An Analysis of Perceived Brand Identity Resulting from Brand Communication on Social Media

I. Introduction

In The Product and the Brand, Burleigh B. Gardner and Sidney J. Levy use the concept of added value to define the difference between products and brands, explaining that brand value is the image created by combining intangible assets, such as a company's image, crucial symbols, or personality, with the company's physical identity. These concepts include not only products' physical characteristics but also their social and psychological attributes, which are the feelings, ideas, and attitudes that consumers have about brands of products[1]. Thus, it is important for brands to create brand images. Brand images can be developed through communication via various media, such as print, television, radio, the internet, and cultural activities, and these images influence purchasing decisions[2]. In the past, brand communication was a passive way to analyze and reflect market changes. Since then, it has become a long-term brand strategy for driving market changes and building connections with consumers. Recently, digital media has become the most common way through which brands communicate with consumers. This conclusion can be inferred from studies that have shown that the amount of brand-related information communicated through social media is positively correlated with the level of interaction between brands and consumers, as well as with brand awareness, evaluation, and attitude[3].

Despite the recent interest in experiential brand communication design, a definite analysis of how brand perceptions vary by platform characteristics and research on how to strategically represent brand identities on social media is needed. The present study examined how a brand's multi-modal context representation method affects its brand perception and image on the social media platform Instagram. It also proposed and used a brand identity analysis tool that utilized the distinction between emotional and informational appeals[4] based on the Brand Identity Prism. Therefore, the study's results show how brands express themselves on social media through the Brand Identity Prism. The study drew on prior research on the influence of social media on consumer perceptions[5], how brands interact with consumers regarding trending issues[6], and how communication is used to construct meaning in multi-modal contexts[7].

Ⅱ. Literature Review

2-1 Social Media

With the emergence of global platforms and new business models, innovative digital technologies are making corporate assets more durable and flexible and changing how companies survive[8]. In recent years, scholars have highlighted the importance of social media-based brand communities among virtual consumer environments, such as blogs, websites, and digital commerce platforms[9]. Social media has increased the interactivity of brand communication by providing a platform where consumers can experience and instantly share different types of content, such as photos, text, and video, with and between brands and other consumers[10]. These platforms provide more opportunities for brands to attract and work closely with loyal consumers, offer fast, broad, and low-cost access to consumers, and enable efficient communication [11]. Brands use social media to share consumers' personal information, offers, consumer opinions, and product designs and to communicate[5]. In other words, brands can use social media to quickly identify interested consumers and provide them with the opportunity to digitally interact with and influence the brands themselves, creating deep connections and resonance with consumers.

The generational shift in the consumer market has increased the importance of digital platforms for brands. Millennials (Generation M), defined as those born after the 1980s, and their successors Generation Z, defined as those born after the mid-1990s, will make up 45% of the consumer market in 2025, changing the market that was previously dominated by older generations[12]. With rapidly changing lifestyles, consumption patterns, and emotions, Generation M and Z consumers engage in consumption that emphasizes personal happiness and individuality by purchasing products associated with specific brand experiences, values, and messages, rather than for the inherent qualities of the products themselves[13]. From a marketing perspective, consumers on social media produce and distribute information to educate each other about products, brands, services, and related issues. They obtain a significant amount of brand information through digital media, and this has a significant effect on their purchase decisions. Therefore, social media communication has become one of the most effective ways for brands to engage with them[14]. Therefore, brands use digital communication to maintain their values while embracing the culture of their new target audience-now central to the consumer market-and to respond to the growing power of consumers enabled by digital advancements. Brands need to recognize this generation and adapt their strategies to the new digital environment to maintain and strengthen their equity.

