Erasmus University Thesis Repository
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Navigating Crises during Sexual Harassment Allegations A Quantitative Study Shedding Light on The Duality of Effects on Brand Attitudes, Purchase Intention, Message Credibility, and Brand Reputation during Crises
No full textUnderstanding consumer behavior helps brands identify strategies to better increase purchases. However, crises can have detrimental impacts on consumer behavior, especially on brand attitudes, which in turn affect purchase behavior. Specifically, value-related crises, such as sexual harassment allegations can destroy strong consumer-brand relationships and trust. Value-related crises usually affect a consumer's morals, ethical principles, and values. Consumers often view sexual harassment as an issue of gendered power inequality, in which the situation involves a predator and a victim, with the predator in most cases being male and the victim female. Thus, the abuse of power negatively affects a consumer's attitudes towards a brand and therefore their intent to purchase. Crises are unforeseen events that can destroy a brand when not quickly and appropriately handled by the brand. By using the ICM Model, by Jin et al., (2007), which proposes a cognitive and organizational engagement approach, the various variables involved in this research are better understood. Thus, the model allows for understanding both how the proposed variables - brand attitude, purchase intention, brand reputation, message credibility, and gender - which can be understood through the cognitive lens of the consumer, further explore emotions, and the organizational engagement of a brand and its effects. The aim of this research is to examine the relationships between the effects of gender (of the participant) and purchase intention on brand attitude when mediated by message credibility and moderated by brand reputation. Insights were gathered through distributing a survey in multiple Facebook Groups, which allowed for distinct perspectives of individuals from various backgrounds and nationalities. The data was collected through a statistical software, SPSS. The statistical insights disclosed that regardless of the participant's gender, the more credible a message was perceived the better the attitudes towards the brand. Results revealed that gender had no significant effect on brand attitudes after a sexual harassment allegation. However, lower purchase intentions are correlated with lower brand attitudes. Moreover, the analyses show that when brand reputation was low, so were purchase
intention and brand attitudes
Sweet Dreams are made of These
No full textThis research investigates how festival campsite facilities create the complete festival experience for visitors who attend multiple-day music events. Academic studies about festivals primarily focus on performances and economic aspects and audience behaviours yet the campsite remains a poorly studied area. The research uses thematic analysis of ten Dutch festivalgoers' semi-structured interviews to reveal how the campsite serves as an essential social and affective space which defines the festival experience beyond mere sleeping accommodations.
The research employs theoretical frameworks from Turner (liminality) and Foucault (heterotopia) and Turner (communitas) and Durkheim (collective effervescence) and Anderson and Böhme (atmosphere) and Bourdieu (distinction) to demonstrate how the campsite enables festivalgoers to break free from their daily routines while building deep social connections and participating in communal rituals of short-term communal living. The experience achieves its authentic quality through the reinterpretation of both uncomfortable conditions and practical difficulties which festival participants call "suffering." The festival campsite presents an enigmatic environment which unites brief periods of liberty and unity with refined social arrangements and organizational systems.
The research adds new knowledge to festival and cultural studies through its analysis of the campsite as a place where experiences and identities and meanings emerge. The research demonstrates how short-lived disordered settings create deep communal bonds among people. The research findings provide useful information to event planners and spatial designers and scholars who study leisure activities and rituals and social patterns of modern cultural events
Sex Work Reimagined: Motivations in the Platform Era
No full textThe emergence of digital platforms in recent years has drastically changed the nature of sex work by making it possible for people to create content independently. Platforms like OnlyFans provide a meeting point between digital media, entrepreneurship, and sex work. With an emphasis on this platform, this study explores the reasons why people decide to engage in independent digital sex work on subscription-based platforms, and it is driven by the following research question: what drives digital sex workers to choose an independent business model? Seven participants, all of whom are active OnlyFans creators, participated in semi-structured interviews as part of the study. Six main themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: 1) autonomy and control, 2) financial incentives, 3) platform affordances and accessibility, 4) visibility, empowerment, and identity, 5) community and social connection, and 6) navigating risks and precarity. Results generally indicate that participants appreciate the independence that this type of work offers, especially when it comes to self-management, creative freedom, and flexibility. Additionally, although not always the main one, financial incentives were pointed out as an important factor. In addition to navigating obstacles, participants also expressed strong feelings of empowerment through identity expression, creative autonomy, and community building. Their experiences show how digital sex work has the power to revolutionise traditional notions of identity and labour by challenging and blurring conventional dichotomies, such as empowerment versus exploitation and autonomy versus vulnerability. Through first-hand experiences of the possibilities and challenges of independent content creation in this industry, this study adds to the expanding literature and research on digital labour, sex work, and platform economies. It also emphasises the necessity of more comprehensive labour protections and public education. The results support the acceptance of digital sex work as valid labour and shed light on the various motivators that drive people to participate in this growing and more common type of employment
Have you already been influenced?
