Social Media Publications

In my year-long research project, I investigated how Instagram's brand design and algorithm bolsters the platform's success in the current and future space of digital marketing. After examining the state and growth potential of digital marketing with annual reports and data figures from Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers, I applied theories within behavioral economics, psychology, and sociology — including Nir Eyal's Hook Model and Daniel Kahneman's System 1 vs. System 2 thinking — to evaluate how Instagram's qualities of personalized, authentic, and creative engagement enable the platform to establish monopolistic control over its user base. I further explored how Instagram's centralized audience is invaluable to advertisers, bringing attention to potential

shifts in marketing efficiency and norms in businesses' professional development.