More than 4.88 billion people use social media. Notably, the growth of social media remains robust despite its already reaching over 60% of the global population. Social media use tends to be concentrated among younger people, with 84% of 18 to 29-year-olds and 81% of 30 to 49-year-olds actively engaging with at least one social media platform. In addition, about 90% of social media users follow at least one brand, and about 76% have purchased something they saw on social media[15]. These statistics illustrate not only the central role of consumers in the social media ecosystem but also the platform's ability to connect people globally. According to the Digital July 2023 Global Statistics Report[16], published in partnership with We Are Social and Meltwater, the top five social media platforms, excluding messenger-based platforms, are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter (currently rebranded as X). Also, according to the Infinite Dial Report published in Edison Research[17], of the top five social media platforms mentioned above, Facebook is the most widely used in the US, but Facebook continues to lose users in the 12 to 34-year-old age group. On the other hand, Instagram and TikTok are growing in usage among this age group, with Instagram leading by 62.2% for brand and product information.

1) Brand Communication on Social Media

Brands expose themselves to consumers through communication to increase their awareness and recall [18], which leads to product purchases and improves brand image, thereby increasing consumer trust [2]. Brands communicate with consumers to represent their products' quality and value beyond their products' intrinsic characteristics[19].

Brand communication is either one-way, indirect communication or two-way, direct communication. The purpose of one-way communication is to increase brand awareness through print, TV, and radio communication and enhance brand attitudes to influence purchasing decisions[2]. Two-way communication, such as that which takes place through social media, allows brands and consumers to interact and directly impacts consumers' purchase decisions. Traditional brand communication still plays an essential role in shaping brand images, so companies can increase the synergy between direct and indirect communication by delivering personalized responses to consumers and engaging in brand communication on social media[20].

Social media enables new ways of communicating, favors consumer relationships, and encourages consumers to share different aspects of stories[21]. Brands can advertise their products and promotions through social media by continuously communicating information, ideas, and attitudes, interacting with consumers to build relationships with them in ways not limited by time or space, and influencing consumer trust, purchase intentions, and preferences. Also, consumers have come to expect rich and varied brand experiences, which have become opportunities to connect individual consumers with the broader online community[22]. Messages that come from trusted sources are more likely to be internalized. Thus, social media is valuable in that it can show how many users are part of a product's network express preferences. In the case of Instagram, brands can see how many people are following their account and liking its content[23]. As such, brand communities on social media have become essential for promoting brands to consumers and are increasingly responsible for managing relationships between brands and consumers[10].

The foundation of social media content is visual. However, visuals on social media are usually embedded in a multi-modal context, often accompanied by verbal content [24]. Image-text data can be used to scale up visual and vision-language representation according to multi-modal context[25]; the juxtaposition of pictorial and textual information might lead to increased identification and implementation in a way that extends to sound information[26]. A typical concept of multimedia containing multi-modal context on social media includes verbal, pictorial, and sound information [27]. The study categorized the characteristics of social media into three types: verbal information-such as words, sentences, or short passages that are presented visually; visual information-either static or dynamic, such as illustrations, photographs, diagrams, or movies; and expanded audio information-such as music, narration, or voice. These various forms of information are seamlessly integrated; only brand content that is well expressed according to specific principles and concepts appropriate to each medium can be effective. Thus, digital-centric brand communication has shifted from traditional, print-centered methods to the digital environment, which has brought about many changes in the forms of information. It requires a brand identity representation method that can be organically adapted to various platforms[28].

2) Representation Method on Social Media

Message appeals are ways in which senders attempt to persuade recipients to accept certain claims or conclusions. Advertising research typically distinguishes between emotional and informational appeals. Emotional appeals are designed to appeal to emotions using moods, music, and other emotion-evoking elements. In contrast, informational appeals are designed to appeal to cognition using objective information about a brand's attributes or benefits. Emotional arousal increases social contagion, and emotional stories are more likely to be shared, so emotional appeals can significantly impact brand evaluations and purchase intentions [4]. On the other hand, information about a product's objective and functional characteristics can increase brand knowledge and thus is inferred to have a favorable advertising effect. Therefore, in this study, it was hypothesized that social media advertising effects differ depending on how the message appeals. Singh and Sonnenburg mention that stories can help build awareness, comprehension, empathy, recognition, and recall and provide meaning to the brand [29].

