Sewing Brand Messages on Social Media: A Content Analysis of Cotton Incorporated's Instagram Profile

Abstract

Cotton is the most significant natural fiber in the world and is an essential component of the global economy. Cotton faces several challenges, including fighting to secure its place in the global fiber market share and using generic advertising to reach new consumers and maintaining relationships with current consumers. The cotton industry has used several marketing strategies for promotion, including social media. Social media has transformed the way that we share information and connect with others. Agriculture, and other fields of science, have a unique opportunity to use social media to share evidence-based information with social media users. The purpose of my study was to analyze and describe the Discover Cotton Instagram page. I used content analysis methodologies to answer my research questions. Through my analysis, I found that the category of products promoted most often was Women, followed by Men, Home and Children. Only 8.48% of the images and videos analyzed during this time period depicted cotton in some way or form. An overwhelming majority of comments were positive. Six major themes were identified in captions on the Discover Cotton Instagram page: Qualities of Cotton, Style, Sustainability, Check the Label, Women, and Cotton Production. Few posts contained any of the decision-making areas in cotton production. Cotton was the most frequently used word in captions, followed by shop and #shopcotton. Based on my findings, Discover Cotton’s target audience for social strategy (women, 18 – 34) aligns with the content found on the account. Additionally, cotton as a fabric was promoted heavily, while cotton as a plant was not discussed often.