Abstract:

The aim of the publication is to present the extent to which selected social networks based on visual content are used by companies operating in the CEP sector on the Polish market. The study carried out consisted of analysing the content of the official websites belonging to the various companies - the CEP industry's representatives - to see how information on the social networks used (location of plugins) is shared, and a review of active profiles on these sites was carried out to diagnose what content is published. The survey was conducted between March and April 2022. The study showed that of the 7 analysed CEP companies actively operating on the Polish market, 6 use at least one of the social networks. Almost all of the analysed companies have a profile on YouTube, the only exception being UPS. The next most popular platforms, where most brands have accounts, are Instagram, where UPS and FedEx are not present, and Facebook, where FedEx and DHL are not represented. The content and frequency of publications on the profiles varies. The study did not include Facebook, the most popular social network, and less popular social networks at the time of writing (e.g. TikTok - among the entities surveyed, only InPost has an official profile there), or networking sites (e.g. LinkedIn). The objectives of the communication activities of the individual companies are not known. This may be part of further research through in-depth interviews with those responsible for brand promotion. It is also possible to extend the research to other entities in the industry and among the target audiences of the communication activities on the individual portals. Based on the author's audit of the CEP industry companies' communication activity on social networks, this article suggests that the use of social media is an appropriate tactic in the communication of companies representing the analysed industry in the promotional dimension to the exterior due to the participatory, interactive and open nature of social media.