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This thesis examines how the cultivation of stardom and genre communities has fostered and expanded the cross-promotional function of popular music. While emphasis is placed on the role visual media have played in the commodification of celebrity "personalities," calculated brand images are not positioned as unique to the mainstream. The central argument is that the promotional power of music within global multimedia apparatuses has not only allowed for unprecedented commercial clout for mainstream pop stars, but has also created advertising niches for "independent" musicians. The relationship between cultural meanings derived by subcultures and their interpretation within lifestyle marketing is evaluated. Key themes include debates around musical authenticity and commercialization, music as an art industry, and problematic cultural hierarchies embedded within competitive youth practices. This discussion analyses how the cachet afforded by rebellious and individualistic youth tastes is harnessed within a marketplace that caters to "personalization" and niche markets.

This thesis examines how the cultivation of stardom and genre communities has fostered and expanded the cross-promotional function of popular music. While emphasis is placed on the role visual media have played in the commodification of celebrity "personalities," calculated brand images are not positioned as unique to the mainstream. The central argument is that the promotional power of music within global multimedia apparatuses has not only allowed for unprecedented commercial clout for mainstream pop stars, but has also created advertising niches for "independent" musicians. The relationship between cultural meanings derived by subcultures and their interpretation within lifestyle marketing is evaluated. Key themes include debates around musical authenticity and commercialization, music as an art industry, and problematic cultural hierarchies embedded within competitive youth practices. This discussion analyses how the cachet afforded by rebellious and individualistic youth tastes is harnessed within a marketplace that caters to "personalization" and niche markets.