Beating,ditching and hiding: consumers’ everyday resistance to marketing

ABSTRACT

This article illuminates consumers’ views of marketing in light of theories of resistance. It argues that consumers engage in resistance to the power of marketing through their everyday actions and also through the ways they construct their accounts of these actions. It identifies three theoretical approaches to resistance (hegemonic, relational and autonomous). These are used to discuss consumers’ accounts of marketing collected through 78 personal interviews in which participants were asked to describe marketing and provide examples of their experiences with marketing as they defined it. Through this, the study uncovers various forms of consumer resistance, which can often go unnoticed. These are conceptualised through the notion of everyday resistance to marketing and are used to challenge existing marketing theory and develop paths for future research.     

Alchemy in eden: entrepreneurialism, branding, and food marketing in the United States, 1880–1920

Through an investigation into the origins of American food marketing, this dissertation reveals how branding—specifically, the centennial brands Quaker Oats, Coca-Cola, and Crisco—came to underpin much of today's market-driven economy. In a manner akin to alchemy, the entrepreneurs behind these three firms recognized the inherent value of an agricultural Eden, then found ways to convert common, low-cost agricultural goods—oats, sugar, and cottonseed oil—into appealing, high-revenue branded food products. In the process, these ventures devised new demand-driven business models that exploited technology and communications advances, enabling them to tap a nascent consumer culture. Their pioneering efforts generated unprecedented profits, laid the foundation for iconic billion-dollar brands, and fundamentally changed how Americans make daily food choices.     

Organisational rigidities and marketing theory: examining the US department store c.1910–1965

By analysing the US department store during the period c.1910–1965, this article deepens our understanding of the nature of the transition to phases of ‘maturity’ and ‘decline’ that are fundamental to models of retail change (retail wheel, retail life cycle). By employing a close reading of key marketing and management writing of the period, it finds that ‘lock-in’ to an organisational structure associated with a single downtown store posed significant obstacles to suburban branched expansion. Only partial organisational centralisation occurred with the formation of holding companies in the 1920s, which contrasted with chains of general-merchandise and some department store retailers that were efficiently structured and better able to exploit suburban growth. When major department store companies finally embraced branched expansion, they were forced to significantly revise their operational structures.     

‘Not to bet the farm’: SANLAM and internationalisation, 1995–2010

The South African Life Assurance Company (SANLAM) entered global markets after 1990, with varied success. Contextual pressures exerted a ‘push’ on financial services companies, which led to strategic changes in firm strategy, structure and performance. Theories of internationalisation afford more attention to industrial production internationalisation. This article explores the SANLAM experiences with internationalisation since the early 1990s. Initial internationalisation attempts were less successful, leading to strategic business changes, which led to a change in the globalisation strategy and more success in alternative markets. This article explores the different stages of SANLAM’s internationalisation strategy and what determined eventual success. The article contextualises the SANLAM internationalisation strategy by drawing on aspects of the process theory, the Matthews Linkage, Leverage and Learning (LLL) framework, and the Strategy, Structure, Organisation and Performance (SSOP) analytical framework. The SANLAM case underlines the crucial role of tacit knowledge of the host market as prerequisite for successful globalisation strategies of financial services’ firms.     

Vertical monopoly power,profit and risk: The British beer industry,c.1970–c.2004

ABSTRACT

By investigating surplus and risk distribution in the British brewing industry, this article shows that risk and risk transfer are important dimensions of vertical supply chain relationships. A comparative financial analysis shows the effects of models of vertical ownership before and after the break-up of producer controlled tenanted estates and the strategy and performance of pub-owning companies. Contrasting mechanisms for controlling the capture of surplus and division of risk are evaluated. The article complements prior studies that have concentrated on the brewers by assessing winners and losers amongst pub owning companies and tenants in different models of vertical organisation and how they might be effectively regulated.     

The impact of war: New business networks and small-scale contractors in Britain, 1739–1770

Abstract

This article argues that the resources and skills of military contractors were a crucial component of the war-making capacity of the British state in the mid-eighteenth century. Contractors used product knowledge, access to capital and credit, market intelligence, and personal and professional connections to perform contracts effectively, and by doing so contributed towards operational capability and combat readiness. Contracting not only reveals the diversity of the domestic economy but also the degree of connectivity between different sectors. Problems of scale, cost, and risk were overcome by harnessing and channelling broad expertise across different sectors. If modern states were highly innovative in fiscal-military terms, contractors were no less so in managing extensive supply operations.     

