'Digital Personas in the Creator Economy: a Strategic Blend Between Passion and Work' Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship Research Seminar

Dr Koles is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour at the Marketing and Sales Department of Institut d'Économie Scientifique Et de Gestion (IÉSEG) School of Management, Paris, France. The topic of this presentation is 'Digital Personas in the Creator Economy: a Strategic Blend Between Passion and Work'.

Dr Koles holds a PhD in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour from Durham University Business School (UK) and a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Psychology from Harvard University (USA). Her research covers a range of areas, reflecting upon her multidisciplinary background and expertise. She has devoted many years to studying the role of innovative technologies (e.g. social media, virtual environments, virtual reality, artificial intelligence) on individuals, consumers and organisations. Currently, Dr Koles is pursuing projects that focus on various aspects of digital user behaviour (human and virtual influencers, streamers, gamers and consumers) on online gaming and social media platforms. She has further expertise in a range of consumer behavioural topics (e.g. compensatory consumption, consumer compromise, brand love), which she applies to understand human actions in digital and offline settings.

Prior to joining IÉSEG, Dr Koles held professorial positions in the USA, Portugal, Hungary, the UK and France. She serves on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Consumer Studies as Associate Editor and has published widely in international peer reviewed journals. She also has experience managing Special Issues at different reputable outlets, including Journal of Business Research and Psychology and Marketing.

Digital platforms gave rise to new opportunities for people to leverage their interests, skills and expertise, turning them into a source of income. Bloggers, YouTubers, social media influencers and video game streamers are members of the contemporary creator economy, able to attract an audience with their posts, videos, podcasts, streams and other digital content. Despite their rapid growth and massive impact, research on these influential characters - although increasing - remains relatively scarce. Importantly, studies are needed that embrace a multi-disciplinary orientation, capturing fields like branding, entrepreneurship, digital innovation and design and creativity.

This seminar will explore digital personas in their greater ecosystem, reflecting upon the following:

• their personal brand and identity project
• their relationship with their audience
• their dependence on the platform and its algorithms
• the challenges that characterise their complex trajectory

Evidence will be presented based on a couple of research studies Dr Koles and her colleagues carried out during the past two years. Relevant findings will be synthesised from a series of interviews conducted with multiple stakeholders, including video game streamers, owners and managers at digital agencies, creators of virtual influencers and other industry representatives with expertise in digital innovation. Discussions will concentrate on key takeaways and presenting a future outlook, with concrete insights for scholars and managers.

The seminar will be held on 15 February 2024, 1:00pm, in room G10 of the Henley Business School building, Whiteknights campus. For those unable to attend in person there is also the option to dial in remotely via Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in joining, please contact Alex Baker on a.j.baker@henley.ac.uk

HCfE research seminars are co-ordinated by Professor Maks Belitski and Dr Fabio Goncalves de Oliveira.