Multinational Luxury Brands’ Communication Strategies on International and Local Social Media: Comparing Twitter and Weibo

Abstract

The age of social media requires multinational brands to master both global platforms where various cultures coexist, and local platforms dominated by a specific culture. Guided by the theories of high- vs. low-context culture, individualism vs. collectivism, and indulgence vs. restraint, this study examined multinational luxury brands’ communication strategies on the global platform Twitter, and the local Chinese platform Weibo. Several strategic aspects were investigated, including visual elements, creative strategy, cultural values, indulgence and restraint communication, and user generated content. The surprising results revealed the evident impact of culture and the distinct characteristics of the luxury industry.