Directing Customer
Social Identity Through
Influencer Marketing
and Brand Co-creation
Activities
BACHELOR DEGREE PROJECT THESIS WITHIN: Business Administration NUMBER OF CREDITS: 15 ECTS
PROGRAMME OF STUDY: Marketing Management AUTHOR: Sylvie DellaBruna & Beata Edlund JÖNKÖPING May 2020
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Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration
Title: Directing Customer Social Identity Through Influencer Marketing and Brand Co-creation Activities. A NA-KD Case Study
Authors: Sylvie DellaBruna & Beata Edlund Tutor: Ryan Rumble
Date: 2020-05-18
Key terms: influencer marketing, brand co-creation, brand communities, brand experience, brand self-connection
Abstract
Background: Today, for firms to engage with customers, it takes more than traditional
advertisements, enticing prices and celebrity endorsements.Customers now rely on and expect to become an active rather than passive participant in the firm’s branding and marketing activities. Due to this change in the marketing environment firms have moved towards utilizing social media influencers and brand co-creation activities to drive the level to which customers connect their self-concepts with the brand.
Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the unique ways in which NA-KD uses their
influencer marketing strategy and brand co-creation activities to drive the social identities of their customers and to create a model that visualizes this process.
Method: An exploratory study has been conducted by the authors to investigate the influencer
marketing and brand co-creation activities of the firm as to address the purpose of this paper. A single case study was performed where NA-KD was the primary subject of research. Semi-structured interviews with key employees working within marketing, collaborations and content creation was the primary source of data collection.
Conclusion: The empirical findings demonstrated the processes which employees at NA-KD
created to develop their influencer marketing and brand co-creation strategies. The findings showed that the social identities of customers in an influencer-born firm are able to be directed through the activities within influencer marketing and brand co-creation. From these findings a conceptual model representing the process and management of social identity direction and producer-consumer relationship formation. This process includes influencer marketing, brand co-creation and brand experience, managed by methods of CRM and circle mapping to allow for self-brand connections and continued firm growth to occur.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would formally like to thank and show gratitude to everyone who gave us support while writing our thesis. Firstly, we would like to thank the other seminar participants who contributed by giving us valuable feedback and insights that helped strengthen our work. We would also like to thank our tutor, Ryan Rumble, who showed immediate optimism towards our concept and gave immeasurable value to our work through advice and guidance throughout the entire process, which enabled the development of our paper.
Thirdly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Anders Melander, of Jönköping University, for overseeing and restructuring the entire process due to the current health crisis and the efforts made to provide helpful information and ensure a smooth transition to online operations.
Lastly, we would like to express our appreciation to the interviewees at NA-KD as well as other members of NA-KD who directed us to key individuals within various departments at the company. Even through the restructuring of the entire workplace due to the current pandemic, time and consideration was still taken to contribute to our research, of which we are very thankful.
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Table of Contents
1.
Introduction ... 1
1.1 Background ... 1 1.2 Problem ... 2 1.3 Purpose ... 3 1.4 Perspective ... 4 1.5 Delimitation ... 4 1.6 Key Definitions ... 52.
Literature Review ... 7
2.1 Literature Search ... 72.2 Theme 1: Influencer Marketing ... 8
2.3 Theme 2: Brand Community... 9
2.4 Theme 3: Brand Personality ... 10
2.5 Theme 4: Brand Co-creation ... 11
2.6 Theme 5: Social Identity ... 13
2.7 Theme 6: Self-brand Connection ... 15
2.8 Literature Review Synopsis ... 16
3.
Theoretical Framework... 17
3.1 Goal-Setting Theory (Locke, 1960) ... 17
3.2 Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958) ... 18
3.3 Theoretical Framework Synopsis ... 19
4.
Methodology and Method ... 20
4.1 Methodology... 20 4.1.1 Research Paradigm ... 20 4.1.2 Research Strategy ... 21 4.1.3 Research Approach ... 22 4.1.4 Case Study ... 22 4.1.5 Company Background ... 23 4.2 Method ... 23 4.2.1 Data Collection ... 23 4.2.2 Sample ... 24
4.2.3 Primary Research and Interview Design ... 25
4.2.4 Data Analysis Method Proposal ... 27
4.3 Trustworthiness ... 29
4.4 Ethical Issues ... 30
5.
Empirical Findings... 32
5.1 Influencer Marketing ... 32
5.2 Influencer Collaborations ... 35
5.2.1 NA-KD x YOU Campaign ... 37
5.3 Interdepartmental Goals and Values ... 40
6.
Analysis and Interpretations ... 41
6.1 Growth Strategy ... 41
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6.3 Brand Co-creation ... 44
6.4 Brand Experience ... 46
6.5 Customer Relationship Management ... 47
6.6 Self-brand Connection ... 48 6.7 Proposed Model ... 50
7.
Conclusion ... 52
8.
Discussion ... 54
8.1 Limitations ... 54 8.2 Managerial Implications ... 55 8.3 Future Research ... 569.
References ... 57
10.
Table ... 65
10.1 Table 1 Article Log ... 65
11.
Appendix ... 71
11.1 Appendix A: NA-KD x YOU Campaign Page ... 71
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1. Introduction
“Engagement is the new impressions. It matters as much, if not more, than someone’s reach” states Kristy Sammis in the podcast Half Hour Intern on the topic of influencer marketing and brand engagement (Half Hour Intern, 2016). This bold statement helps us introduce this chapter regarding the importance in which social identity is directed by a company’s use of influencers and customer brand co-creation. The paper will start with a background on these topics followed by the problem, the purpose, perspective, the delimitation and the key term definitions.
1.1 Background
Influencer marketing that we are familiar with today derives from the traditional form of opinion leader marketing; celebrity endorsements (Kamins et al., 1989). These celebrities first found fame through becoming professionals in their respective industries such as movies, sports or music (Jin et al., 2019). Unlike traditional celebrities, social media influencers start as normal people and through content creation and consistent posting, transform into online celebrities (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Social media influencers are considered to be experts in fields such as; fashion, lifestyle, travel or food among others (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Due to perceived authenticity and credibility from influencers, their opinions are likely to be taken as facts, and brands are now withdrawing from using traditional endorsements as there is less resistance to the messages of social media influencers (de Veirman et al., 2017; Hall, 2016). In 2015, 75% of marketers were using social media influencers in marketing activities (de Veirman et al., 2017), and in 2018, a report published by Irfan Ahmad presented that marketing campaigns which used influencers were found effective by 94% of marketers (Ahmad, 2018). Brands must investigate and identify social media influencers that can connect their area of expertise with their brand message and product or service to make the strongest impact (de Veirman et al., 2017). Influencers can be seen as an elevated way of word-of-mouth marketing, in
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this way brands can form strong relationships, loyal customers and further create a committed brand community (Sudha and Sheena, 2017).
