Tijdschrift voor Communicatie​wetenschap

This article examines the language of the Dutch politician Geert Wilders and his anti-immigrant Party for Freedom (PVV) against the yardstick of ‘extreme right’. Should we consider Wilders who is charged because of hatred against Muslims as a populist or rather an extreme-rightist? The core question of the article is addressed in a theory section on populism, right-extremism and its (metaphor) style, and an empirical section that tracks the political style and thematic choice of Wilders. The empirical case concerning language use of Geert Wilders includes a metaphor analysis using a metaphor index that is a quantitative view of the metaphorical power of a text (De Landtsheer, 2009). Also a thematic quantitative content analysis is part of the case. There were three different news formats examined: columns, opinion pieces, and the press releases of the PVV (period October 2004 to June 2010). Wilders is paying a lot of attention to the ‘old, classic’ fascist themes: nationalism, security, immigration policy and politics. His very emotional language style includes many strong metaphors that provokes unrest and that must convince people of the need for change. For content and style in the language of Wilders were found so many attributes of an extreme right-wing discourse.

Advertisers are looking for new ways to deal with ad avoidance. Location Based Advertising (LBA) increasingly presents itself as a feasible solution. LBA serves customers context-congruent ads on their mobile device based on its location. Although LBA has captured the attention of academics, there is very little in situ data regarding the effectiveness of LBA due to practical and methodical complications. In this study we present a solution: we reconstruct the user experience of LBA using a virtual reality setup. We study the perceived ad intrusiveness of context-(in)congruent mobile advertisements within a virtual supermarket by conducting a between-subjects experiment among Dutch citizens (n=53). The results show that LBA tends to be perceived as less intrusive than non-LBA. Consequently consumers develop more positive attitudes and are more likely to use LBA and buy due to LBA. This outcome should encourage marketers to adopt LBA as a valuable marketing tool.

In this case study, we used the Organizational Stakeholder Model of Change Implementation Communication (Lewis, 2007) to evaluate the communication strategy used during the implementation of a Shared Service Center in a large governmental agency. The model proves to be useful for describing the strategic choices made by the project managers. Most of the dimensions were recognizable in the communication efforts, even though most of these choices were made implicitly. Interestingly, several stakeholders disagreed with the project management team about the identification of the strategy. They experienced the communication efforts negatively rather than balanced or positive. The results show the complexity of communication during change and the ways people make sense of these dynamic processes. The strategy dimensions can be useful guides when managing complex changes like the implementation of a Shared Service Center.

This study explored how character-product congruence influences preschoolers’ healthy product choice via two types of affective responses, their automatic and elaborate affective responses. In addition, we investigated whether the two affective responses mediate the relation between character-product congruence and product choice independently from each other or successively. In a repeated measures design, 166 preschoolers (4-6 years) were exposed to five character-product combinations that differed in degree of congruence. We measured children’s automatic affective response toward these combinations using a time-constrained task, and their elaborate affective response using a non-constrained task. Our findings showed that the two affective responses successively mediate the relation between congruence and choice: character-product congruence initially triggered a positive automatic affective response, which, in turn, stimulated more positive elaborate affective responses, including greater product choice.

This paper explores the logics behind two primary ways in which computer games deal with stories. As evident in how these games are designed, one of these logics focuses on players as implied authors who guide heroes through challenging trials and tribulations. The other logic focuses on players as embodied participants who become the hero and experience adventures of their own. This paper argues that in order to understand the differences between these two distinctive logics, it is necessary to critically review the representational concept of narrative as developed once in structuralist narratology and to develop an additional presentational conceptualization, applicable to both marginal narrative practices of the past as well as mainstream practices of the present. Drawing on theories from game-, film- and theatre studies, the paper defines these two logics, presents their characteristics and shows how they steer the future design of game stories into two different directions.

Marketers more and more design advertising campaigns especially for Social Network Sites (SNS), with the aim that SNS users forward these campaigns to their online network. By means of a survey, this study investigates whether the persuasiveness of such campaigns is determined by the strength of the social connection between receiver and the sender of the campaign. The results support the idea that SNS campaigns are more persuasive when forwarded by close friends, than when forwarded by less strong social connections. Thus, the social context plays a crucial role in the persuasiveness of marketing communication activities within SNS.

Throughout the last decade it has become clear that the digital divide needs to be considered as a complex phenomenon covering a wide range of exclusion mechanisms at the level of access, usage and multiple digital literacy’s. Simultaneously, a vast number of e-inclusion initiatives have emerged trying to address these problems of exclusion. Hence, a highly scattered, disorganized and unidentified field of approaches to the implementation of e-inclusion has surfaced, leaving policy stakeholders unaware of the scope, effectiveness and sustainability of these approaches and initiatives. Therefore, a study was launched in Flanders in order to (1) gain a comprehensive insight in existing initiatives and their modus operandi, and (2) generate policy recommendations related to identify gaps and lacking synergies. In this article we present the results of this study consisting of a quantitative inventory of Flemish e-inclusion initiatives, and a qualitative brainstorm session with various stakeholders.