Erasmus University Thesis Repository
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No full textThis thesis explores the role of employee brand representatives in building trust-based consumer relationships within the digital marketing and advertising industry. The main goal of this research was to understand how Generation Z consumers perceive employee-generated content in comparison to influencer-generated content, particularly regarding perceived authenticity, trust, and long-term brand engagement. The study explores Gen Z consumers' view of employee brand representatives on brand's official social media channels and how this view contrasts with their view on traditional influencers and their collaborations with brands. The main theoretical concepts that were employed to support research question include the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), brand community theory, the concept of parasocial relationships, and authenticity in digital communication. The central research question "How do employee brand ambassadors contribute to building long-term, trust- based connections between brands and consumers, compared to the short-term, transactional relationships fostered by traditional influencers in the digital marketing and advertising sector?" is addressed through a qualitative approach, using thematic analysis. Twelve semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with Gen Z due to this generation being known for their high persuasion awareness and value for authentic social media content, as well as their scepticism towards traditional advertising techniques. The findings suggest that employee brand representatives are seen as more trustworthy, credible, and relatable representatives, as they establish a deeper connection with brand communities. In contrast, influencer collaborations with brands are seen as more promotional. However, while employee-led brand content fostered a deeper sense of community and authenticity, influencer-led brand content was still recognised and valued for their expertise and individual relatedness, with results highlighting that influencer brand content can shape consumers' purchase intentions, while employee content strengthens the sense of brand community. Furthermore, the research also identified ethical concerns related to engaging employees in brand content, such as the importance of consent, financial compensations, and clear boundaries between work and personal life, additionally suggesting how brands can ethically and effectively position employees within modern social media branding strategies. These findings contribute to existing literature on influencer marketing, employee brand ambassadorship, and employee advocacy, yet placing employee brand representatives as hybrid content creators, being neither external influencers nor passive internal communicators, but authentic brand voices with internal expertise and external appeal. Additionally, the study suggests to research user-generated content (UGC) as the next step of brand-consumer relationships as the future research step, where consumers become effective brand advocates, providing valuable insights into the growing importance of peer influence, particularly for reaching Gen Z audiences
Beyond the fame: The influence of endorser type and credibility in social media posts on Generation Z's purchase intentions.
No full textIn the developing era of digital marketing, social media platforms have become the
dominant means of brand communication, particularly when targeting Generation Z. This
study aims to answer the following research question: "To what extent does endorser type in
social media advertisements influence Generation's Z purchase intentions, and to what extent
is this relationship mediated by the perceived credibility of the endorser?" The research also
aimed to explore whether traditional celebrity endorsers were still effective in driving
purchase intention among Generation Z, considering a shift in their consumer behaviour. This
was achieved by comparing the impact of celebrity endorsers with influencers and non-
famous endorsers on purchase intention, while testing how credibility might have affected
this relationship.
To answer the research question, an experimental research design was employed,
collecting data through an online questionnaire distributed via the Qualtrics platform. The
research focused on Generation Z representatives, while randomly assigning them to one of
the three experimental conditions, each depicting a fictional Instagram post featuring either a
traditional celebrity, an influencer, or a non-famous endorser. The data was analysed using
SPSS 29.0 software, where mediation analysis was performed with PROCESS Model 4 to
test the impact of endorser type and indirect effect of perceived credibility on purchase
intention. The final sample consisted of 104 Generation Z participants.
