Digital
Communication

...with emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) digital communication:

Our business-facing research also delves into digital communication channels' new uses, applications, and effects, including social and mobile media. Our focus lies more precisely on the advantageous and coordinated implementation of diverse digital communication channels as crucial components of the contemporary customer brand experience.

Digital CSR communication is also part of this research stream, which entails the use of digital platforms by corporations to disclose their support, commitment, and advocacy towards several themes, including environmental protection, corporate governance and citizenship, and human rights. CSR communication is a complex activity, particularly when carried out in two-way, dynamic digital environments, such as social media, where businesses have reduced control over content creation and amplification. Our research seeks to investigate three key areas: 1) the nature and scope of CSR communication in social media, 2) how companies and social media audiences collaborate to promote, negotiate, and co-create CSR initiatives, and 3) the effectiveness of digital communication technologies to enhance CSR communication efforts.
 

...towards Digital Product Passports (DPP) by enhancing products with information and communication:

With the rise of Internet of Things (IoT), physical products are undergoing digitalization through the incorporation of sensors, algorithms and software. Furthermore, recent European Commission Regulation are given rise and initiating research in the direction of a digital product passport (DPP) as a tool for collecting and sharing product data throughout its entire lifecycle. DPPs integrate information to illustrate a product's sustainability, environmental and recyclability attributes. This integration enables products to be linked to digital communication processes, paving the way for new possibilities in product digitalization. Our research adopts a business-facing approach to explore the various types of ‘digitalizations’ available and how they can be connected to both existing and new digital communication channels to fostering profitable and sustainable digital customer relationships.

... with emphasis on social and mobile media:

In the realm of digital communication, we also adopt a consumer-facing perspective to understand digital users’ behaviors across a wide range of digital communication settings. Through quantitative and qualitative methods, we strive to comprehend digital communication channels’ uses and behaviors as well as  users’ preferences and motivational factors. In particular, on the one hand we analyse and create insights on users’ reaction on companies’ digital communication of any kind. On the other hand, we investigate the role of social media in political and social processes and how users’ network structures facilitate the creation of different formats of digital advocacy (e.g., digital consumer activism and corporate social advocacy). Our research seeks to provide theoretical and practical guidance for, corporate communication professionals, consumer protection groups, and policymakers in fostering ethical excellence in digital communication and in harnessing digital communication power for the betterment of society.

How can we optimize measurement effectiveness of digital processes, products, and communication? We argue that businesses can benefit from a more thorough and integrative approach that assesses product and communication performance across various digital channels, such as web, social, and mobile analytics. Our research focuses on examining and refining appropriate methods to measure digital performance holistically and at the different segments comprising the digital customer experience with products and services.

Various forms of artificial intelligence (AI) such as generative AI, conversational AI or affectional AI are changing communication processes. We create insights into how these changes are perceived by users and consumers and develop concepts and models on how to best apply AI in communication processes facing users. 

Digital communication and the digitalization of products and business processes have significantly changed traditional business models. Drawing on insights gleaned from other key research areas, we study digital business models that empower companies to assess and enhance their online operations and create value through various forms of digital communication.