This study originally pursues determining how widely diffused Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is as a technology of distance education. To be clear, the question to be answered is: How do representative adopters of the ICN feel about using this technology? Theoretically, positive opinions of these adopters regarding the ICN as a technology of distance learning are viewed as indicating that the technology is fairly diffused. The representative adopters in this study are selected from among experts and educational leaders. Further in the study, it is also sought to explore how distance education might progress in the future. A major point of departure for the study is that favorable opinions toward an innovation help influence its diffusion. Extensive information is thus provided regarding theories of opinion leadership from late 19th century to present. Three different lines of thought are identified among these theories: imitation and modeling, influence from mass media, and influence from the Internet. The study has used these theories to develop three research tools. Two of these tools are used to measure the diffusion of the ICN. The last one is used to make predictions about the future of distance education. The story of the ICN is closely related to what distance education might be like in the coming times. Distance-learning tools would of course grow increasingly advanced. But virtual education that became refined through using the ICN seems to hardly go through drastic change in the foreseeable future.

Given its relative infancy, there is a dearth of research on a comprehensive view of business social media analytics (SMA). This dissertation first examines current literature related to SMA and develops an integrated, unifying definition of business SMA, providing a nuanced starting point for future business SMA research. This dissertation identifies several benefits of business SMA, and elaborates on some of them, while presenting recent empirical evidence in support of foregoing observations. The dissertation also describes several challenges facing business SMA today, along with supporting evidence from the literature, some of which also offer mitigating solutions in particular contexts. The second part of this dissertation studies one SMA implication focusing on identifying social influencer. Growing social media usage, accompanied by explosive growth in SMA, has resulted in increasing interest in finding automated ways of discovering influencers in online social interactions. Beginning 2008, many variants of multiple basic approaches have been proposed. Yet, there is no comprehensive study investigating the relative efficacy of these methods in specific settings. This dissertation investigates and reports on the relative performance of multiple methods on Twitter datasets containing between them tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of tweets. Accordingly, the second part of the dissertation helps further an understanding of business SMA and its many aspects, grounded in recent empirical work, and is a basis for further research and development. This dissertation provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of SMA and the implementation SMA in influencer identification.

<p>Vi vill reda ut vilka olika faktorer som kan ha betydelse för bloggar som trovärdig marknadsföringskanal.</p><p>Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ ansats för att få en djupare förståelse för bloggar som ett marknadsföringsverktyg. Genom en deduktiv metod har vår teoretiska referensram utgjort utgångspunkten för vår empiriska data.  Vårt empiriska material har vi samlat in genom sex genomförda personliga intervjuer med bloggrelaterade personer. Därefter har vi ställt vårt resultat i relation till vår teori och utifrån vår frågeställning fört en diskussion.<strong></strong></p><p>Företag kan inte styra vad bloggaren skriver och det är viktigt att bloggen får behålla sin personliga karaktär, då det styrker trovärdigheten för denne som marknadsföringskanal. Bloggen ska inte verka i säljande syfte, utan mer som rekommendationer till läsarna. Bloggare kan i vissa sammanhang agera som opinionsledare och besitter förmågan att påverka en stor grupp av människor. MeWe-generationen är en viktig målgrupp för företag, eftersom de frekvent influeras av modebloggar. Våra slutsatser visar även att öppenhet och relationer är viktiga begrepp vad gäller marknadsföring via bloggar.</p> / <p>We want to examine what different elements that can be of importance to blogs as a trustworthy marketing channel.</p><p>We have used a qualitative approach to be able to get deeper understanding of blogs as a marketing tool. Through a deductive method our theoretical frame of reference has made the base for our empirical data. Our empirical material we have collected by executing six personal interviews with blog related people. We have then come to our conclusions by analysing our theoretical and empirical material in relation to each other.<strong></strong></p><p>Companies cannot control what the blogger is writing and it is important that the blog keeps its personal spirit, since it strengthens the trustworthiness of the blog as a marketing channel. A blog is not supposed to communicate in an obviously selling purpose. What they write will rather more be recommendations for the reader. A blogger may sometimes be seen as opinion leaders and they possess the ability of influence a large number of people. The MeWe-generation makes an important target group for companies, since they are frequently influenced by blogs of fashion. Our conclusions also show us that openness and relations are important notions when discussing blogs as a marketing tool.</p>

