EXPLORING SOCIAL CONTAGION WITHIN A TRIBE CALLED HIP HOP: MECHANISMS OF EVALUATION AND LEGITIMATION A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctorate of Business Administration by Marcus Collins May 2021 Examining Committee Members: Susan Mudambi, Advisory Chair, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Lynne Andersson, Human Resources Management Matt Wray, Sociology External Reader: Munir Mandviwalla, Management Information Systems ii © Copyright 2021 by Marcus Collins All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Social contagion—the spread and adoption of affects, behaviors, cognitions, and desires within a social group due to peer influence—is a widely studied phenomenon that continues to have a significant impact on commerce. When social contagion occurs within a culture of consumption, brands and branded products are not only adopted by the community, but they are also normalized and elevated from a strictly utilitarian function to identity-markers. Brands become important components of cultural meaning. Despite this impact, the specific details of the processes of social contagion are still relatively unknown. This dissertation studied social contagion within the hip hop culture of consumption, a multi-billion dollar marketplace. Using data from the Reddit social networking platform, the research provided empirical evidence that non-linear social contagion exists within the hop hip community for multiple brands. A netnography determined the processes by which brands and branded products spread within the hip hop community. Building on the established social processes of evaluation and legitimation that are known to drive the community coordination necessary for social contagion, the research uncovered four underlying mechanisms—responding, recontextualizing, reconciling, and reinforcing. These four mechanisms of evaluation and legitimation not only provide a richer understanding of social contagion but also enable the embedding of brands into culture and culture into brands. This theory-grounded empirical analysis of social contagion and meaning-making in the hip hop culture of consumption provides practical insights to marketers on how to better curate signals and communications to drive cultural meaning. iv KEY WORDS: Social contagion, contagion, evaluation, legitimation, hip hop, cultures of consumption, consumer culture theory, netnography, consumer behavior, brand meaning, meaning making v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After my undergraduate studies, I had no intention of ever being in a classroom again, much less pursue a doctoral degree. But thanks be to the God of Israel that He saw fit to put some of the most amazing people in my life to encourage me, challenge me, and help me realize my potential. For that, and so much more I say, “thank you.” To my committee members, thank you for being so enthused about my research topic when others did not seem to “get it.” Your interest was validating for me, both in this endeavor and as a practitioner. To my advisor, Susan Mudambi, thank you for your masterful ability to push me and, simultaneously, hold my hand throughout this process. I cannot believe how much I have grown under your guidance. Lynne Andersson, thank you for introducing me to the power of the ethnography and for helping me become a more rigorous researcher. Matt Wray, our first conversation completely unlocked this research project for me. You exposed me to a world that had unknowingly felt familiar; I simply did not have the language to articulate it. Since that encounter, you have continued to be the theoretical torch that lite my path along this journey. To my thought partner and dear friend, John Branch, my doctoral pursuits were inspired by you and fueled because of you. From my early days as an MBA student at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, to my present days as an “academic practitioner,” you have been a teacher and a mentor. I could not imagine any of this being possible without your support and friendship. To my parents, Hershel and Jeannette Collins, words cannot express my gratitude for all that you have done for me. Dad, you are the entrepreneur who taught me to dream. Mom, you are the academic who taught me to be pragmatic in my pursuits. Together, you vi both instilled in me a spirit of grit and gratitude, realizing that all my help and strength comes from God’s grace and mercy. To my wife, Alex, and our daughters, Georgia and Ivy, thank you for your love, your support, and all your sacrifices—but most of all, thank you for believing in me. To my natural family and my spiritual family, thank you for your many prayers and words of encouragement. I hope that I make you all proud. To my clients, teammates, and colleagues (both past and present), thank you for inspiring me. I have learned so much from you all. This dissertation is not only an articulation of my research, but it is also a byproduct of the conversations, debates, and creative work I have experienced with you throughout the years. Truly, I am grateful. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 2. EVIDENCE OF SOCIAL CONTAGION IN HIP HOP ..................................................5 A Brief History of Hip Hop .....................................................................................5 Literature Review .....................................................................................................9 Origins of Social Contagion .......................................................................10 Social Contagion Defined ..........................................................................13 Social Contagion and Marketing ...............................................................16 Social Contagion and Network Structures .................................................18 Social Contagion Discourse .......................................................................19 Cultures of Consumption ...........................................................................21 Hip Hop ......................................................................................................24 Conceptual Foundation and Research Questions ...................................................30 Preliminary Research Methodology ......................................................................32 The Research Site: Reddit ..........................................................................33 Data Collection Process .............................................................................36 Data Analysis Process ................................................................................38 viii Analysis and Results ..............................................................................................39 Analysis: Determination of Brand and Branded Product Spread ..............39 Analysis: Determination of Unique Contributors ......................................44 Analysis: Determination of Social Influence .............................................46 Results: Determination of Brand and Branded Product Spread .................48 Results: Determination of Unique Contributors ........................................52 Results: Determination of Social Influence ...............................................54 Discussion and Conclusions ..................................................................................59 Determination of Brand and Branded Product Spread Discussion ............59 Determination of Unique Contributors Discussion ....................................61 Determination of Social Influence Discussion ..........................................62 Conclusions ................................................................................................64 3. A NETNOGRAPHY OF HIP HOP AND SOCIAL CONTAGION .............................68 Introduction ............................................................................................................68 Conceptual Foundation and Research Questions ...................................................69 Evaluation ..................................................................................................70 Legitimation ...............................................................................................72 Research Methodology ..........................................................................................74 Netnography ...............................................................................................75 Step One: Data Retrieval ...........................................................................79 Step Two: Data Analysis ...........................................................................80 Step Three: User Privacy ...........................................................................88 Step Four: Aggregation of Findings and Insights ......................................89 ix Results ....................................................................................................................90