Content Analysis of Athletic Brand Posts on Instagram

Social media has enabled brands to share marketing content and interact with their customers. This research aims to understand the online brand communication strategy by analyzing the posts of fitness brands Nike and Lululemon on Instagram. Through content analysis, both the visual and textual content of an overall 300 brand posts were be examined. The concepts used for analysis include message appeals, photo characteristics, and engagement. The study provides insights into the message characteristics, and persuasive appeal strategies fitness brands use to engage with customers. The results indicate that there are similarities as well as differences in how the athletic brands position themselves to their followers. Brands are more likely to foster engagement when ethical appeals are present in their posts as opposed to emotional and rational appeals