Using a Photo-Elicitation Procedure to Examine Consumers’ Motivations to Post Visual Brand-Related User-Generated Content

The recent popularity of visual social media has seen a parallel increase in the amount of visual brand-related user-generated content (Br-UGC). This brand-related content created by consumers can have a significant influence on brand outcomes. Yet little is known about why consumers post visual Br-UGC. Current research examines consumers’ motivations to post visual Br-UGC by departing from research on textual Br-UGC and research on visual content posting on Instagram. Moreover, we compare motivations to post branded selfies (e.g., pictures that feature the brand and the social media user together) to motivations to post other visual Br-UGC. Photo-elicitation interviews with 30 (Mage = 21.77, SDage = 2.71, 83.3% women) participants revealed that consumers use brands as subtle cues to express their (ideal) online identities. Notably, this finding is present for both branded selfies as well as pictures without a person present. Other important motivations include social interaction, aesthetics (i.e., whether the picture is beautiful), and empowerment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.