Structures, Systems and Organizational Communication Processes in Franchises in times of crisis: the Spanish case

Current economic crisis together with the Internet revolution has had direct impacts on the franchise sector of Spain: in particular on its unique communication network. The aim of this research is to analyse how Spanish franchise companies have adapted to these changes through its corporate communications management. We want to determine whether the management of communications is ideal to the growth and consolidation of companies in the market. Corporate communications plans and organizational structures were analyzed to verify whether or not information technology (i.e. the use of the Internet) is maximized: the communications aspect being a critical area of company growth. We found that most franchise companies surveyed had adapted well to the changes in information technology, despite economic challenges. The Internet as a communications tool has been limited to its utility as a “bulletin board” for information. The marketing advantage of Internet communication, or its use as an avenue for customer exchange and exchange of goods and services has yet to be maximized. Future research may look into the details of how companies are able to maximize the communications-marketing advantage that Online/Internet can contribute to the franchise sector.

Los medios online y la ¿crisis? de la planificación de medios publicitarios

Los medios online representan actualmente una gran apuesta para la publicidad. Desde la planificación de medios publicitarios, los nuevos medios ofrecen otros caminos para llegar al público, pero añaden mayor complejidad. La capacidad comunicativa de los medios online y el mayor consumo de esos medios por parte de la población abre el debate de la necesidad de replantear el enfoque de la planificación de medios, digamos, tradicional, cuya estructura y procesos de trabajo se desarrollaron cuando los medios eran offline. Así, este artículo proporciona una panorámica general de la influencia de los nuevos medios en la planificación. Para ello, en primer lugar, describe el escenario actual, analizando la penetración y las inversiones publicitarias en Internet. Además, expone los principales soportes online según su proximidad a la concepción de la planificación de medios offline. En segundo lugar, aborda los retos actuales en la medición de los nuevos medios como síntoma del impulso del cambio de modelo. Finalmente, el artículo termina exponiendo algunas tendencias que se presentan como motores de cambio. Sin embargo, tras este análisis se advierte que tales aspectos no modificarían la esencia de la planificación de medios, por lo que cabe cuestionarse si se puede hablar de crisis, o si los nuevos medios están mostrando la necesidad de que la investigación y planificación se comprometa con este nuevo escenario.

Online Media and Crisis? of Advertising Media Planning

Nowadays, online media represent a great choice for advertising. From de advertising media planning, new media give new ways to reach the consumers, but they also add more complexity. The communication capacity of online media and the greater use of that media by part of the users open up the debate about the necessity of rethinking the approach of the ‘traditional’ advertising media planning, which structure and work processes were developed when media were offline. So, this article gives a panoramic view about the influence of new media in advertising media planning. To do this, in first place, describes the current scenario, analyzing the penetration and advertising expenditure in Internet. Also, it shows the main online media according to their proximity to the offline advertising media planning conception. In second place, this article addresses the current challenges at measuring new media as a symptom of the impulse at the change of model. Finally, the article ends up showing some trends that are presented as drivers of change. However, after this analysis, comes up the point that those aspects would not change the essence of advertising media planning, so it is questionable if we can speak of a crisis or, instead, if new media are showing the necessity that media planning have to be involved with this new scenario.