An Exploration of Satirical Internet
Memes Effect on Brand Image
Course: 2FE21E Semester: VT-20
Examinator: Åsa Devine Tutor: Viktor Magnusson Group: C3
Christopher Kontio Klara Gradin Melker Pripp
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank our tutor Viktor Magnusson for his guidance, time, and support throughout the writing process of this thesis.
As well as Dan Halvarsson for assisting us with the methodological aspects of this thesis.
We would also like to thank our examiner, Åsa Devine for conducting seminars that provided us with critical but fair feedback.
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude towards all of the interview participants that volunteered and took time out of their days to be a part of this study, Thank you.
Abstract
The owner(s) of a brand decide the attributes of the brand, such as name, color, shape,
logotype and values. They have the power and control on what they are communicating to the consumers. However, consumers can freely interpret any information that is being
communicated towards them and shape their own perception of the brand.
Internet memes can be categorised as a type of satirical communication method that can be used by consumers. The purpose is to explore how satire through the medium of internet memes affect brand image. This research used a qualitative research approach with a cross sectional research design, in the form of semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of people from the age 20-30 that had knowledge about memes to some degree. A total of 15 interviews were implemented and took approximately 30 minutes each to execute. The conducted research gave insight to how satirical memes can potentially affect consumers perception of brand image. What was discovered was that satirical memes had the potential to possibly affect certain aspects of both the cognitive and emotional components of brand image. When the participants had a neutral or negative pre-determined brand image it was possible to see a negative shift in their perception of this brand image through negative reinforcement. While on the other side, when participants had a strong and positive pre- determined brand image, the satirical memes affected them differently, as they did not make them negative towards the brand but became critical instead. These alterations showed that there was the potential to affect the participants purchase & usage situations and through the satirical memes effect on the different cognitive and emotional components, could possibly change the perception of a brand image as a whole.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Problem Discussion 3
1.3 Purpose 7
1.4 Research Question(s) 6
2. Theoretical Framework 7
2.1 Brand Image 7
2.1.1 Brand trust 8
2.1.2 Emotional 9
2.1.3 Cognitive 10
2.2 Memes as images 11
2.2.1 Components of Imagery Memes 12
2.2.1.1 Hyper-signification 12
2.2.1.2 Prospective Photography 12
2.2.1.3 Operative signs 13
2.3 Proposed Conceptual Model 13
3. Method 14
3.1 Research Approach 14
3.1.1 Research Strategy 15
3.2 Research Design 16
3.2.1 Conduction of satirical memes 17
3.3 Data collection method 18
3.3.1 Interview Guide General Fel! Bokmärket är inte definierat.0
3.3.2 Pre-test 19
3.3.2.1 Pilot Guide 21
3.3.2.2 Our Pre Test 21
3.3.3 Interview Conduction Guideline 21
3.3.3.1 Our Interview Guide 21
3.3.3.2 Conduction of Interview 21
3.4 Operationalization 22
3.5 Sampling 25
3.5.1 Sample Frame 26
3.5.2 Sample selection 26
3.5.3 Saturation 27
3.6 Data Analysis Method 27
3.7 Research quality 28
3.7.1 Credibility 28
3.7.2 Transferability 29
3.7.3 Dependability 29
3.7.4 Confirmability 29
3.7.5 Authenticity 29
3.8 Ethical Implications of the Study 30
3.9 Societal implications of the study 31
4. Empirical 32
4.1 Pre Meme Exposure 32
4.1.1 Sony 32
4.1.2 Nike 34
4.1.3 KFC 35
4.1.4 Memes 37
4.2 Post Meme Exposure 38
4.2.1 Style & Design 38
4.2.2 Quality 39
4.2.3 Personality & Values 40
4.2.4 Purchase & Usage Situation 41
4.2.5 History & Experiences 42
4.2.6 Thought Process 42
5. Analysis 447
5.1 Analysis of Cognitive components 447
5.1.1 Quality 44
5.1.2 Style & Design 46
5.1.3 Price 47
5.2 Analysis of Emotional components 471
5.2.1 History & Experiences 48
5.2.2 Negative Reinforcement 49
5.2.3 Critical 50
6. Conclusion Fel! Bokmärket är inte definierat.6
7. Limitations & Implications for Future Research Fel! Bokmärket är inte definierat.2
Reference list: Fel! Bokmärket är inte definierat.3
Appendix 1 Fel! Bokmärket är inte definierat.3
Appendix 2 683
Appendix 3 705
Appendix 4 749
Appendix 5 80
1.Introduction
1.1 Background
Brands are a core element of building a successful business and can also be defined as the major communication tool that the company has with the consumers (Kotler and Keller, 2012). The owner(s) of a brand decide the attributes of the brand such as name, color, shape, logotype and values. They have the power and control on what they are communicating to the consumers (Kapferer, 2008). However, consumers can freely interpret any information that is being
communicated towards them and shape their own perception of the brand. Thus, brand image is created. Brand image can be described as how a brand is being perceived by consumers and other stakeholders. Further explained, It is the overall picture including all attributes and therefore the personality of the brand (Balmer and Greyser, 2003).
Consumers now control and conclude their own imagery in terms of sets of beliefs, ideas, and impressions regarding the brand (Kotler and Keller, 2012).
Reynolds (1965) defines brand image as “The mental construct developed by the consumer on the basis of a few selected impressions among the flood of the total impressions; it comes into being through a creative process in which these selected impressions are elaborated,
embellished, and ordered” (Reynolds, 1965, p. 69). In later years, Keller (1993) regarded brand image as perceptions that consumers associate with a particular brand.While the definition of brand image has been slightly simplified over time. Brand image as a concept has been further developed and advanced.
Today, the components of brand image can be categorised into emotional components and cognitive components. These two dimension are distinctive yet interrelated and explain the basis of how brand image is formed and shaped. Emotional associations involve subjective feelings, such as excitement, happiness and joy. Cognitive associations reflect a consumer’s personal beliefs, thoughts and evaluations of a brand related to its product attributes (Cho and Fiore, 2015). Utilizing these dimensions in a positive manner creates trust and engagement among consumers. When using emotional branding, marketers are attempting to establish brands that are
directly connected to consumers emotions. By doing this, a lifetime bond can be created between the brand and the consumers. This is when a consumer feels that the brand is a part of his/her identity (Solomon, 2018).
