Background:   The phenomenon of the 21st century, fashion bloggers, are having something that the glossy fashion magazines and fashion advertisements never had – a personal touch through their identity. Through sharing experiences, opinions and feelings about garments, shopping and other fashion related subjects, fashion bloggers share their self. Hence, blog can be the space where bloggers present, create or edit their self, shifting between who they really are and who they desire to be.Purpose:   The purpose of this study is to get a deeper insight into the phenomenon of the fashion blogger by investigating bloggers self-presentation through the blog and the relation of their online identity to their real- and ideal-self.Design/method:   This study was designed as an exploratory two case study. The data was collected by using three different methods: the content analysis, the go-along method and the semi-structured interviews. The sources included blog content, human behavior and verbalnarratives. The thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data.Results:   Case I, a professional Croatian blogger, showed the usage of indirect elements to present the self on the blog and through blogging activities as well as the usage of ingratiation to maintain personal and business relationships, and competence to present the self as professionally competent. It also showed the usage of photo shooting as a cue for impression management as well as the struggle between different selves on the blog. Finally, the results highlighted the role of the blog in actualizing the self. Case II, a hobby Croatian blogger, showed the usage of direct and indirect elements to present the self on the blog and through blogging activities, as well as the intention to create a ‘fashionable personae’. It showed the usage of ingratiation to appear likeable and to get recognition, and competence to present the self as social. Analysis indicated the practice of fashion through dressing with an intention to create the ‘blogger’ identity and reach the ideal-self. The blog was found to be the place for practicing the self-confidence and the self-identity construction.Conclusion:   Case I showed the extensive conscious usage of the blog features and engagement into the blogging activities to present the self and usage of two self-presentation strategies; ingratiation and competence. Overall, it showed that the identity presented on the blog is majorly a reflection of already constructed identity and descriptive self while the significance of the blog is seen in the desire to reach self-actualization. Case II showed more unconscious usage of the blog features and engagement into the blogging activities to present the self and usage of two self-presentation strategies: ingratiation and competence. It also showed that the online identity on the blog mainly serves as a ‘trial identity’ through which the real-self is yetto be found and defined and through which the ideal-self is constantly reached. This study presents the first step into understanding how can blogger’s self-identity and self-presentation can be beneficial for the brand’s marketing strategy.

This diploma thesis deals with the phenomenon of Czech fashion bloggers in terms of its impact on consumer buying behavior. It summarizes theoretical knowledge about blog, blogging, buying behavior and marketing communication tools that can be found on blogs. Theoretical knowledge is translated into practice using content analysis of blogs and questionnaire surveys. The aim of the work is to find out whether fashion bloggers have an impact on the consumer's buying behavior and also what marketing communication tool is most important to them. For the coherence of the topic, qualitative research methods are also used in the form of structured interviews with readers of these blogs and bloggers themselves. In conclusion, all the findings from all the analyzes and a brief recommendation for those who think about using the fashion blog as a marketing communication tool are summarized.

This thesis analyzes the communication of BMW Group Czech Republic on the social networks (mainly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). The first part of the thesis describes different forms of commercial communications with an emphasis on online communication. The second part consists of the introduction of the BMW brand and its activities in the Czech Republic. The practical part consists of 2 parts. The communication of the BMW brand on social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) is analyzed in the first part. The second part consists of one realized project - the Instagram competition and one project proposal - the cooperation between the BMW brand and Czech bloggers.

The thesis is devoted to analyzing the successful communication of some of the best Czech food bloggers on the social medium Instagram on which the topic of food is trendy. However, I noticed that many food bloggers profiles do not share only food photos, but also their personal photographs. Therefore, my thesis is also devoted to discovering which topics are between analyzed Instagram posts and on the food bloggers profiles the most common. In the communication analysis I focus on how the food bloggers communicate with their followers through texts, photos, hashtags, and how they react to the comments. I also analyze the emoticons and hashtags that they use. In the theoretical part, my thesis focuses mainly on Instagram, it's characterization, functions and methods of how to succeed in this social medium. It also focuses on different aspects of the photograph, "reading" the image, and social semiotics. The social semiotics approach is essential for my research because, on Instagram, the meaning is transmitted by not just one mode, but more modes - all of them are listed above. The empirical part uses qualitative research methods, which is based on content analysis of 3 successful food bloggers - @made_by_kristina, @cukrfree.cz, and @kitchenettehome. I analyze 12-13 most successful posts from their...

