Strategic Communications In Africa

Strategic communication is a pre-requisite for the achievement of organisational goals, and an effective strategic communication plan is vital for organisational success. However, systems and models dominant in the West may not necessarily be best suited for the sub-Saharan Africa reality, where many organisations lack adequate financial resources to develop and implement an effective strategic communication plan. This book examines current practices in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the challenges faced and the intersection with culture. It packages inspiring debates, experiences and insights relating to strategic communication in all types of institutions, including private and public sector organisations, governmental organisations and NGOs, political parties as well as social movements in the sub-Saharan context. It explores how culture is integral to the attainment of strategic communication goals, and diverse case studies across socio-economic contexts offer insights into the successes of organisations across Africa, including Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Lesotho and Nigeria. This unique edited collection is a valuable resource for worldwide scholars, researchers and students of strategic communication and organisational studies, as well as related fields including public relations, advertising, political and health communication and international studies.

This book is the first of its kind within the African region to combine scholarly perspectives from the fields of Strategic Communication Management and Communication for Development and Social Change. It draws insights from scholars across the African continent by unravelling the complementary nature of scholarship between the two fields, through the lens of prevailing governance and sustainability challenges facing African countries, today. This edited volume covers issues that have adversely affected the achievement of goals related to humanitarian upliftment, development and social change for all African nations. Consequently, citizen participation, which lies at the heart of these challenges when considering the question of sustainable governance and policy development for social change in an African context is addressed. To this end, a reflection is also made on various case studies that exist where local citizens do not inform sustainable development programmes, while the promotion of bottom-up development and social change is largely replaced by top-down instrumental action approaches and hemispheric communication instead of strategic communication. Themes explored include: ● Communication for social change, bottom-up development and social movements in the local government sphere ● Strategic communication in governance, planning and policy reforms ● The role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in achieving development of objectives geared towards good governance in Africa ● Public participation, protests, and resistance from 'below' ● Public sector health communications and development ● Media relations, accountability and contested development narratives with the Fourth Estate ● Social media and eParticipation in government development programs.

"Strategic communication South African perspectives is an exciting new title that straddles the disciplines of business communication, stakeholder communication, public relations and integrated marketing communications. Increasing technological complexity and globalisation have resulted in fundamental societal and business changes requiring scholars and practitioners to challenge existing theoretical assumptions and examine the implications of paradigm shifts in various fields, including public relations and communication. This book explores the nature of these paradigm shifts and considers what implications tensions in the field hold for public relations and communication scholarship in general and specifically, for the South African field of scholarship and practice. Strategic communication South African perspectives emphasis the importance of holistuc and strategic approach to communication, and this book offers a South African perspective on the emerging discipline"--

Strategic Marketing of Higher Education in Africa explores higher education marketing themes along the lines of understanding higher education markets, university branding and international marketing strategies, digital marketing, and student choice-making. The Higher Education landscape around the world is changing. There is global competition for students’ enrolments, universities are competing within their home market as well as in the international market, and as government funding for public universities is reducing there is pressure on universities to seek additional income by increasing their student enrolment. African universities are not an exception in this competitive market. This book is unique in providing a composite overview of strategic marketing and brand communications of higher education institutions in Africa. It recognises that there is a growing need for universities to understand the stakeholders and develop strategies on how best to engage with them effectively. Highlighting the unique characteristics, nature, and challenges of African universities, this book explores the marketisation strategies of African universities, with focus on the strategic digital marketing and brand management. The book provides significant theoretical and marketing practice implications for academics, higher-education administrators, and practitioners on how best to market higher education in Africa and reach out to prospective students. International practitioners aiming to market to Africans and start a partnership with an African university will also find this relevant in understanding the dynamics of the African market.

This book offers a comprehensive account of the nature and development of political communication in Africa. In light of the growing number of African states now turning towards democratic rule, as well as the growing utilization of information technologies in Africa, the contributors examine topics such as: the role of social media in politics, strategic political communication, political philosophy and political communication, Habermas in Africa, gender and political communication, image dilemma in Africa, and issues in political communication research in Africa, and identify the frontiers for future research on political communication in Africa.

"Communications are changing rapidly around the world, but particularly in Africa, where citizens are embracing digital technologies not only to improve interpersonal communication but also the state of their financial well-being. This book investigates these transformations in Nigeria's booming communication industry. The book traces communications in Nigeria back to pre-colonial indigenous communications, through the development of telecommunications, broadcasting networks, the press, the Nigerian film industry ('Nollywood'), and on to the digital era. At a time when Western voices still dominate the academic literature on communication in Africa, this book is noteworthy in drawing almost exclusively on the expertise of Nigerian-based authors, critique the discipline from their own lens, and providing an important contribution to the decolonization of communication studies. The authors provide a holistic analysis of the sector, encompassing print journalism, broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising, film, development communication, organizational communication, and strategic communications. Analysis of the role of digital technologies is woven throughout the book, concluding with a final section theorising the future of communication studies in Nigeria in the light of the digital media revolution. Robust in its theoretical and methodological underpinnings, this book will be an important reference for researchers of Media and Communication Studies, and those working on Africa specifically"--

This two-part volume examines current pedagogical modules, research directions and other emerging issues in public relations and communication management in Africa. In comparison to its Western and Asian counterparts, the literature on public relations management in Africa is limited, and much of it is examined through the lenses of Western philosophies and pedagogies that do not generally resonate with Africa's socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts. This book aims to change that. Through analyzing the organizational dynamic, Volume 1 brings together contributors from across Africa to provide valuable insights into how public relations contributes to organizational effectiveness on the continent. Chapters discussed include a review of public relations research in Africa, the role of the African CEO as a public relations activist, the use of social and digital media in public relations, the measurement and evaluation of communication programs, and the implications of the fourth industrial revolution on public relations practice in Africa. Providing important pathways and overviews of public relations management in Africa, this volume not only highlights current practices but offers insights into the future of the practice within its evolving global landscape.

This two-part volume, the first of its kind, examines current pedagogical modules and research directions in public relations and communication management, identifying emerging issues driving the practice in Africa. In comparison to its Western and Asian counterparts, literature on public relations management in Africa is limited, and much of it is examined through the lenses of Western philosophies and pedagogies, failing to reflect Africa's socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts. This project aims to change that. ​ Albert Volume 2 brings together African scholars, moving beyond organizational impact to share the wider theoretical and practical perspectives on the practice of public relations on the continent, within its cultural, global, and technological milieu.Through conceptual discussions and empirical analyses, this volume shows how Africa is gradually coming out of the shadows of the Western world by building a body of knowledge the reflects the nature of public relations management on the continent. Chapters cover: how public relations contributes to strategic management in Africa; health communication and public relations management; strategic management of issues, as well as the implications of the fourth industrial revolution for public relations practice in Africa.