In today’s society, social media plays a big role and both applications and websites are constantly increasing, and consumers have the possibility to interact directly with brands on social media platforms (Tuten and Solomon, 2018). One example of a communication tool that can be used both by the brand and the consumers of the brand is internet memes. Internet memes are
something that have become more popular in marketing, especially when it comes to reaching out to a younger audience, such as millenials (Carr, 2019).
Internet memes are typically funny and one type of internet meme is the satirical internet meme.
Satirical comedy can be viewed as a classical form of comedy and it is still apparent in everyday communication (Simpson, 2003). Satire in itself is a very old form of criticism, the word stems from the Latin word “Satur” and originally meant “Well Fed”. The origins of literary Satire is accredited to the Greek Poet Aristophane, as far back as 411 BC. Since that time, it has evolved and can be seen in a variety of mediums. There are satirical books, tv shows, movies, and has been used many times in political cartoons to bring different topics to light (Masterclass, 2019).
Satire can be delivered in the form of puns, jokes, or whimsical stories etc. It is often described as a social lubricant, much like many forms of comedy, and allows critical statements to come off as non-threatening. Satire is composed of three parties, the satirist, the satiree, and the satirized.
The satirist is the creator of the text, image, video, song etc. The satiree is the audience, be it the reader, listener, viewer etc. Lastly, the satirized is the target who is being criticized (Simpson, 2003). It is important to understand how the satiree’s perceive the satirised. When successfully implemented, the satirist should establish a closer bond to the satiree, while unsuccessful attempts cause the reverse desired effect and strengthen the bond between the satiree and the satirised (Simpson, 2003).
The word meme is from the beginning known from the book “The Selfish Gene” written by Richard Dawkins, a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and science writer. In addition to
that Richard Dawkins describes the meme as a cultural imitation process between people (Shifman, L., 2013). While Dawkins is the founder of the word meme, it is the people within society that have created the modern internet meme. From the beginning, the word is taken from the Greek word Mimeme that means to imitate (Wiggins, 2019). Dawkins also claims that memes, just like genes, can be carried over generations, like phenomenons and cultural heritage (Dawkins, 1976). The internet meme is a phenomenon that has been around since the’90s but has become more popular in the latest years (Shifman, 2013). Internet memes can also be described as a new field within social media, where people can express their identities, political opinions and beliefs but it also adds some complexity to a person's expressed identity (Orlikowski, 2003).
The contribution about memes being a form of self expression is also something that is stated by Christodoulides, Jevon, & Bonhomme (2012).
Shifman (2014) describes internet memes as digital substance that is created by online users and spread throughout different internet platforms to communicate a message. Within the modern society, Internet memes are a growing phenomenon and are being used more within the
marketing sector to create publicity for companies (Bauckhage, 2011). Some companies are using memes as a marketing tool, with the advantages that memes are inexpensive and easy to create.
Companies usually use memes with the expectation of reaching out to their consumers in a more humoristic and personal way (Carr, 2019)(Aswal, 2020). Today memes are mostly connected to the internet and different social media channels. Internet memes can be described as a new digital language that can consist of pictures, videos, and music (Thrillist, 2020).
1.2 Problem Discussion
Brand image is something that is considered to be highly affected by consumers interaction with the brand. Consumers can easily affect other consumers perception with different communication tools. Today’s social culture are to a high extent taking place online, this means that together with word of mouth there is a lot of new ways for consumers to communicate opinions about
companies and brands. If consumers negative opinions are being communicated this can result in a negative effect for the brand image (Pfeffer, Zorbach and Carley, 2013).
By having a positive consumer brand image this automatically increases the consumer brand value. Brand value can be referred to as, how much the consumer thinks that the brand is worth compared to other brands within the same category (Barrett, 2019). Brand image is affected and built up by both cognitive and emotional aspect makes the overall perception about a brand complex, especially when it comes to consumers affection on a brand (Keller and Swaminathan (2012). This including those communication channels that are not being controlled by the managers of the brand (Pfeffer, Zorbach and Carley, 2013). In addition to that brand image is affected based on all sorts of interactions and experiences with the brand. Recent studies suggest that approximately 45 % of all brand perception can be attributed to what and how a brand communicates themselves. Thus, the majority of brand image is affected by non-controllable communication (Barrett, 2019).
Like earlier mentioned, consumers nowadays respond to the products and services of a brand through different digital channels (Christodoulides et al, 2012). Posting reviews and content such as memes about a brand on digital channels has given consumers and companies a more equal structure where it is not only the company that has the power on the market. This means that the consumers have a possibility to affect the interpretation of a brand and its brand image (Bruce &
Solomon, 2013)(Christodoulides, 2009).
Satirical humour and internet memes can be used by consumers to express something about a brand (Shifman, 2013). The problem with internet memes typically being user generated content is that a brand has no say in what type of content is created and the brand itself does not create, regulate, or moderate it (Balmer and Greyser, 2003). Internet memes can be categorised as a type of satirical communication method that can be used by consumers (Shifman, 2013).
Some modern day non-controllable internet memes can be compared to an older originating form of critique against capitalism and large scale corporations, referred to as culture jamming. Culture jamming is the alteration of, for example, a billboard, magazine, or any other form of media, in such a manner that it brings critique to social or political commentary. The term “Culture Jamming” is said to have been coined by Don Joyce in 1984 while he was with the band
Negativland. Culture jammers use memes to help shift consumers perceptions of companies (Pickerel, Jorgensen and Bennett, 2002). Perhaps best known for culture jamming is the magazine company Adbusters, founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz (Enns et al., 2020).
Adbusters has used Absolute, the alcohol brand as a meme where they have altered the image but retained the typical type font to show the image of a foot with a toe tag laying in a morgue with the print “Absolute on ice” written below. Adbusters has also used Joe Camel of Camel
Cigarettes and renamed him Joe Chemo, showing him in different hospital situations to try to stimulate social commentary about the health hazards brought on by cigarettes. (Sommer, 2012).