No full textIn today's news media landscape, individuals are increasingly combining traditional and
digital media to create personalized news diets, raising concerns about unequal exposure to
reliable information. A growing concern is the declining public trust in news media,
particularly in relation to climate change. While the topic remains highly relevant in public
debate, trust in its coverage varies considerably. This often depends on the format in which
the news is presented, the source delivering it, and how credible that source is perceived to be.
From this perspective, this study examines the impact of different news media repertoires,
traditional and cross-media, on trust in news media reporting about climate change. In
addition, it explores whether exposure to social media influencer's (SMI) commentary
moderates this relationship. The main research question is: "To what extent do traditional and
cross-media news repertoires influence trust in climate change news among news
consumers?". The sub-question is: "To what extent does exposure to SMI's commentary
moderate these relationships?". To answer these questions, a quantitative survey experiment
was conducted (N = 101), where participants were randomly assigned to read a climate
change news article from either a traditional or cross-media news source, followed by
exposure to an SMI commentary (in the experimental groups). Trust in climate change news
media was measured across three dimensions: trust in media type, trust in news actors, and
trust in news content. Media repertoire usage was operationalized through adapted scales from
previous studies, and participants were grouped based on their dominant media consumption
patterns. Hypothesis testing was performed using a simple linear regression, independent
samples t-tests, and multiple linear regression with an interaction term to assess moderation
effects. The findings show that both traditional and cross-media news users report a positive
impact on trust in news media reporting about climate change, with a significantly higher
level of trust among traditional news users compared to the cross-media news users. No
significant moderation effect was found for SMI commentary, suggesting that exposure to
SMI commentary does not alter trust in news media reporting about climate change. Control
variables such as age, gender, interest in climate change, nationality, and employment status
were also found to be non-significant. These results highlight the importance of news media
consumption patterns in shaping trust, while suggesting a limited role for SMIs in this context
From activism to the mainstream: Visual storytelling in representations of contemporary veganism
No full textThis thesis examines how contemporary veganism is represented through visual storytelling in European vegan food advertising. In recent years, veganism has shifted from its roots in ethical activism and animal rights towards a commercial and mainstream movement. This shift, often described as "Big Veganism", refers to the integration of vegan products into everyday markets through corporate branding and large-scale marketing strategies. As veganism enters the mainstream, it also becomes more diverse, shaped by different motivations such as anti-speciesism, environmentalism, and healthism. These overlapping motivations can lead to tensions in how veganism is portrayed in public discourse. In this context, advertising plays an important role in shaping how these dimensions are visually communicated. The aim of this thesis is to explore how advertising represents the different strands of contemporary veganism and the role of visual storytelling in creating these representations. Through the study of visual choices in advertising, this thesis seeks to better understand how veganism is visually constructed in the European context.
To examine these dynamics, the study applies a visual analysis proposed by Machin and Mayr (2012, pp. 49-56) to a sample of 100 advertisements from European countries, published between 2018 and 2025. Drawing on a visual analysis framework, and using ATLAS.ti software for data management and coding, the research connects new patterns emerging from the dataset to the existing literature and identifies the main thematic framings and the visual storytelling techniques used. The findings reveal a clear predominance of lifestyle-oriented framings, centred around narratives of consumer pleasure, cosmopolitanism, and healthism. In contrast, less frequent representations highlight veganism as a social movement that concerns anti-speciesism and environmentalism. Where ethical framings do appear, they are often visually diluted or embedded within broader lifestyle appeals, raising questions about the ideological compromises made in the commodification of vegan discourse.
