The CEO Mom: Exploring MLMs’ tone of voice on Instagram during COVID-19 pandemic – case study of Company X
Groundstroem, Maxine (2023)
2023
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112531664
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112531664
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this study is to explore the nature and role of tone of voice in multi-level marketing schemes’ (MLMs) marketing communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a qualitative approach including discourse analysis and development of a 4-pillar tone of voice framework, 30 Instagram posts from three Company X contractors were analysed.
The results indicate that Company X’s tone of voice is highly personal, emotional, informal, and strongly assertive. 5 topics emerged as major themes discussed by contractors in their posts, with 9 different subject positions taken across the themes. A key finding was that every subject position covered a unique perspective to topics relevant to mothers and all maintained a different level of involvement with the consumer. The level of involvement of the consumer to the contractor was achieved through assumed thought-processes of consumers, usage first- or second-person pronouns, pre-determined relational familiarity, and actionable vocabulary. Mentions of the COVID-19 pandemic were largely implicit, with posts largely being split between referring to the pandemic as (1) an externally imposed experience and (2) as an opportunity to take action. As an externally imposed experience, the tone of voice is more depressive, focused on loss and togetherness. As an opportunity to act, the tone shifts to empowering and assertive through second-person pronouns and actionable vocabulary, delivering Company X as a solution to the aforementioned issues.
The study’s findings provide insight into how tone of voice is a powerful tool defining not just the general “personality” of a brand but the perspectives that help communicate the brand’s value to consumers. This study helps highlight how MLMs succeed in using a deep understanding of their target audience and the context of the text’s consumption, giving them more control over consumers’ involvement in and perception of the brand.
The results indicate that Company X’s tone of voice is highly personal, emotional, informal, and strongly assertive. 5 topics emerged as major themes discussed by contractors in their posts, with 9 different subject positions taken across the themes. A key finding was that every subject position covered a unique perspective to topics relevant to mothers and all maintained a different level of involvement with the consumer. The level of involvement of the consumer to the contractor was achieved through assumed thought-processes of consumers, usage first- or second-person pronouns, pre-determined relational familiarity, and actionable vocabulary. Mentions of the COVID-19 pandemic were largely implicit, with posts largely being split between referring to the pandemic as (1) an externally imposed experience and (2) as an opportunity to take action. As an externally imposed experience, the tone of voice is more depressive, focused on loss and togetherness. As an opportunity to act, the tone shifts to empowering and assertive through second-person pronouns and actionable vocabulary, delivering Company X as a solution to the aforementioned issues.
The study’s findings provide insight into how tone of voice is a powerful tool defining not just the general “personality” of a brand but the perspectives that help communicate the brand’s value to consumers. This study helps highlight how MLMs succeed in using a deep understanding of their target audience and the context of the text’s consumption, giving them more control over consumers’ involvement in and perception of the brand.