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1 – 10 of 29Alexandros Skandalis, John Byrom and Emma Banister
The aim of this paper is to explore how the paradox of individualism/tribalism is brought into play and negotiated by consumers in the wake of the post-postmodern era.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to explore how the paradox of individualism/tribalism is brought into play and negotiated by consumers in the wake of the post-postmodern era.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on netnographic and interview data from the Greek football manager (FM) online gaming community. FM is a simulation strategy game in which players act as “real-life” managers from the screen of their computer.
Findings
A central paradox and a set of four supporting paradoxes are identified. These paradoxes give rise to a transitional mode of experience, which lies on the borders of reality and fantasy, and is realised both at the individual and the tribal levels.
Originality/value
This study makes a threefold contribution. First, it advances the understanding of the paradoxical aspects of consumption experiences in light of post-postmodern consumer culture. Second, it shows how these paradoxes are negotiated by consumers between individual and tribal levels. Third, it extends the understanding of the nature of consumption experiences through the development of the concept of the transitional consumption experience.
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Keywords
Elaine L. Ritch and Julie McColl
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of:The connectivity between society, global events, current philosophy and trends.How each period is…
Abstract
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of:
The connectivity between society, global events, current philosophy and trends.
How each period is characterised by available technology, knowledge and globalisation relevant to the time?
How culture is shaped by societal philosophies?
Emerging characteristics that capture the ‘zeitgeist’.
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Veronique Cova and Bernard Cova
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of experience copycats. Despite being a growing problem for organisations selling extraordinary experiences, it remains…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of experience copycats. Despite being a growing problem for organisations selling extraordinary experiences, it remains a largely under-researched field of study. By analysing consumers’ sense of the extraordinary brand experience copycats in which they have participated, it becomes possible to detect the meanings they ascribe to imitations of experiential features as opposed to experiential themes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on the ethnographic study of a group of individuals who spent 12 days on a Québec copycat of the Way to Compostela. The methods include participant observation, photos, non-directive interviews, semi-directive interviews and introspection.
Findings
The paper’s main contribution is to demonstrate that participants in extraordinary experience copycats do not ascribe meanings to them based solely on their own personal feelings. Instead, their appraisals tend to be intersubjective, with each individual judgment being influenced by other participants’ opinions. This explains why copycat experiences can, for instance, be valued very positively at a thematic level even as consumers’ individual appraisals might hightlight negative differences in terms of features.
Practical implications
The battle against experience copycats does not, on the face of things, seem very useful insofar as consumers attribute copycats a meaning that complements the way in which they view original brands. Consumers tend to neither conflate nor contrast the two but instead consider them complementary. The end result is that original brands should seek more to cohabit with these copycats than to treat them aggressively, even as they develop a defensive posture to avoid excessive value slippage.
Social implications
The study demonstrates that the battle against experience copycats becomes more difficult once participants who appreciate and defend the imitation have developed a sense of community
Originality/value
This paper focuses on copycats, a topic where very little research exists. It seeks to transcend customary economic and socio-psychological approaches by examining deliberate lookalike uses and experiences via the ethnographic method.
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