Higher education institutions in the 21st century face significant social, economic, and technological changes that will substantially change the educational experience of students. Researchers should continue to monitor new and emergent technologies in order to see what tools have potential in the classroom and how receptive students are to using such tools. This research unpacks one element of the critical technological shift at universities by exploring the use of social media in higher education. Recent research has discussed the opportunities associated with the use of Web 2.0 and social media tools in the classroom (

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the consumer-brand typology developed by Fournier to a segment of heterosexual male shoppers of fashion and grooming products. Design/methodology/approach -In-depth interviews, collage constructions, and shopping trip observations are the three methods of inquiry in this research. Findings -A total of 13 of the 15 brand relationships detailed by Fournier are affirmed. Three new relationships emerge in the data demonstrating the fluidity of the typology across market segments and sociocultural contexts.Research limitations/implications -The research findings provide implications for other consumption contexts which aid in identity construction. In addition, some of the new relationships that emerge from the text may be prevalent among other segments of men, and/or women. Practical implications -Managers must be cognizant of the variety of brand relationships that men form with regard to fashion and grooming in order to effectively appeal to this growing market. The new relationships identified exhibit the goal-driven nature of men's engagement with brands. The prevalence of secretive and adversarial relationships also demonstrates that marketers and retailers must be mindful of men's boundaries of consumption. Originality/value -Fournier highlights the importance of context to brand relationships. However, little research has investigated the relevance of the original typology across contexts and across segments. This research explores a particular sociocultural consumption context and discovers new relationship forms not previously identified among a segment of male shoppers.Over a decade ago, Fournier (1998) introduced a typology of 15 consumer-brand relationships based on her research of consumer-brand narratives. This typology is significant because her research conceptualizes the brand as "an active relationship partner" (Fournier, 1998, p. 344) and captures the multitude of ways in which consumers bond with brands. Fournier (1998) discusses the need to move away from measuring brand loyalty strictly as a metric based on repeat purchases and instead points to researchers who recognize the "talismanic rel...