FANATIC CONSUMERS: TRANSCENDING CONSUMPTION AND THE SACRED SELF

This thesis aims to explore the phenomenon of fanatic consumption by interpreting the underlying meanings that fanatic consumers ascribe to their favorite brands. After having defined the concept of fanaticism in literature we design a research project founded on an interpretive epistemology. Then we undertake a data collection by conducting participant observations and phenomenological interviews on five fanatic consumers’ lives over a period of more than 18 months. We propose a definition of fanatic consumers to precisely identify them. Each consumer shares a strong relationship with a single specific brand. A hermeneutic approach is implemented in order to grasp the underlying meanings of fanatic consumption. The analysis is organized in two levels – the idiographic level and the nomothetic level – in order to understand the emic meanings as well as the etic meanings. Finally, results are conceptually abstracted. Findings show how fanatic consumers find in brands a means to transcend their life conditions and to sacralize their identity. Our results contribute to the literature on fanatic consumer research, consumer research and provide managerial implications for marketing strategies.