Distant education has become a stable form implementing higher education. Advantages and disadvantages of this distant education form have been discussed since the form was introduced. Interactivity with a strong visual component, effective communication in various combinations – one on one, duet, group – and active learning with informative, moral, institutional support from the very beginning have been declared as one of the greatest benefits distant education. But today we are already talking about interactivity’s deficiencies, how we return to the problem of routine one-way education. There is a reason why there are regular studies in distant education research on contact forms becoming more favorable than distant forms, as they are chosen by students more frequently. The time, we enjoy in digital opportunity studies, already shown a number of stereotypes about e-studies, among which, the college highlights the following: e-studies resembled boring self-learning process with static study materials and monotonous video recordings due to lack of usual lecture form, where the lecturer meets with the group, help them with study materials; there was a lack of lectures where you can meet fellow students, exchange views and work in groups.

AbstractResearch purpose. Social networks have become an integral part of life, making social media one of the most significant advertising platforms, which, according to many experts and scientists, is one of the most effective brand communication techniques. According to Google’s data (Think with Google, 2018), before the purchase, shoppers like to address real people, which they think could be trusted. Branding with influencers is a new way of promoting products and services. It has also recently been a much sought research topic both in terms of studying the brand communication and the influencer phenomenon. This comparative study explores the involvement of influencers in brand communication. The aim of the research is to analyse the involvement of Latvian and Cypriot influencers in brand communication, its features in theoretical and practical aspects.Design/Methodology/Approach. The research methods used were content analysis of Latvian and Cypriot influencer accounts, comparative analysis, literature analysis and graphical method.Findings. Within the theoretical framework of the study, a review of literature has been carried out on influencers’ involvement in brand communication, with particular focus on research in Cyprus and Latvia, as well as influencer typologies, communication features and current aspects of the research. The practical part of the research explores the demographic portrait of the Cypriot and Latvian influencers, the most important features of brand communication, paying particular attention to the principles of choosing influencers’ social networking platforms and brand communication labels in their communication – hashtags (#Reklāma, #Ad, #Sadarbība, #Paidpartnership, #Apmaksātasadarbība), as well as tendencies and regularities in their use or non-use.Originality/Value/Practical implications. The results of the study can be used by brand communication researchers, as well as by marketing and public relations professionals, to identify the key features of communication of influencers, including in comparative terms, and to select optimal tactics for collaboration with influencers.

Research purpose. There is a growing trend of society believing more and more in public broadcasting and media because they can objectively explain and reflect on what is happening in the world and Latvia. As the pandemic escalates, people are increasingly listening to what professional journalists and experts are saying. The survey organised by the National Media Council (neplpadome.lv, 2021) also shows that trust in public media in Latvia has been growing. However, one important challenge now is handling misinformation and false news, mostly seen on the Internet and social media. To be able to trace and analyse misinformation and false news that might have a significant impact on the population, first, it is important to identify the traditional and digital media as well as other Internet sources that have been frequently used by the population. The purpose of this study is to identify media platforms, including regional media, that are in daily use by the Vidzeme region’s population. Design / Methodology / Approach. A quantitative research method was used in this study, specifically, a survey, which consisted of a questionnaire comprising 18 questions on media use. Overall, 333 respondents living in the Vidzeme region participated in the survey. The questionnaire was designed in collaboration with Alberta College communication students. It included questions on traditional (TV, radio, magazines, newspaper) and digital media (portals, social media) that the population uses to access daily and weekly news. Findings. 1) The most frequently used media are social media (87.5%), while the Internet (85.5%) is considered the most reliable source of information. 2) Regional media continue to be an essential source of information for local communities. Originality / Value / Practical implications. Communication specialists of regional municipalities can use the results of the study to strengthen communication with the population via municipality websites and newspapers, thus, contributing to regional, local, and fast-growing micro-media ecosystem understanding. One limitation of the study is the limited scope of research, which is why the authors are planning to expand the research into the study of other regions of Latvia.

No abstract

The performed scientific studies show that proper and skilful use of modern technologies can contribute to significant development of companies. Growth of technologies occurs rapidly, and the electronic environment continuously develops and improves along with it. The electronic environment now already offers companies practically all necessary marketing and communication tools for ensuring company development by creating competitive advantages; nevertheless, not all companies can employ the opportunities rendered by the e- environment, in order to increase company competitiveness and productivity. (Ščeulovs, Gaile-Sarkane 2014). The aim of the paper is to study and compare the enterprises communication in e-environment in two countries – Latvia and Kazakhstan. Study material – 130 enterprises of Latvia, 100 enterprises of Kazakhstan; method – survey. The study was conducted within the Erasmus+ project ‘Mobility between programme and partner countries (KA107)’. Using previous researches and scientific studies, as well as survey of enterprises representatives in Latvia and Kazakhstan, in this paper, the authors a) give an overview of the main trends of enterprise communication in e-environment and b) compare the experience of the two countries.