The term "strategic communication" traditionally has been understood as referring to external corporate communication, such as public relations, marketing communication, and advertising, with insufficient consideration beyond its role as a tool of persuasive influence. In recent years, however, the field of strategic communication has evolved to be more holistic in its approach and its role within sociocultural contexts. Articles, textbooks, and handbooks have attempted to define the scope, purpose, and nature of the concept, but as the first major comprehensive work of its kind, The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication captures the full scope of contemporary theory and practice in strategic communication.

In this proceedings book, we can find 29 extended abstracts selected for presentation and discussion at the interim ECREA Organizational and Strategic Communication thematic session conference that took place from 5th to 7th of July 2023 at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, in a joint organisation with LabCom – Research centre, from the University of Beira Interior. Some of the topics debated along the conference were: normative governance for organizational communication and strategic communication; impact of rhetoric, persuasion and brand narratives on society; public sector implications of normative dimensions; nonprofit and hypocrisy; impact of communication on consumers identity and well-being; B-corps as a new relationship management approach; accountability, integrated reporting and communication; greenwashing and other “image” washing; internal relationship management and well-being; corporate social advocacy and CEO activism.

From the perspective of a group of public relations consultants and communication directors operating in Portugal, this chapter discusses the complexity inherent to CSR communication. Some of the key questions to be addressed include: are so-called sustainable and socially responsible business strategies, in fact, indicators of genuine corporate change? Or is CSR per se insincere and should CSR communication be considered as a mere invention of PR? CSR will be equated, first, from the analysis of the dialectic relationship between activist movements, government regulation and business discourse and action. Then, some core principles for communicating CSR are highlighted, as well as the dangers and dilemmas in communicating CSR policies from a PR theoretical framework.

This handbook brings together multidisciplinary and internationally diverse contributors to provide an overview of theory, research, and practice in the nonprofit and nongovernmental organization (NGO) communication field. It is structured in four main parts: the first introduces metatheoretical and multidisciplinary approaches to the nonprofit sector; the second offers distinctive structural approaches to communication and their models of reputation, marketing, and communication management; the third focuses on nonprofit organizations’ strategic communications, strategies, and discourses; and the fourth assembles campaigns and case studies of different areas of practice, causes, and geographies. The handbook is essential reading for scholars, educators, and advanced students in nonprofit and NGO communication within public relations and strategic communication, organizational communication, sociology, management, economics, marketing, and political science, as well as a useful reference for leaders and communication professionals in the nonprofit sector.

The purpose of this article is through a systematic literature review (SLR) to present a conceptual approach to the importance of communication for thermalism. An in-depth analysis of scientific publications provides a conceptual understanding about the definition of thermalism and the importance of communication in the thermal sector. The intention is also to identify the major challenges for communication in thermalism in times of crisis. The literature on conceptual approaches in the field of thermalism is almost non-existent, and this is an important contribution of the research presented. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objectives, an SLR was carried out, through the Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement method, using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 139 articles were found, of which only 26 were used for the qualitative analysis. EndNote 20 and Nvivo software were used to identify the articles for the study, their analysis and systematization of the collected information. Findings: The results, among others, through an in-depth analysis of scientific publications, clarified the definition of thermalism and provided relevant results for better understanding of the importance of the dimensions of communication for thermalism. Research limitations/implications: The research addresses the current scarcity of academic work on the importance of communication applied to a thermal destination and the lack of relevant strategic models for the diffusion/promotion of a destination. Finally, a limitation was the fact that only 2 databases were considered and only journal articles were included. As a future line of research the authors propose extending the theme to thermal tourism experiences. In addition, scientific studies focusing on water-based experiences connected with thermalism are almost non-existent and very relevant for the future of the sector, as well as studies in the area of communication with the following research questions: where do tourists consult information when choosing a travel destination? and what are the appropriate communication channels to reach the thermal market?; We close this reflection by concluding that the thermal tradition, through the know-how of the medical class, the properties of thermal waters and the cultural history associated with its early days, stimulated more recently by implementing innovations, will regain its role in preserving health and well-being through thermal water and the exploitation of territories' endogenous resources. These factors are the basis through which communication sciences can create strategies adapted to each country to promote a thermal destination brand. Practical implications: Research in tourism destination management has provided solutions, through communication, to problems that are faced daily by countries, and the authors hope this research also contributes to the recovery of thermal tourism destinations in times of crisis. It is also from this perspective that based on the main themes and dimensions of communication identified in the SLR that the authors propose the Corporate, Organisational, Skills, Management and Online (COSMO) model to help promote resilient thermal destinations prepared for future crises. The diversity and originality of this research model will be useful for destination promoters, spa managers and communication professionals. Social implications: This study contributes to the literature by providing a theoretical framework of excellence in thermalism. One possible way to solve the ambiguity of terms related to thermalism is to consider another more comprehensive term as a combination of different approaches. The aim is not to create an academic division, but rather to contribute to better conceptual understanding, from a theoretical and paradigmatic perspective, of what thermalism is. Here, a new targeted and more comprehensive concept emerges, which from the academic perspective of communication sciences will lead to prevention for a new way of feeling good with life, contributing to promoting thermal destinations in the world with a greater understanding. Originality/value: For better understanding of the concepts, this study proposes a new definition of thermalism. As research related to thermal destinations, through communication management contributes to attract tourists, promote experiences, provide the human capital of the sector with skills and create authentic and resilient place brands. It is from this perspective that the model was proposed, based on the dimensions of communication related to the main themes obtained through the SLR. This model supports a plurality of communication strategies, with different characteristics and objectives but which meet a collective purpose: to disseminate information about thermalism, in order to build collective knowledge to promote thermal destinations. The analysis highlights the need for further research into thermalism, with special focus on communication.

