Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Exploring Marvel's IP Marketing Strategies in the Digital Era: A Comparative Analysis of Social Media Promotion and Audience Engagement

Yibo Huang1,*, Xuhui Rong2, Yufan Du3, Yujia Mu4
1. Hangzhou City University
2. University of California
3. University of New South Wales
4. Minhang Crosspoint Academy at Shanghai Wenqi Private Middle School

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the rapid growth of social media, the marketing approach of the entertainment and film industry has transferred from one-way promotion to audience participation and community interaction. This study examines how Marvel's digital marketing strategies on social media stimulate audience engagement and contribute to the development of its intellectual property (IP). Using YouTube as a primary data source, this study collects 317,730 comments from 16 videos, among which 13 are about Marvel and 3 are about DC, published within ten years. Topic modeling was conducted using Machine Driven Classification of Open-ended Responses (MDCOR), while Sentiment and Emotion Network Analysis (SENA) was used to analyse audience sentiment and emotions. The findings show that Marvel generates a more diverse online discussion landscape than DC, covering emotional responses, official trailers, character and plot discussion, actor-related content and some offline activities. Marvel's marketing attracted the audience to participate through Easter Eggs, trailers, and fan-oriented content. Besides, the result of SENA revealed that anticipation, joy, surprise, and trust are the dominant positive emotions among audiences, while negative emotions remain relatively limited. These findings suggest that effective IP marketing is not only promoting films, but motivating audiences emotion, making them interpret, discuss, and produce related content. Therefore, this study can provide a data-driven reference for other companies that are seeking to build a fan community and promote intellectual property.

Keywords: Social Media; Data Mining; Marvel; Marketing; Entertainment and Film Industry
Published: October 20, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.38054
Volume: CHR Vol.125
pp. 35-53
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