Information and knowledge management in organisations. KIMO

In the Information and knowledge management in organisations. KIMO research group we offer the following PhD place.

"Persuasive communication in the knowledge society"

Thesis supervisor: Prof. Ferran Lalueza

Description of the line of research
The knowledge society has altered the persuasive communication scenario immensely, affecting both advertising and public relations strategies. On the one hand, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) put within everybody's reach an enormous amount of information that was unimaginable some years ago, thus permitting each one of us to become emitters of our own content, favouring the creation of a network society where pluralism and transparency have stepped up considerably. On the other hand, organizations discover through ICT a new tool at service of persuasive communication but also new challenges to keep the effectiveness of their messages, avoiding that they go unnoticed in the endless information flow that is received permanently by their publics.

In this context, a doctorate student will research the way advertising and public relations are being transformed in order to adapt themselves to the new scenario. Viral marketing, dark websites for crisis communication, cyberactivism, advergaming, branded entertainment and intentional creation of virtual communities are just a few examples of these phenomena. His/Her research will also aim to establish if the theoretical background of persuasive communication is still reasonably valid for the current situation.

Academic profile
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in any Communication discipline (Advertising, Public Relations, Journalism...) or in Fine Arts and Design.