Taklit, `tasarım marka` tüketimi: Sebepler, uygulamalar, sonuçlar

ABSTRACTCONSUMPTION OF COUNTERFEIT DESIGNER BRANDS: REASONS,PRACTICES AND CONSEQUENCESAli Utku AkkoçMSc. Department of ManagementSupervisor: Asist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet EkiciSeptember 2005This thesis examines the consumption reasons, practices and consequences of non-deceptivecounterfeit designer brand clothing, which has been becoming rampant in Turkey as stressedby diverse resources. Utilizing qualitative research methods, the study was conducted throughinterviewing twenty counterfeit designer brand consumers nine of which additionallypossessed the authentic items. Three consumers who solely consume the authentic items werealso included in the sample. Findings suggest that consumers prefer counterfeit designer brandclothing not only for economic reasons, but also for symbolic reasons such as ardent desire,reference group influence, experiential fulfillment, nostalgic appeal as well as perceivablyunfair prices of authentic items. Consumers selectively display the counterfeit items andselectively disclose information about their consumption to avoid social anxiety andembarrassment. As a consequence, consumers authenticate an otherwise strange identitythrough such consumption practices. Not only can fantasy and real commingle, but also theconcepts fake and authentic can mesh through a process of authentication as determined bythe desires of the consumer. The study has implications for the literature on counterfeitconsumption, price fairness, symbolic consumption as well as postmodernism and concludeswith a discussion of opportunities for future research.iiiKeywords: Counterfeit, symbolic consumption, price fairness, postmodernism, social risk,sosyete bazaar, embarrassment, social anxiety, self presentation, justification, materialism,authenticity, desire, reference groups, emulation, designer brands, ethical consumption.iv