Communicating Sustainable Creativity: A Visual Content Analysis on Instagram

Abstract

Background: As companies are increasingly committed to sustainability practices in all their activities, they also have the increasing opportunity to communicate it to strengthen the brand through various means. One of them is undoubtedly represented by social media. Aims: This paper examines the communication of fashion sustainability through social media, and in particular its visual dimension, by undertaking a content analysis of over 600 Instagram photos of two Tunisian brands that are visibly exposed on the sustainability front. Methodology: Statistical analysis of this communication based on image, caption and hashtag is used to provide interesting insights into the elements that underlie effective online sustainability communication and, more specifically, on visual social media. Three theories are used to explain this topic namely Speech Act Theory, Color Theory, and Technology for Environmental Action Model (TPAM). Nine themes related to sustainability and fashion were extracted from the images of two sustainable brands "Shab Kids", "Triiiza" and "Tommy Hilfiger" accompanied by their captions and hashtags. Finding: Our findings contribute significantly to understanding the elements used in visual communication of sustainable fashion brands on social media. For brand-generated content, we selected two eco-responsible Tunisian brands elected by "ileycom" (online marketplace) that declare themselves sustainable and are known in the fashion industry and among consumers for their orientation towards sustainable practices. Sustainable brands engage consumers in a conversation about sustainability, which can strengthen brand identity and create an emotional connection with the audience. Conclusion: It is essential for brands to communicate sustainability while taking full advantage of social media platforms like Instagram. Our study analyzed various communication elements on Instagram such as single image, multiple images, hashtags, and captions.