TITLE:
“Engaging with Engagement”: A New Communications Strategy That Provides Coherence Making Companies More Competitive and Public Institutions More Agile and Accessible
AUTHORS:
Chris D. Beaumont, Darrell Berry, John Ricketts
KEYWORDS:
Social, Narratives, Empowerment, Affect, Engagement, Informed Choice, Trust, Health Literacy
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.9 No.4,
December
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: Social media and social sharing have enabled narratives to readily go viral and influence people’s attitudes and behaviour. We leverage Big Data and AI technology to identify specific content (topics, triggers, media channels…) that drive past and future outcomes. With trust in traditional institutions at an all-time low, the ability to connect and communicate new ways of healthy living, by understanding what is important to people is critical to bring about behavioral change, at scale. This paper explores some lifestyle narratives during a period of extraordinary uncertainty due to COVID-19, in the different cultures of the UK and Japan. Appreciating what is important to people aids policy makers and educators to engage with their audiences in a relevant evocative and effective manner. The narratives that are shaping our increasingly, digital lives can lead to new lifestyle behaviours that can enhance people’s QOL (Quality of Life). What is critical, especially, during changing times, is a need to ensure that your story maintains a relevance in content and emotion, to ensure you resonate and your message is embraced.