The reason this is mentioned is because visual critic is not something new, as satire has been around for a very long time, but the increase in internet usage and the accessibility and
shareability of user generated content has increased the amount of content that is shared and seen by online users. Internet memes are a phenomenon based on the same concept as Adbusters and Culture Jamming, both presented by Dawkins. Users on different social media channels also have the possibility to react and post anything about a company and brand, which can have both
negative and positive effects on the brand image (Tuten and Solomon, 2018).
According to Wiggins and Bowers (2014) there is a lack of research when it comes to internet memes and that further research needs to be done within the area. This is also something that is being stressed by Huntington (2015). In addition to that, Bauckhage (2011) claims that the research and interest about the subject is increasing but there is a lack of scientific studies within the area of internet memes which is once again agreed upon by Shifman (2013). Keeping the previous statement in mind, internet memes can be used as an outlet for satirists, as user-
generated content can be used as a vehicle for criticism of various topics. That being said, there have been a variety of studies that investigate the effect satirical internet memes have on different aspects of politics. One such study, examines the effects of the satirical parody of political
campaigns in Greece (Piata, 2016).
Another study looks into the effect satirical internet memes have on individuals’ political views (Kulkarni, 2017), and Ross and Rivers (2017) examine how satirical memes have been used to
delegitimize political candidates. The reason these different sources are mentioned is to help showcase where the recent focus of satirical memes has been. This leads us to believe there is a gap of knowledge as studies beyond politics have not yet been conducted. A clearer picture of how consumer generated memes can affect companies and their brands are therefore considered to be of value.
1.3 Purpose
The purpose is to explore how satire through the medium of internet memes affect brand image.
1.4 Research Question(s)
How do satirical memes affect consumers cognitive perception of brand image?
How do satirical memes affect consumers emotional perception of brand image?
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1 Brand Image
Keller and Swaminathan (2012) claim that brand image can be divided into two categories:
performance and imagery. Performance can also be described as cognitive image and refers to the different attributes: price of the products, style & design of the products, significant
characteristics, extra features, service effectiveness reliability, serviceability and durability. In summary, cognitive image is connected to the contact that the consumer has with the
brand(Išoraitė, 2018)(Keller and Swaminathan (2012)(Creusen & Schoormans 2005). In addition to that, it is also connected to the perception that the consumer is building with the help of
surrounding opinions and throughout a brands communication to the consumer. Extraordinary style and design can contribute to a brand image and give the consumers a perception about what value they will receive( Solomon & Stuart, 2002) (Creusen & Schoormans 2005)(Person et al.
2007).
Imagery can also be referred to as emotional image and consists of attributes such as user profiles, situations where the products of the brand is being used and purchased, a brands personality & values and a brands history and earlier experiences. The attributes within the emotional image or imagery section can be described as intangible (Keller and Swaminathan ,2012). If consumers feel that they can identify themself with the brand and the image that the brand wants to mediate, it is likely that the consumer will buy the products that the company is offering. A strong customer relationship is, in many cases, building a higher loyalty to the brand and in turn becomes an important part in a consumer's life, (Armstrong and Kotler,
2014)(Czellar, E. Sprott and R. Spangenberg, 2006).
The experiences the consumer receives by interacting with the brand is being built up by emotions, perception, cognition and the consumers reaction towards the brand experience (Brakus et al., 2009). Positive experiences commonly lead to positive feelings towards a brand (Iglesias et al., 2011)(Thompson et al., 2006). According to Hendra and Lusiah (2017) product quality is one of the most significant aspects regarding consumers purchase intention. This is something that is also stated by Zeithaml, (1988), who claims that a brands product must be inline with expectations of the consumer and what is considered as quality. A brands quality is being built up by the consumers perception about the messages connected to the brand
(Schiffman & Kanuk, 2010). According to Motameni and Shahrokhi (1998) and Yoo et al.
(2000), perceived quality is positively related to the brand equity. Positive experiences can be measured by looking at the value the consumer thinks they receive (Solomon, 2018). In line with both emotional and cognitive marketing techniques Dirsehan and Kurtuluş (2018) claim that it is important for a consumer to find a brand or company trustworthy, this can be built by offering good customer service (Dirsehan and Kurtuluş, 2018).
A concept that relates closely to this is that of “Lovemark”. Lovemark is a concept that refers to the theory about consumers being significantly committed to a brand on an emotional level that can be described as brand love (Roberts, 2005)(Unal and Aydın, 2013). The concept of lovemark appears when a consumer has a positive cognitive, sensory and emotional experiences with a brand. Lovemark in turn leads to brand loyalty (Roberts, 2005)(Unal and Aydın, 2013).
Furthermore, if a consumer is considered loyal to a brand they feel dedicated to a brand and would highly recommend it to other people in their surroundings. They are also considered to have positive thoughts and emotions towards the brand (Dick and Basu, 1994).
2.1.1 Brand trust
Based on the ideas of Johnson and Grayson (2005), both emotional and cognitive aspects have high influence on a consumers brand trust. According to a study conducted by Delgado‐Ballester and Luis Munuera‐Alemán (2000), there is evidence that brand trust has a major effect on
customer dedication. Furthermore the study shows that brand trust has an affect on customers willingness to pay, meaning the amount of money a consumer is willing to pay for a product. If a consumer feels satisfaction after having purchased a product from a brand it results in consumer
dedication and brand trust (Delgado‐Ballester and Luis Munuera‐Alemán, 2000). Another research as conducted by Zatwarnicka-Madura, Stecko and Mentel (2016) claims that there is an important relationship between brand image and brand trust. This is also something that is being stated by Morgan & Hunt (1994). Furthermore the authors states that brand trust is significant for building relationship between the consumer and the brand (Zatwarnicka-Madura, Stecko and Mentel, 2016).
