Research Literacy
Within the communication discipline demonstrated by the ability to create and complete at least one inquiry project that: Articulates a communication problem, strategy, or initiative to be analyzed and evaluates, Adopts an epistemological standpoint, Locates, aggregates, and analyzes credible research; Drafts a literature review that supports and illuminates a chosen area of inquiry and Composes and supports arguments using at least one theoretical framework.
One of my first research projects I conducted was a textual analysis in my Social Creation of Organizing class (COM 610) on how the Carolina Panthers marketers utilized Facebook to build a collective identity with their fans. I examined the posts applying a rhetorical epistemology and an organizational communication as a cultural performance lens to discover how the Carolina Panthers Facebook posts resulted in increased fan reaction and engagement thus building a collective identity among their fans. It was so interesting to uncover the theory behind what I had been executing in my career as a marketing manager. The Panthers marketing team utilized visual imagery to convey emotions, they engaged their fans by asking them questions, utilized symbols and language common to the Panther brand like “Keep Pounding” “Cam doing the Supercam!” and “The Rookie did his thing today.” In addition to game day emoticons and videos, the Panther’s marketing team showcased the team’s spirit of community service. These efforts more than any other posts, resulted in the highest number of comments by the fans.
The Panther’s marketer’s intentionality of using fan’s favorite players, team colors, game day videos of the team running out of the tunnel, and language and emojis to induce engagement served as the persuasive elements that solidified the collective identity between the team and their fan base. In order to substantiate this claim, I applied Foss’s Rhetorical Criticism approach to identify the symbols found in the posts. Foss defines rhetoric as “the use of symbols to influence thought and action (1989, p.4)” and because symbols come in a variety of forms; “any message regardless of the form is appropriate for rhetorical criticism” so long as, “they are created by humans or the human imagination (1989, p.4)” thus the symbols, graphics and videos that are created by the team’s marketing department are appropriate for examination. I also utilized Cheney’s Rhetoric of Identification in Organizational Communication and applied Paconowsky and O’Donnell-Trujillo’s theory of Organizational Strategy and Cultural Performance to further illuminate the characteristics used to build a collective identity. Posts from four Panthers games were analyzed and coded and the results were documented in the final assignment and presented to my classmates. The use of these theories has enhanced my understanding of visuals use and impact on our daily lives. No longer do I simply look at an images use on a Facebook page, television commercial or print ad as an advertising tool or branding campaign but also from a deeper rhetorical understanding behind the imagery and that the deliberate use of these images and videos used are meant to engage an emotional response and build connection with fans or consumers.
Below is an example of my research literacy assignment: