Self-discrepancies motivate consumers to reduce the discrepancy’s negative effects by seeking products that make them feel better. Consumers use various strategies to mitigate these effects through within-domain purchases, across-domain purchases, or purchases designed to distract. Currently, there is a gap in the literature regarding how consumers trade off various compensatory consumption strategies when they face the option to evaluate different strategy at the same time. Through the current research presented here, as well as two proposed studies, I aim to find that people prefer escapism products and services (versus direct resolution and fluid consumption) when faced with a self-discrepancy. I address the literature gap by proposing studies for a mediator (working memory capacity) and a moderator (ease of the solution) on this relationship. This phenomenon occurs because self-discrepancies decrease working memory capacity (cognition): when cognitive resources are low, people will tend to prefer affective stimuli (escapism products). Finally, I plan an experiment to show that difficulty moderates this relationship. When the relative difficulty of the escapism solution is high, participants may be more likely to choose a different, relatively easier strategy. The current findings and suggested future studies contribute to the literature on compensatory consumption, escapism, and working memory capacity.

Personal branding within the music industry has long fallen under the supervision of profit-centric major record labels, whose control extended throughout artist’s music, copyrights, merchandising, and fair-use compensation. This paper explores how artists’ branding has evolved within the recording industry alongside the development of emerging technologies and the discovery of certain patterns in consumer behavior. Starting with an overarching exploration of the origins of commercialized music, this paper iterates how certain record labels ascended the corporate hierarchy to influence consumers’ accessible listening options. This understanding leads to an analysis of the inception of illegal file-sharing websites as an outlet for music distribution, as well as its long-lasting effects on industry distribution tactics and music streaming platforms. This paper then narrows to the origins of the rap industry, delving into the traditionally-rooted experiential celebrations that birthed such an impactful genre. Following an understanding of the history of the recording and rap industries, this paper identifies the modern music listener’s behaviors and choices, supplemented by an examination of how consumer social technologies have motivated these changes. To best understand the role of these evolving perceptions, this paper evaluates four successful rap artists - Chance the Rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Lil Nas X, and Travis Scott - and determines the strategies employed by these individuals and their branding teams. Finally, in determining these strategies, this paper outlines the essential takeaways from this research that would aid in the advancement of an artist’s personal branding today.

As I stare at my closet overflowing with a variety of beloved and colorful garments, I
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.

With brick-and-mortar retail actively under threat from a growing e-commerce market, companies are being challenged to re-evaluate the way they engage with their customers in the physical realm. Companies are under pressure to give consumers a reason to make a trip to their stores over succumbing to the convenience of sitting at home in their pajamas and shopping online. Because of the rapid development of e-commerce, there is a growing necessity for retailers to prove their worth by means of marketing the in-store experience as superior to that of what online could offer. Brands are navigating the grey area between the digital and physical realms in order to successfully fulfill the needs of the modern consumer through viewing these different entities as touchpoints in the overall consumer experience.

This study explores the connection between the interior design of retail spaces and consumer behavior in the direct-to-consumer environment. The research explores the relationships between consumer behavior, intangible brand identity, and the physical (brick-and-mortar) retail environment and explores interior design’s role in the development of a new form of retail found in brands whose presence began online and later entered the physical realm. Through analyzing store aesthetics, consumer preferences, and purchasing behavior, this research provides insight into what matters to consumers in a direct-to-consumer retail environment and how designers at the forefront of this movement are adapting, and ultimately draws conclusions about how companies can utilize interior design and store aesthetics as part of the consumer journey to maximize the impact of their brand experiences.

Aspirational brands such as luxury brands have a tendency to make consumers feel rejected in retail environments. Previous studies show that this rejection actually increases consumers’ positive feelings toward the brand. In this research, however, we suggest that this finding might not hold for all customer segments. Specifically, we suggest that for those customers who feel insecure in a certain domain (e.g., feel insecure about their social standing), rejection by a brand that is aspirational in that domain (e.g., a status-signaling brand) might backfire. Two experiments and a separate field study provides evidence that is consistent with these predictions. These results are discussed in depth, including limitations and future possibilities to further the study.
Aspirational brands are defined as brands that tap into the ideal self-concept (Ward and Dahl, 2014). For example, people who aspire to have high social standing view luxury brands as aspirational. Presently, most sales associates from aspirational brands are encouraged to display judgmental behavior when interacting with customers (Neuman, 2014). This is supported by past research that has shown that creating space between the customer and the brand increases the customer’s wants and needs to associate even more with this aspirational brand. This deliberate space between the brand and customer increases their desire to be recognized by that brand. (Ward and Dahl, 2014, p. 590).