When a consumer acknowledges a person as a role model, they can be moved to mimic their lifestyle preferences, behavior or style, which ignites a passion for the brand (Ki and Kim, 2019). This passion inspires target consumers to participate in brand communities in which they find social encouragement through opportunities to co-create (France et al., 2014). Brand communities allow consumers to express brand voice and for the brand to build strong relationships with those involved. In addition, they allow for the opportunity of brand co-creation which can benefit the brand through product and service innovation (France et al., 2014). By having consumers take an active role in a company’s brand communities it allows the customers to be a part of the creation of brand experiences. Today, customers can not only influence the brand but also influence how other consumers see the brand. Therefore, having consumers that actively participate in brand communities benefit the company through the creation of brand knowledge and brand value in brand co-creation event (France et al., 2014). This value-creation and created knowledge grounded in this style of engagement form a sense of belonging to the brand message and community (Hajli et al., 2017). This sense of belonging comes from the consumer’s idea that a brand may represent aspects of their personality and their ideal social identity and self-image (Langner et al., 2013; Aaker, 1997). In addition, they can adapt to the particular social group behavior which can be intensified by certain individuals such as social role models, for example, a social media influencer who promotes a brand’s product within the brand community in which the consumer feels belonging (Langner et al., 2013).
1.2 Problem
Previous studies have shown that the areas of influencer marketing, brand community development and management, brand co-creation initiatives and the idea of self and social identity have been studied individually. In each study it is evident that these topics, separately, are important for growth and positive reception of a brand, however, they have yet to be interlinked and discussed from a firm’s point of view. Brands are finding that upholding a brand community enhances participation and engagement with their
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customers as they are more likely to partake in co-creation activities that add value to the company (France et al., 2014). For customers to become a part of a brand community they first have to self-identify themselves with the brand and conclude they can be a part of the collective; this is called ‘social identification’, and can also be guided by a social leader such as an influencer (Langner et al., 2013). In this way, it is important that a company selects its influencers so that they have a strong impact and are capable of leading the opinions of the brand community; which can pose as challenging (de Veirman et al., 2017). If a brand does succeed with selecting an appropriate influencer to represent its brand, brand community engagement can occur and lead to brand co-creation (Tregua et al., 2015). Throughout the literature, this is examined from a consumer-perspective with future research suggesting that managerial processes be studied further. This paper aims to close this gap; investigating the decisions and processes for directing customer social identities within the brand community through social media influencers and opportunities for brand co-creation within the company NA-KD.
1.3 Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the process by which customer social identity is directed at the online fashion company, NA-KD, through decisions and processes regarding influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities. NA-KD was chosen due to their unique standing in the fast-fashion industry. This paper will be focused on the influencer marketing activities as well as the specific campaign, NA-KD x YOU, that was released by the company in November of 2019 (NA-KD, 2019), which represents the first thorough brand co-creation project NA-KD has completed. This is exploratory research as we have sought to identify and understand these decision-making processes used by the company and elaborate on the findings regarding such. These findings have been analyzed at the end of this paper to be contributed to other academic work in studies of marketing. With our purpose in mind, the leading research question that we attempt to answer is as follows; How does a company which is born of influencer marketing direct
their customers’ social identities through brand co-creation opportunities and social media influencers? In addition, we have formed several supporting questions (SQ) that
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SQ 1: What kind of customer experience is NA-KD attempting to provide for its
customers through influencer marketing and collaborations?
SQ 2: What are the goals for your departments and what is the process of reaching
these goals?
1.4 Perspective
This thesis is written from a producer perspective, where the online fashion company NA-KD is in focus. The paper aims to understand what decisions the company makes as well as the process from department to department regarding the use of influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities to drive their customers’ social identities and brand community engagement. We want to investigate how NA-KD creates value for the customer while utilizing their unique standing as an influencer-born company, to the point of self-brand connectedness.
1.5 Delimitation
Our delimitation of this study is our perspective. As indicated in the purpose section of this chapter, this study aims to examine the decision-making process which is used by employees at the Swedish online fashion company, NA-KD, to direct their customer’s social identities through influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities. Unlike other studies, this study will be done with the managerial perspective in focus rather than a consumer-driven perspective, which look at customer behavior and attitudes. Researching the cause and effect relationship of employee decisions and actions and customer behavior regarding their social identities would require a longer period of study due to the volume of NA-KD customers and more resources in terms of access granted to the company. Even so, in the background, research on consumer behavior and the consumer perspective is presented as to show the motivation behind managerial actions and give background on previous studies.
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1.6 Key Definitions
In this paper there are several key definitions relevant for this thesis, this section of Chapter 1 will provide definitions and explanations that will be used throughout the paper. These identified definitions and explanations are to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation within the text.
Traditional endorsement
Celebrity endorsement, also known as traditional endorsement, has been identified in similar ways throughout many years. In this paper, it will be defined as a public person known by others through their individual achievements through activities within music, movies and sports (Kamins et al., 1989).
Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a relatively new marketing concept where either companies, brands or marketers invest money in influencers. The influencer’s main responsibility in the collaboration between influencer and brand is to promote the product or brand to their own followers as well as to the company’s main consumers (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Social media influencer
Social media influencers (SMIs) are normal people transformed into influencers or opinion leaders through thoughtful content and consistent posting. They have become experts in a specific field which has led to gained trust from consumers, and according to customers, social media influencers are more authentic and trustworthy than other sources of information (Lou and Yuan, 2019).
Brand community
A brand community is defined as a platform where customers can share their own experiences and affection towards a certain brand. Within this community, customers are willing to interact with other members and actively contribute to the value of the brand. Brand communities open a way of direct communication where members can discuss, share information and feelings they have experienced with the brand (Burnasheva et al., 2019).
