Institutional Marketing in Biodiversity Conservation: Symbolic Analysis of ICMBio’s Scientific Dissemination

Abstract

With the advancement of information and communication technologies, the digital environment has come to dominate everyday life, globally connecting society through the Web. The impact of this environment and, in a special way, of social networks, ended up adding value to organizations, as a single post can, when receiving many “likes”, attract new followers and reach thousands of people. Due to this potential, bodies such as the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) have appropriated these networks by presenting themselves to society and seeking to sensitize their followers about actions to protect the environment. However, as it is an institutional dissemination strategy, it is important for Institute to assess what image it has passed on to its followers, a diagnosis that may suggest ways to enhance the reach of messages. In this sense, a study was carried out that analyzed Institute’s posts on Instagram in the first two years of the profile on the social network (2016-2017). The research used Netnography and the theoretical contribution of Margareth Mark and Carol Pearson to identify the image transmitted by the Institute from the recognition of imagery-behavioral patterns as a basis for developing marketing strategies and giving meaning to corporate brands. This theoretical-methodological perspective made it possible to recognize as predominant profiles the behavioral patterns of posts called “o Mago” and “o Explorador”. Associated with the Institute’s purposes, it is considered that these profiles can inspire followers to allow themselves to be penetrated by transforming experiences that the posts can provide, initiating a process of expanding awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation.