"The Ultimate Guide: Creating TikTok Content That Captures Millions"
#SelfieRevolution Fanscape White Paper
1. What the #SelfieRevolution
Means for Brands
Understanding the psychology behind the behavior to
inform consumer marketing campaigns
A White Paper from The Marketing Arm/Fanscape
2014 (c) Fanscape, All Rights Reserved
Author: Olga Kraineva
June 2014
2. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands 2
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There is not a hotter photo phenomenon right now than the selfie. Every day
millions of us take photos of ourselves and post them for the world to see. Why
do we do it and how do brands capitalize on this trend are the two questions
Olga Kraineva, account executive at Omnicom agency The Marketing Arm/
Fanscape, sought to answer in this White Paper. Olga pored through hundreds
of articles and interviewed countless sources, and what she found was that
psychological human patterns inspire us to take these self-centric photos, and
that discerning brands can benefit from this knowledge. But while this
understanding can be used to help engage consumers for marketing
campaigns, if misused can backfire and stray significantly from the desired
result.!
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A special thank you to Jennifer Gabrielli for her editing skills, and to all of our
contributing experts for their research, knowledge, and advice.!
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We hope you enjoy.!
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Thanks!!
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Larry Weintraub!
The Marketing Arm/Fanscape!
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OVERVIEW!
3. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
3
The selfie concept is simple: Take a photo of yourself, share it on your social
networks, wait for feedback, rinse, and repeat. Thanks to the proliferation of mobile!
!
INTRODUCTION TO THE SELFIE!
3
technology combined with the popularity of
social media apps like Snapchat and
Instagram, the behavior of “snapping a
selfie” is easier than ever before. Featured
in the millennials’ anthem “#Selfie” and
named Oxford Dictionaries 2013 Word of
the Year, the “selfie” is a full-fledged cultural
phenomenon. Enter the #SelfieRevolution.!
!
Brands are jumping on the selfie-taking
bandwagon, as well; by December of 2013, !
What Is A Selfie?!
Photograph
by
Pixel/iStock
Photo
207 brands ran selfie contests on Facebook and 781 contests on Twitter, a huge
jump from the 13 and 252, respectively, at the beginning of the year.i This growth is
just the tip of the #SelfieRevolution iceberg for the brand world in terms of potential
consumer engagement.!
!
Our mission here is to explore the psychology behind why people take and share
selfies, and how brands can better align themselves with this naturally occurring
behavior to strengthen brand-consumer relationships. !
Deep Dive Into Selfies!
What has triggered this recent surge in selfie-taking? It can be argued that the
selfie dates back to the very first self-portraits painted on cave walls, but let’s fast
forward to the more recent Flickr and MySpace era of the early 2000s. To share a
selfie took effort. Standing in front of a mirror or blindly facing the Cannon/Nikon/
Sony camera’s lens toward ourselves, we would snap multiple attempts in hopes of
netting a single usable image. Next we would upload the images onto our
computers and then onto the Internet for the world to see. Today, in only a matter of
seconds, our selfie comes to life as we use our smartphone to snap a picture with a
front-facing, multi-megapixel camera, add a filter for artistic effect, and upload it
instantly to any number of preferred social platforms. !
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4. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
With such ease, and a perceived cost of zero, we’re creating selfies at an
unprecedented rate. As of March 2014, 313 million selfies have been uploaded
under the hashtags #me and #selfie onto Instagram,ii while Snapchat claims that of
the 400 million photos shared daily, the majority are selfies.iii !
!
So who’s guilty of sharing all these selfies? To answer this question, investigative
website SelfieCity (http://www.selfiecity.com) analyzed over 120,000 Instagram
images from five global cultural hubs: Berlin, New York, Sao Paulo, Bangkok, and
Moscow. The study determined that the median age of the selfie taker is 24 and that
women share selfies more than men. iv However, one must realize that this can be
skewed, as the study took these photos from Instagram alone, where over 90% of
the platform’s users are under the age of 35.v!
