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A Unified Theory of Integrated Communications

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs

Definition

Over the past decade, communications disciplines have become increasingly confused. The terms public relations, marketing, publicity, and brand have become largely misunderstood to the detriment of the practitioners, their employers, and customers and the perceived value as a strategic management function. This misunderstanding has resulted in a lack of clear differentiation and an inability to delineate between the core function of each and how each discipline interrelates with the others. As such, there is no standard model; no clear understanding of the entire scope of strategic communications, nor a unifying theory of integrated communications. Without one, communications cannot attain either professional status nor will it be seen by stakeholders as a scientific discipline rather than an art or tradecraft.

Introduction

The accusation leveled at communications practitioners for decades is that it is an art, rather than a demonstrable science. As a result, it is treated...

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Correspondence to Lyndon Johnson .

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Johnson, L. (2021). A Unified Theory of Integrated Communications. In: Harris, P., Bitonti, A., Fleisher, C.S., Skorkjær Binderkrantz, A. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_160-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_160-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-13895-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-13895-0

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