Research
Metodologies
Metodologies
01
Interpretative Qualitative Methodologies
We specialize in qualitative research rooted in interpretative and cultural approaches to deepen the understanding of social and consumer phenomena. We employ methodologies such as in-depth interviews, diaries, ethnography, and grounded theory to explore the cultural and symbolic dynamics that shape human behavior. Our approach is based on interpreting meanings and everyday practices, allowing us to provide rich insights aimed at capturing the complexity and nuances of human experiences while developing effective and culturally relevant strategies.
02
Netnography
Labcom is specialized in designing and conducting netnographic research. Netnography is a research approach that uses various qualitative techniques, adapting observational methods to digital contexts such as social media and online platforms. Labcom investigates how cultures and communities emerge in and through technology-mediated contexts. Through netnography, we examine how techno-culture and technology consumption influence communication patterns, consumer choices, and branding strategies.
Research Areas
Consumer-Brand Relationships
This area of research focuses on studying the range of connections that develop between consumers and their preferred brands, extending beyond brand loyalty.
We have a particular interest in the social dynamics and in analyzing various forms of consumer aggregation, such as brand communities, consumer tribes, and brand publics.
These are groups of individuals who come together around specific motivations, passions, rituals, or practices, often centered on focal brands and the consumption experiences they provide.
Brand Activism
This research area views brands as socio-cultural resources and focuses on analyzing the relationships they establish with their socio-cultural context. We examine how brands integrate and influence the cultural environments in which they operate. Our work particularly focuses on brand activism and the dynamics of woke/green-washing, as well as consumer-driven counter-activism amplified by social media.
We aim to understand how brands navigate the inherent tensions of being both business and cultural actors, as consumers and stakeholders increasingly expect brands to show commitment and citizenship. These expectations impact consumer choices and preferences. Today, brand activism is becoming one of the dominant and controversial strategies brands adopt to engage with social counterparts and gain visibility on the media agenda.
This research area seeks to understand how brands balance their roles as market and cultural players and what future perspectives exist in a context where their social and civic contributions (and the visibility of these contributions) are growing in importance.
Content Creators and Influencers (Human, Virtual, Pet, Fandom)
Influencers and content creators have profoundly impacted business and culture. This research area combines cutting-edge conceptual and critical thinking with practical advice for those interested in examining the industry and working within it.
This area of research examines the influencer phenomenon from a variety of perspectives, including as a form of persuasion, a structural change in media, a culture shift, a challenge to equality, and an opportunity for activism and social change. It provides an in-depth look at the influencer ecosystem, including pet and virtual influencers and their role in the marketing system, explores and pioneers the world of influencer fandom, examines regulations and ethical implications, and also explains why influencers are becoming indispensable to governments, platforms, and brands.
Consumer Entrepreneurship in Consumer Collectives
We analyze consumer collectives with a focus on prosumption—the productive work of consumers—and the dynamics of value creation and appropriation generated through this work in consumption and consumer entrepreneurship contexts.
Our aim is to explore the socio-cultural value created by consumers’ productive practices and the impact this has on their experience and well-being at individual, social, and market levels. In dialogue with Market System Dynamics studies, we investigate the processes through which consumers generate new markets, leveraging their roots within consumption communities and tribes to drive innovation and new business opportunities.
Technosocial Consumption Phenomena
This research area explores how technology consumption and social experiences are intertwined in contemporary consumer culture. Previous research refers to this interconnection as techno-sociality, highlighting its significant impact on society.
How is social experience transformed by the consumption of technology?
What are the effects on the collective and individual experience of the social fabric, and on the interactions among consumers, brands, and technologies?
In this area, we develop a theory-driven and field-driven understanding of the relationship between technology consumption and consumers’ experiences of social life. We investigate topics such as how consumers construct and negotiate their individual and collective identities on digital platforms, how these platforms influence identity formation and consumption habits through algorithms and affordances, and how brands can effectively leverage digital platforms to engage with consumers, embedding themselves more deeply in their lifestyles and the social fabric.
Brand And Consumer Decoupling And Business Ethics In Digital Platforms
Social media platforms have become crucial spaces for ethical debates and often intense confrontations between brands and consumers. This research area focuses on the concept of brand decoupling, where a new brand identity is strategically created and deliberately separated from its ethically compromised corporate parent, with the aim of reshaping public perception and avoiding regulatory scrutiny.
Building on previous research into brand emotional attachment and ethical disengagement, this area introduces underexplored aspects of brand ethics, such as the power of imagery, linguistic creativity, nostalgia, and aesthetic consumption. It also delves into the dynamic relationship between brand decoupling and recoupling on social media, offering a more nuanced understanding of these processes.
