The Psychology of Transgressive Brand Behaviour on Social Media
A Comparative Analysis of Wendy’s and Ryanair
Keywords:
transgressive message, social media, Ryanair, Wendy’sAbstract
This article analyzes the transgressive marketing strategies of Wendy's and Ryanair on social media, aiming to provide actionable considerations for Ryanair. The study employed a descriptive analysis of Twitter content, examining 119 tweets from Wendy's and 115 from Ryanair, categorizing transgressive messages as humorous or hard-edged. Findings indicate Wendy’s successfully uses witty, balanced humor for brand building and engagement, while Ryanair's provocative approach, though attention-grabbing, risks alienating older customers and conflicting with its core values due to its higher incidence of hard-edged communication. The study suggests Ryanair should re-emphasize core values, refine its humor to be more positive, and integrate user-generated content to humanize its brand.
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