2.1.2 Emotional
According to Yun Yen, Lin and Lin (2014) emotions are an important aspect when it comes to attracting consumers to a brand. The reason for this is that emotions can be directly connected to action and therefore purchases. If the marketers can activate a consumers emotions towards a brand, it is more likely that the consumer will repeat the purchase. According to a research made within the fashion industry consumers that are experiencing satisfying and positive feelings when being in contact with a brand are more likely to be loyal to a brand (Cho and Fiore, 2015). Hwang and Kandampully (2012) claims that younger consumers are susceptible for brands especially luxury brands when emotions are an influencing aspect. Consumer feelings of brands fulfilling self-concept, some kind of emotional connection and passion towards the brand, are aspects that are increasing a consumers loyalty towards a brand (Hwang & Kandampully, 2012). Another aspect that is affecting consumers emotions and intentions of consumption are nostalgic
memories (Chen, Yeh and Huan, 2014). In addition to this, Muehling and Pascal (2011) claims that if a consumer has an nostalgic memory with a brand this is considered to be a stronger relationship compared to a brand with no nostalgic memories.
In addition to that, a study made by Han and Back (2008) claims that consumption emotions are affecting customers loyalty to a brand and a company. When looking at positive and negative feelings, research has shown that negative feelings have a higher influence on consumers than positive emotions (Han & Back, 2008). In addition to that, it is of value that the consumer consider the information to be inline with the value that is being received from the brand (Johnson and Grayson, 2005). Furthermore, Creusen and Schoormans (2005) claim that depending on a person's personality and the image they want to be seen as, they may be less likely to select a product that is not inline with them. In this way we can see that while
personality and values is an emotional aspect, it does still interact with the cognitive aspect of style and design.
2.1.3 Cognitive
Cognitive can be described as an attribute of attitudes and is connected to a person's perception and thoughts about a specific object(Solomon, Askegaard, Hogg and Bomossy, 2013).
According to Keller (2001) consumers perception and opinion of a brand are being built up by different associating objects that are saved in a person's mind. All people have memories that are being used as some sort of systematic ideas, this based on a person's earlier experiences. For instance, sensory sensations directly towards a specific product and its attributes (Hultén, 2009).
These ideas can be applied to different objects, such as, for example, brands or companies. The ideas and information can be connected to each other and can therefore form some sort of net in a person's consciousness. A net that, for example, connects a brand to a product(Solomon, 2018).
The relationship between the brand and the consumer are being established when a consumer is interacting with the products or services that the brand is producing. When a consumer is purchasing a product or service the cognitive brand image are being compared with the already existing brand relationship. In addition to that, the relationship between the customer and the brand is a significant aspect when building cognitive loyalty(Fournier, 1998), (Veloutsou, 2007).
Like mentioned earlier, consumers cognitive perception about a brand has a high influence on brand trust. Furthermore, the cognitive component is connected to how credible a consumer considers a brands communicated information to be.
A study made by Hsu and Cai (2009) has shown that the elements with cognitive characteristics within the area of brand image are lowering the risk and improving expectations of a brand. This in turn leads to increasing a consumers brand trust (Hsu and Cai, 2009). Riesenbeck and Perrey (2007) claim that the brand image guide the consumer with the help of cognitive objects, these cognitive objects are connecting a person's understanding about different products and its characteristics and connect them to their own personality (Creusen & Schoormans
2005)(Riesenbeck & Perrey, 2007). In addition to that, by distinguishing companies and
organisations through the use of brands is adding advantages such as self-expression information efficiency and risk reduction to consumers (Riesenbeck & Perrey, 2007). Pitic, Brad and Pitic
(2014) state that it is possible to link perceived fair price with perceived quality. Although the two variables are not constantly dependent on each other, is it noteworthy to acknowledge that there are a category of people who considers worth to pay much more for better quality. Creusen and Schoormans (2005) established that there are different roles a product's appearance play on consumers; Aesthetic values is of importance and is evaluated based on roundedness, size, color and specific detail. Moreover, aesthetic values is particularly centralized on durable product since they are used or displayed regularly.
Considerably intertwined with aesthetics, symbolic values are likewise of importance and evaluated based on alignment with ones personality. Aesthetic and symbolic is evaluated different in the sense that one could find a product to be aesthetically pleasing but will not purchase the product because it is not aligned with the his or her persona. Functional values are product attributes that revolves around displaying the features of a product and serves as cues to determine a product’s technical quality. The evaluation regarding functionality can be different based on the consumer’s preference. The more features a product have could indicate that the quality is of a higher standard. However, simplicity could in some cases be of more value than complexity without determining the quality (Creusen and Schoormans 2005).
2.2 Memes as images
According to Milosavljević (2019), the most common memes that are posted and shared online are memes in the form of images. It is subjective material and the meme could contain various features that is unique to one of its own.. However, one feature that is consistent and prominent in memes are that they are designed to be entertaining. Moreover, humor produced by internet memes is a trigger to discuss how texts are constituted by verbal and visual-verbal elements (Komesu, Gambarato, Tenani, 2018). According to Shifman (2014), internet memes in the form of images, can be categorized into different genres. Two meme genres that have a major presence online are reaction photoshops and Stock character macros; the first mentioned can be explained as altered images of people, characters or animals in various sorts of situations and
environments. Stock character macros are images that display stereotypical captions in a
particular unfavourable manner that are associated with specified social groups. Shifman (2014)
suggests that internet memes operates in cultural logic and understanding the components of memes is a key factor to understand broader dimensions of digital culture.
2.2.1 Components of Imagery Memes
Despite the difference between the three categories of memes as images, they share the same components; hyper-signification, prospective photography and operative signs, and these are key components that structure an effective meme.
2.2.1.1 Hyper-signification
This category of memes touches upon the significance of creating an imaginary that display truthfulness in a manupalitic manner. Digital images are in a constant relation between image and the displayed truthfulness. Images can be transformed and manipulated to the extend that it becomes unnoticeable. Hyper-signification takes advantage of manipulating images or altering the original meaning. However, the manipulation or the altered message of the image is to be recognizable to the receiver and function as focus of attention. Shifman (2014) explained it as a process of meaning-making more than about meaning itself. Hyper-signification behaves
differently based on if the image is a reaction photoshop or a stock-character macro. In a reaction photoshop, hypersignifaction often takes the form of highlighting the constructed part of the image and enables users to reimagine the manipulation. In stock character macros, hyper- signification relates to constructing stereotypes to the extreme. The truthfulness of the
constructed assumption can be utilized for collective criticism towards a social group. However, it can also be utilized to whitewash and normalize discrimination (Shifman, 2014).
