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The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the model of the predictors of consumer willingness to purchase green products. This study used the underpinning theories related to consumer willingness by integrating the green concept in deriving the consumer willingness to purchase green products. Based on the underpinning theories of marketing strategies, it was found that marketing mix was still fundamental in business. Therefore, green marketing mix was proposed to describe the consumer's green purchase willingness. Furthermore, corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays an important role as the key to organizational strategy. Thus, CSR is also included in the proposed framework. As this is a conceptual paper, further empirical study needs to carry out to verify the proposed hypotheses. This study contributes to the market practitioners or entrepreneurs in terms of re-considering marketing mix and CSR in deriving customer willingness to purchase green products. This study extends the literature of behavioural intention by integrating green marketing strategies with CSR in determining consumer willingness to purchase.

This paper reconsiders the role of critical theory within the field of consumer culture theory.

The paper is documentary evidence of a roundtable held at the 10th annual Consumer Culture Theory conference on the subject. The roundtable uses discussion and conceptual methods.

The author begins with a brief introduction to the use of critical theory in the academy and in CCT more specifically. In the course of the roundtable, it was discovered that the reason we do not talk about critical theory more often may be attributable to its success, rather than failure – indeed, it has inspired so many new academic traditions, that we rarely pause to think of the various critical traditions in one place. Building on this foundation, participants were asked to discuss what critical theory means to them; what theorists they have used; what engagement they have had with critical theory traditions in CCT; and what their vision for critical theory influenced consumer research would be. Participation came from both planned and emergent participants. The final conclusion was the felicitous discovery that critical traditions are alive and well in consumer culture theory, and that there are many pathways to pursue critical consumer research in the future.

The roundtable session and paper are a direct response to the conference theme, which asked conference attendees to reflect on the history of consumer research, and specifically the role of critical theory within it. Moreover, the paper builds upon important debates about the philosophy of science and the role of critical theory within consumer research.

This study aims to investigate the psychological process of intertemporal choices between larger-later and smaller-sooner monetary options. Prior research showed consumer impatience – a tendency to prefer a smaller-sooner option over a larger-later option. This research identifies an individual difference that predicts patience and mediators that explain the underlying mechanism.

Two studies are conducted. Study 1 examines whether the implicit theory of intelligence consumers endorse (i.e. entity theory vs incremental theory) constitutes an antecedent of patience and whether their thoughts regarding anticipated purchase with the chosen monetary option (i.e. hedonic versus utilitarian purchase) mediate the relationship. Study 2 analyzes whether psychological reactance toward larger-later options is a mediator in this relationship using a perceived threat to freedom and affect as reactance indicators.

Entity-oriented consumers exhibited less patience than incremental-oriented consumers, especially when anticipating a hedonic purchase. Moreover, entity-oriented consumers perceived a threat to freedom from larger-later options more strongly – this enhanced perception influenced patience through two routes. One route is that the perceived threat to freedom leads to more consideration of a hedonic purchase rather than a utilitarian purchase, thereby decreasing patience. The other route is that the perceived threat to freedom elicits a stronger negative affect, resulting in lower patience.

Findings of this research shed light on the understanding of patience. They demonstrate that consumers’ implicit theory orientation is a crucial individual difference that can explain patience. Also, demonstrating the mediating roles of anticipated purchase using the hedonic/utilitarian classification and psychological reactance expanded literature by showing how they internally interact.

This paper reflects on the development of Consumer Culture Theory, both as a field of research and as an institutional classification, since the publication of Arnould and Thompson (2005).

This paper takes a conceptual/historical orientation that is based upon the authors’ experiences over the course of the 10-year CCT initiative (including numerous conversations with fellow CCT colleagues).

The authors first discuss key benchmarks in the development of the CCT community as an organization. Next, the authors highlight key intellectual trends in CCT research that have arisen since the publication of their 2005 review and discuss their implications for the future trajectories of CCT research.

The paper by Arnould and Thompson (2005) has proven to be influential in terms of systematizing and placing a widely accepted disciplinary brand upon an extensive body of culturally oriented consumer research. The CCT designation has also provided an important impetus for institution building. The 10-year anniversary of this article (and not incidentally the CCT conference from which the papers in this volume hail) provides a unique opportunity for the authors to comment upon the broader ramifications of their original proposals.