From reviving tradition to fostering innovation and changing marketing: the evolution of micro-brewing in the UK and US, 1980–2012

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore and examine the impressive growth of small and micro-breweries registered in the UK and US from the early 1980s. While the majority of British and American breweries continue to operate in spatially restricted areas and niche markets, a few businesses expanded significantly in terms of production and turnover, gradually acquiring larger shares of the market and competing with multinational producers at home as well as abroad. The cases of BrewDog and Sierra Nevada, used as case study examples in this article, provide an original account on how once-upon-a-time micro-breweries grew into well established companies by pursuing aggressive strategies in terms of marketing and innovation respectively.     

‘In the best position to reap mutually beneficial results’: Sole-agency agreements and the distribution of consumer durables in inter-war Britain

This article uses a case-study approach to explore the use of exclusive sole-agency agreements in the distribution and retailing of specialty branded consumer durables in inter-war Britain, a neglected topic in the business history literature. Utilising an extensive correspondence between piano manufacturer Broadwood and Sons, and Liverpool-based musical instrument retailer Rushworth and Dreaper (with comparisons made with two smaller sets of manufacturer–retailer correspondence) we argue that the stability of a sole-agency agreement encouraged the emergence of a highly reciprocal and collaborative relationship that led to innovations in marketing, selling, branding and product development. We urge a reconsideration of the value and effect of sole-agency agreements.     

In Defence of ‘Demand’ Deposits: Contractual Solutions to the Barnett and Block,and Bagus and Howden Debate

This article contributes to a recent debate between Barnett and Block (J Bus Ethics 88(4): 711–716, 2009), Bagus and Howden (J Bus Ethics 90(3): 399–406, 2009), Barnett and Block (J Bus Ethics 100: 299–238, 2011), Cachanosky (J Bus Ethics 104: 219–221, 2011) and Bagus and Howden (J Bus Ethics 106: 295–300, 2012a) regarding the conceptual distinction between demand deposits and time deposits. It is argued that from an economic perspective there is nothing inherently fraudulent or illegitimate about deposit accounts that are available ‘on demand’, but that this relies on certain contractual provisions. Particular attention is drawn to option clauses and withdrawal clauses, which “solve” the problems raised by Barnett and Block, and Bagus and Howden. Previous authors have also neglected the asset side of banks balance sheets, and this is shown to further justify the legitimacy of fractional reserve banking.     

Beyond perception: the role of gender across marketing scholars’ careers,in reply to Galak and Kahn (2021)

Marketing Letters - Galak and Kahn (2021), in their recent contribution on the organizational climate in Marketing academia, highlight important transgressions perceived by women and...     

Making the ‘handmade’ bike and trying to make a living: market objects,field-configuring events and some limits to market making

In line with growing interest in craft and maker economies, I examine the resurgence of handmade bicycle fabricators (“framebuilders”) in the U.S. since the early 2000s. I provide an account of one of the driving elements of this framebuilding renaissance, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, considered as a “field-configuring event” through – and around – which forms of market-making and market object stabilization processes were achieved. I focus in particular on the way in which the “handmade bike” as a market object was stabilized and defined. Expanding on the “markets as practice” literature, I take up a larger concern with how these market-making and field-configuring dynamics connect to the material position of those within the field and their pursuit of livelihood. I find that, paradoxically, the particular successful stabilization of the “handmade” bicycle achieved around the show was difficult to sustain as a business model for many framebuilders.     

Global competitiveness,consumer choice and ‘country of origin’ effect: an exploratory East–West study

As protectionist sentiments rise in many countries in light of the 2008–2009 financial crisis, it is more important than ever to understand the potential role of homophily on the country of origin (COO) effect in consumer purchases and how it can impact trade and investment. This study examines these attitudes using a sample of 139 university students from different ethnic backgrounds in Vancouver (Canada), one of the most culturally diverse cities in North America. The results confirm the importance of ethnicity in affecting attitudes toward different countries, including the impact of political/cultural ties and current/historical events on their formation. Variations among different ethnic groups were found, however.     

