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Iem, Marina (2010) The role of celebrities as an aspirational reference group in the online environment for consumers of the Generation Y. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Aim of the project: To explore the role of celebrities as an aspirational reference group for members of the Generation Y in the online context so that retailers can have a better understanding of this target market and improve their online marketing strategies.

Methodology: The methodology consisted of a qualitative research with data collected by using semi-structured interviews. Looking at the symbolic consumption of young people and attitudes towards celebrity advertising, the qualitative analysis offers descriptions of personal thoughts and experience rather than statistics. An exploratory netnography was conducted to complement the findings that emerged from the interviews and to investigate the impact of the celebrity culture within the online environment.

Key findings: There is evidence of celebrity influence amongst the majority of respondents. Fashion-wise, they are selective in the celebrities they wish to follow. The Generation Y is appreciative of e-tailers like ASOS that make use of the celebrity image, so long as this technique stays subtle. Those e-tailers must carefully select the most influential celebrities with regards to their target audience. The impact of the celebrity culture on the Internet has been very significant since the ‘new’ media and the social media. Further qualitative work is needed to explore other online platforms than e- tailers, such as the social media.

Item Type:	Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Depositing User:	EP, Services
Date Deposited:	20 Jan 2011 13:18
Last Modified:	28 Jan 2018 05:35
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/23839

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