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Communicating via photographs: A gendered analysis of Olympic athletes’ visual self-presentation on Instagram

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  • Andrea N. Geurin-Eagleman
  • Lauren M. Burch

Abstract

•Female athletes were more likely than males to post photographs of themselves.•Athletes who posted the widest variety of photo types received more fan engagement.•Sexually suggestive photos garnered significantly greater likes and comments.•Athletes appear to be missing an opportunity for greater engagement via sport photos.•Athletes should ensure they post photos aligned with their desired personal brand.The purpose of this study was to examine Olympic athletes’ self-presentation on Instagram, a social media outlet on which users post photographs as their primary communication mechanism, in order to develop an understanding of the ways in which athletes use this medium as a communication and marketing tool to build their personal brand. Additionally, this research sought to understand whether differences existed between the utilisation of Instagram by male and female athletes. Drawing on Goffman's (1959) theory of self-presentation, this study examined eight purposively selected Olympic athletes’ Instagram photos. Findings revealed similarities to previous research on athletes’ use of written social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, as the majority of photos posted by athletes were personal in nature, thus reflecting backstage performance strategies according to self-presentation theory. The results indicated that female athletes were more likely to share photos of themselves and photos taken in private settings, but male athletes who posted a wider variety of photos encouraged greater engagement from their followers. Personal brand management implications for athletes and sport organisations are examined in greater detail in the discussion.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea N. Geurin-Eagleman & Lauren M. Burch, 2016. "Communicating via photographs: A gendered analysis of Olympic athletes’ visual self-presentation on Instagram," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 133-145, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rsmrxx:v:19:y:2016:i:2:p:133-145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2015.03.002
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Krzysztof Stepaniuk & Anna Sturgulewska, 2020. "Hitchhiking Experiences and Perception of Affective Label Polarity in Social Networking Sites—Potential Memetic Implications for Digital Visual Content Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Molinillo, Sebastian & Liébana-Cabanillas, Francisco & Anaya-Sánchez, Rafael & Buhalis, Dimitrios, 2018. "DMO online platforms: Image and intention to visit," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 116-130.
    3. SZIKSZAI-NÉMETH Ketrin, 2020. "Personal Branding In Team Sports Marketing," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 416-424, July.
    4. Dominyka Venciute & Cen April Yue & Patrick D. Thelen, 2024. "Leaders' personal branding and communication on professional social media platforms: motivations, processes, and outcomes," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(1), pages 38-57, January.
    5. Carmen Berne-Manero & Mercedes Marzo-Navarro, 2020. "Exploring How Influencer and Relationship Marketing Serve Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Geurin, Andrea N. & Burch, Lauren M., 2017. "User-generated branding via social media: An examination of six running brands," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 273-284.
    7. Bär, Sören & Benkel, Cathrin & Bezold, Thomas & Biebl, Petra & Breuer, Markus & Budzinski, Oliver & Chatrath, Stefan & Daumann, Frank & Faulstich, Sebastian & Feddersen, Arne & Frick, Bernd & Gassmann, 2023. "Wettbewerb und Wettbewerbspolitik im Sport: Sammelband zur 25. Jahrestagung des Arbeitskreises Sportökonomie," KCV Schriftenreihe, FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KCV KompetenzCentrum für angewandte Volkswirtschaftslehre, volume 7, number 282198 edited by FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KompetenzCentrum für angewandte Volkswirtschaftslehre (KC.
    8. Yunhwan Kim, 2023. "Exploring Organizational Self-(re)presentations on Visual Social Media: Computational Analysis of Startups’ Instagram Photos Based on Unsupervised Learning," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.

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