”I bought this before Elon went crazy” : - En kvalitativ studie om varumärke, lojalitet och ledarskap i Teslas marknadsföring

Sammanfattning

In today’s media landscape, the line between corporate branding and personal identity is becoming increasingly unclear. This study explores how Tesla has used psychological marketing and the public image of it’s CEO, Elon Musk, to build a loyal customer base without traditional advertising. Using a qualitative, multimodal content analysis of Tesla’s communication on social media, its website, and Musk’s X account (previous Twitter), the study looks at how storytelling, digital interaction, and community-building efforts help shape the brand’s image. The research uses theories such as Word of Mouth, Celebrity Studies, the Hybrid Media System and Transmedia Storytelling to show both the benefits and risks of tying a brand closely to a well-known individual. The findings show that Musk’s personality has helped boost Tesla’s visibility and image, but has also made the company more vulnerable to criticism when he acts in controversial ways. This study adds to the understanding of how modern brands can gain power, but also face new risks, when connected to strong public figures