A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram
This study attempts to understand meme marketing dynamics in the Pakistani online media landscape. It focuses on how Pakistani brands using memes take advantage of cultural references, wordplay, trendy template and music to engage the online user base. This study employs a qualitative design utilizing multi-modal analysis to examine 87 meme-based posts from Instagram pages of 5 Pakistani brands across 4 industries: Men’s grooming products, fragrances, ride hailing service and baking. This study is guided by theoretical frameworks such as narrative transportation theory, Shifman’s 3 meme dimensions and self-congruity theory. The findings revealed that brands used local cultural references, religious motifs, regional music and wordplay to engage their demographics. Brand logos and products were imbedded in the memes and humor styles such as self-depreciation, absurdism, sarcasm, pop-culture, visual puns and wordplay were used.
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(1) Abdullah
Undergraguate, Department of Media Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(2) Qamar Abbas
Assistant Professor, Department of Media Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(3) Muhammad Munib Ur Rehman
MS Scholar, Department of Media Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Cite this article
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APA : Abdullah., Abbas, Q., & Rehman, M. M. U. (2025). A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram. Global Social Sciences Review, X(II), 196-215. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2025(X-II).16
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CHICAGO : Abdullah, , Qamar Abbas, and Muhammad Munib Ur Rehman. 2025. "A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram." Global Social Sciences Review, X (II): 196-215 doi: 10.31703/gssr.2025(X-II).16
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HARVARD : ABDULLAH., ABBAS, Q. & REHMAN, M. M. U. 2025. A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram. Global Social Sciences Review, X, 196-215.
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MHRA : Abdullah, , Qamar Abbas, and Muhammad Munib Ur Rehman. 2025. "A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram." Global Social Sciences Review, X: 196-215
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MLA : Abdullah, , Qamar Abbas, and Muhammad Munib Ur Rehman. "A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram." Global Social Sciences Review, X.II (2025): 196-215 Print.
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OXFORD : Abdullah, , Abbas, Qamar, and Rehman, Muhammad Munib Ur (2025), "A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram", Global Social Sciences Review, X (II), 196-215
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TURABIAN : Abdullah, , Qamar Abbas, and Muhammad Munib Ur Rehman. "A Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis of Meme-Marketing Strategies Used by Pakistani Brands on Instagram." Global Social Sciences Review X, no. II (2025): 196-215. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2025(X-II).16