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Brand co-creation
Brand co-creation refers to a customer transformation from being a passive customer who exclusively buys a company’s product, into a customer that plays a more active and dedicated role. The value between a firm and a customer is created when they interact with each other and share thoughts on a process or product (Tregua et al., 2015). Brand experience
In the book, A Dictionary of Marketing, Charles Doyle explains brand experience as the overall experience a consumer has with a brand, the product or the service. For example, from the transaction on a brand’s website to when the product is delivered to the right address (Doyle, 2016).
Brand personality
In this paper, brand personality is identified as the sum of the individual human characteristics that can be connected with a brand (Aaker, 1997).
Social identity
Social identity is explained as the sense of belongingness a person can feel towards a certain and already existing social group (Burnasheva et al., 2019). In the context of this paper, social identity refers to the shared brand-related experiences (ibid, 2019) that helps an individual favor a certain brand and connect to its community by bringing a sense of ‘in-group’ belonging (Kuo and Hou, 2017).
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2. Literature Review
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to previous research done on the topic of influencer marketing, brand communities and social identity, as well as the theoretical background and framework. Based on the literature, six themes were identified; Influencer Marketing, Brand Community and Brand Personality, Brand Co-Creation, Social Identity and Self-brand Connection. These themes, in this order, guide the reader through the process that a consumer may go through, from identifying an influencer they connect with to a stage where they self-connect with the brand as part of their social identity. The purpose of conducting the literature review in this way is to give the reader an overview of the underlying motivation a manager or employee may have when implementing influencer marketing or brand co-creation activities.
2.1 Literature Search
The procedure for identifying academic articles for conducting this literature review has been done in a structured manner. The articles used for this literature review have been found in the two databases; Google Scholar and Primo JU. Every article included has been peer-reviewed which strengthens the credibility and reliability of the information. We limited our search to articles published between the years 2000 and 2020 to ensure up-to-date information, however, older articles were used if referenced within the newer articles. Also taken into consideration was the number of times each article was cited in other works depending on how recently they were published to ensure the relevancy of the article and the information within it. The keywords used for the article search were as follows: “Marketing”, “Branding”, “Communications”, “Consumer behavior”,
“Influencer marketing”, “Social media”, “Brand Loyalty”, “Customer Loyalty”, “Market research”, “Brand communities”, “Brand personality”, “Social identity”, “Brand co-creation”, “Self-brand connection”, “Customer relationship management”, “Customer satisfaction.” For our article log, (see Table 1). As can be seen in the
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following text, several of these keywords have become the major themes found for our literature review.
2.2 Theme 1: Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has been defined differently but very similarly throughout the literature. Lou and Yuan (2019) explained the term as a form of marketing tool, where brands and or marketers invest money in a certain influencer which in turn creates or promotes specific content. This content is directed to the influencers' own followers but also aims to reach the brand’s target group (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Influencers are regular people who have transformed into experts and/or opinion leaders in a specific field through creating content and continuous posting, therefore gaining followers (de Veirman et al, 2017). Influencers are considered to be valuable for brands as they create tight relationships with their followers who gain trust in the influencer and take their opinions seriously (Sudha and Sheena, 2017).
Influencer marketing has increased its importance for companies creating a trend where brands choose to interact with influencers as a way of marketing rather than force their own advertising on their audience (de Veirman et al, 2017). In addition, perceived sociability makes social media influencers more attractive than traditional celebrities to use in marketing activities (Jin et al., 2019). Furthermore, when looking at specific products, for example, electronics, expert influencers are more important and attractive than the usage of celebrities (Trivedi and Sama, 2020). Contradictory to these concepts, Sudha and Sheena (2017) researched influencer marketing from a different perspective and found that traditional celebrities are more important than influencers in an early purchasing stage. This is due to consumers tending to realize their desire for a product by following traditional celebrities on online platforms.
However, it is suggested that after finding a product, consumers commonly seek positive communication through influencers regarding the product before deciding to purchase (Sudha and Sheena, 2017). Further, consumers’ purchasing behavior, especially that of women, can be reinforced if they have an opinion leader giving positive feedback on certain products (Sudha and Sheena, 2017). Hence, influencer marketing has a positive effect on consumers’ trust and buying intentions when the influencer in question posts
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branded informative content. Moreover, influencers’ branded posts affect their followers’ trust positively through being trustworthy, attractive and perceived relatable to their followers (Lou and Yuan, 2019).
Furthermore, companies that build relationships with bloggers or so-called influencers, can have a great impact on the marketing of a brand’s products. In addition, by involving influencers which helps to engage the target audience, positive effects like customer loyalty and company trust will be established (Sudha and Sheena, 2017). It is further found that influencer marketing can create brand awareness if the influencer’s expertise and appeal are shown through the branded post (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Moreover, an influencer’s trustworthiness can negatively affect brand awareness and purchase intentions, this is suggested to arise from consumers’ lack of knowledge on the influencer’s motive behind posting the branded content (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Whereas, De Veirman et al. (2017) suggest that the number of followers an influencer holds can be the reason why consumers will make a purchase or not. They recommend choosing influencers for each specific case and product though different products and designs require a certain influencer; still, they claim that one influencer can change a consumer’s perceptions of a product differently than another influencer, therefore, the match between influencer and product is of great importance (de Veirman et al., 2017).
2.3 Theme 2: Brand Community
As defined in the previous chapter, brand communities are platforms online where consumers can share information, experiences, and passion towards a brand in which they love or admire (Burnasheva et al., 2019). Three common characteristics of a brand community have been discussed, these are; shared consciousness, common rituals and traditions and there’s a sense of responsibility towards the other members of the group (Füller et al., 2008). Further, brand communities can create a source of belonging among members, even if no direct interaction is implemented, as well as individuals that are members of a community develop a stronger relationship with the brand compared with those who are not members (Kuo and Hou, 2017). It is also suggested throughout the literature that consumers will build an emotional relation as well as experience satisfaction and loyalty towards a brand if they can contribute with feedback and suggestions about products or towards the brand itself (Kim et al., 2018).