This e-book presents a selection of the research papers presented at the 5th European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) Conference in Lisbon, November, 2015. The book reflects the work of researchers within the Organisational and Strategic Communication (OSC) Section of ECREA from different backgrounds and higher education institutions in Europe and highlights the diverse professional and scientific interests of the Section.

This book aims to analyse how contemporary developments in strategic and organisational communication theory contribute to understanding the dialogic paradigm. Special attention is paid both to theoretical approaches to dialogue and to the new tendencies in strategic and organisational communication by looking at campaigns, instruments, and messages that promote dialogue with different publics. With the collected articles on this volume we attempt to keep alive the debate initiated at the Organisational and Strategic Communication Section Workshop of ECREA that was hosted by the University of Beira Interior and organised by the Laboratory of Online Communication (LabCom), in Covilhã, Portugal, on 5 and 6 May 2011.

The increasing popularity of brand activism has brought social issues to the forefront of brand communications and actions. Showing up for a cause, standing up for it, gaining ally status, and becoming an activist create new business opportunities and may lead to consumer backlash. The LGBT movement is one of the possible choices for marketers, managers, leaders, and advertisers, from others such as Me Too, Black Lives Matter, Fridays for Future or Stop Asian Hate. However, brand activism within the LGBT context is still in its infancy. This exploratory research examined how brands are building inclusive marketing efforts through LGBT symbols, showing up during Pride month, getting involved in the conversation, raising awareness, combatting LGBT discrimination, advocating for LGBT rights, and working with the community. From the interpretivism paradigm, and through a qualitative lens, we explore the process of being willing to join the LGBT conversation, access allyship and activism, and celebrate Pride month with marketing campaigns. We conducted 58 interviews and analysed 20 brands. Applying rainbows over logos, launching Pride collections, and developing rainbow-theme campaigns are becoming highly popular, which can be thoughtful within a deeper LGBT brand-building communication strategy or a way to sell products. We aim to comprehend the new brand-consumer relationships in the brand's access to allyship and activism bandwagons within the LGBT context, overcoming promises, rhetoric and symbolism, and where purpose-driven agendas are not Swiss army knives. We contributed to understanding the construct of brand activism and developing a strategic plan with an operational mindset for brands committed to activism. Our findings emphasise the relevance of expectations, long-term commitments, engagement, context-sensitiveness, authenticity, and legitimacy in brand dialoguing with LGBT communities through an actionable plan with symbolic sensitiveness. Pride month is one possible avenue, not the beginning of the private sector journey.

Estamos numa nova era da rádio, onde esta está mais omnipresente que nunca – em casa, no carro, online, nas redes sociais e smartphones. As estações de rádio oferecem agora muito mais do que apenas companhia. Tornaram-se marcas fortes e de grande visibilidade, um grande atrativo a investidores e anunciantes, um meio rentável e que atinge um público extremamente heterogéneo. Ao longo deste trabalho iremos ilustrar de que maneira as duas rádios líderes de audiência em Portugal passaram a barreira do tradicional spot publicitário de trinta segundos e passaram a produzir e a transmitir outras estratégias como o branding, endorsement, sponsor, media partner, naming e branded content. O objetivo é compreender de que modo estas estratégias de rentabilização são utilizadas e qual a sua preponderância neste meio. Após serem escutados dez dias de emissões - nove horas diárias, separadas entre dois momentos diários, nos meses de Agosto e Setembro - e de efetuarmos entrevistas em profundidade aos diretores de marketing da RFM e da Rádio Comercial, concluímos que as estratégias de rentabilização têm influência na sustentabilidade das rádios líderes de audiência em Portugal mas ainda não predominam no meio – o spot publicitário ainda tem grande relevância, apesar das estratégias de rentabilização terem vindo a alcançar cada vez mais espaço no mundo radiofónico.

Os estudos de formação avançada tornam-se cada vez mais relevantes. Para os recémlicenciados, impõem-se como forma de responder às exigências do mercado de trabalho em que o constante aprendizado é realidade. Para as instituições de ensino superior, fazem parte do seu objetivo de promover o long life learning. Recentemente, significam também uma fonte de renda importante, sobretudo no caso das instituições públicas em Portugal, que precisam de recursos próprios para se manter. Ainda que alunos e instituições partilhem deste interesse comum, verifica-se, pelo menos no caso do Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (ISCSP), que poucos alunos permanecem na instituição para os cursos de formação avançada. Por este motivo, este estudo tem como objetivo efetuar um diagnóstico das necessidades de comunicação de alunos em relação ao prosseguimento de estudos no ISCSP após a licenciatura, através da comunicação estratégica e tendo como moldura teórica as teorias relacional e situacional da resolução de problemas. Os dados recolhidos a partir de análise documental, entrevistas semiestruturadas em profundidade a dirigentes e focus groups a alunos permitiram a elaboração de um inquérito por questionário aplicado aos alunos do ISCSP, caracterizando a pesquisa como de método misto sequencial exploratório. As principais conclusões sugerem que, para permanecer na mesma instituição, os alunos precisam ter confiança, abertura, envolvimento, compromisso, reciprocidade, e entendimento mútuo com a escola. Passivos, nem sempre iniciam a ação comunicativa para resolver um problema e, por isso, esperam que a instituição informe sua oferta educativa. A opinião das fontes pessoais, como amigos e familiares, e as impessoais, como docentes, são valorizadas pelos alunos e, por isso, devem ser realçadas pela instituição. Para atrair e reter seus alunos, o ISCSP concorre com instituições que têm postura de disputa de mercado mais estabelecida, têm maior institucionalização da comunicação e estão mais presentes nas redes sociais digitais.