Donna Lindell has been a professor at Centennial College since 2012. She did her latest study for her master’s in public relations. (Bobby Hristova)
When Donna Lindell, coordinator of the Public Relations - Corporate Communications program, received the invitation to speak at national and international public forums this year, she “read it about 14 times.”
“It speaks to the fact that we are now producing research and subject matter that is worthy of this kind of attention, so it shows we’re on that leading edge,” she said.
Lindell spent the last three years studying Canadian mommy blogs and how branded content affects their authenticity and credibility. Her quantitative research is the first of its kind.
“What’s happening is you’ve now got this industry that’s been created over the past three or four years, where bloggers are now able to ask brands for money in exchange for writing positive content,” she said.
“As brands become more prevalent on blogs, the authenticity goes down… It’s a threat to the business model.”
Just announced! I'm going to be a featured speaker at the @CPRSNational National Conference in PEI in May 2018: https://t.co/AGEqSzZZsm #ccpr @CentennialEDU @Centennial_CCPR @MSVUCommStudies
— Donna Lindell (@donnalindell) December 13, 2017
Innovative research is just one way Centennial’s public relations program wins awards.
“We have to make sure we are the most current program that there is. A lot of our students apply for awards offered through industry associations… and they win.”
Lindell is travelling to Oslo, Norway for the World Public Relations Forum at the end of April, and then to Prince Edward Island for The Canadian Public Relations Society's Connexions National Conference at the end of May.
Thrilled to be representing @CentennialEDU at the @WorldPRForum in #Oslo Norway at the end of April. I'll be presenting research I did for my MPR at @MSVUCommStudies @MSVU_Halifax. #authenticity #brands #mommybloggers #quantitativeresearch
— Donna Lindell (@donnalindell) February 22, 2018
“It’s a huge source of pride for alumni and existing students, to say, ‘hey, our professors are out there speaking amongst other academics in front of the industry with very new, ground-breaking research.’”
By Bobby Hristova