When Personal Identity Becomes Brand Identity: Identity Spillover as a Mechanism of Reputational Vulnerability
Author
Thomsen, Nanna Reeckmann
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-29
Abstract
This thesis examines whether conventional crisis communication frameworks are adequate for understanding crises in situations where personal and organisational identities are tightly intertwined, and how reputational vulnerability operates within influencer-owned brands. Building on the shift from traditional endorsement models to influencer-led entrepreneurial branding, it shows how influencers now act not only as promoters but also as owners, symbolic representatives, and key carriers of brand meaning, making it difficult to separate the individual from the organisation. Using a social constructivist and interpretivist approach, the thesis synthesises endorsement theory, influencer marketing research, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and the concept of parasocial relationships. It identifies a conceptual tension between identity-based branding perspectives, which see brand value as embedded in symbolic meaning, emotional attachment, and perceived authenticity, and organisational crisis frameworks that treat reputation primarily as a manageable strategic asset. Empirically, the study analyses two influencer-owned brand cases – Djerf Avenue x Matilda Djerf and Rhode x Hailey Bieber – through qualitative coding of 143 Instagram comments, using Saldaña’s multi-cycle coding method. The findings show that audiences consistently understand the influencer and the brand as linked symbolic entities, with reputational judgments flowing between person and company, and criticism of working culture or personal appearance escalating into broader evaluations of morality, authenticity, and identity. The data also indicate that parasocial attachment intensifies emotional responses during reputational pressure, as audiences not only assess the organisation but also react through relational expectations, perceived intimacy, and sincerity. The thesis concludes that influencer-owned brands function as hybrid identity structures in which audience engagement, symbolic identity, and organisational reputation are closely intertwined, and that reputational vulnerability arises both from organisational actions and from how audiences interpret the identities on which these brands are built. By incorporating relational, symbolic, and identity-based perspectives into crisis communication research, the thesis extends existing models to better capture the distinctive dynamics of modern influencer-owned brands.
Denne afhandling undersøger, om traditionelle krisekommunikationsrammer er tilstrækkelige til at forstå kriser i situationer, hvor personlige og organisatoriske identiteter er tæt sammenvævet, og hvordan omdømmesårbarhed fungerer i influencer-ejede brands. Med udgangspunkt i udviklingen fra klassisk endorsement til influencer-ejet entreprenørskabsbranding beskriver afhandlingen, hvordan influenceren ikke længere kun er ambassadør, men også ejer, symbolsk repræsentant og central meningsbærer for brandet, hvilket gør det vanskeligt at skelne mellem individ og organisation. Gennem en socialkonstruktivistisk og fortolkende tilgang integreres teori om endorsements, influencer marketing, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) og parasociale relationer. Et teoretisk spændingsfelt identificeres mellem identitetsbaseret branding, der ser brandværdi som bundet til symbolsk mening, følelsesmæssig tilknytning og autenticitet, og traditionelle kriseteorier, der primært behandler omdømme som en organisatorisk ressource, der kan styres strategisk. Empirisk analyseres to cases – Djerf Avenue x Matilda Djerf og Rhode x Hailey Bieber – baseret på kvalitativ kodning af 143 Instagram-kommentarer med Saldañas fler-cykliske kodningsmetode. Analysen viser, at publikum konsekvent opfatter influencer og brand som tæt forbundne symbolske enheder, hvor vurderinger af omdømme flyder mellem personen og virksomheden, og kritik af arbejdsforhold eller fremtoning hurtigt udvikler sig til bredere spørgsmål om moral, autenticitet og identitet. Data peger også på, at parasocial tilknytning forstærker følelsesmæssige reaktioner i kriser, idet publikum ikke kun vurderer organisationen, men reagerer ud fra relationelle forventninger, oplevet intimitet og oprigtighed. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at influencer-ejede brands fungerer som hybride identitetsstrukturer, hvor publikums engagement, symbolsk identitet og organisatorisk omdømme er tæt vævet sammen, og at omdømmesårbarhed udspringer både af konkrete organisatoriske handlinger og af publikums fortolkninger af de identiteter, brandet bygger på. Ved at indarbejde relationelle, symbolske og identitetsbaserede perspektiver i kriseforskningen bidrager afhandlingen til at udvide eksisterende krisekommunikationsmodeller, så de bedre afspejler de særlige vilkår for moderne influencer-ejede brands.
[This abstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]