4
People who take selfies can be grouped into two categories: the Chronic Abuser or
the Occasional Poster. Chronic Abusers take selfies multiple times a day. In one
recent and extreme case, a UK teenager was hospitalized for selfie OCD after
snapping over 200 photos of himself a day.vi The Occasional Poster, meanwhile,
tends to only snap a selfie when the occasion presents itself to be favorable, such as
sharing a great experience or simply having no one available to take the photo for
them. Lev Manovich, SelfieCity’s project coordinator, says there is no constant
thread between why people take selfies. Whereas some people take them to look
good in front of their networks, others share to show what they are doing at a given
time.vii!
Selfie Takers!
Graph
by
SelfieCity
5. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
5
In “Truth, Lies, and Advertising,” author Jon Steel writes that it is important to
“reach a deeper understanding of the way [consumers] think, feel, and behave;
and then use those observations and discoveries … to begin to build a relationship
with them.”viii In order for brands to create compelling marketing campaigns around
selfies, it is important to understand the human drives of narcissism, self-
expressionism, and validation that fuel the desire behind the behavior.!
EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGY !
5
Infographic
by
Nowsourcing
Narcissism!
Narcissism has been defined as “excessive
interest in oneself and one’s physical
appearance.”ix Selfies embody this definition,
as the tendency to take and retake photos “until
we can produce an image that comes closer to
matching our perception of what we think we
look like”x feeds our desire to project our best
self to others.!
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Jennifer Chen, strategy director at social media
agency Fanscape, claims, “A big incentive for
people to post and share selfies is due to the!
instant gratification and envy-inducing tendencies of posting glorified snapshots of
your life.”xi One 26-year-old female noted that she posts selfies thinking, “’Hey,
look how hot I look with my new hairstyle’ … I do, however, expect my good
friends and family to like my pics!”xii This expectation - and almost demand - for
positive affirmation is a testament to why this behavior can be addicting, and so
popular. !
Self-Expressionism!
While this demand for positive affirmation may seem alarming, Birmingham
graduate trainee Rebecca Brown counters, “People think if you take pictures of
yourself, you’re self-obsessed … not necessarily. A selfie is a format and a
platform to share who you are.”xiii Selfies can be seen as an exploration of self and
a fulfillment of the need to see yourself as others perceive you. “There is a primal
human urge to stand outside of ourselves and look at ourselves,” said Clive
Thompson,xiv author of “Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing
Our Minds for the Better.” !
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Learning about yourself goes hand-in-hand with self-expression, as you become
what you share. Manovich describes taking a selfie as projecting to others a
statement of “This is me at this point in time … This self-photography may be !
6. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
indicative of a whole new photography movement and a
way for individual self-expression.”xv For one 30-year-old
journalist, selfies are an expression of how she views
herself. “I love my work, so part of it is me saying, ‘Look at
what I get to do today.’”xvi Selfies enable us to learn more
about ourselves and then project to the outside world the
moments we capture and believe to be the best examples
of who we are. Through all these photo moments, we are
building an ever-growing memory book for ourselves and
future generations. !
6
The last and arguably strongest need to post selfies is to fulfill our deep
psychological need for validation and acceptance from our peers. Fast Company
Associate Editor John Paul Titlow argues, “In today’s age people care more about
what they look like and social acceptance comes only when the outside world
accepts the way we look, even more so than the work we do, or the way we behave
face-to-face.”xvii Through the connectivity of the Internet, this kind of community
affirmation can be instantaneous, and addicting.!
Validation!
Photograph
by
@theriverwolf_/Instagram
A 54-year-old man claims that
when he takes selfies, he
hopes to elicit a reaction. In
The Week’s article “Why We
Take Selfies,” the author cites,
“Our brains process visuals
faster, and we are more
engaged when we see faces. If
you’re looking at a whole page
of photos, the ones you will
notice are the close-ups and
selfies.”xviii This feeds into the
cycle of posting selfies for
attention and affirmation, as!
Chronic Abuser posters most likely are driven by validation, needing outside
affirmation for their own self-appearance, and are more likely to have self-esteem
issues.xix !
Photograph
by
Frontback/Brit.co
those are the photos most likely to receive engagement, leading to a feeling of
acceptance by your digital/social communities. !
