Introduction
The birth of the World Wide Web began in 1995 when there were only 16 million internet users. Over time, the number of users grew to 400 million in 2001 and continues to increase today (Castells, 2002). The internet has revolutionized how people interact with each other, share information, entertain themselves, and stay updated on current events. It has also become an essential tool for businesses to promote their products and introduce new technologies without spending a fortune on advertising (Castells, 2002). This strategy has proven successful for many companies. Additionally, some use the internet as a platform for press releases in the form of news or statements. Technological advancements like the internet have transformed public relations by eliminating the need for face-to-face interaction with clients and customers (Huberman, 2001).
Online Public Relations
Online public relations are more than just press releases. They can be handled by advertising companies, individuals, or agents working to promote a certain product. A successful PR campaign is properly outlined and skillfully executed from a great idea. Online PR is usually advertised through the creation of homepages or websites that contain company profiles, news articles, blogs, discussion boards, and information about the company’s social responsibility. Some successful PR campaigns include homepages where products are advertised not only for the benefit of the company but also to help individuals or communities access the website or use the promoted product.
Websites and homepages are online vehicles for delivering messages to the public in a faster way. Companies use them because they reach a wider audience and are cost-effective. Instead of publishing many releases and distributing them to different media outlets, it is much cheaper to post news and other updates on the internet.
The website chosen for evaluation using online PR techniques is www.campaignforrealbeauty.com, which belongs to the Dove Company. The website covers various topics related to the company’s products. The splash page of the site does not reveal its purpose until you choose your country. However, the layout of the site is simple and easy to navigate, making it effortless for anyone who opens it. In terms of content, the website offers different topics that are helpful to readers and divided into two groups: girls and adult women. Girls can find different tips, discussion boards for their problems and solutions on this platform.
The website not only promotes Dove’s products but also positions itself as a responsible company promoting real beauty.
Dove utilized online PR techniques that aligned with the company’s objective of promoting real beauty, regardless of ethnicity, race, or color.
One of the techniques used by Dove is Product” advertising. This type of advertising provides a well-designed layout with pictures that stimulate both the mind and eyes of the audience. The technique conveys ideas to the audience about how good the product is and how it can enhance one’s personality, based on input from loyal users whose testimonies are also provided on the website.
The Dove website effectively conveys ideas through the use of pictures and graphics. The splash page is particularly impactful, featuring a diverse group of women of different races and ethnicities. This diversity is reflective of the various countries that the audience can explore on the site. As visitors navigate through the site, they are introduced to Dove’s products and how they can be used to attain beauty. What sets Dove’s advertising apart from others is its believability, achieved through real-life confessions and statements from readers about how using these products has changed their perception of beauty.
Discussion boards, letters to editors, and blogs are also valuable tools for communicating issues affecting girls and women. Thanks to this open communication, users can choose which products work best for them personally, repeatedly use them over time, and even recommend them to friends, neighbors or colleagues.
Another technique employed by Dove is the act of selling” the company. This technique can be linked to product advertising, but most researchers believe it goes beyond just products. It involves selling the company itself to the audience, customers or clients. This technique typically employs a memorable slogan that customers can recall whenever they purchase products.
Dove used to advertise its product with the by-line Dove Self-esteem Fund.” It is the social responsibility of the company to give back what is due to their audience by creating a fund that will help women achieve real beauty. Through this campaign, not only women but also Dove’s users can remember the company. The Campaign for Real Beauty not only boosts sales but also enhances Dove’s reputation.
Communication Theories (Defining Communication Theories, 2001)
The internet has opened new doors for communicating ideas to audiences. Communication theories can be identified in Dove Company’s campaign site, including Coordinated Management of Meaning, Cultivation Analysis, Cultural Studies, Face-Negotiation Theory, The Narrative Paradigm, Rhetoric, Symbolic Interaction, and Uses and Gratifications.
Coordinated Management of Meaning. The campaign website clearly conveyed to the audience that it is selling a product, but emphasized that true beauty is not based on products alone. Rather, it lies in how each individual creates their own unique personality within their environment.
Cultivation Analysis Theory. The website is a tool used by Dove to connect messages with the public, particularly girls and moms. Media, such as homepages and websites, are considered effective in sharing experiences directly or indirectly. The website can cultivate either a positive or negative attitude based on what the audience understands from the campaign.
Cultural studies show that while the Campaign for Real Beauty is effective, one of the website’s objectives is still profit. It’s undeniable that even if a company employs such a campaign, their ultimate goal is to build profit.
Face-Negotiation Theory. The campaign aims to unite different cultures, races, and ethnicities, which is evident on the website’s splash page. The objective is to define real beauty, not based on color or culture but by how differences can be used as an instrument to bring cultures together. By introducing Dove in this campaign, conflicts amongst cultures can be avoided.
The Narrative Paradigm is a theory that regards humans as storytellers. On websites, experiences from others who have used the products or their perception of beauty are used as instruments to persuade the audience. Speakers should be seen as credible by readers so that they will also use the advertised products. The articles should display coherence and logic in accordance with this theory.
The Rhetoric is a theory that emphasizes the importance of persuasion. To be effective, it is crucial to provide the audience with the right amount of information.
Symbolic interaction is important in motivating the audience and helping them learn how to cope with their differences. Creating blogs and discussion boards can be effective in achieving this goal. Pictures and graphics are also helpful in changing people’s perspectives and improving their interactions within the community.
Uses and gratifications refer to how audiences choose what information to believe in order to cope with changes around them. While the media can say anything about the environment, it is ultimately up to the audience to decide how they want to deal with it.
Conclusion
The internet has immense power to either build up or tear down individuals and entities. It offers information that is easily accessible for everyone to comprehend. However, if this information is not conveyed correctly to the audience, it can lead to chaos.
The internet, where homepages and websites are posted, can convey various meanings to the audience. It has the power to shape a person’s life but can also be dangerous if not properly understood.
The Dove Company invested a significant amount of money to create a website that not only sells their products but also promotes self-acceptance.
References
- Castells, M. (2002). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business and Society.
- West, R., & Turner, L. H. (2001). Defining Communication Theories. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Available at http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/westturner/student_resources/theories.htm
- Huberman, B. A. (2001). The Laws of the Web: Patterns in the Ecology of Information. MIT Press.
- Phillips, D. (2001). Online Public Relations.
- Tordecilla, M.A.C. (2006). Has online PR grown beyond traditional PR? Available at http://www.superarticle.com/
