Apparel brands’ use of Facebook: an exploratory content analysis of branded entertainment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine features of branded entertainment in apparel brands’ Facebook pages based on the conceptual framework of play themes (Zhang, 2010). Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis was performed for 1,443 posts present on 50 apparel brands’ Facebook profile pages in the time period from November 28, 2011 to December 25, 2011. Findings – The findings provide meaningful insights into apparel brands’ use of Facebook as a social media strategy. The most dominant branded entertainment consisted of photos and advertisements and was directed toward promoting specific products and sales without using a particular play theme. Among the play themes used, play as frivolity, which includes simple and fun activities, was predominant. Overall, apparel brands utilized limited types of branded entertainment on their Facebook pages. Research limitations/implications – By integrating play themes into branded entertainment, apparel brands can optimize their branded contents on Facebook to connect with consumers and increase consumer motivation to interact with the brand. More specifically, apparel brands that adopt additional play themes other than play as frivolity for their branded entertainment will stand out and cut through the clutter of competitors’ Facebook pages. Originality/value – No previous research investigated apparel brands’ use of Facebook pages. This study fills the void in the literature by addressing how apparel brands utilize types of branded entertainment on their Facebook profile pages.