Storytelling on social media also allows brands and products to be presented either prominently or subtly. Prominent placement is when the product or brand is presented on more than two-thirds of the screen, while subtle placement is when the product or brand is not prominent and is in the background, making the product placement in the ad ambiguous [30]. Building on previous research, this study analyzed the effects of presenting brand content with message appeals [4] and digital storytelling characteristics [29] directly and indirectly in multimodal contexts incorporating verbal and visual elements, which extend to audio information [27]. See Table 1.

Table 1.

Representation methods on social media

Ⅲ. Research Method

As digital technology develops and the consumer base shifts to the new generation, brand communication strategies have been changing to build relationships with them. For brands to strategically utilize social media, they must represent their identities through content that is consistent with their core values but adapted to new contexts. Brands can present their identities for consumers' brand perceptions and images using the Brand Identity Prism model, which approaches brand identities from different perspectives. They should decide how prominently to position the products according to the content when telling stories about them.

This study assumed that the brand outcomes of social media communication were influenced by both content features and brand identity management strategies that became immediately apparent during customer interactions. It aimed to identify factors contributing to brand identity acceptance using a brand identity analysis tool applied to branded content on Instagram, and to examine the impact of brand experience on brand image on social media, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Instagram was selected as the focal platform, as it is currently the most widely used digital platform for brand communication[34] and continues to attract a growing number of Generation M and Z users[17].

Fig. 1.

The link between brand identity and image on social media (adapted from Kapferer[31])

The study was conducted as follows. First, based on theory, a brand identity analysis tool that reflected the characteristics of digital platforms was proposed.

Second, the tool was used to analyze Instagram content. The main elements of the Brand Identity Prism in relation to content were statistically examined using SPSS v.29.0, and the reciprocity of communication between brands and consumers was analyzed using MANOVA. Third, in-depth interviews were conducted with designers who had managed brand communication to examine how brand identity was represented in Instagram content and to verify the main elements of the Brand Identity Prism identified in the second stage of the study.

It also categorized the characteristics of brand identity representation methods on social media and their effects on brand image using thematic analysis. Fourth, the results of each of the preceding three stages were synthesized to explain how brand identity influences brand image and to identify the characteristics of brand identity representation on digital platforms.

3-1 Brand Identity Analysis Tool

Carmen Balan examined Nike's Instagram content and found that branded content impacts message delivery and engagement. He counted the number of likes, views, and comments for each post and categorized them as reflecting one of seven themes: arts and sports, aspirational values, branded products, sports and style/fashion, sports competitions, athletes in action, and user experience[35].

Based on the results of this research, the study categorized the contents into three topics: “Products and Styles,“ which focus on products; “Sports People,” which concentrate on people; and “Aspirational Values,” which express essence. First, the mutual projection of the six elements of the Brand Identity Prism, which distinguished consumers' perceptions of a brand's product quality, was categorized according to these three content types. Then, the methods of content representation were analyzed as either direct or indirect. The case study was interpreted based on Table 2, and the meaning of brand identity was defined to explain brand communication strategies on social media. Table 2 presents an integrated framework grounded in the brand pyramid and the Brand Identity Prism[31], and combines message appeals[4], brand placement in content storytelling[29], and the characteristics of one-way[18] and two-way[2] brand communication. These concepts were categorized into direct and indirect expression types to support a more structured interpretation.

Table 2.

Meaning of brand identity

3-3 In-Depth Interview

The case studies explored how brands' digital communication was centered on the element of the Brand Identity Prism upon the content type of storytelling. In-depth interviews were conducted to validate the case study results. As the prime target of brands, Generation M and Z designers are not only brand senders but also primary Instagram brand image recipients on Instagram. Therefore, interviewees were categorized by generation. See Table 3. Interviewees were first provided with Nike and Adidas Instagram content about Products and Styles, Sports People, and Aspirational Values. Second, they were asked about their perceptions of the content's Brand Identity Prism elements. Third, they were asked about how they thought brand designers should express their brands' identities and characteristics on Instagram. The interviews were semi-structured and in-depth. The interviews took about 60 minutes on average, were conducted either face-to-face or virtually according to the interviewee's situation, and were recorded and transcribed with the interviewees' consent.

Table 3.