Companies and brands have long used well-known “celebrities” to promote their products or services - the first instance of a celebrity endorsement dates back to the 1700s. However, there is currently a rise of non-celebrity “influencers” (well-known on social media but not typical celebrities) emerging in marketing: some companies are starting to allocate more marketing funds to these influencers over celebrities. Why are companies beginning to hire non-celebrity influencers more? When are consumers more likely to be influenced by a celebrity versus a non-celebrity influencer? Does the extent of influence (i.e. credibility) of the two depend on the status/quality of the product that is being promoted? Through a research study conducted at Arizona State University, I explore the forces of taste and product status, how much power celebrities and non-celebrity influencers have over these forces, and when consumers may be more influenced by celebrities versus non-celebrity influencers.

When browsing on social media – particularly Instagram – users will see a slew of well-known celebrities featuring different brands, products, or services in their posts. Celebrity endorsements for advertising “dates back to the 1760s” (Vemuri & Madhav, 2004), so the concept has existed for a few centuries. Today, some examples of celebrity endorsements include LeBron James and Nike; Justin Bieber and Calvin Klein; Sofia Vergara and Head & Shoulders, etc. It has become almost an expectation to see celebrities in most advertisements - it seems as if utilizing exclusively commonplace models in advertising isn’t the standard norm for companies anymore. Commonplace models still have the ability to sell, but celebrities can take that selling ability to another level. As stated in an article published by Forbes, many celebrities have cult followings, so “when famous people are seen in advertisements promoting a new product, audiences are prompted to buy that product, either subliminally or directly” (Olenski 2016). Due to their widespread clout, using celebrities to market products can be quite effective in reaching consumers. For instance, if a consumer is scrolling on social media like Instagram and sees his or her favorite celebrity using a certain brand or product, this may influence that user to begin using that same brand or product as well. A person who likes a celebrity presumably holds a certain level of trust in that celebrity, and trusts his or her judgement when it comes to using a specific product or service. Companies can benefit from investing in celebrities to “[juxtapose] brands and organisations with endorser qualities such as attractiveness, likeability, and trustworthiness... they trust that these qualities will generate desirable campaign outcomes” (Vemuri & Madhav, 2004). Essentially, consumers will associate products with likable celebrities, and therein purchase them.

As consumers shift their values toward sustainability, environmentalism, and social issues, industries face increased pressure to engage with sustainability and make their sustainable practices transparent to consumers. While luxury fashion has shifted toward sustainable practices, little conclusive research exists to understand how consumers respond to such practices. This research explores whether the use of recycled materials affects a luxury brand more than a mainstream brand. My results indicate that the use of recycled materials is harmful for a luxury brand but has no impact on the mainstream brand.

This study focuses on how parents purchase toys for their children. Specifically, the focus is on how likely parents are to purchase a toy typically associated with being feminine, masculine, or gender neutral. This study builds on research that showed that a parent’s gender role ideology affects how likely they are to purchase cross-gender toys (traditionally masculine toys for girls, traditionally feminine toys for boys) for their children (Kollmayer 2018). The study used photographs of pretested toys that had been deemed as masculine, feminine, or gender neutral. Using a within-subjects design, participants saw toys from each category and indicated their likelihood of purchase for each toy. The likelihood of purchase was used as the dependent variable. The findings were used to make recommendations to toy companies and retailers on how to market toys in regards to gender.

While developing and maintaining a connection between a brand and a customer has always been in the forefront of marketers' agendas, it has become an even more pressing goal as digital trends in marketing surface. Although the idea of using rewards to foster consumer-brand connection has been around for decades, marketers are still struggling to optimize the benefits. How can marketers use rewards to better connect with their customers? Are there certain types of rewards that are more effective than others? Are certain rewards more effective when being implemented under brands of a certain personality type? In a society that values connection and relationship, marketers cannot lose their ability to appreciate customers under digital constraints and to marketplace competition. Through a field study and scenario-based experiment, we explore how and why low conditional vs. high conditional rewards influence consumer-brand connection and the role brand personality plays.

While developing and maintaining a connection between a brand and a customer has always been in the forefront of marketers' agendas, it has become an even more pressing goal as digital trends in marketing surface. Although the idea of using rewards to foster consumer-brand connection has been around for decades, marketers are still struggling to optimize the benefits. How can marketers use rewards to better connect with their customers? Are there certain types of rewards that are more effective than others? Are certain rewards more effective when being implemented under brands of a certain personality type? In a society that values connection and relationship, marketers cannot lose their ability to appreciate customers under digital constraints and to marketplace competition. Through a field study and scenario-based experiment, we explore how and why low conditional vs. high conditional rewards influence consumer-brand connection and the role brand personality plays.