Vi vill reda ut vilka olika faktorer som kan ha betydelse för bloggar som trovärdig marknadsföringskanal. Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ ansats för att få en djupare förståelse för bloggar som ett marknadsföringsverktyg. Genom en deduktiv metod har vår teoretiska referensram utgjort utgångspunkten för vår empiriska data.  Vårt empiriska material har vi samlat in genom sex genomförda personliga intervjuer med bloggrelaterade personer. Därefter har vi ställt vårt resultat i relation till vår teori och utifrån vår frågeställning fört en diskussion. Företag kan inte styra vad bloggaren skriver och det är viktigt att bloggen får behålla sin personliga karaktär, då det styrker trovärdigheten för denne som marknadsföringskanal. Bloggen ska inte verka i säljande syfte, utan mer som rekommendationer till läsarna. Bloggare kan i vissa sammanhang agera som opinionsledare och besitter förmågan att påverka en stor grupp av människor. MeWe-generationen är en viktig målgrupp för företag, eftersom de frekvent influeras av modebloggar. Våra slutsatser visar även att öppenhet och relationer är viktiga begrepp vad gäller marknadsföring via bloggar. / We want to examine what different elements that can be of importance to blogs as a trustworthy marketing channel. We have used a qualitative approach to be able to get deeper understanding of blogs as a marketing tool. Through a deductive method our theoretical frame of reference has made the base for our empirical data. Our empirical material we have collected by executing six personal interviews with blog related people. We have then come to our conclusions by analysing our theoretical and empirical material in relation to each other. Companies cannot control what the blogger is writing and it is important that the blog keeps its personal spirit, since it strengthens the trustworthiness of the blog as a marketing channel. A blog is not supposed to communicate in an obviously selling purpose. What they write will rather more be recommendations for the reader. A blogger may sometimes be seen as opinion leaders and they possess the ability of influence a large number of people. The MeWe-generation makes an important target group for companies, since they are frequently influenced by blogs of fashion. Our conclusions also show us that openness and relations are important notions when discussing blogs as a marketing tool.

This research investigates the Twitter network sphere of the 112th U.S. House of Representatives and the 18th Korean National Assembly members. Drawing from social network analysis, this study explores and compares structural characteristics of each legislative political network at diverse network levels – legislative, party and personal network. Mapping these networks highlights the major features of these two elite political networks grounded in a new social medium. Findings indicate that U.S. and Korean lawmakers have created and are enjoying affluent and multi-layered digital networks. Dynamic legislative-body networks, strong party networks, and a variety of personal networks with diverse partisan and bipartisan relationships demonstrate how politicians are agile at using new mediums. This research confirmed that these newly created legislative networks go beyond partisanship. Complicated structures demonstrate active and mutual interactions among lawmakers, and the political networks with large numbers of bipartisan tie relationships indicate that the political elite communicate, interact, and build relationships with each other rather than remaining disconnected or isolated. This research revealed new types of leaders – digital opinion leaders – emerging from newly created digital legislative networks: the most connected lawmakers; lawmakers who have great potential to coordinate party politics; the most sought after leaders; and most sociable lawmakers. By examining lawmakers’ patterns of relationship building in the network, this research tests whether these relationships are dependent on party position, ruling or opposition, in the network. In turn, this provides evidence for different uses of this new medium by party position in both legislative bodies. Detailed examination of Twitter use by political elites in Korea and the U.S. illuminate how this new media platform is being adopted by and changing politics in two distinct social and cultural settings. This new political arena, a fully digitalized and networked sphere where dynamic competition and cooperation occurs between political elites, has emerged as one of the political battlefields in politics today. / text

Denna uppsats avser att undersöka publikens attityder gentemot svenska influencers på Instagram. Studien undersöker hur omfattande publiken påverkas av sponsrade samarbeten mellan influencers och företag på Instagram. Vidare studeras effekten av publikens attityder och följaktligen deras agerande där utvecklingen av influencer marketing tas i beaktning. Med hjälp av materialet från studiens kvantitativa metod har data bearbetats tillsammans med teorier som huvudsakligen bygger på Katz &amp; Lazarsfelds teori om Tvåstegshypotesen. Utefter teorins utveckling följer därefter Word of Mouth, Influencer marketing och slutligen Uses and gratifications. I samband med att influencer marketing blir alltmer populärt avser studien att bidra till forskningen i ämnet. Sammanfattningsvis har metod och teori bidragit till att hantera och analysera uppsatsens frågeställningar och syfte. Uppsatsens slutsats är att publiken upplever att deras attityd påverkas av sponsrade samarbeten på Instagram vilket bidrar till ytterligare fördjupning kring influencers som varumärke. Respondenterna upplever att deras attityd påverkas i samband av mängden samarbeten som förekommer och enligt studiens resultat påverkas publiken oavsett om de följer influencers på Instagram eller inte.

