A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES IN INSTAGRAM BRANDING WITHIN PAKISTAN’S FASHION INDUSTRY

Abstract

This research study is conducted to explore how Pakistani clothing brands use language and visuals on Instagram to build their identity and promote their products. It focuses on three popular brands: Limelight, Sapphire, and Nishat Linen. The research examines how captions, hashtags, images, and interactive features shape consumer perception and support marketing campaigns. A qualitative research design is used for this study. The data consisted on Instagram posts collected from January to June 2025 through purposive sampling. The analysis is based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis. Two main theoretical frameworks are applied: Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough’s, 1992) and Visual Grammar (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Theoretical frameworks help to understand not only what is shown in the posts but also how and why these meanings are created in the Pakistani social context. The findings show that both language and visual elements play an important role in creating brand identity. They also help to attract users and increase engagement with marketing campaigns. This research suggests that effective use of multimodal features can improve digital fashion marketing strategies and influence consumer attitudes