Analysing User Created Content in Blogs: A Case study of Fashion Bloggers´ PR-Trip to Stockholm
HALLA, JOONASVILI (2009)
HALLA, JOONASVILI
2009
Yrityksen hallinto - Management and Organisation
Kauppa- ja hallintotieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Economics and Administration
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2009-04-30
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-19722
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-19722
Tiivistelmä
In this study I focused on a PR-excursion organized by an Domestic Marketing Organization (DMO) of Sweden, VisitSweden. This PR-excursion was arranged for Finnish fashion bloggers. I have analysed how the sponsors of this excursion appeared in the content. I went through the material and analysed how this User Created Content was structured after these PR-tactics influenced the bloggers. I even asked the representatives of these sponsoring organizations about their objectivs for this excursion and how they attempted to manipulate the content created by bloggers? In conclusion, I have attempted to discuss the findings and what implications they might have for Tourism Organizations (TO).
When it comes to the appearance of the sponsors of this excursion it can be argued that the more popular the blogger the more times the sponsors seemed to appear in the content. When I asked these sponsors before the excursion, the expectations and the means of influence that most of them have, they did not really know what to expect or how to try to influence these bloggers. One of these sponsors differed from the others because they could give me exact expectations and actual means to accomplish them. This organization was also praised the most and all the bloggers thought that it was the best thing on the excursion.
I would argue that blogs, even though they are a universal phenomenon are highly attached with the local culture. These blogs that I have been going through the past months represent Finnish way of blogging and their views on what is ethical when it comes to sponsored excursion or advertising in general. Measuring the outcomes of this PR-excursion is difficult since there is no consensus on what the desired outcome is. I have presented some rough figures that hopefully contribute in some way to the discussion about how to measure the successfulness of PR-excursions for bloggers, but further research is certainly needed. Although I didn´t pose explicitly the question of weather it was possible to manipulate or influence the content that was created online it is obvious that at least some form of manipulation could be done by offering a PR-excursion to bloggers.
Asiasanat:blogit, PR, turismi, sisällönanalyysi
When it comes to the appearance of the sponsors of this excursion it can be argued that the more popular the blogger the more times the sponsors seemed to appear in the content. When I asked these sponsors before the excursion, the expectations and the means of influence that most of them have, they did not really know what to expect or how to try to influence these bloggers. One of these sponsors differed from the others because they could give me exact expectations and actual means to accomplish them. This organization was also praised the most and all the bloggers thought that it was the best thing on the excursion.
I would argue that blogs, even though they are a universal phenomenon are highly attached with the local culture. These blogs that I have been going through the past months represent Finnish way of blogging and their views on what is ethical when it comes to sponsored excursion or advertising in general. Measuring the outcomes of this PR-excursion is difficult since there is no consensus on what the desired outcome is. I have presented some rough figures that hopefully contribute in some way to the discussion about how to measure the successfulness of PR-excursions for bloggers, but further research is certainly needed. Although I didn´t pose explicitly the question of weather it was possible to manipulate or influence the content that was created online it is obvious that at least some form of manipulation could be done by offering a PR-excursion to bloggers.
Asiasanat:blogit, PR, turismi, sisällönanalyysi