Lu, Yifan
(2025)
From consumer collectives to brand organisations: an
online ethnographic study of the formation of human
brand organisations in China.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
This thesis investigates the formation of human brand organisations within the Chinese context, using Chinese celebrity fans collectives as a starting point and representative examples. Specifically, the research focus on How do Chinese celebrity fans, as consumers of human brands, form their own entities online, and what characteristics do such consumer collectives exhibit? An 18-month online ethnographic study, grounded in symbolic interactionism and grounded theory, addresses key gaps in existing brand community research, including the limited focus on human brands, the unclear distinction between consumer-initiated and company-sponsored communities, and the lack of attention to the early stages of brand community formation.
The study introduces the concept of "fan organisations", defined as more disciplined and structured groups formed by fans with clear organisational strategies and task allocations, distinguishing them from traditional fan communities. In contrast to the typical brand communities initiated by companies and characterised by consumer behaviour, fan organisations are initiated by consumers themselves and engage in collective work to increase the value of celebrities as human brands. This leads to the development of the broader concept of 'brand organisations', characterised by five key dimensions: productivity, independence, hierarchy, consistency and adaptability. Taken together, a brand organisation is defined as "a form of human association independently and spontaneously established and operated by brand consumers that maintains consistent brand production through a clear internal hierarchy." These features distinguish brand organisations from traditional brand communities and provide a deeper understanding of how such entities are formed and structured in the Chinese context.
Finally, the research explains how brand organisations are formed by identifying three key constructs – production-oriented consumers, language-centred rituals and brand content - that collectively form the brand organisation. These findings offer significant theoretical contributions, redefining the nature of fan and brand organisations in the contemporary Chinese context and addressing identified gaps in brand community research.
| Item Type: |
Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
(PhD)
|
| Supervisors: |
Pinnington, Ashly
Bhattacharya, Sudeshna |
| Keywords: |
consumer collectives; brand organisations; fan collectives; brand community; fan organisations |
| Subjects: |
H Social sciences > HF Commerce |
| Faculties/Schools: |
UK Campuses > Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Education > Nottingham University Business School |
| Item ID: |
80859 |
| Depositing User: |
Lu, Yifan
|
| Date Deposited: |
09 Jun 2025 10:09 |
| Last Modified: |
09 Jun 2025 10:09 |
| URI: |
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/80859 |
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