The analysis revealed that none of the initial hypotheses were supported. No
significant difference was found between celebrity, influencer and non-famous conditions in
terms of effect on purchase intention. Also, celebrity was not perceived as significantly more
credible than influencer or non-famous endorser. However, the influencer was rated as
significantly less credible than the non-famous endorser. These findings show that credibility
and fame of the endorser are not sufficient to influence Generation Z's purchase intention,
emphasising the importance for brands to re-think their marketing strategies and avoid
relying solely on the use of endorsers in their advertisements
The Horrors Persist: A thematic analysis of female & AFAB horror fans' perception of gender and sexuality in horror cinema
No full textLike cinematography, horror cinema can be described as a predominantly male-focus field in terms of filmmaking, representation as well as audiences. Historically, the horror genre often excludes or poorly represents the non-male multitude, particularly women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Even though in the past decades there have been made progressions regarding inclusivity, the horror genre remains to lack in intersectionality, thus sustaining patriarchal ideals. Despite that, there is a significant amount of non-male horror fans. As a result the following research question was formed and utilized as a basis for this study: How do female and assigned female at birth (AFAB) horror fans negotiate representations of gender and sexuality in horror movies?
The choice of method for this study was qualitative research, specifically thematic analysis, as a means of understanding audience perception through means of pattern recognition. A total of even in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-attested horror fans, comprising of cis women and individuals falling under the trans umbrella. During the interviews subjects such as horror preferences, relatability, impressions, feelings and fandom were discussed.
The results highlighted that non-male fans are more inclined to consume feminist and queer horror, films which showcase more complexities like psychological genres, artistic horror which resonates more deeply with a queer audience, alongside films which don't focus on violence against women. Two main concepts were utilized when discussing representation, such as the final girl and the monstrous-feminine, both of which were analysed in a critical manner. Furthermore, the horror community aspect could be detected within the respondents' closeknit real-life circles, rather than engaging with it online, showcasing the preference for established spaces where preferences and freedom of expression was granted. However, passive consumption withing the online horror related communities and websites could be detected, as a way of meaning-making and further horror media consumption,
To conclude, this research has emphasized that horror cinema is interacted with not only for recreational pleasure, but also as a means of meaning-making, self-exploration as well as political opposition. The results stress the need for intersectionality within representation regarding audience perception, drawing attention to cultural shifts and social justice
How the cultural elite defines its social status
No full textIn recent years, social media accounts satirically touched upon the consumption behaviour of contemporary young urban professionals. While their choices seem to be based on ethical values, they often signal social status. Even though the contemporary young urban professional has no intention of doing so, their ethical consumption draws symbolic boundaries and upholds a system of social stratification. While previous research has gone in depth about social status and consumption, the role of gender has not been thoroughly explored in this context. Secondly, academic literature about contemporary young urban professionals and their lifestyles is lacking in the Netherlands. Therefore, this thesis explores the following research question: 'How and why do female and male young urban professionals in the Randstad distinguish themselves as a status group by their consumption?'. The theoretical framework underlying this thesis is largely based on the work of Thorstein Veblen (conspicuous consumption and leisure), Pierre Bourdieu (social distinction, cultural capital, habitus, lifestyles and tastes), David Brooks (the lifestyles of the Bobos) and Elizabeth Currid-Halkett (the aspirational class). This way, social distinction and its related concepts are explained and illustrated by using examples from recent history (2000 and 2017). A qualitative approach was used for this thesis, using purposive sampling and semistructured interviews as a way of collecting data. The ten interviews (five with men, five with women) were transcribed and coded. The chosen method of analysis was thematic analysis. The findings reveal that the intention of the interviewees is rarely to explicitly distinguish themselves as a status group. Rather, their habitus has resulted in a habit of consuming based on knowledge. This is visible in multiple aspects of their life: their consumption of goods, their careers, how they spend their leisure time, and more. Most of it is in service of their aspirations. However, their lifestyles and adhering consumption behaviour keep on drawing symbolic boundaries and thus uphold a system of social