The thesis concludes by calling for further research into underexplored areas such as the audience's interpretations of the different representations of veganism, the strategic use of humour and playfulness in vegan messaging, and the potential of counter-advertising to disrupt dominant market narratives. Overall, the study contributes to media and communication scholarship by exposing how advertising shapes evolving cultural meanings of veganism in an increasingly commodified media landscape
Constructing Streaming Success
No full textThe media industries have adjusted in the twenty-first century according to the evolution of technology, giving rise to the streaming industry and the numerous platforms that compete within the field. With this evolution, certain aspects that determine popularity and success have become irrelevant to streaming, specifically the measures and definitions of success. Netflix and Disney are two of the most dominant media companies in the industry, which makes them held to ambitious standards and are regarded as successful. Yet, with their application of anti-transparency practices, it has been generally difficult to determine how they measure and define success for their streaming platforms. Thus, this paper investigates the research question, "How do Disney and Netflix discursively construct and communicate their platforms' success to the public?" in an attempt to focus particularly on how the two companies determine and construct their notions of success. This study follows the media industry studies approach by focusing on how executives and people in power construct discourses of success for their streaming services. Critical discourse analysis is employed to dissect the language used by the executives and the companies; the data gathered consists of public and digitally accessible documents from both companies, which include letters to shareholders, quarterly earnings conference calls transcripts and reports. Alongside that, trade and popular press videos and articles that directly quote executives were also part of the data gathered. There are three concepts that Disney uses to construct their definition of success: content strategy, connection with audiences, and finances. While Netflix focuses on finances, metrics and numbers, content strategy, and globalization. As seen, the two companies do
agree on two aspects that contribute to their discourse of success. Moreover, discourse analysis revealed that Disney's construction of success is more emotionally driven, with a focus on the connection they built with their audiences. On the other hand, Netflix is more objective and numerical when constructing success, basing audience engagement and enthusiasm on the numbers and insights obtained from their metrics
Constructing the Past Through Play
No full textSince 1974 Playmobil produced a fair amount of historically themed sets. The three biggest historical themes are the Wild West, pirates and knights. These historical themes often articulate perceptions about history that are subconsciously validated in our society. The perception of history reiterated through these toys can be analysed by using the concept visual historical culture. Historical culture offers a framework through which to deconstruct the current myths, narratives and perceptions about history. Visual culture enabled the identification of signs and semiotic meanings embedded within the visuals in the catalogues. By examining the relationships between these signs, it was possible to uncover underlying historical myths, which could then be contextualised within broader ideas of historical culture. Thereby providing an answer to the Research Question: How has the visual representation of the Wild West, pirates, and knights in Playmobil catalogues changed since 1974, and to what extent are these changes indicative of changes in broader historical culture?
The research analysed the three biggest historical themes presented in the annual catalogues published by Playmobil from 1974 to 2024. The visualisation of the Wild West was analysed in reference to changing postcolonial critique and focussed on the visualisation of the Indians and American cavalry. The Wild West shows a significant shift during the mid-1990s from visualising colonial myths, to a more nuanced, albeit stereotypical, presentations of the Indians as a cultural entity. The pirate theme was analysed in relation to changing visualisations of pirates in the cinematic industry. The pirate theme illustrates a shift from a focus on historical myths, influenced by the film Treasure Island, towards a more mythical and fantasy shift influenced by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The knights theme was analysed in relation to changing narratives in the literary genre. The knight theme shows how the visualisation moved from historical myths to the inclusion of fantasy and mythical elements, influenced by changes in the Fantasy genre.
