eprintid: 286
rev_number: 10
eprint_status: archive
userid: 30
dir: disk0/00/00/02/86
datestamp: 2020-01-16 11:42:10
lastmod: 2020-01-16 11:42:10
status_changed: 2020-01-16 11:42:10
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Burke, Diane
corp_creators: Supervisor: Bláthnaid  Nolan
title: Power of the post: Instagram is the chosen social media platform for PR content of cosmetic companies
ispublished: submitted
subjects: H1
subjects: HB
divisions: MAJ_PR
full_text_status: public
keywords: Instagram, Social Media, PR, Cosmetics
abstract: Social media has changed the PR landscape from exclusively focusing on traditional media to developing a two-way ongoing conversation between a company and their consumers. As we live a lot of our lives online, many brands have capitalised on this communication revolution we are currently experiencing. Through both visual and textual PR content posted on social media platforms, companies create brand awareness and communicate directly with their consumers.  

This study investigates why Instagram has been the most successful social media platform for PR content in the context of cosmetic companies from a consumer’s perspective with a self administered online questionnaire. A second source of research is in the form of interviews with two PR executives who are currently working in consumer PR agencies to gather relevant 
information from industry experts. The final source of research is a content analysis of Instagram posts from three Irish cosmetic companies. It was found that the features on Instagram are the reason why it has emerged as the most suitable social media application for PR purposes. Throughout the research, the impact that visual content posted from Irish cosmetic companies has on perceptions of female beauty is considered.
date: 2019
date_type: completed
pages: 95
institution: Griffith College
department: Faculty of Journalism and Media Communciations
thesis_type: masters
referencetext: Alhabash, S., Ma, M. (2017). ‘A Tale of Four Platforms: Motivations and Uses of Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat Among College Students?’ In: Social Media + Society. pp. 1-13.
SAGE Publications. Michigan State University. [Online]. Available at:
https://journals-sagepubcom.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/doi/full/10.1177/2056305117691544#articleShareContainer
[Accessed 16/02/2019]
Archer, C. (2019). Social media influencers, post-feminism and neoliberalism: How mum
bloggers’ ‘playbour’ is reshaping public relations. Public Relations Inquiry, 8 (2), pp. 149–166.
Archer, C., Harrigan, P. (2016). “Show me the money: how bloggers as stakeholders are
challenging theories of relationship building in public relations”. In: Media International
Australia. 16 (1). pp. 67-77.
Aronczyk, M., Edwards, L., Kantola, A. (2017). “Apprehending public relations as a promotional
industry”. In: Public Relations Inquiry. 6 (2). pp. 139-155
Berger, A.A. (2000). ‘Media And Communication Research Methods An Introduction to
Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.’. SAGE Publications. California, The United States of
America.
Bolden, R. and Moscarola, J. (2000). ‘Bridging the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide The Lexical
Approach to Textual Data Analysis’. 18(4).
Breakenridge, D., Solis, B. (2009). “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media
is Reinventing The Aging Business of PR”. Pearson Education as FT Press. New Jersey.
Carah, N., Shaul, M. (2016). “Brands and Instagram: Point, tap, swipe, glance. In: Mobile Media
and Communication. 4 (1). SAGE Publications. University of Queensland. [Online]. Available at:
https://doi-org.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/10.1177%2F2050157915598180
[Accessed 22/02/2019]
Carter, D. (2016) ‘Hustle and Brand: The Sociotechnical Shaping of Influence’, Social Media +
Society. SAGE Publications. The University of Texas at Austin. [Online]. Available at:
https://doi-org.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/10.1177%2F2056305116666305
[Accessed 10/05/2019]
89
Denscombe, M. (2006). ‘Web-Based Questionnaires and the Mode Effect An Evaluation Based
on Completion Rates and Data Contents of Near-Identical Questionnaires Delivered in Different
Modes’, Social Science Computer Review. 24(2). De Montfort University, Leicester, United
Kingdom.
