JENNIINA HALKOAHO Identity-Related Media Consumption A Focus on Consumers' Relationships with Their Favorite TV Programs ACTA WASAENSIA NO 261 ________________________________ BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 106 MARKETING UNIVERSITAS WASAENSIS 2012 Reviewers Professor Outi Uusitalo Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics P.O. Box 35 FI–40014 University of Jyväskylä Finland Professor Agneta Marell Umeå University Umeå School of Business SE–90187 Umeå Sweden III Julkaisija Julkaisuajankohta Vaasan yliopisto Toukokuu 2012 Tekijä(t) Julkaisun tyyppi Jenniina Halkoaho Monografia Julkaisusarjan nimi, osan numero Acta Wasaensia, 261 Yhteystiedot ISBN Vaasan yliopisto 978–952–476–396–7 Markkinoinnin yksikkö ISSN PL 700 0355–2667, 1235–7871 65101 VAASA Sivumäärä Kieli 271 englanti Julkaisun nimike Identiteettiä rakentava median kuluttaminen – Tarkastelussa kuluttajien suhteet suosikkitelevisio-ohjelmiinsa Tiivistelmä Mediat nousevat nyky-yhteiskunnassamme merkittävään roolin niin yksittäisinä kulutuk- sen kohteina kuin vaikutusvaltaisina kulttuurisina instituutioina. Tässä kulutustutkimuk- sen alaan sijoittuvassa tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan medioiden kuluttamista symbolisesta, erityisesti kuluttajan identiteetin rakentumisen näkökulmasta. Mediasisältöjä lähestytään tuotteina ja palveluina, joita kuluttajat voivat ostaa ja käyttää. Työn tarkoituksena on valaista kysymystä siitä, miten televisio-ohjelmat ja kuluttajan identiteetin rakentuminen ovat yhteydessä toisiinsa. Tutkielmassa pyritään tunnistamaan ja analysoimaan, millä tavoin kuluttajat hyödyntävät mediatuotteita rakentaessaan identiteettiään ja käsitystä itsestään, ympäröivistä ihmisistä sekä sosiaalisista suhteistaan. Työn ensimmäisenä tavoitteena on selvittää, millaista medioiden symbolinen kuluttami- nen on ilmiötasolla. Tätä ymmärrystä rakennetaan opiskelijoiden keskuudessa laadullisin menetelmin toteutetun esitutkimuksen myötä. Esitutkimuksen myötä piirtyy kuva moni- vivahteisesta median kuluttamisesta, jonka symbolisia merkityksiä rakentava luonne näyttäytyy selvänä, joskin implisiittisenä ominaisuutena. Työn toisena tavoitteena on analysoida, miten kuluttajan suhde televisio-ohjelmaan ra- kentuu käsitteellisesti. Saadun esiymmärryksen ja kirjallisuuskatsauksen myötä tutkimus- asetelma tarkennetaan koskemaan muodostuneen kulutussuhteen intensiivisyyttä, lujuutta ja luonnetta. Käsitteellistä mallinnusta koetellaan myös empiirisesti televisionkatsojien keskuudesta kvantitatiivisesti kerätyllä Internet-kyselyaineistolla. Työn kolmantena tavoitteena on analysoida miten televisio-ohjelmien kuluttaminen il- menee käytännössä, eli miten ja missä määrin televisio-ohjelmat toimivat resursseina kuluttajien identiteetin rakentamisessa. Edellä mainittuun kyselyaineistoon perustuva analyysi osoittaa, että kuluttajien välillä on selkeitä eroja suhteessa suosikkiohjelman saamaan rooliin omassa arjessa ja minäkäsityksessä. Tässä yhteydessä televisio- ohjelmien genrekohtaiset erot selittävinä tekijöinä saavat kuitenkin vain osittaista tukea, kun taas vastaajan ikä näyttäytyy merkittävänä tekijänä. Asiasanat Media, kuluttaminen, identiteetti, suhde televisio-ohjelmaan V Publisher Date of publication Vaasan yliopisto May 2012 Author(s) Type of publication Jenniina Halkoaho Monograph Name and number of series Acta Wasaensia, 261 Contact information ISBN University of Vaasa 978–952–476–396–7 Department of Marketing ISSN P.O. Box 700 0355–2667, 1235–7871 FI–65101 VAASA Number of Language FINLAND pages 271 English Title of publication Identity-Related Media Consumption – A Focus on Consumers’ Relationships with Their Favorite TV Programs Abstract Different media vehicles hold a significant role in our contemporary society as important objects of consumption and influential cultural institutions. The field of the study is con- sumer research and it investigates media consumption from a symbolic perspective as an identity constructing activity. Media contents are approached as products and services that consumers can buy and use. The purpose of this study is to uncover how consump- tion of television programs and identity construction are connected. In other words, pur- pose is to investigate different ways in which consumers make use of television programs to construct their identities as well as make sense of their selves, others and social rela- tions in their everyday lives. The first research aim is to understand the phenomenon of symbolic consumption of me- dia products. This understanding is gained along with a pre-study phase with qualitative methodology and a focus on university students. Based on the pre-study it can be out- lined that media consumption is a multifaceted phenomenon, of