Demographic characteristics of the interview

Ⅳ. Results

4-1 Case Study

Nike's Brand Identity Prism analysis results by content type on Instagram are shown in Table 4. The numbers highlighted in bold in Table 4 indicate the content types that accounted for the greatest volume, comprised a significant proportion of the applied message strategies, and received the highest user likes.

Table 4.

Results of brand identity analysis tool - NIKE

Products and Styles content accounted for 38.7% of all content, and “Physique” was the strongest element, with a value of 0.96 on a scale of 0 to 1. Sports People content also accounted for 38.7%, and “Reflection” was the strongest at 0.87. Aspirational Value content accounted for 22.6%, and “Culture” was the strongest at 0.96. Overall, emotional appeals were more prevalent than informational appeals in a high percentage of Nike's Instagram content. Products and Styles content accounted for 36.8% of informational appeals, and Aspirational Values content accounted for 96.1% of emotional appeals. The number of likes showed that the Products and Styles element was the most popular, suggesting that users preferred brand product content.

Adidas's Brand Identity Prism analysis results by content type on Instagram are shown in Table 5. The numbers highlighted in bold in Table 5 indicate the content types that accounted for the greatest volume, comprised a significant proportion of the applied message strategies, and received the highest user likes.

Table 5.

Results of brand identity analysis tool – Adidas

Products and Styles content accounted for 31.1% of all content, and “Physique” was the strongest element, with a value of 0.93. Sports People content accounted for 41.7% of all content, which shows that people-centered content was more common for Adidas than Nike, and both “Reflection” and “Physique” had values of 0.67. Aspirational Value content accounted for 27.2% of all content, and “Culture” was the strongest at 0.94. Overall, emotional appeals were more prevalent than informational appeals in a high percentage of Adidas's Instagram posts. Products and Styles content accounted for 22.5% of informational appeals, while Aspirational Values content accounted for 94.4% of emotional appeals. Sports People content received the most likes, indicating that users preferred content featuring celebrities.

A MANOVA was conducted to examine the effects of brand and content type on user interaction, as measured by the number of likes and comments. As shown in Table 6, the results revealed a significant main effect of brand on the number of comments (p<.05), indicating that user commenting behavior varied depending on the brand. However, no significant main effects were found for content type, nor were there any significant interaction effects between brand and content for either likes or comments (p>.05).

Table 6.

User interactivity outcomes by brand and content type

Fig. 2 illustrates the estimated marginal means of comments by content type and brand. Overall, the number of comments was higher for Nike across most content types, with the greatest difference observed for “Product & Style” content. In contrast, Adidas received more comments for “Sports People” content. These results align with the MANOVA findings, which indicated a significant main effect of brand on comments (p<.05), while the interaction effect between brand and content type was not statistically significant (p>.05).

Fig. 2.

Interaction of brand and content type in relation to comments

4-2 In-Depth Interview

Following the completion of the thematic analysis of eight items—message appeals and Brand Identity Prism—432 responses extracted from Nike and Adidas content, inter-coder reliability among the nine participants was assessed using Perreault and Leigh’s I_r coefficient[37], which indicated a strong level of agreement (I_r=.782), exceeding the recommended threshold of 0.7. The interview results, analyzed using the brand identity analysis tool, were generally consistent with the findings of the case study. The results for Nike and Adidas were compared with the average values derived from the Brand Identity Prism analysis in the case study, as well as with the interview data, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

Comparison of brand identity prism results from case studies and interviews - Nike (left) and Adidas (right)

In Products and Styles content, “Physique” was the strongest element with a value. “Personality” also had a high value of 0.89. This is a higher value than in the case study. In Sports People content, “Reflection” was the strongest element, with a score of 0.89, and “Relationship” also had a high score of 0.78. In Aspirational Values content, “Culture” was the strongest element, with a score of 0.78; “Self-image” and “Relationship” elements had the same values based on interviews but not in the case study. The message appeals results of the interviews were partly inconsistent with those of the case study. The message appeals of Products and Styles content showed that 88.9% were directly presented and objectively informational. However, there was an overall dominance of emotional needs that used emotions or moods—78% for Sports People, which focuses on people, and 55.6% for Aspirational Values, which focuses on values.

