Visual storytelling and digital marketing in Ghana’s fashion industry: The influence of photography on consumer engagement

Harold Martin Awinzeligo ORCID iD, Evelyn Kuupole ORCID iD, Dennis Atsu Dake ORCID iD, Emmanuel Wiston Churcher ORCID iD & Christopher Oppong ORCID iD

Issue: Vol. 7 No.6  2026 Article 12 pp. 1586 – 1601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267612 Published online 23rd July 2026

© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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The study aimed to explore the functions of digital marketing and photography in advancing Ghana’s fashion industry. It also examined how customers made online purchases and how they reacted to fashion-related content on social media. Data from 152 respondents were collected using a quantitative study design with a closed-ended questionnaire. The study found that 78% of customers were significantly influenced by visual fashion content on social media, with YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok being the most effective platforms for interaction. Remarkably, 96.1% of the respondents agreed that photography increases their engagement with fashion brands, and about 95% agreed on the crucial role of photography in establishing the narrative and identity of Ghanaian fashion brands. Additionally, the survey found that consumers preferred companies that consistently produced aesthetically pleasing, culturally relevant material, and that digital marketing increased consumer trust and brand loyalty in addition to increasing visibility. This study highlights the significance of visual storytelling in consumer decision-making. Furthermore, it offers a distinctive perspective on how effective digital marketing and photography may boost brand engagement and sales in Ghana’s apparel industry. The study argues that the strategic use of digital platforms and high-quality visual material is essential to attract customers, tell brand stories, and increase sales. Recommendations have been offered to expand the space of policy and practice for the creative fields of photography, digital marketing, and fashion design. Contributing to the academic discourse on digital marketing at the intersection of photography and consumer behaviour, this research not only conceptualises photography as a core mechanism of visual storytelling and brand identity within digital fashion marketing but also offers some comparative insights for researchers in the creative industry of Ghana.

Keywords: Digital Marketing, Photography, Fashion Industry, Social Media

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Harold Martin Awinzeligo is a Lecturer at the Department of Industrial Art (Communication/Graphic Design Section), Bolgatanga Technical University, Bolgatanga. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Communication Design and is currently a Ph.D. student in Communication Design at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. His research interests include exploring challenges to sustainable design, technology in education, animation and an exploration into smartphone camera technology for photography. He works mostly in two research paradigms, interpretivism and pragmatism.

Evelyn Kuupole is a Lecturer at the Department of Industrial Arts (Fashion and Textile Design), Bolgatanga Technical University, Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. She holds a Master of Philosophy degree (MPhil) in Home Economics from the University of Cape Coast and is currently a PHD student in fashion design technology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Her research interests include fashion design, sustainability and production practices, cultural costume, and fashion theory.

Dennis Atsu Dake is a Lecturer and the current Head of the Department of Graphic Communication Design Technology at Tamale Technical University (TaTU), Ghana. He is also a practitioner-educator in graphic communication design with multidisciplinary research interests spanning art and design education, inclusive education, educational evaluation, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Emmanuel Wiston Churcher is an academic and professional graphic designer specializing in visual communication, advertising design, and printing technology. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Art at Bolgatanga Technical University, Ghana. His research interests include visual communication design, advertising and social media, educational technology, wayfinding systems, and interdisciplinary collaboration in design education. His recent works explore design pedagogy, the integration of digital technologies in design learning, and the role of visual communication in public and institutional branding.

Christopher Oppong is a Ghanaian Sculptor, Researcher, and Senior Lecturer at Bolgatanga Technical University. He holds a Master of Fine Art Degree in Sculpture and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sculpture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where his research explores the cultural, spatial, and philosophical dimensions of basketry as a sculptural practice. His work integrates indigenous materials and weaving techniques to investigate themes of memory, migration, ecology, and transformation. Oppong is actively engaged in community art projects that promote sustainability and cultural heritage.

 

 

Awinzeligo, Harold Martin, Evelyn Kuupole, Dennis Atsu Dake, Emmanuel Wiston Churcher, and Christopher Oppong. “Visual Storytelling and Digital Marketing in Ghana’s Fashion Industry: The Influence of Photography On Consumer Engagement,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.6 (2026): 1586 – 1601.  https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267612

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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