| Findings and Conclusions: "Aesthetic Authenticity" is a construct that is possessed by objects or brands which incorporate a carefully controlled image, use symbolic imagery in their advertisements and other efforts to control brand image, have a close connection to consumer self-identity, and incorporate linkages to consummate experience.;Authenticity is a "cornerstone of contemporary marketing" (Brown, et al. 2003), however there is very little agreement in the literature. The concept has been linked to branding, consumer behavior, been used to legitimize products and services and adds to the market value of consumer products and cultural goods alike. In these varied contexts, evidence suggests that both researchers and consumers have varying ideas of what authenticity actually means. Indexical (spatio-temporal linkage), iconic (containing attributes of originality) and existential authenticity are current constructs of authenticity in the literature, however they are inadequate. Building on this extant base, I suggest aesthetic authenticity as an additional construct which has been a part of the marketing literature for at least a decade but which is only vaguely articulated therein.;This dissertation develops an authenticity typology which includes and addresses the existential and aesthetic aspect of the concept. Using a grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2005) it uses guided interviews where subjects categorize sets of "authentic" products and services with little or no researcher input about what or how many categories are present. Afterwards, subjects are interviewed about their rationales for the categorizations they have made. I discover how consumers identify authenticity in the marketplace, its linkage to brand associations and its relationship to their social identities. The data provides a clearer and more complete typology of the authenticity concept. It also lays the groundwork for future research on the concept including scale development and other managerially relevant areas. |
