TriaThlon posTs on insTagram: whaT are The mosT engaging appeals for user inTeracTions?

Abstract

A brand’s identity reflects the core values of a brand. Meanwhile the brand image are users’ associations with the brand. Therefore, to know users’ perceptions and to possibly obtain congruence between the brand identity and the brand image, it is immensely important to implement an efficient marketing strategy. Hence, this study’s main aim is to analyse the differences of image appeals, comparing the sports event identities and the sports events’ brand images and their effect on user interactions. A content analysis was conducted, with an overall sample of 629 Instagram images of five triathlons. An especially for this study developed codebook was employed. The most frequent appeals were people, athletes, urban surroundings, running as a sport, the start-/finish line as event momentum and concentration as an emotion with 90% showing a positive tone. Posts displaying people, emotions, a positive tone, and the start-/finishing line obtained higher interaction rates. Posts including women or swimming showed high mean values in interactions but were rather underrepresented. The results contribute to the literature on social media marketing within the field of sports events by exploring Instagram post appeals from the perspective of the organisers, and the users and their impact on user interaction.