As advancements in technology reshape the advertising world, the use of virtual influencers is on the rise. Virtual influencers are computer-generated image (CGI) characters on social media that post and interact with followers, just like humans. Some brands are using these virtual influencers as endorsers in place of human influencers…

You open Facebook, see a post from a familiar brand, and your thumb hesitates over the “Like” button. You decide to keep scrolling. Did you just engage with a brand? Did thinking about this post on social media impact you as a consumer? Brands increasingly use social media platforms to…

With increasing media digitization, convergence, co-creation and branded content, it is getting difficult to define what a “media” brand is. Today’s abundant content from linear media, tech companies, influencers and others also presents a growing challenge in measuring the trust consumers place on these different media platforms/outlets. …

It’s no secret that the United States is politically polarized, with large numbers of people distrusting news outlets and their journalists. Current efforts to increase trust by fact-checking and increased transparency are respectable but minimally effective. …

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications presenting current research to their colleagues. On April 14, 2023, Public Relations Department Associate Professor and Chair Myiah Hutchens presented “Understanding Communication and Polarization.”

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications presenting current research to their colleagues. On April 7, 2023, Advertising Assistant Professor Won-Ki Moon presented “Rise of Non-Human Agents in (Strategic) Communication.”

When the pandemic led to global lockdowns in early 2020, the U.S. government quickly reacted with health-related communications that were not accepted universally across the country. But this divide in compliance was not seen everywhere across the globe. Why? Cultures set expectations for adopting new behavior around that culture’s point…

The COVID-19 global pandemic has been referred to as “the loneliness epidemic.” At the height of quarantine and social distancing, loneliness and isolation permeated society. With limited human interaction, many people turned to voice assistants for connection. According to a 2020 Adobe survey, 39% of voice assistant users began using…

Research Fridays features faculty and graduate students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications presenting current research to their colleagues. On March 24, 2023, Media Production, Management, and Technology Professor and Director of Media Consumer Research Sylvia Chan-Olmsted presented “on “Developing Impactful Consumer Research: Innovation, Relevancy and Collaboration.”