Limitations: Validity & Bias
Although this study contributes to the study of consumers’ affinity towards brands that use snapshot and Canva aesthetics, there are limitations to the study. The ecological validity was insufficient as only a small smaple size of young adults were interviewed, and others in this population may have different daily routines and therefore different usages of Instagram. Qualitative research traditionally lacks external validity, due to its’ small sample size and limited converse. The external validity of the study was inadequate to apply to the general population as the sample size consisted of ten individuals aged 18–24, and conversations lasted 15 minutes on average, which was enough time to answer each question, but longer conversations could have contributed to more interpretive findings. Additionally, the internal validity of the interview was acceptable as participants understood every question which led to the collection of quality and abundant data that enabled intellectual answers to the research questions. It is important to address the implicit bias of the principal investigator of the interview as the interpretation of the concept categories was created by the researcher, and not validated through member validation. Future research on this topic should utilize the member validation stage of the grounded theory in order to avoid any interpretive bias. The researcher also falls into the age range required for the sample size, which may introduce bias in the interview process and analysis.
Conclusion
Social media platforms, such as Instagram, have gone through a variety of updates within the last decade in order to adapt to user preferences while competing with the number of social media platforms that seemingly grow daily. Contemporary social media serves as a platform for both personal and professional usage, with a societal expectation that brands maintain a business account as a tool for marketing. Now that social media platforms cater to businesses, sponsored content and advertisements permeate users’ feeds. It is critical for brands to understand consumer preferences for sponsored ads, and how design has the ability to influence affinity for a brand.
This study specifically investigated young adults’ affinity for brands that use the Canva and snapshot aesthetics, and effectively provided key findings that contribute to the subjects of social media and photography. Those who admired the snapshot aesthetic expressed that the ads were casual and relatable while those who disliked the aesthetic explained it to be infiltrating and uninformative. Those who praised the Canva aesthetic noted that the ads were informative, professional, and direct while those who disliked the aesthetic explained it to be unoriginal, boring, and distracting. Ultimately, the snapshot aesthetic contributed to a stronger brand affinity, however, both aesthetics have strengths and weaknesses that appealed or bored segmented audiences.
There is a wide array of opportunities for future research to investigate within the field of social media and photography. Eventual research should include a more diverse sampling with a stronger geographical validity. Another opportunity to embellish this research is sampling a larger age range which would allow for analysis through a wider lens. Providing different visual demonstrations of the snapshot and Canva aesthetics that relate to consumers’ individual interests could facilitate divergent results. Additionally, future research could capitalize on the opportunity to analyze consumer preference for other design styles outside of the snapshot and Canva aesthetics.
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To learn about how brands can implement the Canva and snapshot aesthetics, visit the tab Best Practices.