Longitudinal study of the strategic direction of communication of the House of HM the King (2011 -2021): From consensus to transparency

Abstract

This article collects the evolution of the communication strategies and the techniques adopted in these ten years, in two stages, coinciding with the exercise of the two heads of state and the transition between both reigns from the communication point of view. The House of HM the King has been modifying its communication strategy throughout these ten years, directly influenced by the numerous controversies associated with some members of the Royal Family. Parallel to this crisis communication, the changes that have occurred in the society, due to the coexistence with 2.0 technologies have meant that the Institution has also had to incorporate 2.0 communication techniques. It is important to highlight how the Institution's communication has evolved in these ten years (2011-2021). Barrera and Zugasti (2001, p. 101) explain how a kind of complicity relationship existed between the monarchy and the Spanish press where the values ​​of "harmony, reconciliation, coexistence and consensus" stood out. De Pablos and Ardevol Abreu (2009, p. 237) talk about what they call the end of the "critical silence" where the press begins to speak more directly about the issues that affected the Institution. The strategic communication of the Royal House is more proactive now and tries to show an image of transparency and correct management of the public. Concepts such as "honesty, economic transparency, closeness and modernization" are key in this new stage. The role of public relations in communication management is undeniable since it allows a correct relationship with the public of an organization. Thus, this management must be strategic, as has been pointed out by numerous researchers in the discipline. And in the institutional field it is even more complex due to the social relevance of the institutions. This research has set out to the content analysis of news related to the House of HM the King in the main national reference print and digital newspapers by diffusion and official events and press-release published on the Royal House website during this period. To complete this approximation, we start from the in-depth interview with the Director of Communication of the House of HM the King, Javier Ayuso, Head of the Communication Department of the House of HM the King in this moment (2013). This qualitative analysis was completed with six semi-structured in-depth interviews with experts linked to the analysis of the communication of the Royal House. The results of the investigation point to a double strategic change in the management of communication in the House of HM the King: a) From the strategic point of view. The Royal House becomes more proactive in its communication strategy, showing greater transparency in its management towards Spanish citizens. b) From the point of view of communication techniques. Communication tools have been modernized and adapted to their audiences using the official website as the backbone of institutional communication, as well as some digital platforms, but a unidirectional control of the message is still perceived on social networks, which does not allow, to a greater extent, that closeness with the new generations.