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7. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
7
Photos are the preferred way for people to share information via social networks.
Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram see daily photo shares at 400MM, 350MM,
and 56MM respectively. xx Jenna Wortham of The New York Times sees a
preference for “online conversations and interactions that revolve around images
and photos, [being] more effective at conveying a feeling or reaction than text.” xxi !
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Brands tasked with telling a visually-appealing story that relates to the consumer
must create content that is compelling enough to be “thumb-stopping.” Aside from
selfies becoming a cultural phenomenon among millennials, images with faces
create stronger reactions, lending credence to the supposition that brands that use
selfies will see greater engagement.!
WHY BRANDS SHOULD CARE!
7
Photograph
by
saferinternet.org/Denmark
Millennials + Instagram!
SelfieCity’s research pointed to millennials as
the largest proliferators of selfies. Brands that
are hungry to engage with this audience may
want to turn to photo-based social platforms
like Instagram, which an L2 and Olapic report
names “the [type of] social network that has
seen the fastest growth, most engagement,
and highest conversion from browser to
shopper.” xxii !
Native Engagement!
Consumers crave content that is an extension of their natural environment and not
an outright marketing ploy. The rise of native advertising, defined by Wikipedia as
“an online advertising method in which the advertiser attempts to gain attention by
providing content in the context of the user’s experience,” is due to the consumer’s
ability to scrutinize and demand higher-quality content relevant to their interests.
Consumers have begun to own brand and product conversations at a level
previously unseen, xxiii causing the traditional one-way message model to morph
into a very active two-way dialogue that forces transparency and heightened
customer service. If properly utilized, the selfie can offer the opportunity to create
native and authentic engagement that humanizes a brand. !
8. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
By embracing insight data on who’s taking selfies and why, brands can create
campaigns that authentically take advantage of this cultural phenomenon. In a recent
report, Buzz Marketing Group states, “The real winners in millennial marketing will
understand how important it is to this demographic to have ‘once-in-a-lifetime’
experiences.” xxiv Brands that create experiences for the consumer that tap into the
previously cited psychological characteristics of narcissism, self-expressionism, and
validation will have an edge. !
8
Under Armour’s “What is Beautiful” campaign (http://whatsbeautiful.ua.com/) inspires
any athlete in training, amateur and professional alike, to go on a journey with others
around the country by sharing and documenting their training experience. Selfies are
a natural fit for this campaign, as many people are already part of the “fitspiration”
movement, documenting their workout progress and sharing their journeys with their
social networks. !
!
Melissa Taylor, senior vice president of account management at The Marketing Arm,
states that usually when there is a promotion, consumers are not participating in a
brand because they are predisposed to be heavily invested in the brand. However,
“utilizing a smart promotion strategy you can execute something that is so
meaningful, or the process is powerful, that it compels the consumer to truly be
invested in the campaign, therefore driving interest and investment around the brand.
xxv Tom Edwards, senior vice president of digital strategy and innovation at The
Marketing Arm, states, “documenting personal progress through a selfie, for the right
brand, can align with the brand’s persona, thus creating something even deeper than
awareness – authenticity.” xxvi Under Armour succeeded through aligning natural
phenomena with their brand in an authentic, community-building way.!
Under Armour!
BRANDS LEVERAGING THE SELFIE !
Brand Examples!
http://whatsbeautiful.ua.com/ !
9. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands 9
GoPro, like Under Armour, does a good job of capitalizing on selfie self-expression.
“Our entire company’s mission is to make it easy to self-document and share life’s
experiences and look good doing it,” xxvii said GoPro Digital Marketing Manager
Kevin Platshon. For GoPro, a selfie campaign aligns with the brand’s mission and
offers users a compelling way to engage and capture the shots that people want to
share with their networks. Huffington Post Journalist Molly Fosco explains, “Content
that is shared and then re-shared among someone’s networks is content that incites
emotion, offers value, facilitates a connection, is one-of-a-kind, or says something
about the person sharing the content.” xxviii !
