Powered by Love: A Study on Symbolic Consumption of Idol-Endorsed Products
The rise of fan economies and idol endorsement models has made "spending for love" a defining phenomenon in youth cultural consumption. As the main force in fan economies, the consumption behaviour of college students has attracted a lot of attention. This paper will be based on interviews. According to the Audience Spectrum Theory proposed by Abercrombie and Longhurst (1998), the three categories of college student fans are: core fans, casual fans and bystanders. Three typical cases from each group will be introduced in detail. The purpose is to study the different reasons for consumption, various interpretations of symbolic meanings, and various strategies for identity construction among the three types of college student fans who buy products recommended by their idols.
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