Skomakarens barn : Hur kommunikationsbyråer kommunicerar om kommunikation

Sammanfattning

This study explores how communication agencies view the future of the field and howcommunication becomes a resource in their market position, with a certain focus on howthe agencies create their position and motivate it. To examine the agencies’ views, qualitative interviews are conducted with communicationprofessionals from three different agencies, all based in Umeå, Sweden. The sameagencies’ websites are subject to a multimodal analysis. Based on a social constructivistapproach to communication, which entails that people construct themselves whencommunicating, we draw on three different models and ideas to analyse the material.These are Lev Manovich’s ideas about media production and the field’s future astechnology evolves, Vilma Luoma-aho’s suggestion on how to apply Robert Putnam’ssocial capital theory to communications, and Theo van Leeuwen’s model on legitimation.The findings show that the agencies overwhelmingly have a positive outlook on the futureof the field. Challenges presented by generative AI are seen as possible to overcome, andthe developments are rather viewed as opportunities. The agencies highlight cheerfulness,agreeability and professionality as important values to communicate externally. Qualitiesassociated with mankind, like aforementioned cheerfulness and agreeability, areparticularly mentioned as significant in relation to AI. The websites are used mainly tointroduce the agency and incentivise the reader to contact them, rather than as a place ofadvertising. The call to action methods are supported by information stating the agency’sabilities.