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But what about companies where a selfie promotion may not seem as obvious as
one related to lifestyle brands like Under Armour and GoPro? Who would have
thought that Denny’s would strike digital marketing gold with the #DennysSelfie
Tumblr campaign? The brand honed in on millennial needs and wants, such as an
affinity for humor, to embody the brand in a way that was funny and, more
importantly, made people want to go to the restaurant. The campaign then
encouraged fans to tag their trips to Denny’s with #DennysSelfie for a chance to be
reposted onto Denny’s Tumblr blog. As a result, Denny’s has had a constant stream
of content, with hundreds of thousands of selfies posted from fans since the
campaign launched in 2013.xxix Edwards applauds this smart approach, as now “the
consumer lives the truth for the brand and pushes the message for the brand on its
behalf.” xxx !
http://allsurethingsfall.tumblr.com/!
GoPro!
Denny’s!
10. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
Brands should be aware of the negative effects of the selfie, especially when those
posting are seeking self-validation due to low self-esteem. Where there is a post, there
is often a comment. Dove, a company known for driving body love of all shapes and
sizes since the launch of its Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004, recently launched a
selfie-focused extension to the campaign, which centered on driving attention to the
notion of cyberbullying. Knowing that body and self-esteem issues often stem from
mothers, Dove encouraged middle-school aged girls and their mothers to take selfies,
which were then printed, posted in a gallery as an art exhibition, and asked to be
commented on by others. xxxi Unanimously positive, these comments increased the
confidence of both the younger and older generation participants, who were shown
that what they might consider to be unattractive may actually be qualities envied by
others. !
10
According to USC Annenberg Professor Burghardt Tenderich, “There will probably
always be a legal barrier to marketing, and a delay of what they will allow in relation
to how quickly the industry is moving.” xxxii This is an important consideration for
brands that must navigate their own internal structure for authorizing selfie-related
campaigns. !
Additionally, online privacy and
data permanence are serious
issues for brands to consider when
creating and executing selfie
campaigns. Children under the age
of 13 have their own special legal
protections for online privacy and
sharing. If brands are targeting
consumers under the age of 18,
they need to consider the
circumstances, and plan for the
additional legal hurdles that could
come with using a 16-year-old’s
selfie for their campaign. !
A Cautionary Tale!
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DoveUnitedStatesYouTube!
Jorge Calvo/dribble.com!
11. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
11
For brands to leverage the #SelfieRevolution in a smart way that activates and
excites the consumer in 2014 and beyond, they will need to consider and focus on
the following: !
• Deep emotional truths behind why people take selfies!
• The shift toward native advertising!
• Impact and opportunities that lie within mobile technology !
!
11
Deep Emotional Truths Behind Why We Take Selfies!
For brands to be truly respected and engage with the consumer when using selfies
for campaigns, they must create value for the consumer. This comes first with
understanding selfie-takers’ psychological drives of narcissim, self-expressionism,
and validation. The Marketing Arm’s Taylor states, “If you can provide consumers
some utility and a better expression of self, and tap into how to better express the
self that people want to project to others in social media, then you’ve tapped into
something that is powerful and shareable.”xxxiii!
The Shift To Native Advertising!
There are native possibilities for brands to
utilize selfies. Technology apps that can
identify influencers already advocating for a
brand within an existing platform – and then
aligning those influencers in a natural way
with the brand’s message – can prove
incredibly effective. !
Impact and Opportunities That
Lie Within Mobile Technology!
The front-facing camera smartphone and
mobile-centric social media apps like!
Instagram and Snapchat are where the selfie has bred and fostered a movement.!
Mobile and selfies go hand-in-hand, and brands must focus their social marketing
efforts with a mobile-first mentality. !
THE FUTURE: BRANDS AND SELFIES!
Photograph
by
iMore.com
12. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands
12
On a macro level, the selfie phenomenon is a
testament to the impact of technology on our lives.
On a micro level, selfies highlight certain
psychological and emotional truths within us.
Brands who will win the #SelfieRevolution will take
both the sociological and psychological foundations
into consideration to create smart, authentic
campaigns that make sense and add value for the
consumer. Brands that simply climb onto the
bandwagon without diving deeper may end up
looking like the uninvited and unwanted guests at
the party.!
