Corporate Identity and Social Media - A Case Study of a British Organisation and Danish Consumers' Cultural Consumption Patterns
Author
Madsen, Julia Jakobsen
Term
4. term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-03
Pages
198
Abstract
In a landscape where social media is central to corporate communication, this thesis examines how the British fitness apparel company Gymshark articulates its corporate identity on social platforms and how Danish consumers interpret and incorporate these meanings in their cultural consumption of fitness apparel. The study is grounded in literature on corporate identity—including its distinction from organizational identity and categories such as communication, history, business scope, philosophy, and strategy—as well as social media theory (adoption, platform choice, content, engagement, and organizational interaction) and co-creation. It further applies McCracken’s Culture and Consumption model of meaning transfer from culture to goods (via advertising, the fashion system, and social media) and from goods to consumers (via exchange, possession, grooming, and divestment rituals. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative case study that combines content analysis of Gymshark’s social media communication with semi-structured interviews with Danish consumers; procedures for data collection, coding, and validation are described to support the study’s credibility. The analysis maps Gymshark’s identity elements and social media use—including platforms, content, and levels of engagement and interaction—while the consumer analysis explores shopping habits, fitness apparel preferences, and perceived meanings, and the roles of advertising, opinion leaders, and social media in meaning making. Detailed findings are reported in the full thesis; overall, the study offers insight into how corporate identity is co-created online and how Danish cultural consumption patterns shape responses to a British fitness brand, with practical implications for international brand communication.
I en tid hvor sociale medier er centrale for virksomheders kommunikation, undersøger dette speciale, hvordan den britiske fitnessbeklædningsvirksomhed Gymshark artikulerer sin corporate identity på sociale platforme, og hvordan danske forbrugere fortolker og indlejrer disse betydninger i deres kulturelle forbrug af fitnessbeklædning. Afhandlingen bygger på litteratur om corporate identity, herunder skelnen til organisational identity og kategorier som kommunikation, historie, forretningsomfang, filosofi og strategi, samt på teori om sociale medier (adoption, platformvalg, indholdsvalg, engagement og organisatorisk interaktion) og co-creation. Derudover anvendes McCrackens Culture and Consumption-model for meningsoverførsel fra kultur til produkt (via reklame, modesystem og sociale medier) og fra produkt til forbruger (via udvekslings-, besiddelses-, pleje- og afviklingsritualer). Metodisk gennemføres et kvalitativt casestudie, der kombinerer indholdsanalyse af Gymsharks sociale mediekommunikation med semistrukturerede interviews med danske forbrugere; dataindsamling, kodning og validering beskrives for at understøtte studiets troværdighed. Analysen kortlægger Gymsharks identitetselementer og brug af sociale medier, herunder platforme, indhold og niveauer af engagement og interaktion, mens forbrugeranalysen belyser shoppingvaner, præferencer for fitnessbeklædning og oplevede betydninger samt rollen for reklame, opinionsledere og sociale medier i meningsdannelsen. De specifikke fund præsenteres i den fulde afhandling; overordnet bidrager studiet med indsigt i, hvordan corporate identity medskabes online, og hvordan danske kulturelle forbrugsmønstre former responsen på et britisk fitnessbrand, med praktiske perspektiver for international brandkommunikation.
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Keywords