Making Intergenerational Making Intergenerational Memories Memories at American Girl Placeat American Girl PlaceNina Diamond Nina Diamond Robert Kozinets Robert Kozinets John SherryJohn SherryAlbert MunizAlbert MunizStefania BorghiniStefania BorghiniMary Ann McGrathMary Ann McGrath

What is American Girl?What is American Girl?

The AG projectThe AG project Objective: Learn from the creation of this ‘powerhouse’ Objective: Learn from the creation of this ‘powerhouse’

brandbrand Discover the source of the ‘magic’; find out how intense Discover the source of the ‘magic’; find out how intense

emotional bonds between consumer and brand were drawnemotional bonds between consumer and brand were drawn Enrich our understanding of brands as cultural ‘actors’ and Enrich our understanding of brands as cultural ‘actors’ and

relationship partners relationship partners Continue to clarify the role of retail environments in creating Continue to clarify the role of retail environments in creating

and sustaining brand equityand sustaining brand equity

Method: Primarily ethnographicMethod: Primarily ethnographic Extensive participant observation, photography and Extensive participant observation, photography and

videography at AGP and in consumers’ homes, on-site videography at AGP and in consumers’ homes, on-site interviews with store management and floor sales personnel, interviews with store management and floor sales personnel, immersion in company literatureimmersion in company literature

Diverse multidisciplinary research team Diverse multidisciplinary research team

American Girl PlaceAmerican Girl Place

American Girl Place: American Girl Place: Epicenter of a brand-Epicenter of a brand-

based project that based project that Harnesses play in the Harnesses play in the

service of learning service of learning Transmits, interprets, Transmits, interprets,

and transmutes and transmutes traditional values to traditional values to contemporary girls living contemporary girls living in a plural, postmodern in a plural, postmodern societysociety

AG Brand facilitates family processAG Brand facilitates family process

Young girls alternate between imaginary play and focused Young girls alternate between imaginary play and focused preparation for their lives as women preparation for their lives as women Guided by older female family members Guided by older female family members

Mothers and grandmothers share with girls experiences Mothers and grandmothers share with girls experiences from their own childhoods from their own childhoods

These interactions among family members are facilitated These interactions among family members are facilitated by American Girl by American Girl

The role of narrativeThe role of narrative

In the AG brand and at AG Place, female kinship In the AG brand and at AG Place, female kinship groups find powerful cultural material to groups find powerful cultural material to construct themselves as individuals and as a construct themselves as individuals and as a family family

Complex brand narratives used by girls, Complex brand narratives used by girls, mothers, and grandmothers to author their own mothers, and grandmothers to author their own stories stories Represent synthesis of commercial and personalRepresent synthesis of commercial and personal

Gendered family histories connect women and Gendered family histories connect women and girls of successive generationsgirls of successive generations

Narratives that blend the personal Narratives that blend the personal

and the commercialand the commercial

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

About deepening and evolving relationships About deepening and evolving relationships among female members of the quintessential among female members of the quintessential small social unit – the family small social unit – the family

And about “making memories”And about “making memories”

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

Shopping at AG PlaceShopping at AG Place

Excerpt from on-site interview with Excerpt from on-site interview with grandmothergrandmother

I: I: You were saying at the beginning that you came here for her memory. You were saying at the beginning that you came here for her memory. What do you mean by this?What do you mean by this?

G: Well, I think grandparents..... parents, too, but especially grandparents.... G: Well, I think grandparents..... parents, too, but especially grandparents.... like to create memories for the children and for the family, you know? like to create memories for the children and for the family, you know? And I just thought that this could be one of those memories for her…And I just thought that this could be one of those memories for her…

I: So … this day can be part of her memories? I: So … this day can be part of her memories? G: Yeah, yeah. I think it would make.... those things I remember of my G: Yeah, yeah. I think it would make.... those things I remember of my

childhood, you know.... the grownups and events in my life that, when I childhood, you know.... the grownups and events in my life that, when I think back about, I like, you know... They’re special and I want to create think back about, I like, you know... They’re special and I want to create that kind of event for her. That she’d say, ‘I remember my grandmother, that kind of event for her. That she’d say, ‘I remember my grandmother, my Nanna. - she calls me Nanna - ‘My Nanna and my Mom and I went to my Nanna. - she calls me Nanna - ‘My Nanna and my Mom and I went to American Girl, and I just.... you know…American Girl, and I just.... you know…

I think they I think they (memories)(memories) are more important than things, the feelings and are more important than things, the feelings and

the memories. I mean, I remember it too, you know, but for her it’s much the memories. I mean, I remember it too, you know, but for her it’s much more important.more important.