stratification. While the intentions behind consuming appeared similar in this thesis, the actual goods and activities were different per gender. The men and women in this study conform to 2 earlier research: women tend to consume more socially and are more occupied with fashion, whereas men tend to consume more out of curiosity and functionality are more focused on activities such as sports. Even though contemporary young urban professionals claim to consume based on their values, they have displayed that this is limited. When their own comfort is at risk, there is a boundary or excuse, meaning their actions do not always correspond with their ideals. For example, the interviewees claim to live sustainable lifestyles but fly frequently. This thesis contributes to the debate on contemporary social distinction and reproduction in the urban setting of the Netherlands and invites further research on gendered dynamics within this context
Hospitality Brands Employing Brand Identity through Instagram
No full textTraditionally, branding has always been used as differentiator by companies who strategically position their products or services by associating unique attributes to them. This enables brands to concur desired associations that they intend to the consumers when they interact with them. Hospitality is emerging as one of the leaders within the service sector and are recognizing the significance of having a distinct identity that resonates with their immediate and long-term goals. Today, social media purveys brands with tools that expand the extent of relationships between a brand and a consumer, from simply a consumer-service communication dynamic towards drawing emotional associations between guests and the hotel. On that note, this study seeks to observe how brand identity is employed on Instagram in a heavily saturated market such as the hospitality sector, by centring the study on CitizenM. CitizenM positions itself as a disrupter in the hospitality sector, which is saturated with traditional hotels, and sets forth a persona that is young, bold and one-of-a-kind. Using Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism as the grounding framework, the study implements thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns to learn more about the research topic, conducted over two distinct datasets- expert interviews, conducted with employees within the Brand Team at the company, and 150 Instagram reels, sourced from the official Instagram page of CitizenM. The study primarily employed three components from Kapferer's prism: 'personality', 'culture', 'self-image'- to formulate guiding sub-questions to answer the main research question while embedding the remaining three components within the conceptualization of the categories of sub-questions themselves. Subsequently, five Major themes appeared upon conducting thematic analysis, namely: 'Brand Communication Strategy', 'Brand Personality', 'Culture and Values rooted in identity', 'Instagram Affordances for brand communications', and 'Intended Consumer Mindset'. Furthermore, the research contributes to scientific research within the fields of branding, brand identity, social media communication, and hospitality. Simultaneously, providing significant observations pertinent for hospitality brands seeking to establish authentic and experiential identities by leveraging the affordances of Instagram
Building bridges between diasporic and hosting cultures
No full textThis paper explores how Ukrainian cultural initiatives in Rotterdam foster mutual
understanding and enhance dialogue between Ukrainian and Dutch communities. Focusing
on two case studies, VATAHA Foundation and Ko-station, the research investigates how
these organizations foster knowledge exchange, and act as civil agents of cultural
diplomacy. The research question of this study is as follows: How do Ukrainian initiatives in
Rotterdam build bridges between diasporic Ukrainians and host Dutch cultures and
communities? Using a qualitative approach, data was collected through semi-structured
interviews with individuals actively involved in both initiatives. Additionally, field observations
at several events organized by VATAHA foundation and the so-called walk-through method
to examine the social media accounts of the initiatives were used.
The findings reveal key differences in organizational orientation: VATAHA is
perceived as an outward-facing initiative, focused on public engagement and external
collaborations, while Ko-station is seen as a more inward, community-centered space.
Despite this contrast, both initiatives are driven by passionate individuals with strong cultural
expertise, whose leadership and vision shape the nature and success of the activities they
organize. These include workshops, lectures, and cultural events that bring together
Ukrainian and Dutch participants, offering spaces for mutual engagement, artistic
collaboration, and shared cultural experiences.
The research highlights that cultural practices - such as music, visual arts, poetry,
and crafts- act as powerful tools for connection by tapping into universal themes and shared
human experiences. Initiatives also draw on common interests, shared memories, and
collaborative creation to foster meaningful exchanges. Additionally, collaborations with local
Dutch partners and neighborhood initiatives such as Het Wijkpaleis, Dok Huis, and Ter
Bevordering enhance the capacity of Ukrainian initiatives to create inclusive micro-spaces of
encounter.
