"I'm a Mormon": The development of a religious identity

Maria E Eller, Purdue University

Abstract

Religious institutions are a driving force in many areas of society in the United States; however there have been few attempts at widespread public relations campaigns for these institutions. This thesis seeks to explore one example of a widespread public relations campaign by a religious institution. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church) created a public relations campaign featuring physical advertisements (e.g., billboards and bus signs), television and internet advertisements, social media advertising, and various aspects of Web 2.0 (i.e., user-created searchable profiles and chat capabilities). This public relations campaign used values advocacy and strategic ambiguity in order to create an identity of the LDS Church. The following analysis explores the videos created by the campaign which are available at mormon.org/people. Examination of this campaign revealed that the identity presented in these videos presents a view of the LDS Church which stands apart from typical questions about and critiques of the church. This case study should further research between public relations and religion and provide a base for scholars to further develop the link between strategic ambiguity and values advocacy. This thesis also draws attention to this type of public relations campaign to provide an example for other ideologically-based institutions to consider when looking to improve or change their public image.

Degree

M.A.

Advisors

Boyd, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Religion|Communication|Rhetoric

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