Understanding the phenomenon Understanding the phenomenon

Consuming as integration (Holt, Consuming as integration (Holt, 1995; Acosta-Alzuru & Kreschel, 1995; Acosta-Alzuru & Kreschel, 2002)2002) Valued consumption object or Valued consumption object or

experience becomes constitutive experience becomes constitutive element of identityelement of identity

Self concept is re-oriented to align Self concept is re-oriented to align with an ‘institutionally defined with an ‘institutionally defined identity’identity’

(Wallendorf & Arnould, 1988) (Wallendorf & Arnould, 1988) Meaning of favorite objects and Meaning of favorite objects and experiences derives from experiences derives from personal memories personal memories

Understanding the phenomenonUnderstanding the phenomenon

Brands serve as relationship partners Brands serve as relationship partners (Fournier,1998):(Fournier,1998):

Vitality within the relationship enabled Vitality within the relationship enabled by spirit of past or present other by spirit of past or present other E.g., where brand E.g., where brand Is received as a gift (McGrath & Sherry, Is received as a gift (McGrath & Sherry,

1993)1993) Exists for generations, and helps Exists for generations, and helps

establish the family as a “descent establish the family as a “descent group” (Miller, 1998) group” (Miller, 1998)

Descent group characterized by Descent group characterized by cyclicality; role of parent to child cyclicality; role of parent to child recapitulates earlier such relationships recapitulates earlier such relationships

Commodity “objectifies” family tradition Commodity “objectifies” family tradition and history and history

Understanding the phenomenonUnderstanding the phenomenon

Retail atmospherics being used to create a Retail atmospherics being used to create a more attractive and memorable consumer more attractive and memorable consumer experience – stores telling stories (Gottdeiner, experience – stores telling stories (Gottdeiner, 1997; Pine & Gilmore, 1999)1997; Pine & Gilmore, 1999)

Evolution of ‘themed flagship brand store’ Evolution of ‘themed flagship brand store’ formats (Kozinets, Sherry, et al, 2002) and formats (Kozinets, Sherry, et al, 2002) and ‘retroscapes’ (Brown & Sherry, 2003) ‘retroscapes’ (Brown & Sherry, 2003) Essence is mythological appeal of the narratives Essence is mythological appeal of the narratives

conveyed by store formats’ physical and symbolic conveyed by store formats’ physical and symbolic structurestructure

Hypothesized future potential of ‘mindscapes’ that Hypothesized future potential of ‘mindscapes’ that “combine entertainment, therapeutics, and spiritual “combine entertainment, therapeutics, and spiritual growth”growth”

Understanding the phenomenonUnderstanding the phenomenon

Shopping as a means to reveal Shopping as a means to reveal relationships relationships

Shopping as sacrifice Shopping as sacrifice An activity that constructs the An activity that constructs the

divine as a desiring subject divine as a desiring subject Purpose of shopping is less to Purpose of shopping is less to

buy things that people want than buy things that people want than to engage with those who want to engage with those who want the thingsthe things

Shopping as identity work; Shopping as identity work; medium for “objectification of medium for “objectification of ethnic, gendered, and other ethnic, gendered, and other forms of identity” forms of identity”

(Miller, 1998)(Miller, 1998)

Understanding the phenomenon:Understanding the phenomenon:Summary of related phenomenaSummary of related phenomena

Retail ‘brandscapes’; ‘stores telling stories’Retail ‘brandscapes’; ‘stores telling stories’ Shopping as entertainmentShopping as entertainment Shopping as activity in which relationships are Shopping as activity in which relationships are

revealed and identity work donerevealed and identity work done Consuming as integrationConsuming as integration Brands as relationship partnersBrands as relationship partners Valued objects infused with the spirits of Valued objects infused with the spirits of

individuals and eventsindividuals and events

Understanding the phenomenon:Understanding the phenomenon:Learning from AG Learning from AG

A branded retail outlet can represent a A branded retail outlet can represent a shopping environment thatshopping environment that Reinforces and builds multigenerational relationshipsReinforces and builds multigenerational relationships Enables individual and family identity creationEnables individual and family identity creation

A brand can not only act as relationship A brand can not only act as relationship partner, but actually facilitate the development partner, but actually facilitate the development of relationships among individualsof relationships among individuals

Memories - of life events in historical context Memories - of life events in historical context and of shopping together at AGP - serve as a and of shopping together at AGP - serve as a vehicle for enhancing multigenerational family vehicle for enhancing multigenerational family relationships relationships

ReferencesReferences Acosta-Alzuru, Carolina and Peggy Kreschel (2002), “I’m an American Girl, Whatever Acosta-Alzuru, Carolina and Peggy Kreschel (2002), “I’m an American Girl, Whatever That That

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