Research Projects
Research Projects
EASyQuart-Plus: Energy-efficient design and planning of decentralized supply networks for heating and cooling of urban districts using the shallow geological space - digitization and practical effectiveness
Realisation of the sub-project: Information on the acceptance of near-surface geothermal measures The overall goal of the project is the practical upgrading and implementation of concepts, workflows and instruments of a decision support system for heating and cooling of buildings and districts using shallow geothermal resources. Methodical preparatory work for components of the system and their validation were carried out within the framework of EASyQuart. Here, the decision-making aids are to be formed from recommendations for action to a holistic set of digital tools. This is based on workflows, algorithms, interfaces and software components that are used in an early phase of planning building and district projects for feasibility studies and also in the actual dimensioning process. With the implementation of project results as part of the digital twin of a real system, the practical usability of the decision-making aids under real conditions on the site scale is proven. In addition, in-depth methodological analyzes are carried out in order to close existing gaps in knowledge. Topics such as the improved strategic communication of geothermal content in different target groups and the integration of geothermal energy in holistic energy system analyzes and in the supply of existing buildings are newly included. With the concepts and instruments developed as exemplary solutions and with extended recommendations for making regulatory framework conditions more flexible, standards for the planning industry are revised and suggested for their safe implementation in practice. The sub-project incorporates methods of stakeholder identification as well as innovative formats of science communication into the decision-making aids explained. Analysis tools, concepts and formats developed in the process represent exemplary solutions, the use of which is recommended for stakeholder communication to improve knowledge and acceptance of the technology.
Start-up Communication Compass
To date, research has only explored single areas of communication in start ups. The relevant case of fast growing start ups has been neglected completely. Given the importance of the start up ecosystem, this study is the first to examine the communication function in high growth start ups by analyzing organization, performance, value creation and influencing factors. The study is based on 30 qualitative interviews with communication executives in fast growing start ups, thus making it the largest study in this field of research. The analyzed start ups come from different industries such as software, technology, IT services, energy, healthcare, finance, education insurance, and consumer goods. Core result of the study is the Start-up Communication Compass a descriptive framework that systematizes the gained knowledge. It contributes to both research and practice.
Digitale Kommunikationsstrategie in der Stiftungskommunikation
In today's world, end consumers are faced with a greater choice of different products than ever before. This makes it all the more important for them to be able to assess the quality of the products before they buy them. One way of doing this is through comparison portals, which allow users to assess offers in terms of the best price-performance ratio. One of the best-known providers is Stiftung Warentest, which publishes scientifically based test reports. Since neutrality is a priority, it is not allowed to generate advertising revenue and finances itself largely through the sale of its own publications; in the course of digitization, increasingly in the form of individual online test reports and subscriptions. Stiftung Warentest's business model, and thus the performance of independent product tests, is threatened by competing portals that copy its results and generate revenue through the use of affiliate links. Against this background, the research and transfer project deals with the analysis and optimization possibilities of digital communication strategies in foundation communication. It is investigated how the willingness to pay of new customers and new customers of the foundation can be established in the long term, even in the face of a large range of free competing products. The problem was approached using a combination of analytical-conceptual and empirical procedures. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to review the state of research in the field of digital communication and user behavior with a focus on online marketing and digital journalism. Then, by means of guided interviews, the usage behavior and willingness to pay of young new customers was analyzed and a benchmarking of the current communication work of Stiftung Warentest against other providers was carried out. In a final step, a communication strategy was developed to secure the willingness to pay of new customers for the foundation.
Digital mental health communication for adolescents and young adults
Depression is a widespread global health problem: In Germany, 5.3 million people suffered from depression requiring treatment in the course of a year, and 350 million people worldwide suffer from it. The number of diagnoses of depression has risen by about a quarter in the last decade, especially among young people aged 15 to 19. This is also due to increased education about the disease and the reduction of prejudices, but many young people still shy away from seeking professional help. If depression is detected early, good treatment options can be used, phases of the illness can be shortened and the risk of suicide can be reduced. Therefore, it is essential to place information about mental illness and help options in the target group of young people. In view of the developments described above, the research and transfer project with the Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe (German Depression Aid Foundation) under the direction of Professor Wolf and Rosanna Planer focuses on the question of which digital communication strategies can be used to better sensitise young people to the topic of mental health. The aim of the communication work of the Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe is to create basic knowledge about the disease, to reduce prejudices and to bring those affected to medical help.
Prospects of Estonian and German local independent media in the era of global platformisation, disinformation campaigns and political populism
Local independent journalistic media in Estonia face multiple challenges. Both young audiences and advertisers are switching to platforms such as Facebook, Google, Netflix, Amazon and others. In addition, there is the relative decline of media credibility, partly due to disinformation campaigns, the spread of populism and political polarisation. Another development in the Estonian context has been the "mediatisation" of local governments - municipalities publish their own newspapers and online news channels. In addition, media concentration (big media houses buying up smaller ones) has limited the independence of smaller newsrooms across the country. Nevertheless, it is the independent local media that strengthen local communities, facilitate democratic dialogue in these communities as well as a more dynamic cultural life. In cooperation with the Universities of Tallinn and Tartu in Estonia, Professor Cornelia Wolf worked in a sub-module on a comparative project led by Professor Ulrike Rohn (Tallinn) on the status quo and current risks for local independent media in Estonia and the East German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The aim was to explore what forms of cooperation or co-innovation exist or could exist between different types of national media institutions that could ensure their resilience in relation to global platforms as well as other challenges described above.