Esta tese investiga e procura responder a duas hipóteses de pesquisa: a) Os profissionais do jornalismo estão migrando das mídias tradicionais (impresso, rádio e TV) para novas mídias, principalmente para os blogs. b) Os jornalistas adotaram e estão migrando para os blogs em busca de maior autonomia, independência, liberdade de expressão e realização profissional. O referencial teórico que orientou este estudo conceitua o trabalho e a comunicação como atividade humana, ergológica (Schwartz), constitutiva da ontologia do ser social (Marx). O trabalho jornalístico é abordado a partir desse referencial teórico, para destacar como os processos produtivos nessa área profissional foram transformados pelas tecnologias, técnicas e organização diferenciadas das rotinas produtivas. Toma-se o conceito clássico de jornalismo e de sua deontologia e analisa-se seu desenvolvimento ao longo do século XX e início de XXI à luz das mudanças ocorridas a partir da globalização, do mundo do trabalho do jornalista e da organização das empresas de comunicação na contemporaneidade. Os valores humanistas que fundam o campo jornalístico são questionados em relação aos valores da sociedade de consumo, da informação e do espetáculo. Do ponto de vista metodológico, os procedimentos são: levantamento bibliográfico pertinente aos conceitos envolvidos e, também, o estudo empírico de casos e a observação de jornalistas experientes que migraram para os blogs como nova opção profissional. Como resultado, foi constatado que os jornalistas migraram para os blogs em busca de autonomia, entre outros motivos, mas encontraram obstáculos que os impede de exercer a plena liberdade de expressão no novo meio, como o cerceamento financeiro e o judicial. Além disso, estão em busca de novos arranjos econômicos que possibilite o pleno exercício da profissão nos blogs. / This thesis investigates and seeks to answer two research hypotheses: a) The journalism professionals are migrating from traditional media (print, radio and TV) to new media, especially for blogs. b) Journalists have adopted and are migrating to blogs in search of greater autonomy, independence, freedom of expression and professional achievement. The theoretical framework that guided this study conceptualizes the work and communication as a human activity, ergologic (Schwartz), a constituent of the ontology of social being (Marx). The journalistic work is approached from this theoretical framework, to highlight how the production processes in this professional area were transformed by technology, techniques and differentiated organization of productive routines. One takes the classical concept of journalism and its ethics and analyzes its development throughout the twentieth century and early twenty-first in the light of the changes brought about by the globalization, the journalist\'s job in the world and the organization of communication companies in the contemporaneity. The humanist values that founded the journalistic field are questioned in relation to the values of the consumer society, information and spectacle. From a methodological point of view, the procedures are: relevant literature to concepts involved and also the empirical case studies and observation of experienced journalists who migrated to blogs as a new career option. As a result, it was found that journalists migrated to the blogs in search of independence, among other reasons, but found obstacles that prevent them from exercising full freedom of expression in the new medium, as the financial restriction and the judicial. They are also looking for new economic arrangements that will allow the full exercise of the profession in blogs.