Adidas's results of the average analysis of the Brand Identity Prism from the case study and the interviews are compared, as shown in Fig. 3. In Products and Styles content, “Physique” was 0.89, the strongest element with a value the same as the case study results. “Personality” was also 0.89, the strongest element, but this is a higher value than in the case study. In Sports People content, “Reflection” was the strongest element, scoring 0.89. Notably, “Physique” was higher at 0.78 compared to the Nike brand. The Aspirational Values content also shows “Culture” as the strongest element with a value of 0.78, but “Relationship” shows the same value. This is a phenomenon similar to the results of the case study.

The result of the average analysis of the message appeals of the interviews was partly inconsistent with the case study. The message appeals of Products and Styles content showed that 66.7% were directly presented as objective information. However, there is an overall dominance of emotional needs that use emotions or moods, with 78% for Sports People, which focuses on people, and 77.8% for Aspirational Values, which focuses on values. The study believed that the results of the message appeals analysis might differ between the case studies and the interviews. This is because the case studies were analyzed using all collected data, whereas the interviews were based on selected posts that best reflected the characteristics of each content type: “Products and Styles,” which emphasized the product; “Sports People,” which focused on individuals; and “Aspirational Values,” which conveyed the abstract brand essence. The thematic analysis results are presented in Table 7.

Table 7.

Thematic analysis of in-depth interview results

With the exception of the brand identity analysis tool, the interview transcripts were categorized using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis can inductively summarize, highlight, and interpret key features of participants' experiences and perceptions and determine the social context from the data [38]. It can also highlight the social, cultural, and structural contexts that influence people's experiences. It is a qualitative analysis method that can be used to develop knowledge through interactions between researchers and research participants [39]. This knowledge is socially meaningful, so thematic analysis was considered appropriate for the study.

Ⅴ. Discussion

Based on Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism—a widely used framework for structuring consumer perceptions of brand image—this study analyzed the impact of storytelling as a content expression method on brand recognition and image on social media. The details are as follows.

First, the growing diversity of brand content—fueled by the continual evolution of digital platforms—requires more intentional strategies to communicate brand vision effectively. The Brand Identity Prism offers a structured framework for aligning content types with strategic identity expression. In this study, social media content was categorized into three major themes: product-related, people-related, and value-related. Each theme emphasized distinct elements of the Brand Identity Prism. Product-focused content was largely tied to the ‘Physique’ dimension, conveying product attributes while evoking emotional resonance through refreshed brand portrayals. People-related content, particularly featuring celebrities or influencers, engaged the ‘Reflection’ dimension by portraying ideal brand recipients. Value-oriented content activated the ‘Culture’ dimension, emphasizing heritage and social alignment. Collectively, the stylistic dimensions—‘Culture,’ ‘Personality,’ and ‘Self-image’—communicated brand consistency, while the thematic dimensions—‘Physique,’ ‘Relationship,’ and ‘Reflection’—highlighted brand diversity. These findings demonstrate that activating different dimensions across content types enables brands to convey both consistency and flexibility. emotional and expressive components made it especially suitable for capturing the dynamic and multimodal nature of brand storytelling on social media platforms.

Second, the results presented in Fig. 2 confirm that user engagement through comments varied significantly by brand across content types. Nike consistently received more comments, especially for “Product & Style” content, indicating strong consumer response to product-centric storytelling. In contrast, Adidas recorded higher engagement for “Sports People” content, suggesting stronger alignment with human-centered narratives such as athletes or endorsements. Data from Table 4 shows that Nike’s product-related content represented the largest share (38.7%), receiving over five times more comments than other categories. Table 5 reveals that people-related content accounted for 41.7% of Adidas’s posts and generated the highest number of comments. These patterns align with the MANOVA results in Table 6, which confirmed a statistically significant main effect of brand on comment volume (p<.05). These findings emphasize that when brand identity and content type are connected, they have a decisive influence on user interaction.

