{"id":412092,"date":"2022-03-04T16:29:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/"},"modified":"2022-03-04T16:29:42","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:29:42","slug":"why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Zelenskyy\u2019s \u2018selfie videos\u2019 are helping Ukraine win the PR war"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40968c351a8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40968c351a8\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Zelenskyys_%E2%80%98selfie_videos_are_helping_Ukraine_win_the_PR_war%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Zelenskyy\u2019s \u2018selfie videos\u2019 are helping Ukraine win the PR war&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/#An_authentic_message\" >An authentic message<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/#Connecting_with_the_audience\" >Connecting with the audience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/#Immediacy_of_the_message\" >Immediacy of the message<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war\/#The_everyman-turned-war_hero\" >The everyman-turned-war hero<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Zelenskyys_%E2%80%98selfie_videos_are_helping_Ukraine_win_the_PR_war%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Zelenskyy\u2019s \u2018selfie videos\u2019 are helping Ukraine win the PR war&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2022%2F03%2Fzelenskyy.jpeg&amp;signature=b6f0c60c46e6593f8a883ede49d250f2\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n                            It seems straight out of an action movie: As the capital city becomes a war zone, the defiant president <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/02\/25\/world\/europe\/zelensky-speech-video.html\">looks into the camera<\/a> and delivers a clear and compelling message: \u201cI am here. We will not lay down any weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what Ukrainian President and onetime actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy did <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/02\/25\/world\/europe\/zelensky-speech-video.html\">on Feb. 25, 2022<\/a>, in a selfie-style video <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/world\/article-ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-kyiv-profile\">viewed 3 million times<\/a> within an hour \u2013 part of an effort to mobilize international opinion against the Russian invasion of his country. And it <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears to be working. The co<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>n-turned-politician is credited with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2022\/02\/27\/russia-ukraine-sanctions-swift-central-bank\/\">convincing European leaders<\/a> to take actions considered unthinkable just a week ago, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/germany-weapons-ukraine-russia-156e24ad-b591-421e-9c22-105118adc377.html\">Germany sending weapons directly to Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But what is it about his videos \u2013 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2022\/feb\/26\/volodymyr-zelenskiy-ukraine-stands-defiant-in-face-of-russian-attack\">made with an iPhone and posted<\/a> on social media sites like Facebook, Telegram, and Twitter \u2013 that have been so compelling in rallying global public opinion behind Ukraine and against Russia?<\/p>\n<p>As an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en&amp;user=JpFHYKcAAAAJ\">expert in digital social media platforms<\/a>, I believe there are three reasons Zelenskyy\u2019s videos instantly made the war in Ukraine deeply personal and resonant for so many. And in particular, for this analysis, I want to single out videos posted on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CaaFzibgLES\/\">Feb. 25<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cabe-u9FUaf\/\">Feb. 26<\/a>, which seem to have garnered the most attention.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/wgCNKhtZYks\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"933\" height=\"525\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_authentic_message\"><\/span>An authentic message<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first is the authenticity of the message.<\/p>\n<p>The video shot on Feb. 25, late Friday night in Kyiv, shows Zelenskyy and his cabinet standing in front of streetlights with the president speaking directly into the camera without teleprompters or any official paraphernalia in sight. At one point, Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, standing behind Zelenskyy, displayed the time stamp on his phone to highlight <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/culture\/archive\/2022\/02\/zelensky-ukraine-president-selfie-video-kyiv\/622949\/\">the moment it was taken<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In an era in which most of us have made selfie videos or participated in group video chats with family members, the ordinariness of the scene, belied by the terrifying urgency of the message \u2013 \u201cWe are here, our soldiers are here, the citizens of our country are here\u201d \u2013 underscored the authenticity of his appeal.<\/p>\n<p>Conveying apparent authenticity is one tactic both <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2017\/01\/did-america-need-a-social-media-president\/512405\/\">Barack Obama<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2017\/03\/what-trump-understands-about-using-social-media-to-drive-attention\">Donald Trump<\/a> used to become president and inspire their followers.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy, who <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/zelenskiy_official?utm_medium=copy_link\">now has 13.5 million followers on Instagram<\/a>, has been able to use this same skill to galvanize the majority of the world behind Ukraine.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Connecting_with_the_audience\"><\/span>Connecting with the audience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A second reason his videos were so effective is they connected with viewers on social media.