Research has regularly addressed the disparities in power between consumers and more powerful market actors and the resultant market developments that emerge either through acts of resistance or the reproduction and consolidation of existing power structures. However, previous literature has primarily foregrounded dissatisfied consumers who are openly opposed to the aspirations of powerful actors. Through an inductive study of the sneaker subculture, we identify a previously overlooked category of consumer; a consumer with high field-dependent cultural capital who is dissatisfied with developments within their particular consumption field but who is generally unantagonistic towards powerful actors and willing to engage in an exchange of legitimacy that benefits all parties. We dub these actors “consumer Clerics.” Through an institutional theory lens, we elaborate on the legitimacy exchange between powerful actors, consumers, and disruptive entrants, explore the dynamics of these relationships, and describe the nature of consumer Clerics’ consumption field participation.

This article reconstructs the historical trajectory of the Swedish alcohol policy field from 1855 to 1995. Contrary to prevailing interpretations portraying the Swedish state as a paternalistic actor who dominated the field for the well-being of its citizens, the study offers a more nuanced understanding. Drawing on Strategic Action Field theory, it reveals a field shaped by emergence, stability, and transformation, driven by ongoing conflicts among temperance movements, political parties, municipalitis and market actors who, at various points, contested state dominance and challenged its status quo. Regulatory changes were also influenced by broader market, political and socio-cultural developments in Swedish society. The article makes two theoretical contributions: it shows the importance of embeddedness in field formation as an enabler of cyclical change; it uncovers the multifaceted nature of the state in policy making, managing field relationships, and adapting to institutional pressures. The article concludes by tracing direction for further studies.

What happens after brands are discontinued? This conceptual article unpacks the afterlife of brands and develops the notions of phantom brands and Frankenbrands. Phantom brands are commercially discontinued brands that still linger on in consumer culture and offer residual value for consumers in a spectrum of functional, and emotional/symbolic/social dimensions. Frankenbrands are relaunched phantom brands that have been subjected to inapt changes which have distorted the brands in such a way that they become defunct, freakish, and monstrous doppelgänger of their former selves. Building on the theory of liminality, a synthesis of extant literature, and phantom and Dr. Frankenstein's metaphors, we derive a phantom brand typology to offer guidance in evaluating the potential of brands for relaunch and the notion of Frankenbrand to highlight the negative effects of misguided brand changes of relaunched brands. Thus, we conceptualize the trajectories of commercially discontinued brands to derive important implications for marketers and scholars interested in brand revival.

Conventional brand-management literature tends to portray the production of brand meaning as a one-way communication process, where consumers decode preconceived sets of marketer-constructed brand identities into corresponding brand images. In contrast, interest in the cultural roles of brands understands brands as dialectically constructed through iterative processes between various actors. In this chapter we focus on researching the cultural role of brands, to capture the cultural richness of brand meanings in contemporary consumer culture. This approach implies appreciating brands as culturally constructed symbols created by various types of authors who furnish them with symbolic content that is highly bound to context and time.

This volume provides an in-depth examination of the role of sexuality in consumers’ life course and in the marketing of products and services.

Leading scholars in the field define the most up-to-date picture of theories of sexuality in marketing and consumer research, mapping the topic through diverse theoretical lenses, addressing queer and feminist research, and putting sexuality and consumption in context. The book brings together leading international marketing scholars to build on the growing interest in theories of sexuality, queer theory, and intersectionality, which are gaining more interest among institutions and researchers interested in equality and diversity. While this book builds on existing expertise in consumer culture scholarship, it is the first time a marketing book focuses on sexuality, adding value to the existing repertoire in gender and feminist literature. The chapters are organised into three key sections: Part 1 maps the marketing and consumer research field, discussing how sexuality can be studied through different lenses; Part 2 focuses on queer and feminist theorising, drawing on LGBTQIA+ theory, queer theory, and theories of intersectionality to analyse how overlapping social categories interact to influence consumer behaviour, identity, and experiences in the marketplace; and Part 3 explores the personal and social aspects of sexuality, offering a broad overview of issues of gender and sexuality, digitalisation, and the sexual body.

This text will be of direct interest to scholars and researchers within the fields of marketing, consumer research, sociology, and media studies. The aim of this book is to help scholars and students to develop a broader understanding about the interplay between sexuality, society, and the market.

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the market dynamics that led to a shift in Swedish consumers' alcohol preferences from schnapps to wine. Specifically, the study investigates how the Swedish state influenced consumers' alcohol habits and highlights the role of governance units in shaping consumer culture. Design/methodology/approach - The study reconstructs the historical memory of the Operation Vin, a strategic marketing campaign implemented by Systembolaget from 1957 to 1985, to conceptualize the past and to uncover the structures and change dynamics of the Swedish alcohol market system. Following this approach, the research contrasts historical data from multiple sources with market-oriented ethnographical data and traces the trajectory of how the consumption of alcohol has changed as a consequence of the Swedish state's initiatives. Findings - The study offers two contributions to the literature in marketing and consumption history. Firstly, it uncovers the lines of actions (framing and settlement) involved in creating marketing systems and shaping consumer culture. Secondly, it explores how the state strategically leveraged its social skills to promote a specific type of alcohol consumption (wine) and to induce the Swedish consumer to cooperate in the refashioning of the alcohol field. Social implications - The authors aspire for this paper to offer valuable insights into how a state, as a governance entity, can shape consumer culture through a strategic blend of various regulatory measures, both gentle and forceful. The authors emphasize the pivotal role of social skills in fostering cooperation during the implementation of a new alcohol policy. Originality/value - This paper provides valuable insights into the role of the Swedish state in shaping consumer culture and explores the strategic actions and marketing systems involved, contributing to marketing and consumption history literature.