Nachhaltigkeitsmarketing auf Instagram: Ein Benchmarking österreichischer Unternehmen

Abstract

In the face of mounting ecological and social challenges, companies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their social responsibility. Target audiences are showing a growing interest in responsible behaviour and are increasingly turning to social media as a primary source of information on the topic. Platforms such as Instagram provide companies with a valuable opportunity to communicate their commitment to the public, particularly through visually appealing content. Despite the potential, it remains unclear to what extent Austrian companies systematically use this platform to communicate relevant topics. This study addresses this research gap by analysing how companies from four key industries communicate relevant topics via Instagram. This thesis combines a theoretical analysis of the topics of sustainability and marketing with an empirical benchmarking analysis. In the theoretical section, the text defines relevant terms and concepts, presents the relationship between corporate responsibility and marketing, and analyses the marketing mix from an ecological and social perspective. The empirical element is founded on a systematic analysis of Instagram communication from 16 leading Austrian companies in the food retail, construction, energy supply and drugstore sectors. A comprehensive review of all posts published between October 2024 and March 2025 was conducted. These posts were analysed and compared to assess their focus on environmental and social aspects. The analysis revealed clear differences in how Instagram is used to communicate environmental and social issues. Energy suppliers recorded the highest proportion of relevant posts, at up to 56%, while drugstores published hardly any sustainable content despite being highly active. Topics such as climate protection and recycling dominate across all sectors, while social issues are addressed much less frequently. The construction industry publishes a comparatively high proportion of sustainability posts, whereas food retailers use Instagram intensively, but usually only address sustainability in passing. Overall, while many companies use Instagram selectively for relevant content, consistent, strategically coordinated communication is rare.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Dietmar Nedbal (Supervisor)