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-abc-reacted-so-swiftly-to-roseannes-racist-tweet-97496\">Social media amplifies<\/a> the visibility of a message when users feel personally <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/isre.1100.0339\">connected with the content<\/a>, turning them essentially into opinion-makers when they share it with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/599247\">like-minded people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This is precisely the effect companies seek when they post messages to social media in an effort to highlight a new product or something else. My research shows that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/isre.2020.0984\">their posts have more power<\/a> and are more likely to influence consumers when users co-opt these branded messages with their own social media posts. For example, Starbucks <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bettermarketing.pub\/the-sirens-lure-or-how-starbucks-engages-its-online-influencers-89227f34f9a3\">has had success<\/a> getting young \u201cinfluencers\u201d to repost images of the company\u2019s maritime logo of a mermaid by making it seem cool.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy\u2019s message emphasizing the unity of his people and a sense of solidarity created a connection with many of the people who viewed his videos. And with a compelling and direct message, the posts appealed to a wide variety of international audiences on social media and humanized the conflict.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Immediacy_of_the_message\"><\/span>Immediacy of the message<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A third reason why these videos are compelling is the immediacy of his message.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy\u2019s appeal for aid on behalf of his people \u2013 as missiles and bombs were falling throughout his country \u2013 was as urgent as one can be. This turned millions of users into instant recruits for his cause of raising international pressure to help him repel the Russian invasion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/dyp54v\/volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-kyiv\">I need ammunition, not a ride<\/a>,\u201d Zelenskyy reportedly told U.S. officials who had offered to spirit him out of the country.<\/p>\n<p>Research shows that messages that seem urgent <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/07421222.2016.1172454\">are more likely to prompt an emotional response<\/a>, which increases the number of people posting and sharing the post. This cascade of conversations <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0166694\">causes it to \u201ctrend,\u201d<\/a> which tends to spark more discussion between users and thus makes the message even more visible.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how digital activists raising money for a cause like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/full\/10.1126\/sciadv.1500779\">disaster relief<\/a> aim to engage social media users to quickly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.org\/10.1111\/poms.13064\">generate aid<\/a> for victims. In just a matter of a couple of days, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/v7dx39\/crypto-community-rushes-to-ukraines-defense-armed-with-nfts-daos\">hashtag #standwithukraine went viral<\/a> and financial aid began pouring in. Ukraine <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/02\/28\/business\/ukraine-crypto-donations.html\">has raised US$22 million in cryptocurrency donations<\/a> so far.<\/p>\n<p>Social media platforms are all about <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/misq.umn.edu\/go-to-you-tube-and-call-me-in-the-morning-use-of-social-media-for-chronic-conditions.html\">reach and engagement<\/a>. The urgent messages posted by Zelenskyy were instrumental in seeding an army of online users who broadcast their commitment by sharing details of fundraisers or charities to support the Ukrainian people.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_everyman-turned-war_hero\"><\/span>The everyman-turned-war hero<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Social media platforms help shape how people understand the world and structure how they respond to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> as it unfolds. Zelenskyy seems to intuitively understand the rules of engagement on social media, which makes sense given his previous career as an entertainer.<\/p>\n<p>His videos are short, between four and seven minutes, to the point, relatable and very personal. Old videos of him on Ukrainian versions of \u201cDancing with the Stars\u201d and voicing \u201cPaddington\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/pop-culture\/pop-culture-news\/videos-ukrainian-president-zelenskyy-dancing-stars-paddington-go-viral-rcna17949\">have resurfaced and gone viral<\/a> in recent days, reinforcing his authenticity, likability, and normalcy amid a very dangerous confrontation.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, his messages have been exceptionally potent in catalyzing public opinion.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>This article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/anjana-susarla-334987\">Anjana Susarla<\/a>, Professor of Information Systems, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/michigan-state-university-1349\">Michigan State University<\/a> is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-zelenskyys-selfie-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war-against-russia-178117\">original article<\/a>.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/why-zelenskyy-videos-are-helping-ukraine-win-the-pr-war-against-russia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Zelenskyy\u2019s \u2018selfie videos\u2019 are helping Ukraine win the PR war&#8221; It seems straight out of an action movie: As the capital city becomes a war zone, the defiant president looks into the camera and delivers a clear and compelling message: \u201cI am here. We will not lay down any weapons.\u201d That\u2019s exactly what Ukrainian&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":412093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/zelenskyy.jpeg&signature=60744ba2c79be2e243f08a9cfc815c23","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-412092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}