Charmaine Du Plessis

Web-based communication: the need for more valuable on-line information

Abstract Numerous studies about the Internet have already been conducted or are in the process of being conducted. However, after several years there still is no clear understanding of what form Web-based or on-line communication should take to make it really valuable to the consumer. The contribution of this article is its attempt to address the current contents of Web-based communication and to provide some ideas with regard to the shortcomings in this regard. It addresses the impact of the Internet on the South African society, the Internet as a new communication medium as well as its effect on organisational communication. It also argues that an on-line presence is no longer enough and that online customers want more value in terms of their online experience. Although Web-based communication has become an integral part of many organisational practices, traditional communication channels or media will not necessarily become obsolete. The Internet is a new communication medium with much potential and ca...Abstract Numerous studies about the Internet have already been conducted or are in the process of being conducted. However, after several years there still is no clear understanding of what form Web-based or on-line communication should take to make it really valuable to the consumer. The contribution of this article is its attempt to address the current contents of Web-based communication and to provide some ideas with regard to the shortcomings in this regard. It addresses the impact of the Internet on the South African society, the Internet as a new communication medium as well as its effect on organisational communication. It also argues that an on-line presence is no longer enough and that online customers want more value in terms of their online experience. Although Web-based communication has become an integral part of many organisational practices, traditional communication channels or media will not necessarily become obsolete. The Internet is a new communication medium with much potential and can eliminate problems associated with traditional media and channels. Web-based communication has become a powerful new means of communication in South Africa. Information has become more accessible, more affordable as well as more manageable to both individuals and organisations and has in the process also empowered South African society with more knowledge. However, new technologies are not only concerned with the availability of new communication channels, but also with the development of new credible communication messages for successful communication. Web-based communication is a more complex task and requires a much more skillful approach to be successful than is the general belief among communication practitioners. After the initial rush to obtain an on-line organisational presence, organisations are currently concerned with the effective integration of the Internet into their traditional marketing communication mix. Marketers, public relations practitioners and advertisers today benefit from the advantages of Web-based communication in conjunction with traditional media. However, even though it is clear that the Internet has an impact on organisational communication (integration), it is less obvious what form on-line information should take to make it really valuable to the consumer.

Prosumer engagement through story-making in transmedia branding

This article pertains to prosumer engagement, an important topic in academic research on media consumption and branding. Increasingly, there have been calls in the branding literature for a more au...This article pertains to prosumer engagement, an important topic in academic research on media consumption and branding. Increasingly, there have been calls in the branding literature for a more audience-centred approach to making a deeper emotional connection with consumers in an age when interactive media have become imperative for communication. Prosumers, who both consume and produce media, have a different relationship with a brand to traditional consumers, as they are more actively involved in the brand’s story. The participatory nature of transmedia branding strengthens prosumer engagement through brand stories that enable an active contribution in an immersive story world. This article considers the rise in the use of transmedia story-making within the contemporary branding environment by proposing a framework for prosumer engagement in transmedia branding. Specifically, it examines how a leading transmedia brand, LEGO, has sought to engage prosumers in an active community using elements of this framework through an integrative, immersive and spreadable story.

Towards a more universal understanding of content marketing: the contribution of academic research

As a new marketing paradigm, the scholarly publications about content marketing have steadily increased since the first academic study in 2008. It is, however, still surpassed by the thousands of practitioner publications in the form of blogs, case studies, and industry publications. Varied perspectives and competing concepts about content marketing impede universal understanding and hinder future growth. Marketing scholars have only recently started to address content marketings definitional and conceptual issues and have thus far contributed very little to the continuous debate about this shift in marketing thought.