Thesis Purpose: This thesis aims to explore the construction and dynamics of 'dupe culture' as an emergent digital consumer culture, examining its implications for brand authenticity, consumer identity, and branding within the digital age. Theoretical perspective: The study takes on a consumer culture perspective, using the Circuit of Culture (Du Gay et al. 1997) and insights from scholars

Research Aim This thesis explores the role of user-generated content (UGC) in destination marketing, specifically focusing on Harbin, China. It aims to understand how UGC on social media, particularly Douyin, influences Harbin's destination image and the motivations behind content creation. Methodology A mixed-method approach was employed, combining netnography and semi-structured interviews.

Purpose: The primary aim of the study is to investigate the influence of AI-driven personalized advertising on customer loyalty and brand engagement within the B2C market. The research will also examine how consumer perceptions of privacy and transparency in the use of AI impact these relationships. Theoretical perspective: The study’s literature review explores AI-driven personalized advertising

The rapidly evolving landscape of influencer marketing, particularly within the cosmetics industry, underscores the need to dissect the dynamics between influencer credibility and parasocial relationships. This thesis explores the multifaceted nature of influencer credibility— comprising attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity—and its role in cultivating strong parasocial relati

Abstract Purpose: This study investigates the impact of social influence on consumer preferences for product recommendations made by an AI or a human within the cosmetics industry, specifically in light of hedonic or utilitarian goals. Methodology: This quantitative research follows a deductive approach, using an online self-completion survey for data collection. A total of 659 valid responses w

This research explores how sustainable fashion fits into our social landscape, emphasizing its importance due the fashion industry's growing environmental concerns. With the fashion industry facing environmental challenges, the integration of fashion with sustainability becomes imperative for its evolution in the future. To address this, fashion brands have begun integrating sustainable practi

In today's digital era, where personalized experiences have become crucial to consumer interactions with brands, the balance between personalization and privacy remains a complex and evolving challenge. Despite the recognized benefits of personalization in driving consumer spending, concerns about privacy and data security persist among individuals. This study addresses the "personalizati

Thesis purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze how platform and content intimacy affect customer engagement on TikTok and Instagram. Furthermore, it aims to investigate how different content categories (rational, interactional, and transactional) and modalities (video vs. photo) affect engagement levels on both platforms, if there is evidence of distinguished performances across TikTok an

In today’s digital age, maintaining privacy is challenging as individuals often disclose personal information unwillingly. This discrepancy, known as the 'privacy paradox,' highlights the gap between privacy concerns and actual data-sharing behavior (Alashoor et al., 2022). Despite extensive research, there is limited understanding of how hedonistic and utilitarian motivations influence co

Background: The rise of influencer marketing, fuelled by globalisation and social media popularity, has led to an increased ethically contested promotion of aesthetic surgery by influencers. Existing research has primarily focused on consumers, leaving the influencer perspective and their ethical justifications largely unexplored. Purpose: To explore the ethical justifications of social media infl

The objective of this study is to explore differences between prominent and subtle product placement (PP) interaction levels on consumer cognitive, behavioral and affective outcomes within virtual reality (VR) gaming context. Leveraging a quantitative approach, the study employs a between group experimental design to investigate the influence of in-game advertising (IGA) interactivity on advertise

Purpose and aim: Our study investigates the phenomenon of nostalgic football apparel consumption, emphasizing the interactive cultural processes that shape nostalgic feelings and in turn influence consumer behavior. Despite the prevalence of nostalgia marketing in various industries, the sports apparel sector, particularly football, has been slow to capitalize on this trend and simultaneously rese

The younger generation is obsessed with the transient beauty of internet aesthetics and the essence of social media’s “core-culture”. In the fast-paced digital age, internet aesthetics have emerged as a means to categorize not only cultural objects such as clothing, music or artworks, but also our own identities. The primary aim of this thesis is to delve into the influence of internet aesthetics

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how socio-political attitudes, particularly trust in governmental institutions and attitudes towards the world’s future, influence consumer responses to Brand Activism in Germany and Austria. As public trust in government declines and expectations for corporate societal engagement rise at the same time, this research aims to examine the resulti

In recent years, social marketing, particularly LGBTQ+ advocacy, has become increasingly prevalent in many brands' communication techniques, gaining significant attention. However, few attempts have been made to study its practical and strategic aspects and develop a framework for successful social marketing endeavors that companies can implement with minimal risk of failure. This study aims t

Thesis Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the opinion of consumers from Asia and Europe about data privacy concerns while receiving personalised marketing campaigns. We aim to contribute in existing literature on this specific domain for future researchers and companies who want to invest in these unexplored regions. Methodology: This study has used qualitative research methodo

Keywords: Brand Disengagement From Social Media, Consumer Brand Engagement, Brand Equity, Consumer Perception, Consumer- Brand Relationship Research questions: How do consumers perceive a brand’s disengagement from social media?; How does a brand's disengagement from social media shape the consumer-brand relationship? Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate how consumers perc