Public Relations in the Digital Age: Immersive Models

Abstract

The article presents, for the first time, the foundations for the development of public relations theoretical concepts in the era of digitalization and the growth of immersive digital technologies. In the period of extreme technological digital saturation, the paradoxical essence of the transformation of public relations is revealed: there is a change in the research paradigm from digital technological (communication) to a communicative one. The article presents for the first time an approach to solving scientific problems, conceptualizing current human-centric immersive characteristics of digital public relations in order to determine their relevant model of immersive communication. Based on studies of digital public relations models (Internet, AR, VR), it presents the features of their immersive transformation. The specificity of the actor-as-object form of inclusion in the virtual environment for the experimental acquisition of real experience necessitates the allocation of a special immersive subspecies within the category of communication mediated by technologies. The authors determine digital immersiveness at two levels: Internet immersion as basic, and immersion in AR, VR, and MR technologies as mediated; the multi-level, polysemantic nature of content and its consumption, etc. Developing immersive PR projects is grounded in visualization, which leads to a transition from conservative to an emotional influence paradigm. Immersive projects for the first time provide a high level of simulation technologies in the conditions of experimental creation of a new user experience, which determines the need for new parameters for the formation of trust in PR, defines the scope of new risks, and research. A survey of experts confirms the provisions put forward by the authors.