which symbolic nature is unquestionable, yet fairly implicit. The second research aim is to construct a comprehensive conceptual model of identity- related consumption of TV programs and to test its validity with empirical data. Based on pre-understanding and literature review, conceptual framework is constructed based on a relationship perspective with a focus on intensity, strength and nature of consumer-media relationships. This conceptual model is tested against quantitative, online survey data. The third research aim taps into specifying how and to what extent consumers use TV programs as resources for their identity construction in practice. This investigation de- ploys the same above-mentioned data source and reveals that there are clear differences between consumers in their relationships with favorite TV programs. In this connection, program genre -based explanation for the differences receives only a partial support, whereas age of the respondent seems to make a significant difference. Keywords Media, consumption, identity, relationship with a television program VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Now, when this journey of a doctoral candidate is approaching its end, I look back and ask: has it been worth travelling? How has the road been, and what kind of sceneries and travelling companion has it offered me along the way? I have navigated through several crossroads, confusing roundabouts, and faced some uphill struggles every once in a while. I have also had a chance to take some ex- citing bypaths to the conferences, and listen to the words of wisdom from the more experienced ones. However, mostly I have been forced to sit tight in my office room and think over my steps. Although I like running fast, I was advised not to rush and therefore miss all the lessons to be learned on this road. Luckily, I have not been wandering alone, but I have been blessed with strong encouragement and support right from the beginning. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Pirjo Laaksonen for keeping me on track with her inval- uable guidance and full-hearted believe in me. I am also grateful to the official pre-examiners of the thesis, Professor Agneta Marell from Umeå University and Professor Outi Uusitalo from University of Jyväskylä for devoting some of their precious time for my manuscript and giving insightful comments to it. In addition, I wish to thank other academic members in Finland and abroad for their valuable comments and tuition in different phases of my research. I am grateful for my dear colleagues (in present and back in time) at the Depart- ment of Marketing. I have been in a truly great company! You have made this trip bearable in bad times and enjoyable at its best. Especially I wish to thank Profes- sor Martti Laaksonen for understanding my goals in life as well as challenging me with his intellects and Professor Jorma Larimo for his thoughtful touch at the De- partment. I have been privileged to receive financial support from many instances. I wish to thank University of Vaasa, Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Finnish Graduate School of Marketing – FINNMARK, Graphic Industry Research Foundation, Finnish Foundation for Economic and Techonoloy Sciences – KAUTE, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Wihuri Foundation, Markus Wallenberg Foundation, and the Foundation for Economic Education. Also I would like to thank Anssi Kiviranta for the possibility to conduct data gathering via Telkku.com. I have come quite far, but not that far I would have forgotten the most important – my dearest ones who have cared for me and put up with me. Thank you for re- minding me about the joys in life other than research. I want to dedicate this book to my dear parents, Sirpa and Markus, and my sweet sister, Johanna. Finally, Juk- ka. Without you I would be quite lost. Thank you for sharing this trip with me. VIII I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself what a wonderful world. I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world. ~ Louis Armstrong lyrics Vaasa, May 2012 Jenniina Halkoaho IX Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................. VII 1 INTRODUCTION TO SYMBOLIC CONSUMPTION OF MEDIA PRODUCTS ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Research setting and objectives .......................................................... 3 1.1.1 Purpose of the study ........................................................... 4 1.1.2 Positioning the study within marketing field ....................... 5 1.1.3 The philosophical foundation and research approach for the study ............................................................................ 6 1.2 Conceptions of identity