CONCLUSION!
12
While the effectiveness of the selfie as part of a brand’s marketing strategy in three,
six, or 12 months remains to be seen, the psychological drives that compel us to snap
a selfie have been around for ages, and will not be going away anytime soon.!
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The Marketing Arm Digital and Fanscape Social have been leading social, mobile,
and content marketing for 16 years. Our mission is to always help our clients reach
and activate consumers and influencers to foster positive word-of-mouth sentiment
about their products. Our expert marketers have insight-driven and in-depth
understanding of consumer behaviors and are driven to increase our clients’ brand
identification, share-of-voice, and sales. !
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For additional information, visit www.fanscape.com, our blog
www.digitallyapproved.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr,
and LinkedIn. !
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Contact: Larry Weintraub | LarryW@fanscape.com | (310) 754-2830!
ABOUT !
Photograph
by
Joelle/hHp://
smileandshowyouarebeauKful.blogspot.com/
13. What the #SelfieRevolution Means for Brands 13
i
David
Griner,
Adweek.
“Infographic:
How
Brands
Became
Selfie
Obsessed”
(Feb
11,
2014)
hHp://www.adweek.com/adfreak/infographic-‐how-‐brands-‐became-‐Selfie-‐obsessed-‐155651
ii
As
of
March
23,
2014,
source:
Instagram
iii
Kurt
Wagner,
Mashable.
“Study
Finds
77%
of
College
Students
Use
Snapchat
Daily.”
(Feb
24,
2014)
hHp://mashable.com/2014/02/24/snapchat-‐study-‐college-‐students/
iv
Colm
Gorey,
Silicon
Republic.
“Major
study
of
Selfies
finds
major
demographic
differences
between
countries.”
(Feb
24,
2014)
hHp://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-‐media/item/35914-‐major-‐study-‐of-‐Selfies-‐find
v
Cooper
Smith,
Business
Insider.
“Here’s
Why
Instagram’s
Demographics
are
so
AHracKve
to
Brands.”
(March
13,
2014)
hHp://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-‐demographics-‐2013-‐12
vi
Fiona
KeaKng,
Interna9onal
Business
Times.
“Selfies
Linked
to
Narcissism,
AddicKon,
and
Mental
Illness,
Say
ScienKsts.”
(March
23,
2014)
hHp://www.ibKmes.co.uk/Selfies-‐linked-‐narcissism-‐addicKon-‐mental-‐illness-‐say-‐scienKsts-‐1441480
vii
Stacey
Leasca,
Los
Angeles
Times.
“The
science
of
Selfies
is
serious
business
–
and
seriously
revealing.”
(Feb
25,
2014)
hHp://www.laKmes.com/naKon/shareitnow/la-‐sh-‐science-‐of-‐Selfies-‐is-‐serious-‐business-‐20140225,0,3834176.story#axzz2w9qGQ9P9
viii
Jon
Steel
(1998).
“Peeling
the
Onion”
in
Truth,
Lies,
and
Adver9sing.
John
Wiley
&
Sons,
Inc.:
New
York,
p.
105
ix
Oxford
English
Dic9onary.
hHp://www.oxforddicKonaries.com/us/definiKon/american_english/narcissism
x
James
Kilner,
BBC
News.
“The
science
behind
why
we
take
Selfies.”
(Jan
16,
2014)
hHp://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-‐magazine-‐monitor-‐25763704
xi
Jennifer
Chen,
Personal
Interview.
March
20,
2014
xii
Chris
Gayomali,
The
Week.
“Why
we
take
Selfies”
(Aug
19,
2013)
hHp://theweek.com/arKcle/index/248418/why-‐we-‐take-‐Selfies
xiii
Elizabeth
Day,
The
Guardian.
“How
Selfies
became
a
global
phenomenon.”
(July
13,
2013)
hHp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/14/how-‐Selfies-‐became-‐a-‐global-‐phenomenon
xiv
Jenna
Wortham,
The
New
York
Times.
“My
Selfie,
Myself.”
