Corporate WeChat Communication in China
Corporate WeChat Communication in China
Abstract: This study tackles the gap in public relations research on how corporations utilize WeChat, the dominant social media in China, to communicate and interact with publics. Using a content analysis of 1,488 WeChat posts of 15 top Chinese business-to-consumer enterprises, this study examined how the organizational factors (i.e., company type, ownership, and industry) and message factors (i.e.., media form and content type) affect the outcomes of corporate WeChat communication with the publics. Key findings included that multinational enterprises drove more traffic and likes to their posts than their local counterparts. State-holding enterprises gained more views than those that are privately-owned but not likes. The automobile industry communicated most engagingly. Posts in the form of text with image performed most effective. In addition, WeChat users preferred marketing posts with text and image over those for the relationship cultivation purpose when communicating with the corporations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Related Research
-
Vulnerable online: Identifying risk profiles for recruitment into online extremist groupsJoshua Cloudy. “Vulnerable online: Identifying risk profiles for recruitment into online extremist groups.” Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. Published online June 17. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302261454954Abstract: This study draws from the literature in group […]
-
The role of perceived warmth,competence, and opportunity on candidate threat perception and campaign participation: Extending the Stereotype Content Model Joshua Cloudy, Gotlieb, M. R., & McLaughlin, B. (In-press). “The role of perceived warmth, competence, […]