Fitch, K. (2017). “Seeing ‘the unseen hand’: Celebrity, promotion and public relations.” In: Public
Relations Inquiry. 6 (2). pp. 157-169
Ghidotti, N. (2017) "Snapchat, Instagram and Influencers. How to know what's best for your
brand". In: Public Relations Tactics. 24 (3). pp. 11-11
Hughes, C., Swaminathan, V. and Brooks, G. (2019) ‘Driving Brand Engagement Through Online
Social Influencers: An Empirical Investigation of Sponsored Blogging Campaigns’, Journal of
Marketing. XX(X). SAGE Publications. pp. 1-19. [Online]. Available at:
https://doi-org.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/10.1177%2F0022242919854374
[Accessed 10/07/2019]
Jackson, D. (November 2016). ‘Beyoncé, BEYONCÉ, Lemonade: Symbols of Black Feminism.’
Medium.com. [Online]. Available at:
https://medium.com/@Destinee_Jackson/beyonc%C3%A9-beyonc%C3%A9-lemonadesymbols-of-black-feminism-a4dc4b4d97eb
[Accessed 25 July 2019]
Lee, E., et al. (2015). "Pictures Speak Louder Than Words: Motivations For Using Instagram”. In:
Cyberpsychology, Behaviour, and Social Networking. 18 (9). pp. 552-556
Leinemann, R., Baikaltseva,E. (2004). ‘Media Relations Measurement Determing the Value of
PR to Your Company’s Success’. First Edition. Gower Publishers.
MacNamara, J. (2015). ‘Media content analysis: Its uses; benefits and best practice
methodology’, Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal. 6 (1). pp. 1-34.
McIntosh, M. J. and Morse, J. M. (2015) ‘Situating and Constructing Diversity in SemiStructured Interviews’. Global Qualitative Nursing Research. Vol.2.
Mulvey, L. (1971). “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Film Theory and Criticism:
Introductory Readings. Eds. Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen. New York: Oxford UP.
Newman, I. and Hitchcock, J. H. (2011) ‘Underlying Agreements Between Quantitative and
Qualitative Research: The Short and Tall of It All’, Human Resource Development Review, 10(4),
pp. 381–398.
90
Papasolomou, I., Melanthiou, Y. (2012). "Social Media: Marketing Public Relations' New Best
Friend". In: Journal of Promotion Management. 18 (3). pp. 319-328
Rada, V. D. de and Domínguez-Álvarez, J. A. (2014) ‘Response Quality of Self-Administered
Questionnaires: A Comparison Between Paper and Web Questionnaires’, Social Science
Computer Review, 32(2), pp. 256–269.
Scott, D,M. (2015)."The New Rules of Marketing and PR. How to use Social Media Online Video,
Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly." Sixth
Edition. Gildan Media. New York.
Sherman, G.J., Perlman, S.S. (2010). ‘Fashion Public Relations’. Fairchild books. New York.
Slattery, E. L. et al. (2011) ‘A Practical Guide to Surveys and Questionnaires’, Otolaryngology–
Head and Neck Surgery, 144(6), pp. 831–837.
Walsh, K. (2012) ‘Board Editorial: Quantitative vs qualitative research: A false dichotomy’,
Journal of Research in Nursing, 17(1), pp. 9–11.
Weckler, A. (July 2019). ‘Instagram to hide ‘likes’ on posts in Ireland trial.’ [Online]. Available at:
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/instagram-to-hide-likes-on-posts-in-irelandtrial-38321540.html
[Accessed 24 July 2019]
Wilson, R. and Dewaele, J.M. (2010). ‘The use of web questionnaires in second language
acquisition and bilingualism research’, Second Language Research. 26(1). Institute of Education,
University of London, London.
Wolf, N. (2002). ‘The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women.’
HarperCollins Publishers. Second Edition. New York.
Wolf, N. (1991). ‘The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women.’ Chatto
and Windus. First Edition. London.
Yongqi Gu, P. (2016) ‘Questionnaires in language teaching research’, Language Teaching
Research, 20(5), pp. 567–570.
Yousefi Nooraie, R. et al. (2018) ‘Social Network Analysis: An Example of Fusion Between
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods’. Journal of Mixed Methods Research.
citation:   Burke, Diane  (2019) Power of the post: Instagram is the chosen social media platform for PR content of cosmetic companies.  Masters thesis, Griffith College.   
document_url: http://go.griffith.ie/286/1/MAJPR%20-%20Diane%20Burke%20-%20Dissertation_.pdf