This study concludes that Playmobil's historical themes are actively shaped by and reflect historical culture of their time. The thesis demonstrates that visualisation of children's toys are not neutral but carries implicit narratives that inform and reproduce historical myths. Understanding these visual narratives through the lens of historical culture provides insight into how perceptions of history are constructed through play
"Let me know when we're done dick measuring" An analysis of the entanglement of gender, race, and class in the representation of power in Lioness
No full textThis paper explores the entanglement of gender, race, and class in the representation of power in Lioness, a contemporary military fiction television series centred on three female protagonists. Unlike shows set in the military fiction genre, Lioness foregrounds women in leading operational and decision-making roles, offering a compelling case for analysing intersectional power dynamics in media. Despite its apparent progressive premise, the series often reinforces traditional hierarchies and stereotypes. Through a qualitative thematic content analysis of all episodes from both seasons, this study examines how power is depicted and negotiated by four central female characters: Joe, Kaitlyn, Cruz, and Aaliyah. Each is situated differently across axes of gender, race, and class. The findings identify three overarching themes: gendered power, strategic whiteness, and social hierarchy. While the show offers portrayals of physically capable, professionally competent, and politically and economically influential women, their power is frequently undermined by male-dominated institutional structures, cultural expectations, and narrative mechanisms requiring them to justify their authority through personal sacrifice or trauma. Race is largely rendered invisible or stereotyped, despite the presence of three women of colour in lead roles. Meanwhile, class dynamics reinforce elitist ideals, with affluence portrayed as a prerequisite for influence, and working-class characters positioned within narratives of suffering or victimhood. By applying an intersectional lens to the analysis, this research reveals how Lioness both challenges and perpetuates dominant power structures in subtle but significant ways. The series illustrates the limitations of representational progress when systemic hierarchies remain unexamined. This study contributes to broader discussions in media and gender studies by demonstrating how intersectional power dynamics are encoded in contemporary television, shaping both narrative meaning and audience perception
Framing the Bid: The Fields of Tension Behind the Scenes of Belgium's 2030 European Capital of Culture Bids
No full textThere is a vast amount of academic literature concerning the ECOC initiative. However, existing research focuses predominantly on the legacy and outcomes of designated ECOC cities. The early stages of the process remain underexplored and thus undertheorized. This thesis aims to investigate the bidding process itself, before cities are designated the title of ECOC. Although the bidding stage has been discussed in relation to specific topics, there is a lack of frameworks that map the complexities that arise when bidding for the ECOC title. Although every ECOC process is entirely unique due to the specific DNA of every city, there is a need for a framework that identifies common obstacles. This research explores the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the bidding processes of Namur, Leuven and Molenbeek, the three shortlisted candidates to become Belgium's European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2030. Through a qualitative case study approach, conducting thematic analysis based on seven in-depth interviews with people creating these bids, this study has identified eight 'fields of tension'. Through a combination of inductive and deductive research, these are the eight themes that surface as challenges and pressure points for bidding teams. They offer an overview of how bidding teams actually experience the process. The fields of tension include 'local identity and European narrative', 'navigating the European Commission', 'inter-city dynamics', 'phase transition', 'stakeholder management and governance, 'balancing mobilisation and uncertainty', 'artistic integrity' and 'the business of the ECOC network'. The findings show on the one hand that there are certain universal struggles and adversities that shape the bidding process, and on the other hand provides an in-depth analysis of the three Belgian bids by comparing how they each approach these. While some of the findings are expected results, others are rather surprising and invite future academic research. In doing so, this thesis promotes transparency about the bidding process and reflects on the policy surrounding the ECOC, combining both academic and practical relevance
The Elements of Success: SKIMS Advertising Strategy
No full textIn a world where the economy is driven by mass production, advertising plays a key role in allowing the recognizability of brands. Through the use of visual media, a brand can communicate its brand identity, allowing possible consumers to be engaged and charmed. Numerous studies investigated the benefits deriving from the alignment of brand identity and brand image, and how celebrity endorsement and inclusive advertising are powerful tools in this regard. However, the current literature has explored these themes separately, and predominantly through the use of secondary data. This left a gap in understanding how they can work together in real-life brand strategies. This thesis explores the case of SKIMS, an American shapewear brand, co-owned by Kim Kardashian, an international known celebrity. The aim is to understand how a newly founded lingerie brand managed to strike a chord with so many consumers to reach a market value of 4 billion US dollars. Through the study of its advertising strategies, this research investigates how celebrity endorsement and inclusivity played a role in influencing consumer perception. The central question guiding this thesis is: How does SKIMS employ celebrity endorsement and inclusive advertising to influence consumer perception?
By employing a two-pronged approach to analyze 50 ad images through semiotic analysis and conducting a survey-based research I was able to first examined how the brand constructs its identity through visual communication, and then assessed how people perceive that identity. The results showcased that SKIMS employs specific visual elements and choices, such as minimalism aesthetic, body-centric framing, uniform styling to emphasize inclusivity and product functionality, and de-glamorizing celebrity endorsement, to better allow the focus on the product. Through the employment of these elements, the brand is perceived inclusive and appealing, by possible consumers, according to the survey data. Nevertheless, despite the relatively positive perception of the brand, and the effectively positive relation between image perception and purchase intention, the latest remained low, suggesting that brand perception alone may not be sufficient to drive consumer purchasing. This study shed light on both advertising broader trends and societal shifts, while it examines how a brand can use specific marketing choices to shape consumer perception and brand recognizability. This investigation opens pathways for potential future research on advertising and consumer perception