Internets framkomst medför nya utmaningar för företags kommunikation ochvarumärkesbyggande på grund av den höga informationstillgängligheten. Transparensen påinternet innebär att företag inte har i samma kontroll av sin kommunikation, utankonsumenterna har större makt och således påverkar hur ett företags varumärke uppfattas avkonsumenter. Digitaliseringen medför dock även möjligheter för små modevarumärken medbegränsade resurser att aktivt arbeta med sin marknadskommunikation och att bygga sinavarumärken genom sina hemsidor och facebook. Studien syftar till att ge förståelse för hurunga och små modevarumärken använder sig av internet för att bygga upp sitt varumärke ochvilka möjligheter internet förser för företagen i sitt varumärkesbyggande. Studien har enkvalitativ approach där en semistrukturerad observationsstudie genomförts på tremodeföretag, därtill har två semistrukturerade intervjuer gjorts med 2 av företagen. Denteoretiska referensramen består av teorier kring den varumärkesbyggande processen urmärkesinnehavarens perspektiv samt forskning kring online branding.Studiens resultat bekräftar att modevarumärken inte arbetar efter tydliga mål eller strategierkring sitt varumärkesbyggande, vilket beror på begränsade resurser vad gäller tid, personaloch ekonomi. Varumärkenas användning av internet har möjliggjort för varumärkena att fåstörre varumärkeskännedom globalt, vilket även öppnat nya möjligheter för företagen. Deverktyg som används på internet är företagens hemsidor, facebook och bloggar. De olikaverktygen bidrar till att sprida och bygga varumärkena. Företagens hemsidor avspeglarvarumärken genom att kommunicera dess värden och identitet med hjälp av text, bilder ochvideoklipp. Samarbeten med inlyftelserika modebloggar, särskilt internationellamodebloggare, möjliggör för varumärken att få en högre varumärkeskännedom samt attvarumärkesbudskapet sprids till potentiella kunder. Samarbetet resulterar i att modebloggarnablir aktiva varumärkesambassadörer. Användningen av facebook gör det möjligt för företagenatt kommunicera med sina kunder i realtid och bygga relationer med dem. Dessutom kanfacebook vara ett bra verktyg för företagen att kunna förstå sin kund bättre, då företagen hartillgång till sina anhängares profiler.The rise of the Internet results in new challenges and possibilities for companies’ marketingand brand building activities as a result of the high availability of information. Thetransparency on the Internet means that companies no longer have the same control of theirbrand communication, instead the power has shifted towards the consumers. This means thatconsumers play a role in the forming of a brand and how it is perceived. For small fashioncompanies with limited resources the Internet provide suitable tools, like facebook, web pagesand blogs, to spread their brand. The high visibility and the spread of information on theInternet can benefit small brands to achieve higher brand knowledge on a global scale.This study has an qualitative approach and aims to create an understanding of how smallfashion companies are using the Internet as a branding tool as well as mapping thepossibilities with the tools used. Three semi structured observation studies were conducted onthe companies’ websites and facebook. In addition, two semi-structured interviews werecarried out at two of the companies. The theoretical framework consists of traditional theorieson brand building and brands, as well as recent research about online branding.The result implies that the companies do not have a clear and defined plan of their brandbuilding activities on the Internet, which presumably depend upon the lack of recourses interms of staff, economy and time. The brands’ usage of the Internet enables a higher visibilityof the brands on a global level. The tools used on the Internet are company websites,facebook and collaboration with fashion bloggers. The different tools contribute in spreadingand building the fashion brands. The company websites mirror the fashion brands bycommunicating its values and identity through images, text and short videos. Collaborationwith influential fashion bloggers, especially with international ones, makes it possible for thebrand to get a higher brand knowledge as well as the brand’s message is being spread topotential consumers. As a result of the collaboration, the fashion bloggers becomesambassadors of the brand. The use of facebook makes it possible for the brands tocommunicate in real time with consumers and to build relationships with them. Facebook alsomakes it possible for the brands to understand their consumers better by being able to viewtheir “followers” profiles. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

Digital platforms such as blogs and social networking sites provide new means for individuals to gather and spread information about products and services through electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM). Within those platforms, individuals have the potential to emerge to become influential actors with the power to affect the behaviours and attitudes of others. Despite the growing interest in online influence, there is still a limited understanding of how key individuals share and engage in eWOM. This study looks at tech-bloggers as an emerging actor category that create and develop consumption oriented online content such as product reviews using blogs and associated technologies. This thesis presents an in depth qualitative investigation to understand how this emerging actor category have been able to establish an influential status. Existing literature often labelled bloggers as “opinion leaders” obscuring what is new and different about them. Building a practice based discussion of these emerging actors aims to capture activities and processes in a wider, natural setting. Paired with the exploratory nature of research, this thesis draws on a conceptually grounded, qualitative research approach utilising interviews with key tech-bloggers, marketers and blog analysis. Findings show that these emerging actors engage in three distinct but interrelated practices centred on audience construction, content development and network formation. Audience construction requires emerging actors to develop quality content utilising existing networks composed of other actors within the same category and the audience. As a consequence, emerging actors are socially embedded in a multiplicity of interactions online and offline to develop their blog and their content. This study contributes to existing concepts in eWOM by showing how emerging actors develop a particular expertise, distinct from consumers, in attracting an audience. Furthermore, these emerging actors transform from being knowledge replicators to become knowledge producers developing communication content in line with a wider audience. As tech-bloggers become more established as emerging actors, tech companies are adapting their marketing to account for these practices. The result is a co-creation of product news and advice on new products between emerging actors, marketers and the audience. Thus, this work gives a more nuanced account of eWOM and the role of emerging actors shaping communication in this sector.