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Moreover, customer trust is a key factor when it comes to deciding whether to participate in projects initiated by the brand the customer admires, however, members of a brand community who are informed about the company and its products may still be uneager to share the knowledge and information they hold with the brand, which usually occurs when the brand itself asks members to share knowledge about a very specific topic (Füller et al., 2008). Further, the concept of belonging or with other words community or social identity can help a company boost its brand love. It is then suggested to focus on brand experiences, dialogues between the brand and its customers but also between customers, these are possibly the best ways to create a sense of brand community (Burnasheva et al., 2019). However, participating in brand communities and also identifying with it as a member may not lead to enthusiasm to actively engage in activities for consumers’ beloved brand, however, being a member of a brand community may be a huge reason why not to engage in an activity initiated by another brand rather than the admired brand (Füller et al., 2008). In addition, Kuo and Hou (2017) argue that members of a brand community express a higher oppositional brand loyalty towards a certain brand if the members induce brand commitment and self-brand connection (Kuo and Hou, 2017). Moreover, for brands to receive valuable customer contributions they need to engage creative members from the brand community since these people are more willing to participate in innovation than less creative members (Füller et al., 2008). In addition, young consumers associate customer involvement with having more power, and if they decide to actively participate in a brand community or help a brand in other ways they do not settle for less than what they want. This is why customization is one of the preferred choices to involve customers since each customer can adapt the product to their needs (Kim et al., 2018). Further, it is of significant value for a brand to be visible online, brand communities can be seen as a form of e-commerce and therefore it is of importance for marketers to establish their correct digital platform whether it is over Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (Burnasheva et al., 2019).
2.4 Theme 3: Brand Personality
Brand personality, or self-brand connection, that Kuo and Hou (2017) used in their article, can be identified as the event when a consumer identifies itself with the concept or
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characteristics of a brand. Thus, brand personality also refers to the selection of individual characteristics connected to a certain brand (Ly and Loc, 2017). The characteristics of a brand are seen as an important component for consumers and become a part of their personality; meaning they let the brand speak in place of themselves to others around them (Kuo and Hou, 2017). Further, brand personality can have essential meaning when gaining knowledge about a customer’s brand choice, as well as, loyalty is not only motivated through satisfaction, but also through brand personality and brand experience (Ly and Loc, 2017). Black and Veloutsou (2017) found through their research with ‘Yes Scotland’, a brand that was created during the Scottish independence campaign, where members and political parties worked together, that the result does not only lead to brand co-creation, the consumers also establish the brand identity, brand reputation as well as communicate their own personality through being in an active collaboration. As well, for people to take the step to join a community and actively participate, the brand identity and the personality of the group members have to help the individual to communicate values and a personality which the individual strives to achieve (Black and Veloutsou, 2017).
Furthermore, individuals and members who identify with a brand community will later demonstrate brand commitment and self-brand connection, as well as a suggested positive relationship between a consumer’s commitment towards a brand and the effect on the brand personality (Kuo and Hou, 2017). Whereas, o-called working consumers who are committed to a brand community, are actively participating and contributing to the brand are seen as a brand representative by other less active consumers. Further, brands should strive to be close to the individual’s personality as well as be capable of reconstructing the way people distinguish themselves and the brand (Black and Veloutsou, 2017). Hence, individuals and members that actively participate, contribute and engage with a brand tend to identify more with the brand compared to non-active members (Black and Veloutsou, 2017).
2.5 Theme 4: Brand Co-creation
Brand co-creation is the act of creating value between a producer and consumer when the consumer decides to become active rather than passive in the relationship (Tregua et al.,
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2015). As has been found throughout the literature, this term can be interchangeable with ‘consumer value co-creation’, which is defined as, the collaborative and voluntary work between a producer and consumer in innovative processes to create value (Roberts et al., 2014). Within this co-creation realm, activities such as; co-design, co-development and ideation occur (Roberts et al., 2014). Whereas Roberts et al. (2014) don’t realize co-production as an activity within co-creation, Tommasetti et al. (2017) include it as one of their eight activities, for their model of co-creation. More importantly however, are the elements of each activity which include; a good attitude as well as trust and managing expectations, relationship building and maintenance, sharing information and feedback, change management and adaptation, searching for and sharing information, as well as, sorting information, and lastly, co-design and co-delivery (Tommasetti et al., 2017). Without these elements, brand co-creation cannot take place, as they encompass the basic idea of exchange between producer and consumer, and therefore constitutes a lack of service experience (Tommasetti et al., 2017). In this way, it is understood that if the service experience is not created to the expectations of the customer, a platform for sharing information and managing a relationship cannot be and attitudes towards the brand can change.
Consumer-brand interaction satisfaction can lead to positive attitudes towards the brand and are more likely to encourage consumers to give ideas and suggestions to the brand voluntarily (Hamilton et al., 2016). Specifically, on social media, these interactions and experiences can propagate these customers into brand co-creators, collaborators and ambassadors (Hamilton et al., 2016). This constitutes brand immersion, where consumers lose their self-consciousness via social media and center on brand interaction with high levels of involvement while also experiencing high levels of enthusiasm and gratification. (Hamilton et al., 2016). In this way, social media acts as the catalyst for branding co-creation and taking part in this co-co-creation creates an individual relationship with the brand (Hajli et al., 2017). However, referring back to a basic principle, this relationship should be supported and based on trust (Hajli et al., 2017; Roberts, et al., 2014), and without trust, the relationship will be unable to be managed properly and consumers will
be unwilling to become involved.
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of brand engagement must be held by the customer, as well as sufficient levels of brand-self congruity and category involvement (France et al., 2014). Brand-brand-self congruity refers to the perception that the user image of a good or service is corresponding to the customer’s self-image (Sirgy et al., 2008). As a consequence, and similar to Hamilton, et al. (2016), their findings suggest that customer brand co-creation enhances customer knowledge value (CKV), specifically towards the brand, and a heightened sense of brand value (France et al., 2014). By having high levels of brand engagement, congruence with the brand and involvement, the customer is trying to express their own identity through co-creation (France et al., 2014), and therefore are exuding customer brand citizenship behavior (Tommasetti et al., 2017). This behavior is therefore enhanced when the organizational identity is coordinated with the identities of the customers (Xie et al., 2017), and the customer comes to equate this engagement with their social identity and standing.