2.2.1.2 Prospective Photography
This category refers to the philosophy that memes function as raw material for future references and reimaginations. It is the concept of creating an imaginary that will spawn future adaptations that a community together shape to an established meme. Thus, the internet meme will be relevant and updated since different variations and generation of the meme will exists (Shifman, 2014).
2.2.1.3 Operative signs
This category can be referred to as the link between hypersignification and prospective photography. It is the textual categories that are designed as invitations for creative action. To appropriately adapt an internet meme, one must acknowledge the context in which the textual category is written and thereby adgerring the rules that their own creative action is to be within the same textual category. A common tool to invite people to engage in operative signs is to have the meme feature a caption that can be altered. For instance, in stock character macros the image remains the same but the text that is displayed in the image is altered with other stereotypical statements. Operative signs are not restricted to textual categories, it could take also take the form of an image or video. However, it is of importance that the operative sign is transformable
through almost automatic actions (Shifman, 2014).
2.3 Proposed Conceptual Model
The presented figure below shows the speculation that satirical memes affect both the emotional and cognitive components and all of the aspects within these components. These two components in turn, affect the brand image as a whole. It is important to note that while aspects of both cognitive components and emotional components are different, they still interact with each other to help create the entire brand image.
Figure 1 Satirical Internet Memes Effect on the Cognitive and Emotional Components of Brand Image
3. Method
The following chapter explains the methodology approaches for this research.
3.1 Research Approach
It is important to determine a suitable research approach when conducting research because it will affect the choices one make in regards to research design and data collection. In research approach, it is fundamental to determine the deductive, inductive or abductive reasoning. A deductive approach base research on known theory which researcher will draw a hypothesis from
that can be empirically tested. An Inductive approach base research by conducting observations in society. Thus, theories emerge from empirical investigations (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
Another approach that is similar to inductive reasoning is abductive reasoning, both utilize evidence to form likely guesses. However, in abductive approach the researcher is led away from old to new theoretical insight. Furthermore, a deductive approach follows a inrpincple of rules that will be either accepted or falsified, and inductive approach starts with a collection of observations and proceeds by evaluate the result to create a rule. As of abductive approach, researcher investigate observations and evaluate the possibility that variable affect a phonmena (Timmermans and Tavory, 2012).
The aim of this study is to explore how satirical memes affect brand image. The research is based on theories on brand image and satirical memes. However, there is a lack of of research in the field of memes. However, brand image have been theorized and conceptualized by man researchers. Thus, this research will be of abductive reasoning that takes inspiration from theoretical material. Moreover, the research is abductive because the conducted study will not provide enough evidence to create its own principle rules or falsify or confirm already existing one. However, this research conclusion could provide possible causes for how satirical memes affect brand image.
3.1.1 Research Strategy
It is vital to establish if the research strategy is quantitative or qualitative because it determines how the structure of the method will be conducted. Quantitative research is conducted research that tell something about the world by providing evidence. The research utilize a large number of participants in their sample that represents the population. Its structure is very determined and the data collection is numerical and measurable (Bryman and Bell, 2011). A qualitative method is more connected to being a research theory that generates depth. This means that instead of exploring “how many” or “how much” like in quantitative research approaches, the researchers are exploring “what” and “why” the participants thinks in a certain way (Miles and Hubberman, 1994) (Bryman and Bell, 2011). The researchers of this paper have been choosing qualitative research approach because it is considered to be the most suitable research method when
analysing how people are thinking. In connection to the researchers purpose they wants to know how the participants are thinking rather than finding out quantitative results including numbers of how much or how many. Qualitative research methods are referred to as being more descriptive and involved than the opposing research method quantitative research. Furthermore, an
exploratory research is a research process that is based upon the process of examining a problem that earlier has not been made any studies about or where there are missing parts that needs to look more into depth to (Bryman and Bell, 2011). The researchers of this paper have been finding some earlier studies regarding memes and its effect on brand image but they can see a gap in that research and that a easier understanding of how this works can be explain with the help of a model.
3.2 Research Design
The research design refers to being the framework of the research and should help the researcher to build an overall structure that makes it easier to answer the research questions(Bryman and Bell, 2011). The research design should also be well stated of why the specific research methods have been chosen (Saunders et al. 2016)
According to Bryman and Bell (2011), there are different types of research designs that can be used by the researcher: Experimental, Cross-sectional, Longitudinal, Case study and
Comparative. Another aspect that needs to be considered by the researchers is whether a qualitative or quantitative strategy should be used when collecting data. Research methods that are usually being used within Qualitative research process are focus groups, in-depth interviews and participant observations, the information that are being gathered throughout this methods are usually being generated with the help of notes, audio, filming and transcripts. The research process of qualitative are being referred to as exploring, the question-formats are most commonly open-ended and conducted in the format as text(Mack and Woodsong, 2005).
The research method that the authors of this paper are going to be using are semi-structured interview with a cross sectional design, the data that are being gathered and the process of open
coding are going to create codes that structures the result of the interviews. The interviews are going to have a cross-sectional structure, this because 3 brands are going to be questioned about, together with appurtenant memes.
Because of the current situation of Covid-19 it is not possible to meet up with the participants and given the allotted time span for this thesis the interviews are carried out throughout the duration of 2 weeks.
The data acquisition process is that of deep dive semi-structured interviews. When using an exploratory research approach, the researchers are instead of using closed questions with closed optional options, using open ended questions to obtain a broader and deeper understanding of the desired research area. This makes it easier for participants to express in their own words their personal perception about an object. This also makes the answers to the research questions more colourful and varying. Exploratory research approach also give the research more detailed answers (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).
3.2.1 Conduction of satirical memes
In order to explore how satirical memes affect consumers brand image, three brands had to be chosen that were of exploratorial satisfaction and range. Three different brands were selected based on the researchers pre-assumptions and knowledge of what consumers tend to have generalized perceptions of these brands. The authors of the paper thought that it would be preferable to choose brands that are within different areas on the market, this because they
wanted to create a broader exploratory study. Therefore, Nike, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Sony were selected as suitable brands. Nike, is one of the most recognizable brands in western society with strong equity. KFC, is a relatively new fast food chain in Sweden that presumably many people have little experience and thoughts about. Sony is a multi-tech company that were highly successful in the cellphone industry in the the 2000s but have since declined. The researchers were dependent on MemeGenerator as an instrument to create the memes. MemeGenerator is a free digital tool that is used to create and customize memes by editing images and texts. Its features allowed the researchers to construct their own memes that emphasize critical humor
towards the chosen brands. Nine internet memes were constructed based on known theories about meme categories, meme components and satire to portray the memesin a certain satirical
manner. All the images of the internet memes were based of previous meme formats and follow its principle rules.
