THE ROLE OF LIVE STREAMING IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND CORPORATE BRANDING

The goal of this study is to examine the role of live streaming in marketing communications and corporate branding in Finnish B2B and B2C companies. Even though studies on new digital marketing communications methods are emerging, there is a clear need for better understanding on the subject. Especially videos and live streaming in the content marketing context lack a proper research.

The study is a qualitative case study, which has been carried out through semistructured interviews for five case companies operating in both B2B and B2C markets. The study reveals the motives, usage purposes, objectives, benefits and challenges, and the process of live streaming, which are then reflected on the case companies’ marketing communications and corporate branding practices and the earlier literature on the subject. The study reveals that the biggest benefits of live streaming include authenticity, which allows companies to differentiate and create brand awareness, and the possibility to reach a wider audience. However, in order to attract and engage audiences with live streaming companies need to understand their target groups and create content that resonates with the audience.