‘To invite disappointment or worse’: governance,audit and due diligence in the Ferranti–ISC merger

Mergers and acquisitions frequently destroy shareholder value, and UK companies have a particularly poor record in US deals. But outcomes are rarely as calamitous as in the case of the British electronics group Ferranti which in 1987 entered into a significant merger with the US company International Signal and Control Group (ISC). The combined group had collapsed by 1993. Our analysis of the case, seen in the light of more recent corporate failures such as the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), leads us to question whether the UK’s ‘idiosyncratic mix’ of corporate governance mechanisms can ever effectively constrain the flawed and dictatorial decision-making of dominant individuals.     

Ten Years of ‘Social Media Marketing’ Research in the Journal of Promotion Management: Research Synthesis,Emerging Themes,and New Directions

The study synthesizes research in emerging social media marketing domains by analyzing published articles on social media marketing in the Journal of Promotion Management published since 2007. We utilized interpretation and synthesis based assessment for examining the usage of social media marketing concepts with a focus on social media, social networking sites' utilization by firms, social media metrics and social media measurement, consumer decision making, consumer perceptions, and utilizing social media marketing across countries and cultures. We found a fair balance of application of social media variables across studies, even though most of these studies were quantitative. After studying the gaps presented in social media based studies of recently published articles, we present emerging social media marketing themes, new research foci and directions, and tried to build on research implications for both theory and practice.     

‘From technology adoption to consumption’: Effect of pre-adoption expectations from fitness applications on usage satisfaction,continual usage,and health satisfaction

Despite the increasing usage of fitness applications, there is a dearth of research examining how expectations from fitness applications impact people's post-adoption consumption and health satisfaction. A novel research framework, spanning across pre- and post-adoption phases and involving a two-stage data collection, is proposed with additional contextual variables like technology self-efficacy, user-interface quality and perceived privacy, playing an important role in determining the continual usage for fitness applications and subsequent health satisfaction, shaped through pre-adoption expectations. Results of this work, conducted in India, not only enable an extension of the traditional adoption and post-adoption theories into the realm of fitness applications but also provide practitioners with guidance for developing fitness applications that enhance post-adoption engagement.     

‘Tweet dreams are made of this,who are we to disagree?’ Adventures in a #Brave New World of #tweets, #Twitter, #student engagement and #excitement with #learning

ABSTRACT

The paper contributes to the current debate for the need to develop creative assessment strategies designed to enhance greater collaboration and levels of engagement amongst diverse student groups lending itself to deeper learning in postgraduate marketing courses. Through an innovative use of social media (Twitter), students are encouraged to engage and comment on communication and advertising in their lived world. The paper provides a qualitative analysis of student reflections on a Twitter-based assessment activity. Reflective accounts are analysed on the basis of the Technology Acceptance Model by addressing students’ perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of Twitter as an effective tool in creating learning and engagement opportunities as well as debate and discussion within formal and informal learning environments.     

Business success and the architectural practice of Sir George Gilbert Scott,c.1845–1878: a study in hard work,sound management and networks of trust

The study which follows explores the management of Sir George Gilbert Scott’s architectural practice, which was responsible for the very large output of over 1000 works across the Victorian period. The Scott practice has been seen by some as a predecessor of the modern, large-scale architectural office. Employing insights from Max Weber’s Protestant Ethic (PE), the article examines Scott’s motivation as an architect, the nature of his leadership and the detailed structuring and management of his office and of architectural projects. This is followed by a short case study relating to Scott’s rebuilding of Glasgow University from 1865–1870. Finally, there are some reflections on the article’s implications for further historical studies of businessmen and businesses from different periods through the lens of Weber’s PE.     

“Ethical and Legal First Amendment Implications of FBI v. Apple: A Commentary on Etzioni’s ‘Apple: Good Business,Poor Citizen?’”

In this article I address the question of whether corporations should be considered as part of the basic structure of society as defined in Rawls’s Theory of Justice. To do so, it becomes necessary to understand which institutions are crucial for defining Rawls’s basic structure of society. I will argue that a social ontology aimed at understanding how human institutions influence various aspects presupposed in Rawls’s basic structure of society can help addressing this topic. To do so, I shall draw upon the social ontology elaborated by Searle, who follows an approach that is particularly suitable for showing how Rawls’s basic structure of society already contains an institutional setting that must take corporations into account in its very formulation, due to the implications of the activities of the corporation for distributive justice.