Third, in terms of message delivery efficiency, storytelling on Instagram operates within a distinctly multimodal environment. Users prioritize visual elements-both static and dynamic-over text or audio, highlighting the need for brands to lead with impactful visual strategies. Participant F observed, “Text is optional information on Instagram.” Participant C emphasized the importance of an impactful first screen: “The visual representation on the first screen needs to be impactful so that I will want to see the other images and read the text to learn more.” While visuals capture attention, Participant E stressed the importance of complementary text: “Even if the image is accurate, it can be misleading without verbal information.” These findings indicate that effective storytelling on Instagram requires a layered communication strategy—visual content that draws users in and verbal elements that contextualize and deepen engagement.

Fourth, by positioning brand identity as a central component of communication, brands can better adapt to evolving technological and cultural media landscapes. Consistently utilizing iconic symbolic elements—such as brand names, logos, and colors—ensures immediate recognition and enhances user engagement. Participant D stated, “If the brand is not recognizable, no matter how much value you create, it will not resonate.” Participant B noted, “It’s surprising, but I also feel the brand has confidence when I see a lot of posts that don’t emphasize the brand’s symbols and are more focused on messaging. But that’s only because iconic brand identities have become recognizable over a long period of time.” Participant E added, “If you just see the swoosh [Nike logo] for even 0.00001 seconds, there’s no one who doesn’t know it’s Nike.” These insights reinforce the importance of making brand symbols instantly recognizable within storytelling contexts.

Finally, social media fosters brand image through interactive, sustained communication. Consumers increasingly identify with brands that reflect their lifestyle and values. The study confirmed that the “Relationship” and “Culture” dimensions are central to user-brand resonance in value-based content. Social media’s participatory nature facilitates emotional connection and supports the development of enduring brand relationships [40]. Participant A emphasized, “It’s important for consumers to understand whether it’s something the brand truly aspires to.” Participant B noted, “Social media helped me see the brand’s stance on universality, diversity, and inclusion.” Participant I noted, “If the brand’s message aligns with my values, I will consume it.” These insights affirm that consumers not only consume but co-create brand meaning. Social media, therefore, serves as a participatory platform for relational branding—deepening emotional bonds and enhancing brand image.

Ⅵ. Conclusion

This study demonstrates that structured brand identity visualization—framed through Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism—is a critical factor influencing user engagement on social media. Different types of branded content activate distinct identity dimensions, shaping user perception and interaction. The strategic use of symbolic brand elements, combined with emotionally resonant storytelling, plays a significant role in fostering brand awareness and image formation. These findings suggest the need to adjust brand identity expression to align with the affordances of digital platforms and evolving user expectations.

While traditional brand identity research has focused on the foundational role of symbolic visual elements in shaping consumer perception [41], this study extends the scope by applying Kapferer’s model [31] to new media contexts. The Brand Identity Prism’s inclusion of emotional and expressive dimensions makes it especially suited to capturing the multimodal nature of brand storytelling on social media. Furthermore, this study highlights the growing importance of consumer participation and voluntary dissemination in brand-consumer interactions. Thus, brands must adopt platform-specific communication strategies that balance the consistency and flexibility of identity expression while responding to technological change and cultural context.

These results yield several practical implications for brand design and communication. First, brands should prioritize visually compelling content that reflects core brand characteristics and resonates emotionally with users. Second, maintaining consistency in key symbolic elements—such as logos, color, and visual tone—is essential for reinforcing brand recognition across various media. Finally, the lifestyle presented by a brand on social media can strengthen interaction with consumers. It should be recognized as a platform for fostering long-term emotional relationships and conveying ideal values.

This study was limited as it only analyzed to two brands within the same product category and did not account for the neutrality of message appeals. Future research should investigate a broader range of brands and content types to assess how identity expression scales across industries. Additionally, comparative analyses across various social media platforms beyond Instagram—such as TikTok, YouTube, or Threads—could provide further insights into platform-specific strategies. Finally, insights into how message strategy, interactivity, or changes in brand identity elements influence long-term brand image may yield valuable insights.

