Shaping Mediated Brand Identity Through Livestreaming: A Case Study of Zara Live Show

This thesis explores how fashion brands leverage livestreaming on social media platforms to construct and promote their brand identity, using Zara Live Show on Douyin as a case study. Drawing on the concept of platformization, which describes how digital platforms' infrastructures, economic processes, and governmental frameworks fundamentally impact cultural industries, the study frames livestreaming as a key component in the platformization of cultural production and consumer culture, also as an emerging marketing tool in China. It then explores the evolution of social media marketing (SMM), highlighting how brands have shifted branding practices toward more interactive, immersive, and participatory strategies. This section also addresses the tensions between the open, accessible nature of social media and the exclusivity traditionally upheld by high-end fashion brands. Following this, the review turns to livestreaming as a rising marketing tool, particularly in the Chinese context. It traces how livestreaming evolved from a form of online entertainment to a central e-commerce strategy, illustrating its capacity to deliver real-time, sensory-rich, and emotionally engaging brand experiences. Adopting a qualitative analysis approach, this study employed digital ethnography to collect data from five archived Zara Live Show episodes on Douyin between April and May 2025, complemented by secondary press coverage. The 300 minutes of content were then subjected to thematic analysis. Findings reveal livestreaming as a holistic digital vehicle for brand marketing, introducing the concept of mediated brand identity that comprises physical dimensions and emotional dimensions. Nine key themes were identified: Catwalks, Space, Equipment, Behind-the-Scenes; and Show Style, Material & Craftsmanship, Trends & Styling Guidance, Atmosphere, and Occasional Interaction. Through these, Zara strategically repositioned itself from a mass-market fast-fashion brand to a sophisticated, premium player. This thesis contributes to academic understanding of branding in the platform age by conceptualizing mediated brand identity and highlighting livestreaming's potential as a tool for long-term brand transformation. It also offers practical insights into how fashion brands can leverage platform affordances to reshape consumer perceptions through aesthetic experience and strategic detachment from hard-sell tactics.