Merkevarebygging på Instagram - En studie om hvordan brukerne anvender Instagram, og på hvilken måte dette har betydning for bedrifters merkevarebygging

Instagram has experienced a rapid increase in popularity over the last years, and can therefore be considered to have a positive network externality. A massive user-base expansion has made Instagram an attractive platform for several companies seeking to build and develop their brands. Brand knowledge is considered as the highest priority of market leaders and Instagram is potentially a valuable tool for disseminating knowledge to consumers. The study is done with qualitative interviews of the Instagram-users to discover their behaviour on Instagram and attitudes towards companies that engage in the social network. An additional examination of four company profiles using quantitative content analysis is performed to reveal how they use Instagram as a platform to build and develop their brand. The study shows a change between consumers and companies and their traditional roles. Today, marketing on Instagram is done on the premises of the users, as it is the users that reaches out to companies and invite them into their life. This is to a considerable extent based on individual interests and what each individual user wants to be exposed to, as inspiration to personal interests is the main motivation behind users participation in the social network. Segmentation is thus an important keyword for companies using Instagram as part of their marketing activities. The company’s Instagram profile can be considered to be an extension of the traditional display window, still providing users a similar insight into the product’s features and applications. The difference, and hence the extension, from the traditional way of marketing comes with the opportunities for Instagram users to observe the electronic word of mouth and also interact more directly with the companies. This master thesis grants insights into how customers relate to Instagram, as well as which factors can be considered essential from a corporate perspectiv