ORGANIC CONTENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AUTHENTICITY, AND THE CONSUMER LENS Mayhew, Samantha Marieorganic contentnative contentsocial mediaadvertisingAdvertising/Public RelationsB AThis study examines the cultural background, brand tactics for success, and consumer perspective on effectively using organic and native content to create a business empire through social media. The study opens with a literature review examining the cultural relevance that has lead to today’s normative state for digital advertising and branded social media accounts. Delving into a specific example, an extensive case study on the small, fashion company Kiel James Patrick (KJP) is presented. The case study analyzes KJP’s substantial success through organic content on social media. In addition, a quantitative study examines how consumers view and react to the various elements identified as the success behind the KJP brand, with a focus on consumers connections to brands and perceived levels of authenticity through social media. The literature review, case study, and primary research add to our knowledge and perspectives on how content and social media can best engage and connect to consumers. Dr. Lee Ahern, Thesis SupervisorDr. Fuyuan Shen, Thesis Honors Advisoropen_access2018-04-10T20:25:03Zhttps://honors.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/5186smm6482