College of Communication - Public Relations & Advertising
Faculty/Student Work
Student Research Tracks Evolving PR Practices
Several theses written by 2009 graduates of Rowan’s M.A. in P.R. program investigated the increasing importance of interactive media and online social networks in today’s public relations programming.
Rosie Braude (M ’09) examined social media’s effect on organizational reputation and innovation. Testing consumer perceptions through an online survey, content analysis, interviews, and focus groups, Braude’s work found that a majority of American consumers want organizations to interact with them through social media.
Brandon Werner (M ’09) used Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail – along with a more traditional survey and focus group -- to investigate preferences and habits for listening to music and watching video online. One insight: Podcasts focusing on community aspects of their audiences increase subscriptions and repeat visits among the 18-to-24-year-olds. His work suggests that the more web content interacts with audiences the greater the probability of funneling audiences to companion content.
Joseph Staudenmayer (M ’09) investigated the effectiveness of viral marketing by film studios to consumers among 18-to-24-year-olds. His work shows that film critics and experts feel that viral marketing influences young people and contributes to their decisions about seeing feature films. Critics, industry experts, and a majority of consumers believe that more males than females are influenced by viral marketing tactics.
But students also continued to investigate established P.R. practices.
One example: Natalie V. Layton (M ’09) explored the growing importance of relationship marketing to build longer-lasting relationships between organizations and consumers in today's society. Her work, which focused on the food industry, supports assertions that relationship marketing produces longer-lasting benefits than transactional marketing alone. Certain relationship marketing techniques also can effectively garner a more positive image of an organization among its target audiences.
To learn more about Rowan’s graduate program in public relations click here.
