How Women’s Consumer Identity is Shaped by Social Media and Influencers in the Beauty and Lifestyle Industry?
(2024) BUSN39 20241Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Recently, the growth of social media has become an essential element in consumers’ daily lives. The widespread use of social media allows users to experience different kinds of content online and also be exposed to influencers-generated content. Moreover, social media allows influencers and consumers to share their opinions and interact as well as create communities through digital platforms.
This research aims to deepen the understanding of how women’s consumer identity is shaped by social media and influencers. As women are academically less explored and a main target to beauty and lifestyle industries they were chosen as the target group for the study. To be more specific, 14 young women between the ages of 18-30 from Nordic... (More) - Recently, the growth of social media has become an essential element in consumers’ daily lives. The widespread use of social media allows users to experience different kinds of content online and also be exposed to influencers-generated content. Moreover, social media allows influencers and consumers to share their opinions and interact as well as create communities through digital platforms.
This research aims to deepen the understanding of how women’s consumer identity is shaped by social media and influencers. As women are academically less explored and a main target to beauty and lifestyle industries they were chosen as the target group for the study. To be more specific, 14 young women between the ages of 18-30 from Nordic countries were chosen.
The study is conducted on three main literature streams which are Consumer Identity, Gender in Consumer Research and Social Media. The study also aims to contribute to these streams of literature.
A qualitative research method was chosen with semi-structured interviews. The theoretical lenses taken to analyse the findings are Butler’s Gender Performativity (Butler, 1993), Goffmann’s Performativity (Belk, 2013) and Goffmann’s theories on ‘self’ and ‘extended self’ (Belk, 1988).
The findings of the study illustrate that female consumers tend to shape their identities in three ways which are Body image (Ideal body and Gendered body), Aesthetic inspirations (Self-expression and Aspiration), and Affect and Emotion (Happiness and a Sense of Belonging). The study also underlines the relationship between influencers and their audiences to explore social media engagement. To conclude, the study provides a better understanding of women’s identity construction from the perspectives of gender and social media. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9168742
- author
- Mahlakaarto, Essi Katariina LU and Suanse, Yanisa LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Consumer Identity, Social Media, Influencers
- language
- English
- id
- 9168742
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-28 11:44:27
- date last changed
- 2024-06-28 11:44:27
@misc{9168742,
abstract = {{Recently, the growth of social media has become an essential element in consumers’ daily lives. The widespread use of social media allows users to experience different kinds of content online and also be exposed to influencers-generated content. Moreover, social media allows influencers and consumers to share their opinions and interact as well as create communities through digital platforms.
This research aims to deepen the understanding of how women’s consumer identity is shaped by social media and influencers. As women are academically less explored and a main target to beauty and lifestyle industries they were chosen as the target group for the study. To be more specific, 14 young women between the ages of 18-30 from Nordic countries were chosen.
The study is conducted on three main literature streams which are Consumer Identity, Gender in Consumer Research and Social Media. The study also aims to contribute to these streams of literature.
A qualitative research method was chosen with semi-structured interviews. The theoretical lenses taken to analyse the findings are Butler’s Gender Performativity (Butler, 1993), Goffmann’s Performativity (Belk, 2013) and Goffmann’s theories on ‘self’ and ‘extended self’ (Belk, 1988).
The findings of the study illustrate that female consumers tend to shape their identities in three ways which are Body image (Ideal body and Gendered body), Aesthetic inspirations (Self-expression and Aspiration), and Affect and Emotion (Happiness and a Sense of Belonging). The study also underlines the relationship between influencers and their audiences to explore social media engagement. To conclude, the study provides a better understanding of women’s identity construction from the perspectives of gender and social media.}},
author = {{Mahlakaarto, Essi Katariina and Suanse, Yanisa}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{How Women’s Consumer Identity is Shaped by Social Media and Influencers in the Beauty and Lifestyle Industry?}},
year = {{2024}},
}