Ultimately, the study shows that grassroots cultural initiatives not only preserve and
express diasporic identity but also contribute to broader processes of integration and
intercultural understanding. By facilitating face-to-face interactions, they offer a form of
bottom-up cultural diplomacy that builds trust and bridges across cultural boundaries
Culture and migrant integration: a critical reading of integration policy in Madrid
No full textThis thesis examines how the cultural dimension is discursively framed in the immigrant integration policy instruments of Madrid between 2020 and 2025. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis approach, the research explores how institutional discourses construct, manage, or omit cultural diversity within integration frameworks. The study applies Jäger and Maier's discourseanalytical toolbox to analyze municipal policy documents, participatory reports, and implementation instruments, identifying the ways in which culture is operationalized. The findings reveal a dominant pragmatic discourse that recognizes diversity in functional terms while avoiding deeper structural debates on cultural hierarchies, racism, and migrant agency. While the City Council signals openness to limited participatory mechanisms, integration policies largely reflect a managed pragmatism oriented toward maintaining social cohesion rather than advancing substantive cultural pluralism. This research contributes to contemporary debates on integration governance and demonstrates how municipal discourse simultaneously recognizes diversity while preserving institutional control over cultural definitions. The thesis concludes by identifying areas for future research, including multi-level comparisons, greater inclusion of immigrant voices, and further empirical exploration of integration as a contested governance field
How we feel and who we feel with: Corporate discursive construction of AI as a social companion
No full textThis thesis investigates how companies in the emerging AI companion industry strategically
construct artificial intelligence as an emotionally meaningful social companion. Unlike traditional
functional AI tools such as voice assistants, AI companions simulate emotional intelligence and
responsiveness, aiming to form bonds with users through memory, empathy, and personalized interaction.
While existing research has largely addressed user experiences and psychological impacts, this study
uniquely foregrounds the corporate actors behind these technologies. The central research question
guiding this thesis is: How do digital technology companies discursively construct AI as social
companions?
Using a Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MMDA) approach, this research critically analyzes nine
corporate websites offering AI companionship for friendship or romantic relationships. The websites were
selected through purposive sampling, incorporating exploratory web searches and Reddit user
recommendations to ensure representative coverage, and the analysis focused on identifying textual and
visual strategies employed by these companies to humanize, legitimize, and normalize AI companions.
The interpretative framework employed draws on four overlapping ideological lenses from science and
technology studies and critical media theory: technological myths (AI as human-like), technological
determinism (AI as inevitable in daily life), techno-solutionism (AI as a solution to emotional and social
problems), and techno-mysticism (AI as inscrutable and magical).
Findings demonstrate that companies consistently employ symbolic strategies to construct AI as
credible emotional partners. Anthropomorphic avatars, human-like naming and gendering practices, as
well as descriptions emphasizing emotional capabilities (like memory, empathy, personalized
interactions), foster the illusion of reciprocal intimacy. Moreover, emotional labor is explicitly
commodified through freemium models, wherein emotionally deeper interactions - such as long-term
memory or romantic features - are restricted to premium subscribers. These strategic choices reflect
broader patterns of gendered emotional care, with feminine-presenting avatars predominantly used for
supportive companionship roles.
Additionally, AI companionship is normalized through portrayals of seamless integration into
daily routines and intimate domestic contexts. Companies actively frame these technologies as therapeutic
interventions capable of addressing emotional challenges like loneliness, anxiety, and relational distress.
Techno-solutionist narratives position AI as scalable, readily accessible, algorithmic solutions to complex
emotional and social issues, effectively depoliticizing the underlying human and structural causes.
Conversely, techno-mystic discourses use visual abstraction, minimalist aesthetics, or symbolic opacity to
position AI as powerful yet unknowable entities, fostering user acceptance without critical questioning of
technological mechanisms or corporate agendas.
