Kollektivt varumärkesbyggande : En studie om hur kris har förändrat användares kommunikation kring Djerf Avenues identitet på Instagram

This study explores how brand identity is constructed and renegotiated on social media during an organisational crisis, focusing on the December 2024 workplace scandal involving the Swedish fashion brand Djerf Avenue. The study examines how user interactions on Instagram shape and challenge the company's self-presentation, addressing a gap in branding and crisis communication research by highlighting the audience's role in molding brand identity. The study draws on theories of self-presentation, participatory culture, creative decoding and situational crisis communication theory. A qualitative multimodal content analysis was conducted on Instagram posts, user comments and corporate responses published before, during and after the scandal. Findings indicate that brand identity is co-constructed through interactions between the brand and its audience. Prior to the crisis, user engagement reinforced the brand's intended identity through predominantly positive comments. However, the scandal triggered an increase in critical interpretations and oppositional responses that challenged Djerf Avenues' communicated identity. Over time positive sentiments gradually returned and user interactions once again contributed to reinforcing the brand's public image.