Branding the European Parliament

Since democracy appeared in the antiquity, citizens have always participated in politics in one way or another. Today, with the advent of new media, citizens are closer than ever to the people who represent them. As an example of this proximity, I will use The Facebook page of the European Parliament (EP). The latter being the legislative heart of Europe, the use it makes of social media to sell the EU’s raison d’être in our information age is of utmost interest. How is the EP rebranding itself through social media campaigns and how are its citizens engaging with these efforts? is my research question. It will be answered by using a qualitative content analysis and a survey of European citizens. The main assumption of this thesis is that the EP, in its attempts to rebrand itself, goes beyond the political and favors the playful instead. Through mini games, riddles and question-answer the EP tries to have a bigger engagement rate on the part of its citizens. Furthermore, in order to comprehend the whole picture of the EP’s rebranding strategy we also analyze the link between the EP and the city where its power is based, that is, Brussels. This study has been developed as the EU needs to find a new way to talk to its citizens, a new way to be understood and loved by them. This is even more important since, those last years, more than ever, Europe does not stand at the right place in the heart of Europeans.