(Oct
19,
2013)
hHp://www.nyKmes.com/2013/10/20/sunday-‐review/my-‐Selfie-‐myself.html?pagewanted=2
xv
Stacey
Leasca,
Los
Angeles
Times.
“The
science
of
Selfies
is
serious
business
–
and
seriously
revealing.”
(Feb
25,
2014)
xvi
Chris
Gayomali,
The
Week.
“Why
we
take
Selfies”
(Aug
19,
2013)
xvii
Elizabeth
Day,
The
Star.
“Selfies
–
self-‐expression
or
narcissim?”
(July
25,
2013)
hHp://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Features/2013/07/25/Of-‐me-‐with-‐love.aspx/
xviii
Chris
Gayomali,
The
Week.
“Why
we
take
Selfies”
(Aug
19,
2013)
xix
Fiona
KeaKng,
Interna9onal
Business
Times.
“Selfies
Linked
to
Narcissism,
AddicKon,
and
Mental
Illness,
Say
ScienKsts.”
(March
23,
2014)
xx
Cooper
Smith,
Business
Insider.Snapchat
Users
Are
Sending
400
Million
‘Snap’
Daily,
Edging
Past
Facebook’s
Photo-‐Upload
Volume.”
(Nov
19,
2013)
hHp://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-‐edges-‐past-‐facebook-‐in-‐photos-‐2013-‐11
xxi
Jenna
Wortham,
The
New
York
Times.
“My
Selfie,
Myself.”
(Oct
19,
2013)
xxii
Alice
Truong,
Fast
Company.
“This
Report
Shows
Why
Brands
Should
Embrace
Instagram
(If
They
Haven’t
Already).”
(Feb
13,
2014)
hHp://www.fastcompany.com/3026419/fast-‐feed/this-‐report-‐shows-‐why-‐brands-‐should-‐embrace-‐instagram-‐if-‐the-‐havent-‐already
xxiii
PR
Newswire.
“Gaining
AHenKon
for
Your
Brand
in
the
Age
of
the
Selfie.”
(Feb
11,
2014)
hHp://www.prnewswire.com/news-‐releases/gaining-‐aHenKon-‐for-‐your-‐brand-‐in-‐the-‐age-‐of-‐the-‐Selfie-‐244934611.html
xxiv
Tina
Wells,
How
cool
Brands
Stay
Hot.
“Top
10
GeneraKon
Y
Trends
for
2012.”
(Jan
6,
2012)
hHp://www.howcoolbrandsstayhot.com/2012/01/06/top-‐10-‐generaKon-‐y-‐trends-‐for-‐2012/
xxv
Melissa
Taylor,
Personal
Interview.
March
14,
2014
xxvi
Tom
Edwards,
Personal
Interview.
March
18,
2014
xxvii
Hanlya
Rae,
Digiday.
“Brands
take
Selfies,
too.”
(Feb
20,
2014)
hHp://digiday.com/brands/Selfie-‐perspecKve-‐brands/
xxviii
Molly
Fosco,
The
Huffington
Post.
“Taking
a
Selfie
Has
More
to
Do
with
Self
Worth
Than
You
Realize.”
(March
5,
2014)
hHp://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-‐fosco/taking-‐a-‐Selfie-‐has-‐more-‐_b_4901315.html
xxix
Fernando
Alfonso
III,
The
Daily
Dot.
“How
Denny’s
became
Tumblr’s
diner.”
(July
11,
2013)
hHp://www.dailydot.com/business/dennys-‐tumblr-‐gifs-‐amber-‐gordon/
xxx
Tom
Edwards,
Personal
Interview.
March
18,
2014
xxxi
Anna
Lundberg,
Anna
S
E
Lundberg
Blog.
“Making
money
and
doing
good
at
the
same
Kme,
is
it
really
possible?”
(Jan
28,
2014)
hHp://annaselundberg.com/tag/dove-‐Selfies/
xxxii
Burghardt
Tenderich.
Personal
Interview.
March
24,
2014
xxxiii
Melissa
Taylor,
Personal
Interview.
March
14,
2014
Works Cited!