See Appendix 5 for a visualized description.
3.3 Data collection method
Semi-structured interviews are interviews conducted with the aid of select questions and themes to help maintain the focus throughout an interview, so that the discussions remain relevant to the research questions. In this form of interview, the order of the questions is not necessarily
important, as they are meant to assist the flow of conversation and generate discussions. In some interviews, the predetermined themes and questions may not be enough to acquire enough information from the interview participants and during such scenarios additional questions must be asked. These interviews should be recorded either through written transcripts or with the use of audio recording devices (Saunders et al. 2016). Semi-structured interviews are flexible as they allow for a large spectrum of information to be divulged to the interviewers by the interviewees.
The free flowing nature of dialogue should not be hindered when the focus may go off topic in relation to the research questions, but rather that, when the conversation shifts towards topics of key relevance, they should be encouraged to explain more (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
As previously mentioned, the data was collected from semi-structured interviews. In order for the data to be accurate and valid for the research, the interviewee had transcribers present during the entire interviewing process. However, due to Coronavirus 2019, the interviews were held via the online services Messenger and Discord. It was therefore essential for every party to have a stable internet connection and working microphones. The spoken language from the participants was transcribed into text as faithfully as possible. In order to minimize human error, two transcribers
were used for the interviews. The transcribers were also given the interview guide and could thereby be prepared for when certain questions were asked.
3.3.1 Interview Guide General
An interview guide is a tool that assists in the interviewing process. It can consist of specific words, themes, prompts, general questions, or even imagery. The use of an interview guide helps provide consistency and allows for greater replicability of an interview (Bryman and Bell,
2011)(Saunders et al. 2016). Interview guides also help provide focus in terms of what is actually being researched (Bryman and Bell, 2011). According to Bryman and Bell (2011), there are some general components of an interview guide. Questions should be formulated in such a manner that they are easy to understand but are not leading nor too specific. They should also be present in a way that they generate an easy and good flow but can still be asked during different times of an interview as to allow a general form of freedom in the ongoing dialogue. General background questions should also be asked as it might provide relevance in understanding a participant's answers. These baseline background questions are typically; Age, Sex, Name, etc (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
3.3.2 Pre-test
Pre-testing or piloting a research can be crucial for researchers to make sure that their questions within a research are being well formulated and covering up the right areas. The technique of pre- testing a research methods can be valuable during interviews. After doing
some pilot interviews, the researchers can than see if there are some changes that needs to be done. Doing a pilot interview also gives the interviewer more experience and makes them more familiar with conducting interviews. When conducting a pre-test for a study, a group of
participants that are similar to those within the population of the study sound be selected. The participants of the pre-test should not consist of people that can actually be a part of the actual study. The explanation for that is that if the researchers are using probability sampling it can result in that the selected participants affecting the members of any sample that is being selected afterwards (Bryman and Bell, 2011). The authors of this paper will be conducting several pre- tests, this is to make sure that the chosen questions of the interview are connected to the research
questions and that the questions are structured in a proper way, which makes it easier for the participants to understand what is actually being asked.
3.3.2.1 Pilot Guide See Appendix 3
3.3.2.2 Our Pre Test
For this exploratory study, two pilot interviews were conducted and they resulted in crucial insight in how the interview should be focused and structured in order to receive appropriate data. The interview was based on a case study that focused on one brand which gave a narrow scope to the overall study. To ensure that the interview represented a more exploratory research the focus shifted to three distinctive brands. McDonalds was the original chosen a brand that the meme based their satirical creative imagination of. However, the Mcdonalds was not suitable when the focus shifted to involve three different brands.Furthermore, the researcher discovered that the original questions were too many and also too specific. This constricted the descriptive discussion and flow. To counter this, the question guide were designed as an interview guide that contained more open-ended questions.
3.3.3 Interview Conduction Guideline See Appendix 1
3.3.3.1 Our Interview Guide See Appendix 2 & Appendix 4
3.3.3.2 Conduction of Interview
The interviews were conducted on either the social media platform Facebook, via the use of its messenger program, or conducted via the online messaging platform Discord. The interviewers followed the guidelines of Bryman and Bells (2011) expansion of Kvale´s (1996) Successful Interviewer Criteria which can be seen in Appendix 1. The interview began with going through the ethical information of the interview which can be seen in Appendix 2. This was then followed by the transcriber/s beginning to write down the information that provided the baseline
information of the participant; Age, Sex, Aware of internet memes, Occupation, Education, &
Location. After the baseline information was gathered the Interviewer presented the participant with 3 brand logos, Sony, KFC, & Nike, after which they were asked to explain what they
thought of these brands, their relation to them, their usage history, and just a general view of how they view the different brand images. Following this, some general questions about internet memes where asked. After this, 3 internet memes were presented that were specific to one of the brands, a discussion was carried out and then this process was repeated two more times.
Afterwards a general discussion about the relation the memes had with the specific brands or brands in general was brought up then a question was asked to see if their view had changed throughout the duration of the interview had changed. Finally the interview was rounded off by asking the participants if they had anything else would like to add and if they could be contacted in the future with follow up questions. For more specific information about the questions asked throughout the interview, see Appendix 2.
3.4 Operationalization
To be able to measure theories, one could structure concepts and organize them into smaller groups in the form of items. From this, questions can be established that is suitable and relevant for the research (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
The researcher of this study created an operationalization table that related each question to each separate item. However, from the pilot interviews we concluded that having too specific
questions that related to each item disturbed the flow of the interview and the information that
was given became too narrowed. By adapting a more semi-structured approach with open ended questions resulted in a more broad perspective about participants brand image and knowledge and thoughts regarding satirical memes.
