Date Thesis Awarded

5-2016

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA)

Department

American Studies

Advisor

Charles McGovern

Committee Members

Lisa Szykman

Sarah Glosson

Abstract

This work centers on the British boy band One Direction and its fans. One Direction formed in 2010 on the X Factor and capitalized on several key external factors to become one of the biggest bands in the world. Though its target market of young women is undervalued in society, over the course of the twentieth century the young female demographic has grown in consumer power with the rise of mass media. One Direction utilizes the technological advances of social media to connect and create a strong emotional bond with fans within the framework of the band's liminality. This thesis shows the influence of the band's marketing campaigns through original research, and demonstrates the growth of agency within the One Direction fandom overtime. Through online social media platforms the fandom is an empowering and supportive place for young women, which results in the fandom's focus shifting from the band onto the fandom community itself.

Recommended Citation

Haney-Claus, Megan Katherine, "One Direction and the Marketing Machine" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 889.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/889