents Communities Usability Narrow- search Shaping new rules and resources Building digital competencies Facilitating conversations

25. Contact Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass Dipl.-Kfm., Dr. rer. pol. habil. Institute of Communication and Media Studies Department Communication Management and Public Relations University of Leipzig Burgstr. 21 D-04109 Leipzig, Germany Fon +49 341 97-35040 Fax +49 341 97-35049 E-Mail [email_address] Website www.communicationmanagement.de Universität Leipzig – Nr. 1 im Handelsblatt Karriere-Ranking der Medien-Studiengänge in Deutschland 2006