By critically unpacking these multimodal discursive practices, the thesis significantly contributes
to fields of media and communication studies, science and technology studies, and posthuman theory and
demonstrates how emotional credibility and social intelligibility of AI companionship are co-constructed
through design choices and corporate storytelling. Furthermore, the findings offer actionable insights for
developers, designers, policymakers, and regulators regarding the ethical stakes involved in emotional
automation, corporate communication, and the commodification of digitally mediated intimacy
The impact of Sustainability Claims and Product Categorization on Attitudes and Purchase Intentions toward Hybrid Food Products: The Moderating Role of Consumer Familiarity
No full textAs demand for innovative protein alternatives increases, hybrid food products (HFPs), which combine animal and plant-based ingredients, have entered the market as a novel category positioned between traditional meat and fully plant-based options to address changing consumer preferences and dietary changes. Yet, despite their increasing availability, HFPs remain underexplored in consumer research, with limited understanding of how they are perceived and evaluated. This study examines how two marketing tactics, sustainability claims and product categorization, affect consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards HFPs in the Netherlands. Additionally, the moderating role of consumer familiarity is examined. A 2x2 between-subjects experimental study, through an online survey, was conducted with 171 participants living in the Netherlands. Participants were randomly assigned to view a fictious hybrid burger advertisement with either a sustainability claim or no claim and categorized as either beef or vegetarian.
The results reveal that neither sustainability claims nor product categorization significantly influence purchase intentions or attitudes towards HFPs. Similarly, consumer familiarity did not moderate the effect of these marketing tactics. However, consumer attitude was found to be a strong and significant predictor of purchase intention. Among control variables, price sensitivity, ethical concerns, and subjective norms showed significant influence across models. These findings suggest that commonly used marketing tactics such as sustainability claims and product categorization alone may be insufficient to promote HFP adoption. This study contributes to the marketing and consumer behaviour literature of HFPs by highlighting the need for consumer-centred communication strategies tailored to the underlying attitudes and provides actionable insights for practitioners aiming to market HFPs
Unveiling The Digital Bordello
No full textThis thesis explores the portrayal that is presented by Dutch legacy media of women who are
engaged in digital sex work on OnlyFans. OnlyFans has emerged as a site of controversy and
empowerment amid rising cultural visibility of platform-based sex work. The platform is often
framed as a symbol for entrepreneurial freedom, because it promises creators' financial autonomy as
well as direct audience access. Still, its media representation shows cultural issues since it involves
gender, labor, and sexuality. Drawing from forty articles within four major Dutch newspapers, this
research investigates legacy media discourses depicting women engaging in sex work upon
OnlyFans. Critical discourse analysis joins content analysis in this study. It pinpoints these four
major themes: affective labor and precarity, platformization and infrastructural control, gendered bias
and moral concern, and entrepreneurship and empowerment. Simplified narratives do repeatedly
depict women across these frames, not as complex laboring subjects, but as tropes: the self-made
entrepreneur, or the emotionally available caretaker, or the morally endangered woman, or perhaps
the platform-dependent content creator.
The findings revealed that legacy media has a tendency to foreground women's autonomy
frequently but only when it aligns with neoliberal values as well as postfeminist ideals of consumer
agency, visibility, and self-management. Emotional labor, central to digital sex work, is reframed as
a natural tendency, excluding its economic and structural demands. Media coverage rarely addresses
the algorithmic, financial, as well as reputational constraints around creator success. Journalistic
portrayals distribute risk unevenly. They attach danger, coercion, and moral judgment predominantly
to women. These frames work to stigmatize in addition to discipline. Some forms of labor, even
when fully legal, do remain socially deviant because of how these frames suggest it.
As this thesis contributes to feminist media studies, public understandings of platform-based
sex work are actively constructed by Dutch legacy media. It argues that these portrayals are not
neutral reflections but discursive interventions that shape how sex work is legitimized, governed, and
judged. Through a blend of postfeminist expression, neoliberal values, and gendered framing, the
media frame women's digital labor simultaneously visible and marginalized. OnlyFans, as a
culturally unstable site, reveals the shifting terrain where gender, labor, and digital economies
intersect - and where media discourses play a key role in writing the rule