2.6 Theme 5: Social Identity
Social identities help consumers express themselves in a social context and can transform across different situations and over time (Langner et al., 2013). An example of this could be choice of style and participation in a particular social group; behavior is the signal of social identity (Langner et al., 2013). When consumers become a part of a brand community and exhibit co-creation behavior, it can be assumed that this behavior signals that they associate this social group with their social identity. Different identities can be activated among and beyond different types of situations; for example, an ‘in group’ or an ‘out group’ (Langner et al., 2013). For a consumer, this ‘in group’ can represent the brand community where they can begin to identify features of a product that grab their attention. In addition, consumers are often attracted to brands which incorporate features of the social identity they hold (Langner et al., 2013). Identifying with products and services in this way can go beyond the need for expression. As Kuo and Hou (2017) point out, the idea of the extended-self submits that the consumer's personality and place in the world is related to the possessions they own as it adds to components of their identity. For example, owning the same piece of clothing as a popular influencer may signify to the customer themselves or those around them that they belong to a certain social class and lifestyle; forming a bond between the customer, brand and desired self.
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Consumer identification and interaction is positively correlated and is driven by the consumer-brand relationship, or, the voluntary and interdependent bond between the brand and a person (Langner et al., 2013). For example, a consumer who chooses Pepsi over Coca Cola may drink Pepsi because they identify with the brand message of the ‘Pepsi Generation’ as people who are young and exciting and part of an ‘in-group’. If the consumer considers themselves to be in an ‘in- group’, whose members also identify their self-brand connection with a particular brand, or associate the brand with an ‘in-group’, such as a group of social influencers, they will feel a more powerful self-brand connection, which ultimately, transforms to a symbol of self-identity and a segment of themselves that is indivisible from the particular brand (Langner et al., 2013). Furthermore, social identity not only places a person into a group but defines their place in the group and dictates the social relationships they develop and maintain (Black and Veloutsou, 2017). To be in the particular group a person may adopt the character of the group and depersonalize their own identity (Black and Veloutsou, 2017). In this age of social media, adopting a character can be done easily and can span different industries such as health and beauty, fashion, sports and others.
These consumers share a need of belongingness; specifically, belongingness to a particular and established social group where they feel attached to the members (Burnasheva et al., 2019) and use the brand personality to individualize themselves. This emotional association can influence brand love, and a way for firms to interpret this is to use social identity and activities such as brand co-creation in the brand community as a framework (Burnasheva et al., 2019). Once consumers identify socially with the brand and establish this relationship a self-brand connection may develop; incorporating the brand into their self-concept (Langner et al., 2013). These consumers use the brand to portray their personality to those around them and view the brand as a meaningful element to their own personality. Through brand differentiation set on by the company and formation of brand personality, consumers are able to identify with certain brands and make choices to individualize themselves (Langner et al., 2013).
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2.7 Theme 6: Self-brand Connection
Self-brand connection, as mentioned in the previous theme, can develop out of a relationship between a firm and consumer that leads to a brand becoming an indivisible part of a consumer’s social identity. As defined by the initial authors, Escalas and Bettman, the self-brand connection concept, or SBC, is only as strong as the symbolism attached to the brand by the user and connection occurs when the brand is integrated into their self-concept (van der Westhuizen, 2018). These brands are more important to the consumer and the connections are fostered by a brand story and brand personality that they more easily relate to (Harrigan et al., 2018). This source of relatability can come from the brand’s use of trusted influencers or how the brand manages the relationship within the brand community using bilinear communication; reinforcing brand self- connection through this engagement on social media.
Social media has allowed for two-way communication to occur rather than the traditional linear model of communication; increasing consumer engagement and enabling firms to create opportunities for relational exchanges (Harrigan et al., 2018). Brands can show images of aspirational group members and include aspects of reference groups that heighten group interest, developing an ‘in-group’ effect which is a catalyst for forming self-brand connections (Wei and Yu, 2012). With opinion leaders being utilized by marketers on social media, creating trust and forming a brand personality in which consumers relate to on a personal level, consumers increasingly view the brand community as an ‘in-group’ and connect at a higher level (Kuo and Hou, 2017). When a consumer’s self-brand connection is at a high level, they will more likely defend the brand’s image and uphold the image in the community as it represents their social identity (Ferraro et al., 2013). Counter to this, the consumer with a lower connection will have a fluid view of the brand; still considering the brand as favorable but not as part of their self-concept (Ferraro et al., 2013). In this way, depending on how much a person depends on a brand to justify their view of self, it will affect the level at which the person connects with the brand.
Without maintaining the self-brand connection of consumers, it will be increasingly difficult to compete in the current marketing environment and benefit from this strategy (van der Westhuizen, 2018). Part of this maintenance is making sure that consumers are
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satisfied with the performance of the brand; if the brand is performing well, the consumer’s self-identity and brand-self connection is reinforced, leading to a more meaningful personal connection with the brand (Dwivedi, 2014). If a brand performs poorly, they can carry negative associations in the minds of the consumer, who does not want their self-identity to be connected to negative performance (Dwivedi, 2014). If a brand can fulfill needs that have not been expressed by the consumer, then superior value is delivered and over time, that product or service will be purchased repeatedly over time, making the brand more relevant (Dwivedi, 2014). This personal relevance will likely relate to the consumer’s self-brand connection and reinforce their ‘in-group’ status. Thus, through developing brand value and giving relevance to an ‘in-group’ association, managers within a firm should be able to direct consumers’ social identity and self-brand connection (van der Westhuizen, 2018).
2.8 Literature Review Synopsis
The literature review gives a thorough background representing previous research done within a multitude of interrelated topics regarding marketing activities and producer-consumer relationships. The goal of the literature review was to give the reader an understanding of the six identified themes namely, Influencer marketing, Brand
community, Brand personality, Brand Co-creation, Social identity and Self brand connection. These themes are written in the order in which a potential customer may go
through, from the identification of an influencer in which the customer feels a connection where they feel they can become a member of a brand community where like-minded customers can interact with each other. This interaction can lead to the formation of a brand personality where the customer can assign human characteristics to the brand. When this occurs together with being an active member of the brand community, brand co-creation activities can take place where important interaction between the customer and brand is exchanged. This eventually leads to the customer aligning their social identity with the brand message and become self-connected with the brand
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3. Theoretical Framework
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the relevant theories that have formed a framework for the thesis analysis. From the literature review research, the two theories we found to be useful are the Goal-setting theory and the Social Exchange Theory. These theories are being used to guide the reader through the firm’s process of realizing and setting goals which lead to value-creation through social exchange.
