Nostalgia session

public relations strategies in the context of new forms of communication

Abstract

Digital technologies have redefined the relationship between brands and their publics, making communication faster, more interactive, and increasingly decentralized. In this environment, characterized by information overload, the ephemerality of content, and new forms of technological mediation—including the use of artificial intelligence and phenomena such as nowstalgia, understood as nostalgia for the present—organizations are required to adapt their communication strategies. Nostalgia emerges as a resource capable of fostering emotional connection, a sense of belonging, and engagement. This study, characterized by a qualitative perspective and the use of eleven purposively selected cases, examines the role of nostalgia in contemporary Public Relations and its impact on relationship building, stakeholder loyalty, and organizational reputation. Drawing on a qualitative approach that combines a literature review and case analysis, the study discusses four categories of nostalgia—aesthetic, narrative, emotional, and artificial—as symbolic and strategic resources in organizational communication.