Strategic Communication can be understood as the purposeful use of communication in order to influence the cognitions, attitudes, or behaviors of a target audience. Against the background of a digital media environment with its diverse communication channels, we aim to understand the constant change in the interactions between professional and non-professional communicators and their audiences. The study of strategic communication spans theoretical and empirical approaches from several fields including communication, psychology, political science, marketing, or management.

In this area of research, scholars at the Department of Communication explore topics related to advertising communication and corporate communication:

• Advertising Communication
  An interdisciplinary team of scholars studies the content and effects of classic advertising techniques such as TV and print advertising, hybrid advertising messages (e.g., product placements, sponsorship), political advertising, or digital facets of advertising. A strong focus lies on the psychological mechanisms behind advertising effects as well as the study of vulnerable groups such as children.

• Corporate Communication
  The domain of strategic corporate communication addresses the effects of organizations' communication activities on its stakeholders (and vice versa) as well as the interaction of the two. A focus lies on communication in critical situations with regards to external and internal corporate environments, corporate social responsibility and transparency in corporate communication and public relations.

For these fields of inquiry, scholars of the Department of Communication do not only study strategic persuasion techniques, but also its potentially negative consequences on a societal level. This includes research on how citizens handle, cope with, and protect themselves from strategic persuasive messages.