Perceived effects of emerging communication tools. A descriptive approach

Abstract

In this empirical research, perceived effects of a relevant group of new communication tools, with an increasing importance across all kind of organizations, are analyzed. Communication 360, viral communication, mobile communication, engagement marketing or experiential communication are among them, although a broader range of communication techniques have been included in this work. In order to identify the most relevant characteristics of communications effects, a qualitative stage was developed. In a second stage, a structured questionnaire was applied to 237 marketing and communication managers from a variety of industries. According to our empirical findings, there are three different dimensions. First, one of the main classification criteria is strategic oriented versus tactical oriented communication. Secondly, it appears an interesting dichotomy between awareness-oriented communication tools versus those ones focused on creating relations and behavior modification. The third dimension shows a subset of communication tools related to persuasion effects, versus other tools that could cause disorientation and confusion in the target audience.