Are you following me? A content analysis of TV networks’ brand communication on Twitter

Abstract

This study provides a content analysis of television networks’ relational messages on Twitter by employing Bales’s interaction process analysis method. It also explores the phenomena of information diffusion and influence through retweeting behavior. The findings show that television networks employed more task than socioemotional communication across program genres, but suggestions were the most frequently used message content. In addition, more positive than negative socioemotional messages appeared, and socioemotional messages were retweeted more often than task-oriented messages. In response to the ever-changing media marketplace, this study extends the scope of current media branding research and suggests managerial implications for networks’ brand management and relationship-building efforts through social networking sites.