Transformative Luxury Research (TLR): An Agenda to Advance Luxury for Well-Being

Although luxury firms have come under increasing pressure to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, they have traditionally been hesitant to engage because of the CSR–luxury paradox: the values and motivations underlying luxury consumption (self-enhancement) may conflict with the values and motivations underlying prosocial behavior (self-transcendence), and thus their CSR initiatives may not only be ineffective, they may actually harm the brand. In this commentary, we discuss research on the strategies and tactics luxury brands can use to nudge luxury consumers to engage in their cause-related marketing (CRM) initiatives by aligning the values of their luxury customers with the symbolic values of their CRM offerings and thus increase the impact of the prosocial causes on societal well-being. This research supports the objectives of transformative luxury research (TLR) in integrating luxury consumption into the mission and vision of transformative consumer research (TCR).

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Addressing the Cause-Related Marketing Paradox for Luxury Brands to Increase Prosocial Behavior and Well-Being

Kim

Park

Shrum

2022

“…(2) experiential marketing (Batat 2019), a research field responding to the need for consumers to live engaging experiences instead of merely purchasing consumer goods; and (3) transformative marketing, which has recently emerged as a legitimate field of research that focuses on consumer welfare and the quality of life derived from consumption and marketplace activities (e.g., Batat 2022b;Mick 2006;Sirgy 2021).…”

Section: Multidimensionality: the Multifaceted Aspects Of Marketingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Marketing a Victim of its Own Success? A Restoration Process to Unlock Marketing's Power for Creativity, Competitiveness, and Well-Being

Batat

2023

Self Cite

Marketing is perceived as both a solution and a problem, depending on one's perspective, the context, and the source of the narrative. For instance, media agents portray marketing at its worst: as a superficial and manipulative practice designed to dupe consumers; or at its best as a “trick” instead of a process that requires cutting-edge knowledge and analytical, strategic, and creative skills. In this essay, I examine the image of marketing among various market actors (i.e., digital players, influencers, media agents) as well as academics. The goal is to understand both the rising interest and skepticism towards marketing as an organizational activity and a scientific discipline. The objective is to restore the poor image of marketing by shifting the focus towards a more comprehensive understanding of what is inside the “black box” of marketing. I then propose a restoration process through legitimization and diffusion involving both marketing academics and marketplace agents. The goal is to help restore the image of marketing and unveil its power as a major force for positive social change, creativity, competitiveness, and well-being.

“…The goal of TLR is to understand the ways consumer well-being relates to the production and consumption of luxury products and can be enhanced through these practices (Batat 2023; Batat and Manika 2020). With a forthcoming book on an agenda for research (Batat 2023) and a special Journal of Macromarketing issue on the subject (Batat and Manika 2020), TLR and “positive luxury” is an emergent subfield at the intersection of luxury consumption and production, well-being, social impact, and sustainability. Built on macromarketing and TCR ideas, TLR finds a foundation in work on corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and well-being (Batat and Manika 2020).…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Luxury experience is “a personal experience that offers a major focus on the intangible dimensions of luxury beyond the functional aspects and incorporates symbolic, social, ideological, subjective, and emotional dimensions” (Batat 2019a, p. 7). This definition of luxury experience allows for consideration of holistic well-being (Batat 2023). Given that many consumption rituals today include the use of luxury goods and services, their impact on consumer well-being should be examined.…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Luxury in Rituals and Its Transformative Potential for Consumer Well-Being

Azzari

Dadzie

Baker

2022

Driven by social media to capture each moment in life and to “keep up with the Joneses,” nearly every ritual is now cause for luxury consumption, fostering a culture in which bigger and grander is better. However, this commentary raises questions about these practices. How much is too much? What is truly better? Macromarketers must continue to weigh in on these issues. This commentary melds literature on consumer rituals, transformative luxury, and consumer well-being to explore what happens when consumers begin incorporating elements of luxury into more mundane and personal, but highly visible, ritual consumption practices, such as gender-reveal celebrations, divorce parties, and preschool graduations. We elucidate the field of transformative luxury research, examining the ways new and adapted rituals (infused with luxury) transform individual lives and culture, the impact of ritual disruptions, the roles of external influencers (e.g., social media, marketing), and the positive and negative impacts of these practices on consumer well-being.