References

• B. B. Gardner and S. J. Levy, “The Product and the Brand,” Harvard Business Review, pp. 33-39, March-April 1955.
• R. Chinomona, “Brand Communication, Brand Image and Brand Trust as Antecedents of Brand Loyalty in Gauteng Province of South Africa,” African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 124-139, March 2016. [https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-03-2013-0031]
• S. Steinmann, G. Mau, and H. Schramm‐Klei, “Brand Communication Success in Online Consumption Communities: An Experimental Analysis of the Effects of Communication Style and Brand Pictorial Representation,” Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 356-371, January 2015. [https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20784]
• E. Akpinar and J. Berge, “Valuable Virality,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 318-330, April 2017. [https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.13.0350]
• M. Risius and R. Beck, “Effectiveness of Corporate Social Media Activities in Increasing Relational Outcomes,” Information and Management, Vol. 52, No. 7, pp. 824-839, November 2015. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.06.004]
• S. Nandan, “An Exploration of the Brand Identity-Brand Image Linkage: A Communications Perspective,” Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 12, pp. 264-278, April 2005. [https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540222]
• S. Geise and C. Baden, “Putting the Image Back into the Frame: Modeling the Linkage between Visual Communication and Frame-Processing Theory,” Communication Theory, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 46-69, February 2015. [https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12048]
• World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014: Full Data Edition [Internet]. Available: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-competitiveness-report-2013-2014/, .
• T. Verhagen, E. Swen, F. Feldberg, and J. Merikivi, “Benefitting from Virtual Customer Environments: An Empirical Study of Customer Engagement,” Computers in Human Behavior, Vol.  48, pp. 340-357, July 2015. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.061]
• L. Zollo, R. Filieri, R. Rialti, and S. Yoon, “Unpacking the Relationship between Social Media Marketing and Brand Equity: The Mediating Role of Consumers’ Benefits and Experien,” Journal of Business Research, Vol. 117, pp. 256-267, September 2020. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.001]
• M. Laroche, M. R. Habibi, M.-O. Richard, and R. Sankaranarayanan, “The Effects of Social Media Based Brand Communities on Brand Community Markers, Value Creation Practices, Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty,” Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 1755-1767, September 2012. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.04.016]
• Bain & Company, Farfetch. The Millennial State of Mind: Digital Is Reshaping How Luxury Is Purchased Across Generations [Internet]. Available: https://www.bain.com/contentassets/0b0b0e19099a448e83af2fb53a5630aa/bain20media20pack_the_millennial_state_of_mind2.pdf
• J. H. Lee and D. J. Byun, “Analysis of Fashion Brand Space According to Digital Media Direction Elements Focused on the Nike Kind of Fashion Brand,” The Journal of the Korean Institute of Interior Design, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 126-134, February 2023. [https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2023.32.1.126]
• B. Schivinski and D. Dabrowski, “The Effect of Social Media Communication on Consumer Perceptions of Brands,” Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 189-214, 2016. [https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2013.871323]
• Forbes. Top Social Media Statistics and Trends [Internet]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/social-media-statistics/
• Datareportal. Digital 2023 July Global Statshot Report [Internet] Available: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-july-global-statshot
• Edison Research. 25th Anniversary the Infinite Dial [Internet]. Available: https://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-Infinite-Dial-2023.pdf
• A. Sahin, C. Zehir, and H. Kitapçi, “The Effects of Brand Experiences, Trust and Satisfaction on Building Brand Loyalty; An Empirical Research on Global Brands,” Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 24, pp. 1288-1301, 2011. [https://doi.org/10.1016/i.sbspro.2011.09.143]
• M. Farhana, “Implication of Brand Identity Facets on Marketing Communication of Lifestyle Magazine: Case Study of a Swedish Brand,” Journal of Applied Economics and Business Research, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 23-41, 2014.
• K. Hewett, W. Rand, R. T. Rust, and H. J. van Heerde, “Brand Buzz in the Echoverse,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 80, No. 3, May 2016. [https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0033]
• R. Pera and G. Viglia, “Exploring How Video Digital Storytelling Builds Relationship Experiences,” Psychology and Marketing, Vol.  33, No. 12, pp. 1142-1150, November 2016. [https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20951]