Web 2.0 har möjliggjort och öppnat upp för en ny typ av mellanmänsklig kommunikation. Numera kan vem som helst starta sin egen offentliga och lättillgängliga webbplattform där digitala dialoger frodas och med det skapas attraktiva marknadsplatser för företag. Enligt forskningsluckan vi har identifierat anser vi att det saknas insikter om hur företag på bästa sätt ska arbeta med bloggare utifrån bloggarnas perspektiv. Bloggar är inte bara en attraktiv marknadsplats för företag utan också för bloggarna själva som skapar sitt personliga varumärke genom att bygga upp den digitala identitet som presenteras i bloggen. Således är syftet med vår uppsats att bidra till ökad förståelse för bloggares preferenser i relationen med företag och varumärken, samt hur de väljer varumärken att beröra i sin blogg utifrån sin digitalt konstruerade identitet. För att genomföra vår studie har vi valt en kvalitativ metod med en abduktiv ansats där vi har genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju populära bloggare i Sverige. Den teoretiska referensramen som ligger till grund för vår studie är uppdelad i tre huvudkategorier; marketing public relations, word-of-mouth/word-of-blog samt personligt varumärke, där vi berör begreppen relationer, digitala dialoger, tvåvägs-symmetrisk kommunikation, digitalidentitet och källtrovärdighet. Resultatet i vår studie visar att bloggare önskar ett professionellt bemötande i relationen med PR-utövare men en personlig relation till varumärken. PR-utövare bör erbjuda bloggarna unikhet, involvering, nyhetsvärde och arvode för att skapa fördelaktiga tvåvägs-symmetriska bloggrelationer i syfte att gynna varumärket. Således förändras synen på traditionell PR vilket snarare innefattar relationer än finansiering. I vår studie presenterar vi därför en definition och modell av begreppet Blog Public Relations (BPR) vilket är vårt huvudsakliga bidrag till den vetenskapliga diskursen. Vidare visar vår undersökning att det finns tre faktorer som påverkar bloggare till att avvika från sin digitala identitet i samarbetet med företag. Förutom att de känner en press att uppdatera bloggen, och därmed ibland har valt att skriva om vissa produkter på grund av det, påverkar ett högt arvode eller ett riktigt bra och proffsigt bemötande från PR-utövarna den kommersiella avvägningen. / Web 2.0 has enabled and opened up for a new type of interpersonal communication. Nowadays, anyone can start their own public and accessible web platform where digital dialogues flourish and thus the creation of attractive markets for companies. According to the research gap we have identified, we believe that there is a lack of understanding of how companies’ best should practice blog relationships according to the bloggers. Blogs are notonly an attractive marketplace for companies but also for the bloggers themselves since they create their own personal brand by building up their digital identities that are presented in the blog. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to contribute to a better understanding of bloggers' preferences in their relationship with companies and brands and how they choose brands to mention in the blog from their digitally constructed identities. To carry out our study, we chose a qualitative method with an abductive nature where we have carried out semistructured interviews with seven popular bloggers in Sweden. The theoretical framework that forms the basis of our study is divided into three main categories; marketing public relations, word-of-mouth/word-of-blog, and personal brand, where we touch the concepts of relationships, digital dialogues, two-way symmetrical communication, digital identity and source credibility. The result of our study shows that bloggers wish for a professional approach in the relationships with PR practitioners and a personal relationship with the brands. PR practitioners should offer bloggers uniqueness, involvement, news-value and emolument to create beneficial two-way symmetric blog relationships in order to promote the brand. Moreover, this approach is changing the perception of traditional PR, which includes relationships, rather than financing. In our study, we therefore present a definition and model of the term Blog Public Relations (BPR) that is our main contribution to the scientific discourse. Furthermore, our study shows that there are three factors that influence bloggers to deviate from their digital identity in collaboration with companies. Besides that they feel pressured to update the blog, and thus sometimes chose to write about certain products because of it, a high emolument or a really good and professional behavior from PR practitioners affects the commercial balance.