3.1 Goal-Setting Theory (Locke, 1960)
Goals are forms of levels of performance that one desires to achieve, usually within a certain amount of time; therefore, the act of setting a goal creates ‘constructive discontent’ with a current state, forming a discrepancy-creating process (Latham and Lock, 2006). In this way, goals with a higher degree of importance lead to a greater effort and focus from an individual. At the core of goal- setting theory is the concept that without goal-directed behavior, individuals are not able to attain values that make possible their happiness or even survival (Latham and Locke, 2006). In addition, a second core concept of the theory is that specific and difficult goals that are set lead to levels of higher performance rather than goals that are vague or lacking altogether (Latham and Locke, 2006). However, because motivation and ability are elements of performance, the effects of set goals depend on an individual's own skills and task knowledge as well (Locke and Latham, 2006). Due to this, if individuals find themselves achieving goals with their current abilities, they may seek out new knowledge.
Goal-setting at the firm level is moderated by four key aspects which include; commitment to the goal, situational constraints, task complexity, and feedback, which is important when tracking progress (Locke and Latham, 2006). At this macro-level, goals can be set within certain groups, such as departments or project groups or can be set for the organization as a whole. If an individual’s high personal goals and the group’s goals are compatible, this can enhance group performance (Locke and Latham, 2006) In
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addition, when goals are set in groups, relevant information can be shared within the group that may not have been shared previously, leading to better complex task achievement (Locke and Latham, 2006). Furthermore, goal-setting at an organizational level can strengthen the vision of the overall company (Locke and Latham, 2006). However, though goal-setting theory is highly influential and has been heavily replicated, Ordóñez, et al. (2009) offer warnings on how goal-setting can be counterproductive These warnings include; narrow goals and narrow focus creating blind-spots to developing issues outside of the goal, having too many goals which can lead to lower quality of performance, inappropriate time horizons leading to harmful short-term behavior, and risk-taking such as implementing risky strategies or gambling to achieve the goal (Ordóñez, et al., 2009).
3.2 Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958)
Social Exchange Theory was developed in 1958 by the sociologist George Homans and was first published as ‘Social Behavior as Exchange’ in the American Journal of Sociology (Homans, 1958). Homans developed social exchange theory to form a relationship between four other theories regarding; economics, dynamics of influence, behavioral psychology and the structure of small groups (Homans, 1958). In his first thoughts on this topic, Homans describes his theory as the exchange or interaction between individuals as being an exchange of non-material and material goods; such as positive or negative feelings or a monetary exchange (Homans, 1958). In a more recent description, Roberts et al. (2014) describe social exchange theory as a cost-benefit analysis where an individual evaluates the benefits they may be able to gain while engaging in a relationship. In addition, the perceived benefit or award must be achievable in relation to how much effort is being expended and the outcome of the interaction should be, for each party, rewarding (Roberts et al., 2014). In short, both parties expect to be rewarded appropriately based on the amount of work or effort being expended, and if not done, will put the relationship in jeopardy.
The important aspect here is that both parties must experience reward, meaning that a customer’s motivation to take part in collaborative activities with a brand or within a brand community should take a shift from ego-centered motivation (Roberts et al., 2014).
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The shift should be made to a motivation that is rooted in the social setting and social exchange where the reward is able to be attained and is bound to the individual’s peers (Roberts et al., 2014). These peers may become ‘critical friends’ in which customers have found like-mindedness with and common interests, leading to the development of belongingness and identity within the group and even social status (Roberts et al., 2014). Whether or not these ‘critical friends’ are actual communicative friends or are friends by association, such as an influencer, comes into question, however in a social exchange, shared values and goals as well as hope for future social approval, though, adds that the one common motivation, gaining knowledge, unifies every type of contributor (Hemetsberger, 2002).
Exchanges can occur both in virtual and physical settings. Virtual settings for social exchange, such as platforms like social media, are contrasted from physical settings due to the fact that collaborators expect quick results and receive global feedback. In turn, boosting self-worth and feelings that the community in which one has decided to place themselves in can change the world (Hemetsberger, 2002). Füller et. al (2006), reiterate in their research on virtual interaction the importance of mutual reward between producer and participant; that mutual rewards are not just in physical interactions. In separate research, however, Füller also adds that for an individual to engage in a virtual community of exchange, collaborative efforts depend on the motivational state of the individual and the extent to which they can give and their need to receive (Füller, 2006). The more cohesive a group is and the more mutual reward is established, the greater the interaction between members is on average, and an overall increase in value between producer and consumer occurs (Homans, 1958).
3.3 Theoretical Framework Synopsis
The theoretical framework gives a background of the two theories that are used to analyze the findings of the research. These theories were chosen to guide the reader through a logical process a producer may go through in a producer-consumer relationship. At a macro-level firms can set goals which influence the way their employees behave and set their own performance goals. When working in teams, group goals are set which are in line with the firm’s macro-level goal. To form a relationship with a consumer, the firm will need to offer a social exchange and may set a goal to organize activities which create
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the opportunity for social exchange to occur. This social exchange can occur in a virtual or physical setting in which both the consumer and producer require a form of reward which can either be monetary, material or non-material.
4. Methodology and Method
This chapter will discuss what methodology and method that can be used in a research paper and will argue for which one best suits this thesis. Further, this section will examine the data collection and data analysis process, as well as discuss the trustworthiness of the findings and any ethical issues that could be of concern.
4.1 Methodology
4.1.1 Research Paradigm
Scientific research should be conducted in a particular way to be considered scientific. To guide this research a paradigm (philosophical framework) is put in place, which have their roots in multiple philosophical concepts such as realism and idealism. When conducting research there are two typologies of research paradigms that represent the extremes in philosophical leanings, particularly the positivist and the interpretivist paradigm; which one to adapt depends on the specific research question that is to be investigated (Collis and Hussey, 2014).
The positivist paradigm is based on explaining or the prediction of a social phenomenon which derives from the establishment of relations between certain variables. The collected data in a positivism paradigm is associated with variables that can be measured, and therefore is best for quantitative research data. The philosophical assumption here is ontological, meaning that social reality is external to the researcher and objective (Collis and Hussey, 2014). Contradictory to this, an interpretivist paradigm is based on the epistemological philosophical assumption that social reality is socially constructed and
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subjective (Collis and Hussey, 2014). In this way, qualitative data is collected by studying individuals in a natural environment to recognize behavior patterns to gain understanding (Collis and Hussey, 2014; Davidavičienė, 2018). Therefore, an interpretivist approach is recommended for carrying out qualitative research. This study seeks to understand the behavioral patterns of NA-KD employees regarding their decision-making processes which is why an interpretive approach was applied to this research.
