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This page highlights key concepts explored by past studies to advance an understanding of how a brands' grid on Instagram is constructed.
Learn more by reading the full literature review here.
@thedenizenco on Pinterest
Social networking sites (SNSs) have made their mark on the advertising industry. Arguably they have become the most effective tool to have positive conversation with consumers. This success can be attributed to the extensive use of visual content and minimized copy. Visual communication is a daily tactic implemented by consumer's who seek a following response of engagement. There are numerous factors that play a role in consumers' ability to react to aesthetic dimensions of advertising and their placement on social networking sites. When constructing a brand's Instagram grid professionals were urged to consider the basic strategies of curating content offline, or traditional channels of advertisement.
@tiffanyandco on Instagram
This image features ownable visual elements of a brand, Tiffany blue, to be decoded by the everyday consumer on Instagram.
Individuals process visual promotional content in different ways.
Individuals process visual promotional content in different ways.
"visual rhetoric" "visually-based inferences" "visual literacy"
Visual literacy most simply describes an individuals potential to examine images (Lynch et al., 2020). Visual content on SNSs were subjected by past studies as easier forms to describe verbally or label (Babin & Burns, 1997). Key concepts were introduced in past studies to advance the effectiveness of visual marketing. Placing importance on consumer constructs above those of marketing professionals, as brand strived for sparking consumer conversation (Bashir et al., 2018). By establishing an understanding of these key concepts researchers were able to understand an initial approach, with future intentions of creation and management formed by consumers who came across visual content online (Lynch et al., 2020). Developing visual devices enabled consumers to avoid false connotations when brand attributes are not present (Smith, 1991). Findings had demonstrated that advertisements subtly selling a product, one that implemented a relationship that is desirable, drove positive response (Huang & Ha, 2021; Valentini et al., 2018).
Digital marketing strategy utilizes principles of traditional advertising.
Digital marketing strategy utilizes principles of traditional advertising.
The basic understanding of visual rhetoric in the discussion of social media is noted similarly to that offline for borrowing traditional techniques (Karimova, 2020). Brands were urged in past studies to be attentive when socializing with consumers on social networking sites (SNSs). Brands were able to communicate with visual content online almost identically to how they were with print advertisement. Digital storytelling was emphasized for direct impact on engagement (Huang & Ha, 2021; Milakovic et al., 2020). Many traditional elements discussed by previous studies are transformed to a digital platform, including aspirational models, products, and atmospheres (Zarzosa & Huhmann, 2019). Dated studies aided professionals in translating a current understanding of traditional advertising strategy online by offering more effective implementation through less abstract imagery. Copywriting became increasingly important when concerned with the stimulation of imagery (Babin & Burns, 1997; Smith, 1991).
@airbnb on Instagram
This image featured an example of a brand using digital storytelling to engage the online consumer on Instagram.
@katespadeny on Instagram
This image showcased an example of a brand maximizing the Instagram grid to create a visual identity.
Brands curate an image and attitude online to build the brand visually.
Brands curate an image and attitude online to build the brand visually.
Personalization is advanced by past literature for allowing brands to stay true to their existing strategy. Owned visual mandatories were heavily emphasized towards brands entering the competitive space of the online market (Phillips et al., 2014). Less commercial relevancy was advised by additional studies as it related to a concern expressed by top media agencies (Voorveld, 2019).
The grid on Instagram was urged to be carefully constructed as Instagram remained the most popular SNSs (Bashir et al., 2018). Marketers were urged by this particular study, to attempt aligning content with consumers' desires and in the conversations they hold online to position the brand as attentive. The grid was attributed as being a low-cost tool for keeping consistency and alignment between the profile and the brand's owned visual identity (Lynch et al., 2020; McLachlan, 2021).
Carefully curated attitudes were constructed by consumers in response to strategic social media marketing activities (Bilgin, 2018). Brands were urged to decipher between attitudes expressing different values in hopes of helping consumers. Brands that placed their products at the foreground of an image are suggested by past literature as most prosperous in continuing the cause-effect relations of visual communication on Instagram (Valentini et al., 2018).
Consumers' emotional responses to Instagram advertising may influence their purchase intentions.
Consumers' emotional responses to Instagram advertising may influence their purchase intentions.
Metrics of personal taste were heavily stressed by past studies when approaching a visual project (Phillips et al., 2014). Mentions of "positive appeal, high engagement, and high empowerment" were yearned for when consumer employ brand-fandom and devotion (Bashir et al., 2018, p. 180). By maintaining two-way communication that spoke to the consumer as a fellow consumer, was suggested to have reflected consumption patterns, precedences, judgments, admirations and experiences (Ekhlassi, 2017). Integration of social media in the media mix and stages of the consumer journey were suggested to be highly important when seeking advocacy for the brand, as consumers stressed perceived trust in order to respond by buying or through word-of-mouth advertisement (Milakovic et al., 2020; Voorveld, 2019).
@urbanoutfitters on Instagram
This image showcased two-way communication through visual content in the consumer journey stage of decision making on Instagram.
@target on Instagram
This image demonstrated the increased engagement associated with the implementation of measures of aesthetic dimension on Instagram.
Consumer reactions to the aesthetics of promotional content are important to marketing communication strategies on social media.
Consumer reactions to the aesthetics of promotional content are important to marketing communication strategies on social media.
"aesthetic theory" "emergent design" "aesthetic chill"
The implication of dated understandings of aesthetic theory have were directly applied to advertisements on SNSs (Zarzosa & Huhmann, 2019). Aesthetic dimension has been urged for usage by past literature because of its ability to elicit artistic quality and beauty despite brand stylizations. Previous literature urged marketing professionals to look for consumers who directly transfer visual content into their consumption habits as they are attracted to the aesthetic appeal (Lynch et al., 2020). Past studies noted consumers as either more subjective or less subjective to experiencing the mental and physical reactions of aesthetic pleasing content due to their openness to experience (Williams et al., 2022).
Conclusion & Proposed Research
Conclusion & Proposed Research
As past marketing professionals have noted, the measurement of consumer reaction and elements of visual content on Instagram encouraged a cognizant presence to effectively communicate through social media marketing tactics and activities (Unnava & Aravindakshan, 2021). This research has proposed a need for understanding who the consumer perceiving aesthetics on Instagram is and whether they engage further by making a purchase upon viewing the visual content. This research would maximize advertising potential on social networking sites. The direct translation of pleasure from visual content on the intentions of consumers seeking to make a purchase, opens conversation about the reach of a brand online. Given that advertisements on the Instagram platform are executed mainly as visual content, this project will seek to answer the following research questions:
RQ1: Are American consumers more likely to indicate purchase intentions for items displayed on an Instagram grid they perceive as aesthetically pleasing than for similar items displayed on Instagram in presentations they don't perceive as aesthetically pleasing?
H1: American consumers are more likely to indicate purchase intentions for items displayed on an Instagram grid they perceive as aesthetically pleasing than for similar items displayed on Instagram in presentations they don't perceive as aesthetically pleasing.
RQ2: What components of aesthetics implemented in a brands Instagram grid does the American consumer respond positively to?
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