Social Intranet fields of application in the non-profit sector
Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. supports the scientific work of the University of Leipzig in the field of "Social Intranet application fields in the nonprofit sector". The aim of the project, led by Professor Wolf and Dr Wiesenberg, is to gain knowledge for non-profit organisations about the requirements of linking voluntary and full-time work within the framework of a common social intranet platform, taking into account the different user characteristics. Specifically, the focus is on entry barriers, user experiences, expectations, individual abilities, social environment, satisfaction (work tool, information medium, social exchange) as well as user-friendliness in the acceptance, application and successful introduction of a social intranet spanning full-time and voluntary work. In particular, questions arise regarding the measures for the successful introduction of such social intranets in non-profit organisations as well as the concrete factors against the background of the concept of corporate identity.
The demands on the strategic communication of media organizations have increased significantly in recent years due to changed market and social conditions. In times of Pegida and allegations of lying press, media organizations increasingly face the challenge of securing legitimacy and room for scope of action. At the same time, constantly changing technical possibilities and Internet provider structures place new demands on the business models of the organizations. Nadja Enke's dissertation project examines the contribution made by strategic communication in media organizations. The focus of the investigation is on the strategies, structures as well as the organization and implementation of strategic communication.
Influencers are the new stars in Germany's children's and teenagers’ spaces. Together with musicians, they lead the list of the most popular idols not only in Germany, but also in the USA. If nothing else, their popularity makes them sought-after cooperation partners for companies. These hope to get their brand messages across via influencers to increasingly difficult-to-reach teenage audiences. The exploratory study "Persuasion Knowledge of Teenagers regarding Strategic Influencer Communication" by Dr. Nils S. Borchers and Nadja Enke examined the understanding of and attitudes towards paid influencer cooperation among teenagers aged 11 to 15. As part of a more extensive research program on influencer communication at the professorship, this study follows on from the previous year's study on the management of strategic influencer communication, which focused in particular on clients and their agencies. The study is funded by the Günter Thiele Foundation for Communication and Management.
Influencer marketing is one of the most recent and significant new developments in the field of strategic communication. In 2016, 84 percent of US companies said they were planning an influencer campaign in the next 12 months (eMarketer, 2016). The exploratory study "Management of Strategic Influencer Communication" by Dr. Nils S. Borchers and Nadja Enke examined how companies and agencies plan, organize and evaluate their influencer activities. The project report for the study was published in 2018. In this, Nadja Enke and Nils Borchers provide a systematic overview of goals, influencer roles and types, services and rewards, process flows, content production and distribution strategies, selection criteria, control mechanisms, KPIs and measurement methods. See the study results report for more information.
Social media like Facebook have established themselves as an instrument of corporate communication. Nevertheless, investigations show that Internet and platform-specific potentials are still not sufficiently used to adapt the communicated content to the reception habits of the users. As part of the long-term study on Facebook communication in large German companies, communicative strategies have been collected at four-year intervals since 2012 at the universities of Passau (Michael Johann) and Leipzig (Cornelia Wolf). The third survey wave went into the field at the end of 2018 and analyzes the communication behavior at page and post level of around 100 companies.
Startups are an important economic factor and are highly relevant for Germany as a location for innovation and growth. That is why the academic debate on start-up companies has gained in importance in recent years. In particular, economic aspects and entrepreneurial strategies are regularly taken up and processed. On the other hand, the systematic analysis of the strategic communication at start-ups plays a comparatively subordinate role in academia as well as in practice. External communication with stakeholders such as investors and (potential) customers, but also internal communication in the early stages of institutionalization (seed stage, startup stage) and in the growth phase are of great relevance to the success of the company. In the first step, a joint project by professors Alexander Godulla, Christian Hoffmann, Cornelia Wolf, and Ansgar Zerfaß records the online communication of German startups and examines the communication on their websites and in social networks.
Self-driving cars, intelligent houses, and digital citizen participation: Concepts and applications for sustainable Smart Cities are currently being developed in many cities. But the intelligent city will hardly become a reality without the acceptance and active participation of the people who live in it. In an empirical project consisting of several modules, Professor Cornelia Wolf examines the extent to which the responsible organizations carry out strategic acceptance communication for new technologies in cities. In a first step, the knowledge and attitudes of citizens of Smart City Leipzig were surveyed for new applications.
As part of the annual conference of the German Society for Journalism and Communication Science (DGPuK), Professor Godulla, together with Professor Cornelia Wolf and Professor Ralf Spiller (Macromedia Hochschule Köln), organized a pre-conference in May 2018 on the topic "New Theories of Communication Science". Around 50 academics from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France dealt with the further and new development of theories and models in communication science during the one-day conference.
On December 3, 2018, the University of Leipzig published its new website, which has been optimized for mobile devices. The online presence is characterized by a number of technical innovations, short navigation paths, a clear and modern design, and the networking of different data sources. Professor Cornelia Wolf and her research assistant Nadja Enke have been supporting the Internet relaunch project since 2015 and the University Communications department in the development process of the website. This included the conception and implementation of market analyses, strategy development, the implementation of usability tests, the conception of the editorial concept, the implementation of training courses, the conception and coordination of the pilot facilities as well as the editorial implementation of the transfer content at the University of Leipzig. With the publication of the central website, the University Communications Office and the Online Communications Professorship have reached an important milestone in the relaunch project. In the coming years, the faculties, institutes and central facilities will be converted to the new system and the website will be continuously developed further in terms of technology, content and design.