• Y. Bi̇lgi̇n, “The Effect of Social Media Marketing Activities on Brand Awareness, Brand Image and Brand Loyalty,” Business and Management Studies: An International Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 128-148, April 2018. [https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v6i1.229]
• K. S. Coulter and A. Roggeveen, “Like It or Not: Consumer Responses to Word‐of‐Mouth Communication in On‐Line Social Networks.” Management Research Review, Vol. 35, No. 9, pp. 878-899, 2012. [https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211256587]
• R. Rietveld, W. Van Dolen, M. Mazloom, and M. Worring, “What You Feel, Is What You Like Influence of Message Appeals on Customer Engagement on Instagram,” Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 49, pp. 20-53, Febuary 2020. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2019.06.003]
• A. Schüler, “The Integration of Information in a Digital, Multi-Modal Learning Environment,” Learning and Instruction, Vol.  59, pp. 76-87, February 2019. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.12.005]
• R. Steele, K. Khankan, and T. Dillon, “Mobile Web Services Discovery and Invocation through Auto-Generation of Abstract Multimodal Interface,” in Proceedings of International Conference on Information Technology: Coding and Computing (ITCC'05), Las Vegas: NV, pp. 35-41, 2015. [https://doi.org/10.1109/ITCC.2005.202]
• V. Gyselinck, E. Jamet, and V. Dubois, “The Role of Working Memory Components in Multimedia Comprehension.” Applied Cognitive Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 353-374, 2008. [https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1411]
• S. Quinton, “The Community Brand Paradigm: A Response to Brand Management's Dilemma in the Digital Era,” Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 29, No. 7-8, pp. 912-932, 2013. [https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.729072]
• S. Singh and S. Sonnenburg, “Brand Performances in Social Media,” Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol.  26, No. 4, pp. 189-197, November 2012. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.04.001]
• P. B. Gupta and K. R. Lord, “Product Placement in Movies: The Effect of Prominence and Mode on Audience Recall,” Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 47-59, May 2012. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10641734.1998.10505076]
• J. N. Kapferer, The New Strategic Brand Management: Advanced Insights and Strategic Thinking, 5th ed. London UK: Kogan Page, 2012.
• F. Ross, “A Perspective on the Application of Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism in the Branding Process of Hearing Aid Retail Companies,” Journal of Management and Marketinh Review, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 141-146, September 2020. [https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2020.5.3(2)]
• C. V. Nakassis, “Brand, Citationality, Performativity,” American Anthropologist, Vol. 114, No. 4, pp. 624-638, November 2012. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2012.01511.x]
• J. Phua, S. V. Jin, and J. J. Kim, “Gratifications of Using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat to Follow Brands: The Moderating Effect of Social Comparison, Trust, Tie Strength, and Network Homophily on Brand Identification, Brand Engagement, Brand Commitment, and Membership Intention,” Telematics and Informatics, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 412-424, Febuary 2017. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2016.06.004]
• C. Balan, “Nike on Instagram: Themes of Branded Content and Their Engagement Power,” in Proceedings of CBU International Conference Proceedings 2017, Prague: CZ, pp. 13-18, 2017. [https://doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v5.894]
• K. Swani, B. P. Brown, and G. R. Milne, “Should Tweets Differ for B2B and B2C? An Analysis of Fortune 500 Companies’ Twitter Communications,” Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 873-881, July 2014. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2014.04.012]
• W. D. Perreault Jr. and L. E. Leigh, “Reliability of Nominal Data Based on Qualitative Judgments,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 135-148. May, 1989. [https://doi.org/10.2307/3172601]
• M. E. Kiger and L. Varpio, “Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Data: AMEE Guide No. 131,” Meedical Teacher, Vol.  42, No. 8, pp. 846-854, May 2020. [https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1755030]
• V. Braun and V. Clarke, “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology, Vol.  3, No. 2, pp. 77-101, July 2008. [https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa]
• E. Cuevas-Molano, L. Matosas-López, and C. Bernal-Bravo, “Factors Increasing Consumer Engagement of Branded Content in Instagram,” IEEE Access, Vol. 9, pp. 143531-143548, 2021. [https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3121186]
• D. A. Aaker and D. E. Bruzzone, “Causes of Irritation in Advertising,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 47-57, March 1985. [https://doi.org/10.2307/1251564]