War and political use of video on Instagram: President Zelensky’s strategy in the Ukraine-Russia conflict

The figure of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has had a major international
impact as a result of the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February
2022. One of the factors that has led to this has been the effective management of his
image on Instagram. For this reason, this study takes a closer look at Zelensky’s
communication strategy on that platform through an analysis of his videos during
the first month of the conflict. The sample is made up of 142 videos published on his
personal profile, and a review is made of their format, impact and level of
spectacularization. The President of Ukraine preferentially uses video and broadcasts in
two types of formats: professionalized speeches to reinforce his image as a statesman
and testimonials (selfies) to show that he is close to the people. Both of them generate
interest in the audience. Features of political spectacularization are observed in the
strategic management of spontaneity and in the high level of personalization of
the leader.