The Integration of Domains: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Strategic Communication Campaigns

Abstract

As an emerging field of study, strategic communication is unique in that it requires integration of concepts, theories, and methods from diverse disciplinary domains. This integration is necessary to fully understand and explain the complexity of the phenomenon. As an observable manifestation of strategic communication, the campaign has received considerable attention across subdisciplines; however, no conceptualization of the strategic communication campaign as a distinct process has been forwarded, and no general theory has emerged to explain strategic communication campaigns or predict their outcomes. This article posits a definition of strategic communication campaigns that privileges the multidisciplinary capacity of the field and is distinct from other perspectives. In addition, an overview of current theoretical approaches that inform strategic communication campaigns is provided.