Studying "America's Selfie"

A recent article published in the journal Place Branding and Public Diplomacy examines how the U.S. State Department used Facebook to create an American brand. Dubbed "America's Selfie," the attempt at nation branding relied on what the author calls "dialogic engagement."

The study "America's Selfie - Three Years Later" by Ilan Manor compared the State Department's digital diplomacy activities in 2016 and 2013 and examined the degree of dialogic engagement used. He found that "the State Department is narrating a consistent and coherent national brand and is adept at integrating everyday events into that national brand. By so doing, the State Department maintains a consistent voice and matches words for deeds thus facilitating the creation of relationships with Facebook followers. However, results also suggest that the State Department fails to provide any opportunities for dialogic engagement."

The full article is available online here from Springer Link.