Recherche et Applications en Marketing; English ed.; RAM

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Faces of the New Consumer: A Genesis of Consumer Governmentality

This paper is less concerned with discussing the reality of the new consumer than in discovering how researchers and consultants construct this through their marketing discourses. A genealogical approach uncovers the three major faces of the new consumer that have emerged over the past twenty years: individualistic consumers in the early 1990s; hedonistic consumers at the turn of the millennium; and creative consumers in the mid-2000s. The paper then shows how these faces interact within a co...

How Do Socially Responsible Consumers Consider Consumption? An Approach with the Free Associations Method

Socially responsible consumption, that is the incorporation by individuals of social and environmental concerns in their consumption choices, is growing. Is this new tendency a consequence of a new way of considering consumption? The aim of this research is to verify the existence of different profiles of socially conscious consumers and to study their social representation of consumption. In order to meet these objectives, a study was conducted with 392 respondents. The free association tech...

Flagship Brand Stores Within Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Virtual Store Exposure On Real-Life Attitude Toward the Brand and Purchase Intent

Virtual hyperrealities, also referred to as virtual social worlds, have experienced increasing managerial interest in recent years. Although they have also received some attention in the academic literature, the extent to which corporate presences within such environments can influence attitude toward the brand and purchase intent in real life remains unclear. Based on a survey conducted among 580 Second Life residents, we show that exposure to flagship brand stores within virtual worlds posi...

Consumers in Virtual Worlds: Identity Building and Consuming Experience in Second Life

This paper examines the link that exists between individuals and their avatars in virtual worlds, in terms of identity. The outcomes of the study suggest that virtual worlds and the social and business interactions they offer are tools to build consumer identity. This exploratory research is based on a qualitative study using the chat mode to conduct 34 interviews in the Second Life virtual world. In the transition from the real to the virtual world, the individual must build another identity...

Research

What Meaning Do Responsible Consumers Give to Their Consumption? An Approach by Narratives

Current ethical, social and environmental concerns are reviving the topic of meaning in consumption practices. In order to improve our understanding of responsible consumers, this article studies the meaning of responsible consumption using the method of narratives and a structural analysis. The results show a set of common features among narrators: escaping ill-being, searching for the authentic self, avoiding isolation and controlling one's own life. Three meanings of responsible consumptio...