Social Media Influencers as Mediators of Brand Communication and Adolescent Self-Concept: A Qualitative Case Study of Emma Chamberlain

Ana Maria Grigoriu
Additional contact information
Ana Maria Grigoriu: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University from Iasi

Technium Social Sciences Journal, 2026, vol. 86, issue 1, 54-66

Abstract: Adolescence is a critical period for the consolidation of self-concept and self-esteem, processes that are increasingly shaped by social media feedback and by the brand communication circulating in these environments. Social media influencers have emerged as a distinctive figure that occupies a mediating position between brands and young audiences. This study examines how influencer brand communication intersects with adolescent self-concept and clarifies the mechanisms through which a “relatable” influencer embeds brands into the everyday lives and identities of adolescent followers. I conducted an interpretive single-case study of Emma Chamberlain, a mega-influencer credited with popularizing relatable content on Instagram and YouTube. The corpus comprised her public Instagram and YouTube output up to early 2020 – Including a focused analysis of fifty posts on each platform – together with publicly available interviews, analysed thematically through the lenses of self-concept theory, self-brand connection, the symbolic-consumption model, parasocial-interaction theory and social-learning theory. Five interrelated mechanisms were identified: relatable identification, parasocial intimacy, narrative authenticity, subtle personal branding and engagement-driven fan communication, the account reaching a 25% engagement rate. A documented reversal in the influencer’s stated attitude toward luxury brands illustrated how sponsorship gradually reshapes content and models value change for followers. The influencer functions less as a driver of immediate purchasing than as an agent that positions brands within adolescents’ reference group and self-concept.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://techniumscience.com/index.php/socialsciences/article/view/13758 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tec:journl:ojs:13758

DOI: 10.47577/tssj.v86i1.13758

Access Statistics for this article

Technium Social Sciences Journal is currently edited by Tasente Tanase

More articles in Technium Social Sciences Journal from Technium Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tasente Tanase ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).