Table 2. Operationalization
Concept Sub-concept Item Question
(See Interview Guide)
Brand Image Cognitive Component Emotional Component
Reliability, Serviceability, Durability Style & Design
Price
Purchase and Usage Situations Personality and Values History and experiences
- How would you describe these brands?(KFC, SONY, NIKE)
Brand Image Cognitive Component Emotional Component
Reliability, Serviceability, Durability Style & Design
Price
Purchase and Usage Situations Personality and Values History and experiences
What do you think of the brand?
Brand Image Emotional Component History and experiences Name a product from each of these brands?
Brand Image Cognitive Component Style & Design
Reliability, Serviceability, Durability
How would you describe these products?
Brand Image Emotional Component Cognitive Component
Purchase and Usage Situations History and experiences
Reliability, Serviceability, Durability Price
What if anything have you purchased from these Brands?
Brand Image Cognitive Component Emotional Component
Reliability, Serviceability, Durability Style & Design
Price
Purchase and Usage Situations Personality and Values History and experiences
Can you try to describe these brands with about 5 words?
Meme Emotional Component History and experiences What is your experience with memes in general?
Where do you usually interact/see memes?
Meme Emotional Component Personality and Values What do you think of these memes?
Meme Satire
Cognitive Component Emotional Component
Personality and Values History and experiences
What do you think these memes are saying?
Meme Emotional Component History and experiences Have you been exposed to any memes connected to these brands? Can you describe any of these memes? What attributes did they consist of?
Meme Emotional Component Personality and Values How informative do you find memes to be?
Meme Brand Image
Emotional Component Personality and Values How do these memes affect your view of the brands?
Meme Brand Image
Emotional Component Purchase and Usage Situations
Personality and Values How does these memes affect your purchase intentions?
Meme Brand Image
Emotional Component Reliability, Serviceability, Durability Style & Design
Price
Purchase and Usage Situations Personality and Values History and experiences
Would you use the same 5 words?
Meme Brand Image
Emotional Component Personality and Values How important are memes in today's culture?
3.5 Sampling
When conducting a qualitative research, a sample is taken from a population, the amount and characters of the sample are selected based on the objectives of the research. The most common sampling approaches within qualitative research process are purposive sampling snowball sampling, and quota sampling. Purposive sampling can be referred to as the most frequent used sampling method within qualitative research method. The sampling method are based upon collecting information from participants that are being selected based upon objectives with the research and the research questions. Money, time and objectives with the research are three important aspects that are affecting the size of the sample .The theoretical saturation is something that usually is taken into consideration when using a purposive sampling method. It can be described as the point where it is no longer of value to collect more data because the information is not giving any new information about the researched object (Mack and Woodsong,
2005)(Bryman and Bell, 2011).
When using the Quota Sampling method the researchers are determining which participants are going to take part of the research process based upon characteristics. Example of specific characteristics that can be requested are, different demographic attributes such as, hometown,
age, gender etc. Which characters that are needed for the specific research are decided when constructing the research. This research process allows the researchers to focus on a specific group of people that they consider to have something contributable to the chosen research object(Mack and Woodsong, 2005)(Bryman and Bell, 2011).
Snowball sampling method can also be connected to purposive sampling and can be a type of chain process where the participants of the study are using their acquaintances to get other people to participate in the study. This method can be used when researchers want to get in touch with obscure groups within the population (Mack and Woodsong, 2005)(Bryman and Bell, 2011).
3.5.1 Sample Frame
The researchers of this paper will be using purposive sampling which is a sampling technique that is based upon the researchers deciding which participants they found suitable for their study. By using a strategic way of selecting participants the researcher can select those that they find most suitable for their research. One benefit with this type of sampling method is that the researchers can make sure that it is the right persons that are answering their questions . In addition to that the researchers can ensure that their sampling is having a variety among the participants. Purposive sampling method are different compared to many other sampling methods, this because the purposive sampling method is not having a population as a starting point. The method is used when trying to investigate and make sense of a social phenomenon(Bryman and Bell, 2011). The researchers of this paper have decided that they want to focus on people between the age of 20 to 30 years old. This because this is considered to be the age where people are most active within the area of memes (Cavill, 2020) Another aspect that is also considered by the authors is at which age consumers are having the most purchasing power and therefore is having a more developed perception about brands image. In summary to that the researchers of this paper have decided to use a group that is highly active within the area of memes and also having a high purchase power.
3.5.2 Sample selection
The sample selection for this exploratory was to select participants aged between 20-30 who had knowledge of internet memes. The reason behind this selection was that it was viewed by the researchers that this age group represents people that are active online and also have some
purchasing power, which seemed relevant as brand image can affect this. The final sample group consisted of 15 participants.
3.5.3 Saturation
In this study the researches conducted 15 interviews which resulted in over 7.5 hours of
discussion time. After having analyzed the transcripts it became apparent to the researchers that they could see some patterns and felt that they had acquired enough data for this study to be at theoretical saturation. Further time spent towards conducting more interviews did not feel relevant as no information was being discovered and no new trends were appearing (Mack and Woodsong, 2005)(Bryman and Bell, 2011).
3.6 Data Analysis method
The researchers of this study will be using grounded theory as a method of analysing their collected information. The researchers of this paper will be using grounded theory because it is considered to be the most discovery oriented qualitative method when creating new concepts and theories. The research is also considered to be of an exploratory nature and therefore grounded theory is considered to be a suitable research method. Grounded theory is a method that is based upon inductive reasoning that is mostly connected to qualitative research. Inductive reasoning means that the theories are being grounded in the analysis of the data. To be able to use the method of grounded theory, the study most of the time needs to begin with stating some kind of problem and throughout that problem a question needs to be stated. After that, data can be collected, this can be done through different methods. The researchers of this study will be using interviews to be able to collect their required data. After the data has been collected the
researcher will conduct different types of categorizing, which can be referred to as open coding.
The process of open coding is referred to as very open minded and where there are no rights or wrongs, it is therefore very much up to the researcher to interpret the given data (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
Further on in the process of open coding, is axial coding, which is an important stage within grounded theory. Different codes will be added to different attributes within the gathered data, these attributes will later on be added together and will then create concepts. The concepts will
afterwards be summed up into different categories. This gives the researcher a perception about the overall structure of the data and what result the study is leaning towards (Bryman and Bell, 2011). There are different outcomes that grounded theory can result in but the researchers of this study is aiming for creating a better understandable conceptual model that describes how
different parts of the components within brand image are affected satirical memes.
