Strategic Communication

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It is evident that the Always executed the use of interpretative strategy well. The idea was to change the perception of people that started as a social experiment video. In order to change others perception of the term “like a girl”, from being an insult to an empowering message. The video that was successfully viral consisted of females of different ages to ask what the definition of “like a girl” and what it means to run “like a girl”. Grown women answered differently from female kids, women of older age responded by running awkwardly whereas female kids ran just as how a boy would. Research done by the organization had results that showed, just after a woman has blossomed into puberty they start to feel conscious of their bodies and even feel shame at their bodies that are developing. Being aware that their growing bodies restrict them from activities due to their boobs and etc. (Gordon, 2014) The use of interpretative strategy in their campaign for its viewers to interpret their message of changing the term “like a girl” into a compliment.

Theories were developed because humans are born to classify and understand their worlds. Humans are conceptual living things by nature thus communication scholars of then and now have developed theories that suggest this nature. Scholarly theories find evidence that will be able to support their claims and then shape and influence beings; just as how we interpret and analyze whatever we see and what we do. Rhetorical theory is when the public has the ability to express their opinions and interpret the information that is from the organization and will be able to judge the messages. (Robert et al, 2009)

To summarize the definition of the rhetorical theory, it when the organization uses language, signs and symbols to produce meaningful texts. The texts can then have different effects and impacts on the different audiences in specific contexts. Although the rhetoric and discourse theory are linked closely to one another, the rhetoric theory is mainly focused on the communicative aspects of discourse as the meaning may not be just within the text. The theory can be based on either visual or verbal rhetoric. Visual rhetoric is how the image is positioned, how the subject is portrayed, their relation to one another and the positioning of the viewer in the relation to the image and more. Whereas verbal rhetoric is how the message is formed and structured, its tone and style, choice of words and etc. It is how the rhetorical theory uses visual and verbal theory to help organize affect and influence our view and understanding of the world.

This case study has shown the use of rhetorical theory with social discourse by using both visual and verbal rhetoric. Visual rhetoric is evident in their campaign video by using different females after puberty portraying how a girl runs awkwardly and timid. Men and boys were also seen to have the same expression and actions just as how the females after puberty did while girls before puberty are seen to run confidently. It shows the relation of how the phrase like a girl has been used as a term of negativity and insult, a sign of weakness. At the later part of the video, the director had asked the female teenagers if they would like to re-enact how a real girl truly runs and throws after explaining why the term has become an insult and that it should not be that way.

The use of verbal rhetoric was displayed when the director asked the participants what it was to run, swim, throw like a girl. A little boy was asked if he had just insulted his sister by using the term like a girl, he was aware that it was an insult, he didn’t mean to insult his sister but he generally explained that it was for other girls. Whereas, a young woman was asked how it affects young girls from 10-12 to have that term used on them and said it affects their self-confidence and it influences them to think that they are weak and not as good as the rest would. In addition, female teenagers were also ask what advise they would give to such victims who are told that they are not as strong by using the phase, to not be affected by it, be proud and to continue doing what they do best and not changing just because they are told otherwise.

In conclusion, public relation establishes and maintains beneficially mutual relationships amongst the organization and public in which its success of failure depends on. (Broom, 2009) This case study has shown how the use of theoretical theories such as rhetorical that was used for a successful campaign. Furthermore, it is essential to choose the correct strategic planning as how Always has done. The company was able to be in trend with the current method of interacting and reaching out to its users through the use of online media by using adaptive strategy, it would not have been as successful if they had just used traditional media to reach to the millennial. Its interpretative strategy was relevant in this context as it was a social issue and they had a purpose to change perspective of people. Its public relations campaign was successful by not only going viral but statistically they were able to change the perception of people.