4.1.2 Research Strategy
There are two main types of data which can be collected during a research period. It can either be qualitative or quantitative data and depending on the characteristics of the study, one, the other or both will be produced. Quantitative studies are based on the relationship between variables, which in turn can be examined numerically and analyzed using several different statistical tools (Eisenhardt, 2011), and therefore leaves little open to interpretation (Graneheim et al., 2017). This approach to collect data is therefore suitable for a study using the positivist paradigm (Raudeliūnienė, 2018). Additionally, quantitative data collection is usually associated with gathering methods such as questionnaires and statistics whereas qualitative data collection frequently occurs through face-to-face interviews or focus groups (Collis and Hussey, 2014). Qualitative data collection is more appropriate for an interpretivist study and is concerned with the meaning of an event usually involving human emotion and behavior. A qualitative data collection approach is connected to the interpretivist paradigm and is understood through a set context as well as the outcome of the results is considered to have a high level of validity. The data within an interpretivist paradigm does not need to be statistically analyzed, instead the study aims at investigating a specific event within a specific context (Collis and Hussey, 2014). Furthermore, for this study, a qualitative approach was more applicable as the research assumed the interpretivist paradigm and the study aims at collecting in-depth data from NA-KD’s employees regarding the company's decisions and processes for directing their customers’ social identity through influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities.
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4.1.3 Research Approach
Different approaches can be taken when conducting research regarding whether the study will be done through a deductive, inductive or an abductive study manor. In a deductive approach, which is concept-driven, existing theories and implications are tested and explanatory models of phenomenon are developed (Graneheim et al., 2017) In this way, the approach is more appropriate for a positivist paradigm. Whereas, within an inductive approach, which is data-driven, researchers look for patterns that can be described in themes within various levels of interpretation (Graneheim et al., 2017) in addition to curating findings that can be generalized; making this approach more applicable in an interpretivist paradigm (Davidavičienė, 2018). For this research, which accommodates an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative research, finding themes and patterns are key components. Therefore, an inductive approach was the most suitable as the collection and analysis of our data will allow us to develop a model and theory which can be used in future studies. Because this research did not test existing theories, an abductive approach, which combines the deductive and inductive approaches was not used.
4.1.4 Case Study
A case study is commonly conducted when the authors of a research paper want to collect in-depth information as well as investigate a single event, the case, in its natural environment. The case can be a specific business, a person, a group of workers within an organization or the like (Collis and Hussey, 2014), and can either be a single or a multiple case study (Raudeliūnienė, 2018). This research represents a single case, exploratory study on the online fashion company NA-KD. Davidavičienė (2018), identifies exploratory research as one that explains patterns, relations and trends to form motives. The benefit of using an exploratory single case study for this research is the ability to collect different perspectives on a complex situation and go in depth of a ‘real life’ context (Simons, 2014). NA-KD was chosen as the single case due to the firm’s unique standing in the fast-fashion industry, therefore a multiple case study was decided against to gain the benefits that the exploratory single case study offered. This unique position is formed by NA-KD’s strategic decisions regarding influencer marketing brand co-creation activities with specific regard to their use of micro and macro influencers and their level of engagement with customers.
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4.1.5 Company Background
NA-KD is a brand and influencer-born fast-fashion company that was founded in 2015 by ‘serial entrepreneur’ Jarno Vanhatapio (Dorbian, 2018). The fast-fashion formula (FFF) is considered a unique model by academics and has been used to access international markets (Runfola and Geurcini, 2013). The company, which is headquartered in Gothenburg, has grown to have over 2 million international Instagram followers and collected total revenue of over 100 million euros in 2019 (Hasbun, 2019). Rather than working with traditional celebrity endorsements, NA-KD’s unique standpoint is that they decided to market their clothing through social media influencers from the beginning (Dorbian, 2018). Of these social media influencers, NA-KD has decided to work with a combination of macro and micro-influencers as well as create opportunities for brand co-creation with customers. The company uses its influencers to launch special collections throughout the year enabling them to communicate in a more in-depth way with their brand community of trendy millennials (Dorbian, 2018).
Furthermore, in November of 2019 NA-KD launched its most recent brand co-creation activity; the project ‘NA-KD x You’, which encouraged customers to become active in designing clothing for the site (see appendix A) (NA-KD, 2019). This campaign enabled members of their community to engage with the firm in a way they had not done before; giving creative control to their customers and inviting them to become part of the content creation process. Due to the success of the campaign and the strengthened relationship between producer and consumer, NA-KD has recently announced an additional NA-KD x YOU campaign for this coming year and have already started the customer-application process (NA-KD, 2019).
4.2 Method
4.2.1 Data Collection
To gain deeper and broader knowledge about the chosen topic, previous researchers’ studies and papers were investigated and analyzed. Through this research, a gap was found in the literature concerning how managers and employees at an influencer
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marketing-born firm use its influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities to direct their customers’ social identities. The majority of previous literature refers to this topic from a consumer perspective where the consumer's feelings and opinions about these marketing activities are in focus. Whereas, there are little or no studies linking the producer’s process of influencer marketing and brand co-creation activities to social identity and brand community engagement.
For this research, primary data was collected to understand the decisions NA-KD takes and the process by which they choose influencers to market their products and how they organize brand co-creation activities. This qualitative data was collected through the use of telephone and online interviews with employees that hold a key position within NA-KD. These positions can be seen in Figure 1 in section 4.2.3.
4.2.2 Sample
In this particular study, the gathered data does not need to be statistically analyzed as it is qualitative research. Also, under an interpretivist paradigm the chosen sample for the study does not need to be random (Collis and Hussey, 2014), instead, the sample can be non-random and selected through either; snowball sampling, judgmental sampling or natural sampling. For this research, convenience sampling was first utilized as one of the authors had her internship at the NA-KD headquarters in Gothenburg as an Online Merchandiser in the summer of 2019. Through her internship, relationships with the other employees were established which made it easier to reach out and contact key employees for the interviews through email and messages on LinkedIn. From there, snowball sampling; where recommendations from initial interviewees and further recommendations from the new interviewees (Robert et al., 1983), was utilized to collect more data.