3.7 Research quality
An essential barrier that needs to be bypassed in order to conduct legitimate research is the requirements to fulfill research quality. Reliability and validity have been key factors in
conducting research quality in quantitative research. However, quantitative research quality does not tranferser for a qualitative study, it has been concluded that the quality of qualitative paper has other requirements that depend on similar but nonetheless different variables to the ones of quantitative. Guba and Lincoln (1985) suggests that trustworthiness and authenticity are criterias for meeting the standards of qualitative research quality, and are considered substitutes for
reliability and validity. According to Tracy (1995), there are four aspects that needs to be fulfilled by a researcher to be able to reach trustworthiness, these are credibility, transferability,
dependability and confirmability (Bryman and Bell, 2011)(Tracy, 1995).
3.7.1 Credibility
Credibility can be referred to as whether a research can be applied to reality. According to Guba and Lincoln (1985), credibility can be referred to as how closely related to the truth, the result of the study is. This means that the information that is being acquired from the participants of the study is being interpreted in an appropriate way that is inline with reality (Guba and Lincoln, 1985)(Bryman and Bell, 2011). Furthermore, the credibility of research is determined depending on how the research is received and accepted by others(Bryman and Bell, 2011).
3.7.2 Transferability
Transferability entails the applicability of a researchers findings. It lies in how the result of the study are able to be interpreted and generalized to fit into other contexts, samples and time periods. The results of the study should be able to be recreated or expanded upon by others.
Transferability can be achieved by utilizing a sample that is diverse in demographic attributes and comparable to the population. Moreover, thick descriptive data is a method that has been utilized to create transferability (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
3.7.3 Dependability
Dependability refers to the stability of the data over time and the conditions of the study (Connelly, 2016)(Bryman and Bell, 2011). To fulfil this criteria, researchers need to store all information that were used in conducting the research. This includes, the original transcripts, decisions and sample selection.
3.7.4 Confirmability
Confirmability is concerned with ensuring that, while recognizing that complete objectivity is impossible in business research, the researcher can be shown to have acted in good faith; in other words, it should be apparent that he or she has not overtly allowed personal values or theoretical inclinations manifestly to sway the conduct of the research and findings deriving from it
(Connelly, 2016).
3.7.5 Authenticity
Authenticity is the extent to which researchers fairly and completely show a range of different realities and realistically convey participants thoughts, feeling and opinions (Connelly, 2016).
There are five prominent criterias for achieving authentic research. Guba and Lincoln (1984) explain fairness as the first criteria. Research needs to be represent the the experiences and viewpoints of a social setting in a fair and honest manner. The researcher needs to include information to the extent to which the participants’ different constructions and underlying values
are solicited and represented in a balanced, even-handed way by the researcher (Bryman and Bell. 2011). Therefore, in this research, the interview participants different opinions about the different brands and memes were transcribed accordingly no matter their opinions and the researchers remained impartial throughout all of the interviews. Ontological authenticity as a criteria concerns the way in which participants’ own constructions are enhanced or made more informed through their participation in the research. Educative authenticity revolves about how participants develop understanding and appreciation of others. Catalytic authenticity as a criteria concerns how the research process stimulates and facilitates the participants’ behaviour. The researcher may not influence participants to the extent in which action is stimulated. The final criteria, tactical authenticity refers to the extent to which participants are empowered to act (Bryman and Bell. 2011).
3.8 Ethical Implications of the Study
When conducting research there are some ethical rules that need to be followed. These rules can be connected to the participants, the researchers, and society. The research process or
contribution can have both a negative or a positive effect on different objects that are
participating in some kind of way with the research. Like mentioned, there are some ethical rules that needs to be followed in able to make a research that is considered to be ethical. One of the major ethical rules is based on not causing participants any harm during and after the research process. This includes physical and mental harm, examples of this could be stress, damaging their self-esteem, and affecting the participants employment or future employment (Bryman and Bell, 2011). According to Bryman and Bell (2011) it is the researchers responsibility to make sure that none of the above mentioned situations occurs. In addition to this, it is also important to make sure that the participants remain anonymous after and during the research process. To be able to do this, it is critical that the information about the participants remains confidential. In cases where the private information about the participants is in some way being displayed, it is
important that the participant is well informed as to why this is the case, in which context, and to whom the private information is divulged. The risk of revealing confidential information is increased within qualitative studies, the reason for this is that within the qualitative research process there are several methods that include descriptions of characters, companies and
organizations, and locations. If there is any risk for the participant to be identified, the researcher should be open with this. (Bryman and Bell (2011)(Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).
Bryman and Bell (2011) also claim that one important ethical aspect when it comes to research is that the participants are well informed before proceeding with the research. In some research areas this implies difficulties. Within business research, it is common that the researchers are using different kinds of observations. If the participant is informed that the observations are going to take place it is easy that the result become affected and can become biased and not true. That is the critical aspect when doing observations. In these cases, it is important to give the participant as much information possible about the study and with that information the participant can make a decision whether to partake or not. In addition to giving information about the research to the participants, it is also of value to in the beginning of the research share which techniques are being used to collect the data. Within research ethics, one important aspect is deception and the importance of minimizing this. A research deception refers research result being presented as something different than what is actually is (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
The authors of the paper took these ethical rules into consideration by informing all the interview participants about the reason for the research and that their personal information would remain classified. In addition to that the participants were informed of how long time the interview would take and that they can end the interviewing process at any time. Together with ethical issues it is also important for researchers to have their impact on the society in mind
3.9 Societal implications of the study
When conducting research, the researchers must be aware of what effect the study is having on society and what responsibility they have. A research result can both have a positive or negative effect on the society (Bryman and Bell, 2011). One societal aspect that was considered when conducting this study was that it could potentially be a risk for the brands that were used within the study. The brands could be harmed and the perception that the consumers have about the different brands could possibly be changed. This was taken into consideration when the research was being conducted and to try to limit this, the researchers stated that the satirical memes presented had no affiliation with the brands that they satirized, as well as stated that the memes do not necessarily have to be true or false but have been purely created for the sake of
