Unraveling the viral phenomenon: insights from social media content analysis on streaming over-the-top platforms

Purpose This study aims to analyze memes as valuable engagement and marketing communication tools in promoting over-the-top (OTT) platforms by monitoring users' sentiments and offering insightful information about their opinions by drawing themes from viral memes. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis of 1,230 user interactions was conducted using NVivo software on Instagram and Twitter pages from May 2022 to July 2023. Data were collected for sentiment analysis (consumer responses), and relevant themes (consumer interactions) were drawn which created the virality of memes. Findings Research findings reveal relevant themes, such as relatable, informative and interest-generating, that make memes go viral over social media. The sentiment analysis results showed that the intensity and strength of the positive comments were more substantial, contributing more to the virality of memes. Practical implications These findings provide themes for engaging content for OTT advertisers to boost brand recognition and engagement by strategically creating meme content and implementing better marketing communication. Originality/value This study uses factual data to offer new perspectives on viral meme propagation. It provides evidence that OTT marketers boost brand value and customer engagement through innovative customer-centric social media analysis.