The sample was specifically chosen from the headquarter in Gothenburg, rather than being selected at random, falling into the interpretivism paradigm. The 10 employees each hold a key position at the company and were chosen due to their knowledge within the research topic. In addition, they have specific information we need when it comes to NA-KD’s decision to use influencers and brand co-creation activities as a marketing strategy and how that affects the company’s opportunity to direct customers’ social identities and
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encourage them to become a part of their brand community. According to Collins and Hussey (2014), interviews that are conducted under the interpretivism paradigm are commonly done so when the authors want to either understand a process, collect opinions or find a common trend in how people think or feel. Furthermore, the interviews were conducted with verbal and written consent from each of the interviewees as was, their consent to use their insight in our data collection process.
4.2.3 Primary Research and Interview Design
The primary research data was collected by conducting telephone and online interviews. This method was chosen as interviews are a type of meaningful conversation to form a connection between the interviewer and the interviewee (Raudeliūnienė, 2018), and conducive for the current situation surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic. The range of interviews to conduct in qualitative research are unstructured, semi-structured or structured (Roulston, 2010). Unstructured interview questions focus more on the life story of an interviewee and the interviewer acts as a listener throughout the interview, structured interviews are mostly used though the participants' answers are being compared with each other, and semi-structured interviews create deeper conversations with a purpose (Brinkmann, 2014). The interview questions can either be open-ended or closed-ended, where open-ended questions allow for longer and more elaborate answers. How to construct the questions depends on the desired outcome of the interviewer (Collis and Hussey, 2014).
For this interpretivist research we chose semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to gain a deeper understanding in which a survey wouldn’t allow for. In this way, the interviewee could elaborate on their answers and explain the processes and motivations in-depth within the firm. Further, a semi- structured approach was used for the interviews which means that a certain amount of the questions were pre-planned (Appendix B) however, follow up questions or increasingly in-depth questions were asked if needed. The interviews were held by both of the authors and notes and recordings were taken from a mobile phone after appropriate consent was given to do so by each interviewee. Before each interview concluded, both authors asked for permission to contact each interviewee at a later date for a follow-up interview to close any gaps in the findings.
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The advantage of using telephone and online interviews is that there is no need to travel, however, it could affect the length of the interview (Collis and Hussey, 2014). In this case, NA-KD’s home-office relocation due to coronavirus allowed for many interviewees to speak in the comfort of their own homes, which alleviated the concern for the possible feeling of insecurity verbally revealing information that may have occurred (Collis and Hussey, 2014). However, distractions such as partners, pets and external noises were present during the interviews and taken into consideration. Further considerations were taken to assure that the questions were not influenced by the interviewer’s own biases.
In the table below is a summary of the conducted interviews including, how many respondents were interviewed and what position the employee holds, as well as the length and the date of the interviews and if a follow up interview occurred.
Interviewee Position Date Primary Interview
Follow-up Interview Respondent 1 Collab. Brand Team
Lead: NA-KD x YOU
March 19th 2020 50 Minutes April 23rd 2020
Respondent 2 Collab. Brand
Manager
March 27th 2020 45 Minutes
Respondent 3 Influencer Marketer March 27th 2020 35 Minutes April 21st 2020
Respondent 4 Influencer
Marketing Coordinator
March 31st 2020 47 Minutes April 22nd 2020
Respondent 5 Paid Social
Marketing Specialist
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Respondent 6 Content Creator
(Videographer/Photo grapher)
May 11th 2020 1 Hr. 5 Minutes
Respondent 7 Content Creator
(Photographer/Retou ches) May 11th 2020 Cameo (5 minutes) in respondents 6’s interview
Respondent 8 Social Media
Community Coordinator
May 13th 2020 35 Minutes
Respondent 9 Ecommerce &
Online Marketing Manager & Co-Owner
May 14th 2020 40 Minutes
Respondent 10
Content Creator & Art Director
May 14th 2020 30 Minutes
Figure 1: Interview Table
4.2.4 Data Analysis Method Proposal
How to analyze the collected data depends on what paradigm was chosen as well as whether the data is qualitative or quantitative (Collis and Hussey, 2014). In an interpretivist paradigm, it is common that the authors will have collected a great amount of qualitative data and the ‘General Analytical Procedure’ by Miles and Huberman can be used to easily analyze and interpret the findings. The mentioned procedure consists of three activities; reducing the data, displaying the data and lastly, drawing a conclusion and verifying this data (Collis and Hussey, 2014).
Data reduction is the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting and transforming data and continues throughout the process of the entire qualitative research
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study (Miles and Huberman, 1994). Examples of this reduction continuation process can be seen in actions such as choosing which research questions to use and finding themes to codify data collected to the final conclusions (Miles and Huberman, 1994). It is necessary within interpretivist research the data collected will be of a large quantity in the form of either interview transcripts, notes or documents so it can later illustrate the findings (Collis and Hussey, 2014). Following this initial step in this process is data display.
Early data display took the form of extended text which could easily be thousands of pages long and lead to hasty conclusions due to the style of bulked data (Miles and Huberman, 1994). Today, data is more likely to be displayed visually, either through a network or a matrix, this is done so the author and the reader can find the information more organized (Collis and Hussey, 2014) and more immediately accessible (Miles and Huberman, 1994). From this display, conclusions and verifications can be drawn from the data presented. Conclusions begin to take form in the very beginning of the research process, however, these early conclusions should remain open and the researcher should remain skeptical (Miles and Huberman, 1994). Verifications of these conclusions can take place in seconds while writing the analysis or through painstaking combing of the data; most important, however, is that they are valid (Miles and Huberman, 1994). As Collis and Hussey (2014) deduce from this; conclusions will be drawn upon the reduced and finalized data and connected to the themes and theories established from the literature review.
For this research, an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative data approach were chosen, and the collected data will be analyzed through this method described by Miles and Huberman. Thorough telephone and online interviews with respondents have been conducted and transcribed by each researcher. Following this, the data from each transcription has been placed into different buckets that match the theoretical framework and area of interest for this research which include; goal-setting, social exchange, processes and decisions made within growth, influencer marketing, brand co-creation, brand experience, customer relationship management and self-brand connection. This is otherwise known as, a thematic analysis (Lester et al., 2020) After the data has been organized, the transcribed data is reduced to include only crucial information. After the data has been reduced, conclusions will be drawn with the information each interviewee
