Handbook of Innovations in Strategic Communication: AI, Futurism and Directions

by Shannon A. Bowen (Editor), Elina Erzikova (Editor)

Overview

This unique Handbook demonstrates how strategic communication is undergoing significant changes due to advances in AI. It examines the consequences of innovation in society and communication, considering the ethical implications of technological developments.

Shannon A. Bowen and Elina Erzikova bring together the world’s leading experts on strategic communication to extrapolate, probe, and push the boundaries of their research into the future. Adopting a theoretical lens, the authors explore how strategic communication increases organizational effectiveness by enhancing competitive advantage, driving values, vision, mission and operations in an ethical manner. They challenge complex paradigms around transhumanism, counterintelligence and espionage, addressing timely issues such as terrorism, responsibility, EQ, pandemics, and responses to varied crises. Ultimately, this provocative Handbook provides an understanding of the future of strategic communication and showcases how the field can embrace and proactively shape its evolution.

The Handbook of Innovations in Strategic Communication is an essential tool for students and academics in business, public affairs, management, and public relations. Its practical approach to managing organizational effectiveness will also greatly benefit practitioners in content creation, media relations, and communication.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781035326471
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	10/10/2025
Pages:	446
Product dimensions:	6.62(w) x 9.62(h) x (d)

About the Author

Edited by Shannon A. Bowen, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, College of Information and Communication and Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of South Carolina and Elina Erzikova, School of Communication, Journalism and Media, College of Arts and Media, Central Michigan University, USA

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword xx
Preface xxi
PART I FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES AND CHANGES IN STRATEGY
AND THEORY
1 Introduction: defining futurism in strategic communication: needs and
directions 2
Shannon A. Bowen and Elina Erzikova
2 Strategic communication beyond the amphitheater: future strategic issues
management 13
Robert L. Heath
3 Vizualizing strategic communication research within a broader network of
communication scholarship: a bibliometric analysis 27
Elina Erzikova and Lana Ivanitskaya
4 Life lessons and self-reflection enrich strategic communication leadership 39
Bruce K. Berger
5 Ethics in strategic communication: humility as a deontological cornerstone
of future communication management 52
Katie R. Place and Shannon A. Bowen
6 Diffusion of innovations as strategic communication 65
Kerk F. Kee and Kulsawasd Jitkajornwanich
7 Transhumanism, AI, counterintelligence and espionage: challenges for
future strategic communication 76
Shannon A. Bowen
8 Is anarchy what communicators make of it? A constructivist perspective
on international strategic communication 86
Yicheng Zhu, Chu-Ge He and Meiyu Li
9 Strategy in strategic communication 99
Ken Plowman
10 Navigating strategic communication: exploring methodological
perspectives 111
Jiacheng Huang, Laura L. Lemon and Cen April Yue
11 The ABC model of technology-enabled communication engagement 125
Yi-Hui Christine Huang, Le-Yi Zhang and Qinxian Cai
12 Engineering strategic resilience communication for technology-focused
teams 139
Patrice M. Buzzanell, Kerk F. Kee and Brett W. Robertson
PART II CHALLENGES FOR DISCIPLINARY SECTORS AND RESEARCH
13 Public-based strategic communication surrounding pandemics:
antecedents to organization-public relationships and coping in public
health crisis response 149
Lan Ni, Zhiwen Xiao and Yan Huang
14 Strategic communication and corporate social innovations: intentionally
assessing, aligning, and organizing 164
Sónia Pedro Sebastião
15 Situational crisis communication theory and beyond: innovations in crisis
communication 178
W. Timothy Coombs
16 Crises and crisis management of the future 191
Augustine Pang, Jason Shi Yang Lim and Jerena C. K. Ng
17 The future of public sector communication: algorithmic challenges,
generative platforms, and new responsibilities 210
Alessandro Lovari
18 Employee communication innovations, changing demands, and practices
for the future 220
Alessandra Mazzei
19 Changes in the next workforce: the expectations, workstyle, and demands
of young and future employees 234
Rita Linjuan Men
20 Aligning business with society: a communication perspective on corporate
social responsibility, creating shared value, and organizational purpose 245
Chun-Ju Flora Hung-Baesecke
21 Strategic communication and generative AI: creating or solving wicked
problems? 259
Thomas Stoeckle and Ana Adi
22 Generative pictorial AI and the future of visual ethics 269
Nicholas Yanes and David D. Perlmutter
23 Shaping the future of strategic communication: the role of public relations
education 284
Julie O’Neil, Elizabeth L. Toth and Pamela Bourland-Davis
PART III CHALLENGES IN SPECIFIC ARENAS AND THE PRACTICE OF
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
24 Using effective strategic communications to combat extremism and
terrorism: case study of Somalia 293
Sunday Odedele
25 Artificial intelligence in advertising: unveiling challenges and
opportunities via the consumer’s lens 302
Linwan Wu, Ertan Ağaoğlu and Yuan Sun
26 Japan–US trade conflict and the public relations life-cycle model and the
self-correction framework 315
Takashi Inoue
27 Strategic communication and the military 324
Mari K. Eder
28 The future of public diplomacy 331
Dennis F. Kinsey
29 AI innovations in investor relations and financial communication 340
Alexander V. Laskin and Giulia D’Agostino
30 Communication hijacked? New vulnerabilities in the digital media arenas 350
Miriam Hautala, Vilma Luoma-aho and Jason C. Brown
31 Brand activism: the artificial and authentic future of social media and
strategic communication 363
Lance Porter
32 The dark and unexplored side of strategic communication: information
influence on video game platforms 370
Jesper Falkheimer and James Pamment
33 Character assassination, deepfakes, and inoculation strategies: implications
for strategic communication 381
Sergei A. Samoilenko and Josh Compton
PART IV FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATION
34 Afterword: forging the future of strategic communication 398
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick

Editorial Reviews

‘With this Handbook, Drs. Bowen and Erzikova are marshalling the leading scholars and thinkers in specific topics impacting strategic communication to explore the distinct challenges and opportunities facing us all today and what we potentially could in the future. This is a must read for academics, students and practitioners alike. Now is the time for this book!’

Karla K. Gower

‘This compendium of thoughtful essays covers a range of topics relevant to strategic communication from the definition of the term to the impact of new media and AI on the field as we look to the future. The multiple layers of analysis presented will interest both academics and practitioners.’

Krishnamurthy Sriramesh

‘This Handbook provides multiple viewpoints on how technological change and Artificial Intelligence have dramatically changed strategic communication. However, the essential role of including the voices of publics in the strategic management of organizations remains unchanged. The authors provide both new theories and modifications to current theories that communicators can use to preserve this role while adjusting to the ethical problems, misinformation, and new communication tools they now experience.’

James E. Grunig