Smart Tourism
The tourism sector is increasingly shaped by smart technologies that are transforming consumption practices, social interactions, and travel experiences. It is essential to examine how these practices are evolving, both to help researchers understand shifts in the tourist journey and to support marketers in designing the most effective experience strategies and communication messages to promote smart tourism experiences.
Within the framework of smart tourism, LABCOM is conducting specific studies in the following areas:
- Evolution of Cultural Practices in Zoom Tourism: This project explores, through visual and semiotic analyses, a new photographic format called the "zoomie" and the cultural practices emerging from a new form of tourism, Zoom tourism, experienced through and on the Zoom platform. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Zoom is emerging as a new kind of tourist destination.
- Travel Live Streaming: This research focuses on the visual and narrative practices employed by travel live streamers in creating destination images, as well as the perceptions, desires, and meanings generated among viewers of these entertainment formats. The goal is to understand whether live streaming platforms serve as new tools for inspiring tourism or represent a new context for consumption. Additionally, the study seeks to determine whether travel live streamers are an emerging category of travel influencers.
Consumer-Brand Relationships
This research area explores the connections between consumers and their preferred brands, going beyond brand loyalty. It specifically focuses on the social dynamics of consumer aggregation, such as brand communities, consumer tribes, and brand publics. These groups form around shared motivations, passions, rituals, or practices, often related to particular brands and the consumption experiences they offer.
Technosocial Consumption Phenomena
This research area explores the connection between technology consumption and social experiences in modern consumer culture, referred to as techno-sociality. It examines how technology consumption transforms social experiences, affecting both individual and collective interactions among consumers, brands, and technologies. Key topics include how consumers shape their identities on digital platforms, the role of algorithms in influencing identity and consumption, and how brands can use digital platforms to engage with consumers and integrate into their lifestyles and social networks. The research develops both theory-driven and field-driven insights into these dynamics.
Brand Activism
This research area examines brands as socio-cultural resources and their relationships with the cultural contexts they operate in. It focuses on brand activism, the dynamics of woke/green-washing, and consumer-driven counter-activism amplified by social media. The work explores how brands balance their roles as both business and cultural actors, responding to growing consumer and stakeholder expectations for brands to demonstrate commitment and citizenship. These expectations influence consumer preferences. The research seeks to understand how brands navigate these tensions and their future roles in a landscape where social and civic contributions are becoming increasingly important.
Brand And Consumer Decoupling And Business Ethics In Digital Platforms
Social media platforms have become key spaces for ethical debates and confrontations between brands and consumers. This research area focuses on the concept of brand decoupling, where a new brand identity is strategically created and separated from its ethically compromised corporate parent to reshape public perception and avoid regulatory scrutiny. Building on research into brand emotional attachment and ethical disengagement, it explores underexplored aspects of brand ethics, such as the power of imagery, linguistic creativity, nostalgia, and aesthetic consumption. The area also examines the dynamic relationship between brand decoupling and recoupling on social media, offering a deeper understanding of these processes.
Content Creators and Influencers (Human, Virtual, Pet, Fandom)
The influencer and content creator phenomenon has significantly impacted business and culture. This research area blends conceptual and critical thinking with practical advice for those studying or working in the industry. It examines influencers from various angles, such as persuasion, media transformation, cultural shifts, challenges to equality, and opportunities for activism. The research area also delves into the influencer ecosystem, including pet and virtual influencers, their role in marketing, the emerging world of influencer fandom, and the associated regulations and ethical considerations. Additionally, it highlights why influencers have become crucial to governments, platforms, and brands.
Smart Tourism
Smart technologies are transforming tourism by changing consumption, social interactions, and travel experiences. LABCOM's research focuses on two areas:
- Zoom Tourism: Examines the cultural impact of Zoom-based tourism and the emerging "zoomie" photographic format, exploring if Zoom is becoming a new tourist destination.
- Travel Live Streaming: Investigates how travel live streamers create destination images and influence tourism, while exploring the role of live streaming platforms as new tools for tourism inspiration.
Consumer Entrepreneurship in Consumer Collectives
This research focuses on consumer collectives, particularly prosumption—the productive work of consumers—and the value creation and appropriation that occurs in consumption and consumer entrepreneurship contexts. It aims to explore the socio-cultural value generated by consumers'productive practices and its impact on their experience and well-being at individual, social, and market levels. The research also examines how consumers, drawing from consumption communities and tribes, drive innovation and create new markets, contributing to business opportunities.
