Beyond Price Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communication Strategies in E-commerce Mega Campaigns - A Qualitative Study of Shopee and Lazada in Thailand
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The rapid growth of e-commerce and the increasing intensity of competition in Thailand have encouraged major online marketplaces to implement large-scale promotional events known as mega campaigns. While previous research has primarily focused on consumer behavior and technology adoption, limited attention has been given to how these campaigns are strategically communicated as integrated marketing efforts. This study aims to explore the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategies employed by Shopee and Lazada during the year-end mega campaign period (9.9-12.12, 2025) in Thailand. A qualitative content analysis was conducted using publicly available posts from the official Instagram and TikTok accounts of both platforms. A total of 72 campaign-related posts (37 from Shopee and 35 from Lazada) were purposively selected and analyzed using thematic analysis.
The findings suggest that both platforms used highly coordinated communication strategies that incorporated multiple elements, including price-focused promotional appeals, urgency cues, visually engaging designs, entertainment-oriented content, influencer presence, and behavioral prompts to encourage platform interaction. Economic value messaging served as the main focus, while urgency framing and impactful visual design were employed to capture consumer attention during time-sensitive campaign periods. The analysis also revealed differences in strategic focus: many Shopee campaign posts highlighted visually striking presentations with large discount figures, countdown graphics, and animated layouts designed to quickly attract users’ attention while scrolling through social media feeds.
The study contributes to IMC literature by showing that contemporary e-commerce mega campaigns function as continuous
and interactive communication systems rather than isolated promotional events. The findings also provide practical insights for marketers on integrating functional value with emotional engagement and user participation strategies in digital campaign environments.
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