Esta tese investiga e procura responder a duas hipóteses de pesquisa: a) Os profissionais do jornalismo estão migrando das mídias tradicionais (impresso, rádio e TV) para novas mídias, principalmente para os blogs. b) Os jornalistas adotaram e estão migrando para os blogs em busca de maior autonomia, independência, liberdade de expressão e realização profissional. O referencial teórico que orientou este estudo conceitua o trabalho e a comunicação como atividade humana, ergológica (Schwartz), constitutiva da ontologia do ser social (Marx). O trabalho jornalístico é abordado a partir desse referencial teórico, para destacar como os processos produtivos nessa área profissional foram transformados pelas tecnologias, técnicas e organização diferenciadas das rotinas produtivas. Toma-se o conceito clássico de jornalismo e de sua deontologia e analisa-se seu desenvolvimento ao longo do século XX e início de XXI à luz das mudanças ocorridas a partir da globalização, do mundo do trabalho do jornalista e da organização das empresas de comunicação na contemporaneidade. Os valores humanistas que fundam o campo jornalístico são questionados em relação aos valores da sociedade de consumo, da informação e do espetáculo. Do ponto de vista metodológico, os procedimentos são: levantamento bibliográfico pertinente aos conceitos envolvidos e, também, o estudo empírico de casos e a observação de jornalistas experientes que migraram para os blogs como nova opção profissional. Como resultado, foi constatado que os jornalistas migraram para os blogs em busca de autonomia, entre outros motivos, mas encontraram obstáculos que os impede de exercer a plena liberdade de expressão no novo meio, como o cerceamento financeiro e o judicial. Além disso, estão em busca de novos arranjos econômicos que possibilite o pleno exercício da profissão nos blogs. / This thesis investigates and seeks to answer two research hypotheses: a) The journalism professionals are migrating from traditional media (print, radio and TV) to new media, especially for blogs. b) Journalists have adopted and are migrating to blogs in search of greater autonomy, independence, freedom of expression and professional achievement. The theoretical framework that guided this study conceptualizes the work and communication as a human activity, ergologic (Schwartz), a constituent of the ontology of social being (Marx). The journalistic work is approached from this theoretical framework, to highlight how the production processes in this professional area were transformed by technology, techniques and differentiated organization of productive routines. One takes the classical concept of journalism and its ethics and analyzes its development throughout the twentieth century and early twenty-first in the light of the changes brought about by the globalization, the journalist\'s job in the world and the organization of communication companies in the contemporaneity. The humanist values that founded the journalistic field are questioned in relation to the values of the consumer society, information and spectacle. From a methodological point of view, the procedures are: relevant literature to concepts involved and also the empirical case studies and observation of experienced journalists who migrated to blogs as a new career option. As a result, it was found that journalists migrated to the blogs in search of independence, among other reasons, but found obstacles that prevent them from exercising full freedom of expression in the new medium, as the financial restriction and the judicial. They are also looking for new economic arrangements that will allow the full exercise of the profession in blogs.

Social media are often referred to as democracy drivers in autocratic states, whereas in some countries, they appear as tools of the regimes that employ a wide range of mechanisms to restrict freedom of expression online. In authoritarian countries, political bloggers stand out as new political leaders or anti-regime actors, serve as alternative information sources, advocate for political action, or mobilize financial support for different initiatives. Political conditions in countries with established governments’ control practices complicate publishing routines for political bloggers and may increase incentives to self-censor. Employing the theory of the spiral of silence, this study analyzes self-censorship in social media among political bloggers in two neighboring post-Soviet autocratic countries - Belarus and Russia. The research is based on a comparison of media legislation in Belarus and Russia, textual analysis of political blogs, and survey among political bloggers in the two countries. The survey demonstrates that political bloggers face obstacles in forms of administrative or criminal sentences, forceful blocking of their pages, online threats, or experience pressure/ attention from secret services. Despite these challenges, political bloggers in Belarus and Russia demonstrate readiness to speak out and criticize political elites. According to the model suggested in this thesis, the majority of political bloggers practice self-censorship at the pre-publishing stages in forms of selecting topics and wording, avoiding particular names. The author argues that in autocratic countries, the spiral of silence, that engages more people to silence their opinion due to political obstacles, can be and is currently challenged by political bloggers, as decentralized political opinion leaders, who aim to break down the spiral of silence. The research contributes to media studies of social media and freedom of expression in autocratic countries. Political bloggers as neither ordinary social media users nor media in the non-democratic world require more attention among media and political scholars.