| Sumario: | Social media branded content has become essential in digital marketing strategies, serving as a key component for consumer engagement through the consumption, contribution, and creation of brand-related content activities. The purpose of this study is to explore content-driven motives that lead to engagement behavior on Instagram. Using a qualitative approach, focus group interviews were conducted to capture consumers' perceptions of branded content that convey cues about brands, products, and the message being communicated. Twenty Turkish customers were recruited to uncover how they derive meaning from their interactions with content posted on the Instagram profiles of the four leading smartphone brands: Apple, Huawei, Samsung, and Xiaomi. A refined set of eight content-induced motives – visual appeal, prosocial signaling, authenticity, localization, customer-centricity, storytelling, trendiness, and retro-vibe – has been identified regarding how consumers recognize and interpret their experiences engaging with branded content on Instagram. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the consumer engagement phenomenon by unveiling an Instagram-specific vision of branded content from the consumer's perspective, offering valuable insights for both academicians and practitioners.
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