This diploma thesis focuses on fashion blogs and the perception of bloggers by their readers. The thesis is divided into three parts - theoretical, methodological and analytical. In the first part, I explain the terms that are associated with blogging and therefore journalism, online journalism, blogging, social networks, but also the character of journalist, blogger and the concept of an opinion leader. In the second part, I will present the procedures that I used for date collection, I will also introduce the research objective and describe the research file. In the last part, I describe the research itself, which I translated through a mixed analysis when I used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Using a questionnaire survey, I perceived the perception of a fashion blogger from the viewpoint of its followers, their identification with the blogger's figure, but I also chose the supplementary question where I studied, whether the readers prefer fashion blogs or magazines and also the reason for their preferences. The results confirm the positive relationships of readers to the blogger, they consider him as an inspirational person who influences fashion trends, but also opinions on current topics. I see the added value of this diploma in revealing what readers think about bloggers and...

This diploma thesis, Ethical aspects of influencers' communication on Instagram as modern opinion leaders aims to understand the role of ethics of influencers' communication on Instagram with their audience. The theoretical part focuses on understanding the concept of social networks and also defines the concept of influencer. The introductory part also works with the key concepts of authenticity, self-branding or opinion leader, which brings interesting perspectives on the basis of which influencers can be viewed. The thesis further illustrates the phenomenon of influencer marketing and its possible pitfalls. The research part of the paper focuses on two levels of ethics on Instagram through a mixed research. The first part is a qualitative research that describes the perception of the ethics of influencer communication among users on Instagram, which also serves as preparation for the next phase. The next part is qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with influencers, which aims to map the view of influencers, and what role ethics plays in their work on Instagram.

Syftet med den här studien är att skapa en förståelse kring hur kvinnor inom generation Z:s attityder till mode och kläder påverkas av influencer marketing som marknadsföringsstrategi. Det grundar sig i att det har identifierats ett antal kunskapsgap som att det saknas forskning på generation Z som konsumenter och även inom fenomenet influencer marketing. Dessutom på förändrade digitala konsumentbeteenden i och med pandemin Covid-19. Vidare har en framtidsanalys presenterats för att försöka täcka upp för de kunskapsgap som identifierats. Resultaten från studien visar att kvinnorna inom generation Z:s attityder till mode och kläder i högsta grad påverkas av influencer marketing. Då de dagligen använder sig av sociala medier och det faktum att det har kommit att bli en normalitet inom generationen att söka efter inspiration till mode och kläder via influencers på sociala medier. Attityder gentemot företag och influencers inom klädbranschen och således mot mode samt kläder påverkas också av faktorer som en influencers tillit och expertis. Det vill säga, generationen följer influencers de anser som pålitliga och de med tillräckligt hög genomslagskraft ses då även som pålitliga även i andra områden. Vilket innebär att företag som samarbetar med “rätt” influencers hamnar inom konsumenternas radar och i och med det kan påverka attityderna åt sin fördel.

Background: Despite implementation efforts, most anxious youth do not receive evidence-based treatment. Dissemination initiatives can increase consumer knowledge of evidence-based treatments. Opinion leaders (OLs) have been used in public health campaigns, but this strategy has not been examined for the dissemination of mental health treatments. This study uses the theory of planned behavior to test the dissemination strategies of (1) involving an OL and (2) using an educational presentation to increase caregiver demand for CBT for youth anxiety. Methods: Participants (N=262; 92% Female; 69% White, 82% non-Hispanic) were caregivers who registered for a virtual presentation on youth anxiety and how to seek treatment. Caregivers were cluster-randomized by school (N=25) to the OL condition (presented by a clinical researcher and local caregiver OL) or the researcher-only condition (presented by two clinical researchers). Presentations occurred from May 2021-May 2022. Measures were completed pre- and post-presentation, and at three-month follow-up. Results: One hundred and nine participants attended the presentations. Relative to the researcher co-presenter, participants rated the OL as significantly more relatable, familiar, similar, and understanding of their community, but significantly less credible. Across conditions, there was a significant increase in participants’ (a) knowledge of, (b) subjective norms related to, and (c) intention to seek CBT for youth anxiety, but no change in stigma or attitudes about CBT. Presentation conditions did not differ in change on these measures, or on rates of seeking youth anxiety CBT at three-month follow-up. Conclusion: Although involvement of a caregiver OL did not increase caregiver demand for EBT for youth anxiety, the overall outreach presentation was an effective dissemination strategy. Involving OLs may not be necessary for all consumer audiences, but may be beneficial for individuals with higher levels of stigma or scientific skepticism than participants in this study. / Psychology