Once upon a time there was a consumer…: stories of magic and the magic of stories

Heath, Teresa; Heath, Matthew

Abstract

This paper explores how the centrality of narrative to people’s understandings of the world, and the power of stories of enchantment in particular, colour consumer culture. Specifically, it analyses the ways in which fantastic themes of magic and heroism are used in the discourses of marketing scholars and practitioners, as well as consumers to shape views of consumption and marketing. It further illuminates the role that marketers and consumers each have in imbuing consumption with a sense of enchantment and situates this phenomenon within the dominant neoliberal ideology. Finally, it discusses implications for marketing theory and for practices aimed at reducing excessive consumption related to such enchantment.

Citation

Heath, T., & Heath, M. (2016). Once upon a time there was a consumer…: stories of magic and the magic of stories. Journal of Marketing Management, 32(9-10), 811-826. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1189450

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 9, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jun 17, 2016
• Publication Date: Jun 17, 2016
• Deposit Date: Oct 17, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 17, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Marketing Management
• Print ISSN: 0267-257X
• Electronic ISSN: 1472-1376
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 9-10
• Pages: 811-826
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1189450
• Keywords: Consumer culture; critical marketing; magic; sustainability; consumer experience
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/794536
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1189450
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Marketing Management on 17/06/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1189450
• Contract Date: Oct 17, 2016