Taking Corporate Communications and Marketing Strategies to the Next LevelThrough LinkedIn : A Case Study on a Company’s Brand’s LinkedIn

Abstract: This thesis explores how organisations communicate and perform marketing nowadays, with social media platforms at the core of their strategic plan. Due to its high relevancy in B2B, the research is focused on LinkedIn and the effect of its affordances which will help dig deeper into the possibilities of using this particular social media platform as a means to define, build and shape company image and brand identity. It is a qualitative research that was conducted using mixed methods of case study, ethnography and corporate ethnography, where I benefited from my privileged role as a researcher and an employee to gather and use restricted and confidential data and information. This gave the study a broader perspective and, therefore, a better understanding of the phenomena from different focal points. However, knowing the limitations that being professionally involved with the company might bring, I have built my research on extensive literature and framed it within theories of 1. Social Media Marketing, 2. Brand Identity, and 3. LinkedIn Affordances, finding objectivity by justifying my thoughts or personal experiences with existing literature and theories. The study was conducted by gathering all LinkedIn posts after the launch of the company’s new website, considered the greatest event regarding communications. Hence, A total of 59 posts were then analysed and coded into the six main LinkedIn affordances (1. Networking, 2. Building a Connected Identity, 3. Personal and Professional Branding, 4. Professional Knowledge and Skills, 5. Communication and Etiquette, 6. Seeking and Securing Opportunities). The presented empirical data revealed how this case study located in Finland is no exception to the high potential organisations see in social media as part of their marketing and communications strategy and manifests several behaviours and uses explained along the 3. Literature Review, and 4. Theoretical Framework sections.