How has social media impacted marketing practices? - An analysis of luxury brands in instagram

Abstract

This thesis examines how luxury fashion brands utilize social media Ps (Purpose, Positioning, Personalization, and Partnerships) on Instagram alongside traditional marketing Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion). Using an in-depth observation of the Instagram accounts of 14 luxury brands selected based on their popularity and activity on social media, the study validates the role of social media Ps in the marketing strategies of luxury brands, highlighting their integration with the traditional 4Ps, which makes traditional and social media Ps not mutually exclusive but rather interconnected. Indeed, the thesis reveals that luxury brands effectively utilize Product content to communicate their Positioning, while Partnerships serve as a means for expanding their Product offering. Thus, the findings provide valuable insights for fashion marketers, leading to a proposed expanded framework of the Four Ps in the context of social media.