Organisational communication facing the challenge of multiplatform and Web 2.0 strategy: The experience of the political parties in the Basque Country

Abstract

Aware of the fact that nowadays transmitting information is insufficient for successfully communicating, organizations are increasingly multi-channeled communicators, in addition to receiving what their public communicates, because they are aware that simply transmitting information is no longer sufficient for successful communication. In particular, political organizations and their leaders have shown a strong interest in recent years for exploring technologically advanced communication avenues, in accordance with the "˜permanent campaign´ idea (Blumenthal, 1980; Ornstein; Mann, 2000). This article examines current tendencies that determine the management of political communication, outside of specific voting contexts, through a case study of five parties with parliamentary representation in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. Using qualitative methodology, based on website analysis and in-depth interviews with press departments, this study explains why these organizations situate themselves in a 1.5 evolutionary phase (Kalnes, 2009).