The purpose of this paper is to present the contributions of Wroe Alderson to the buyer behavior literature from an historical perspective. His views of the consumer in the 1950s revolutionized the way we now teach and do research in this domain of marketing.

This research relied heavily on Alderson's own published work and the work of others familiar with his work. The historical research tradition of document interpretation was employed and personal interviews were conducted.

The findings revealed that Alderson contributed much to buyer behavior thought than is generally believed. This eminent theorist – practitioner was ahead of his time in his conceptualization of the consumer/household purchasing agent as an information processor and a problem solver in the behavioral process of buying and consuming.

A detailed account of Alderson's contributions to the then emerging science of consumer behavior is unique especially in the context of thought contributions originating from other sciences.

This paper seeks to develop a conceptual model that enables understanding of consumer purchase decisions in relation to the first customized products, including steps of the decision process, determinants, and consequences of each step.

The classic grounded theory approach was used.

The study found that the process consists of six steps called knowledge learning and preliminary information searching, problem recognition, budget setting, detailed information searching and solution creating, purchase involvement, and use and post‐purchase. The process is distinct from the process of traditional models of consumer decision mainly from three aspects: the process starting from “knowledge learning and information searching”, not from “problem recognition”, while “problem recognition” is the second step; information searched in the process mainly on components of products, with little on products; and the process includes a step “solution creating”, but without steps “alternative evaluation” and “choice”. The consequences of the first step consist of knowledge mastered, market information acquired, pre‐decisions, perceived value of customized PC, positive attitude towards customized PC, and self‐confidence, which are the main determinants of the following steps. Besides these determinants, others included are interest, curiosity, work with computers as tools, sources of knowledge and information on PC, and income.

The study provides a foundation for future quantitative research on determinants of consumers' purchasing the first customized products and provides insights into marketing: for example, target consumers of customized PC are characterized at least by having great self‐confidence in their capability to make an effective decision in purchasing customized PC, and having mastered enough PC knowledge.

Across a variety of domains, consumers are demanding increased customized products. While consumer decision making has become a prominent research topic in various fields of marketing and consumer science over the past decades, surprisingly little research has examined consumer purchase decisions in relation to the first customized personal computer (PC) and factors influencing such a process. The study may fill this gap.

The motivations behind co-branding alliances, the differences in performance between the paired brands and the emergence of “spillover effects” have been pillars of the marketing research agenda for almost three decades. We observe an extensive number of studies on co-branding alliances, combined with multiple theoretical perspectives and empirical approaches informing extant literature. The purpose of this paper is to summarize of the state of the art of this research.

The authors offer a systematic literature review of 190 papers on co-branding alliances. The authors portray a picture of the theories informing co-branding research and build a conceptual framework that summarizes the concepts and variables used in this literature. Finally, 11 interviews with managers and consultants of European firms help to reveal potential problems in practice and needs that are not captured by previous studies.

The authors develop a map of theories used to investigate co-branding alliances and build a conceptual framework linking motivations, co-branding alliance implementation and outputs. Finally, the authors propose a structured research agenda.

The main implication relies on the structured research agenda.

Practical implications include the identification of the variables and dimensions involved in a brand alliance to exploit the strengths and moderate the weaknesses of a brand.

This paper highlights how co-branding is embedded in different contexts and dimensions regarding both firms and consumers. The two maps presented in this study underscore the interdependence among such dimensions. The authors interview marketing experts to validate the conceptual framework and to help us extract the managerial implications that stem from it.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the dominant consumer decision theory models and understand why that theory has received little empirical validation. A “decision waves” theory is proposed – an alternative, multi‐phase approach to decision making using image theory. An approach to validating empirically the multi‐phase theory is outlined.

This conceptual paper examines the foundations of modern consumer decision theory and argues for a more representative model of actual consumer decisions.

Decision waves provide a theoretical approach to represent more accurately consumer decision making and improve understanding in this foundational component of marketing. Decision waves do not change detailed empirical findings: however, they do change the macro perspective of how those findings are assembled for marketing.

An empirical test of decision waves theory is ongoing.

The concepts outlined in this paper will change segmentation, positioning and how tactical plans are developed within the marketing mix, particularly for promotional strategies.

A theoretical approach that represents decision making more accurately will bring us closer to understanding this foundational component of marketing. It provides a basis for differentiation in congested markets.