Toward a Media-Neutral Conceptualization of Ambient Communication

Ambient Communication (AC) is a widespread brand practice. However, it lacks a clear understanding that may better orient its use. We aim at providing a comprehensive picture of AC to cast light on its distinctive conceptual dimensions. We designed a focused ethnography approach based on depth interviews with a purposive sample of agency professionals, analysed following a discursive perspective. Although explicitly recognized as a central element in branding, AC is depicted through an ambivalent representation, uncovering a fragile perception of its value at the implicit level. This reveals a limited unfolding of its potential due to a lack in its conceptualization that proves unable to provide guidelines on how to approach and appraise it. This shows a scarce maturity of agency professionals who are in need for self-legitimating in their clients’ eyes as partners. That proves detrimental to AC expression. Based on our evidence we frame AC as a relational hub which triggers multiple patterns of interaction dynamics according to a fuzzy network-based logic. That points at AC as a media-neutral communication form which in itself and in the way it is experienced by consumers, encapsulates and activates different interaction modes.