Echoes of the past: A Qualitative Study on Personal and Historical Nostalgia and their Impact on Consumer Identity

Sammanfattning: Thesis Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore young consumers' identity creation in the context of nostalgic consumption and marketing. The study seeks to deepen the understanding of how young consumers construct their identities by exploring the impact of two forms of nostalgia, personal and historical. Theoretical Perspective: To analyze the empirical data and gain insight into consumer identity formation, this study employs a Consumer Culture Theory perspective and utilizes three different theoretical lenses. The theories employed include Belk's concept of possessions and the extended self, Goffman's perspective on self-presentation, and Holt's definition of identity myths. Methodology: In order to reach the objectives of this study and to understand the impact of nostalgia on consumer identity creation, a total of 14 in-depth semi-structured interview questions were conducted. Further, the study followed an abductive approach. The data were analyzed with guidance from Rennstam & Wästerfors, as well as the framework Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Analysis: When analyzing the material, it showcased that young consumers use different consumption habits connected to nostalgia in order to form their identities. It showed that they use both tangible aspects of consumption, such as clothing, but also intangible aspects, such as movies and music. This categorization became the themes, and subthemes in the analyses. Main Findings & Contributions: This study was both supported by existing literature, as well as contributed to the literature. The main contributions, in summary, are that (1) young consumers construct their identities by engaging in nostalgic consumption, encompassing both tangible and intangible aspects, (2) they shape romanticized nostalgic narratives that contribute to the formation of their identities, (3) these consumers blend personal and historical nostalgia, which is conceptualized by us as relational nostalgia, to shape their sense of self. Through these processes, it can be concluded that nostalgia becomes a significant factor in the construction of young consumers' identities.