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Brand New Images? Implications of Instagram Photography for Place Branding
[journal article]
Abstract The aim of this article is to develop an understanding of what happens when Instagram photography is used for branding a place. Questions raised are which photographs are taken and published, does the practice result in novel ways of representing a place, and, in turn the image of a place. A practic... view more
The aim of this article is to develop an understanding of what happens when Instagram photography is used for branding a place. Questions raised are which photographs are taken and published, does the practice result in novel ways of representing a place, and, in turn the image of a place. A practice approach to photography is used where focus is directed to the performative aspect of photography. Fifteen qualitative interviews were conducted with participants in an Instagram takeover project concerning their photographs. The study shows that adopting a communication strategy based on visual social media is dependent on the participants’ competencies and that it is embedded in everyday life. Moreover, the participants’ photographic practices were found to be influenced by social conventions, which resulted in the city being imagined differently by different participants. To use visual social media such as Instagram for branding purposes does not necessarily mean that novel images are generated, but that they are choreographed according to the conditions of Instagram as medium.... view less
Keywords
photography; Internet; social media; visualization; advertising; tourism; town; image
Classification
Interactive, electronic Media
Free Keywords
Instagram; place branding; practice; strategic communication
Document language
English
Publication Year
2017
Page/Pages
p. 6-14
Journal
Media and Communication, 5 (2017) 4
Issue topic
Visual Communication in the Age of Social Media: Conceptual, Theoretical and Methodological Challenges
ISSN
2183-2439
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed