Andrew Lindridge

Religiosity and the construction of a cultural-consumption identity

Purpose – Religions influence in consumer research remains under‐researched. This paper aims to explore religiositys effect on culture and consumption by comparing Indians living in Britain, with Asian Indians and British Whites. The paper is relevant to both academics and practitioners who wish to understand the role of religions influence regarding culturally determined consumer behaviours.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire measuring family, self‐identity, materialism, possessions as status symbols and reference groups was administrated in London and Mumbai. Religiosity was measured by religious institution attendance and the importance of religion in daily life. A total of 415 questionnaires were submitted to factor analysis, identifying six factors. These factors were then submitted to Multinomial Logistical Regression (MLR), with the two religiosity themes used as influencing variables on the factors.Findings – The analysis indicated that Indians living in Britain and British Whites sam...

Imagined multiple worlds: How South Asian women in Britain use family and friends to navigate the “border crossings” between household and societal contexts

Our primary goal is to capture glimpses of “the imagined … multiple worlds” of young adult women in post‐modern ethnic families, households and society. Drawing on a dialogical model of acculturation and diasporic identity, we show how young South Asian women in Britain use multiple identities across a variety of cultural settings to negotiate and navigate cultural and consumer behavioural borders. Using an ethno‐consumerist framework for our research design, we provide a more nuanced understanding of the intersections between ethnicity, identity, self and consumption in families and peer friendship groups. These interactions reflect the individual’s co‐existence and identity maintenance in two cultures.

Universal appeals with local specifications

Purpose – Aims to explore the factorial structure of automobile brand image in the context of a cross‐national study. More specifically, we intend to answer two questions: whether the factor structure of brand image perception differ across countries, and whether these differences are owing to nations culture and level of economic development.Design/methodology/approach – An existing data set, which consists of data collected from survey research, was employed. Data covering the top 20 automobile markets consisting of 4,320 eligible new car owners. Perception of and attitude towards automobile brand associations were measured using nominal scales.Findings – Provides empirical evidence that supports the applicability of multiple brand image dimensions corresponding to the consumers sensory, utilitarian, symbolic and economic needs at the global level. The study also suggested that factor structure of brand image differs across nations and these differences might be reflective to a nations culture and it...

Consumer ethnicity three decades after: a TCR agenda

Abstract Research into consumer ethnicity is a vital discipline that has substantially evolved in the past three decades. This conceptual article critically reviews its immense literature and examines the extent to which it has provided extensive contributions not only for the understanding of ethnicity in the marketplace but also for personal/collective well-being. We identify two gaps accounting for scant transformative contributions. First, today social transformations and conceptual sophistications require a revised vocabulary to provide adequate interpretive lenses. Second, extant work has mostly addressed the subjective level of ethnic identity projects but left untended the meso/macro forces affecting ethnicity (de)construction and personal/collective well-being. Our contribution stems from filling both gaps and providing a theory of ethnicity (de)construction that includes migrants as well as non-migrants.

Applying an ecological model to social marketing communications

Purpose – By applying ecological models of health behaviour to marketing communications to achieve behaviour change, this paper aims to illustrate the importance of taking into account various economic, environmental and social influences. Design/methodology/approach – A two-part study was undertaken. Part one involved exploring the lived worlds of the targeted population. Part two explored how the needs of the target audience informed a social marketing communications strategy. This was illustrated through Childsmile, a Scottish Government funded oral health institution. Findings – A variety of intra- and inter-personal influences where identified that encouraged or discouraged oral health. Complementing this was how these needs are incorporated into an ecological social marketing communications campaign. Although the long term effects of the ecological social marketing campaign will not become evident for a number of years, initial results indicate its important role in changing behaviour. Practical imp...

‘And Ziggy played guitar’: Bowie, the market, and the emancipation and resurrection of Ziggy Stardust

Abstract Using David Bowie as a human brand and his various characters, particularly Ziggy Stardust, we address two research themes: who constructs celebrity – the individual or the market, and to what extent can a celebrity emancipate their human brand from the characters they portray? Market-generated materials covering Bowie’s fifty year career were analysed using structuration theory. Our findings indicate that Bowie’s control of his human brand was increasingly determined by differing agents within the market. We conclude that a celebrity’s human brand is as much a creation of the market, as it is the celebrity’s. Yet unlike the celebrity, their character’s ongoing popularity reflects not only a moment in time but also an ability to adapt to differing times.

(Virtual) ethnicity, the Internet, and well-being

Recent research studies allude to the well-being benefits of the Internet to the individual. Yet while these studies possess merit in their findings, scant research has focused on the assertion of significant differences, the changing availability and thus the role of technology within the daily lives of individuals when ethnoracial differences are considered. We argue for a broader understanding of how the Internet may be used by consumers to avoid, pursue, and/or resolve one’s ethnic identity in their everyday lives and what the wider well-being implications are for the individual and society.

Investigating consumer confusion proneness cross-culturally: empirical evidence from the USA, Germany, and Thailand

With ever increasing amounts of marketplace information, decreasing inter-brand differences, and increasingly complex products, confusion is becoming a global problem for consumers. Although confusion has been identified as a problem for consumers and marketers in many countries most measures of consumer confusion have been developed in western countries, including Walsh et al.s (2007) consumer confusion proneness (CCP) scale, and have not been shown to be cross-culturally valid. Thus, relatively little is known about the cross-cultural differences in confusion proneness. Using the three-dimensional, nine-item CCP scale developed in Germany, this study explores cross-cultural differences in consumer proneness in the United States as well as in Germany and Thailand. The results reveal that some factor loadings of the CCP scale are not invariant across samples and that unique factor structures emerge for the US and Thai samples. The article concludes by discussing theoretical and managerial implications as well as study limitations.

Resolving Contradictions in Human Brand Celebrity and Iconicity

Abstract Purpose The academic discourse around celebrity and iconicity has resulted in the same human brand as labeled as an inauthentic and illegitimate celebrity and as a culturally important symbol of legitimate achievement. We address the research question of how are contradictions between celebrity and iconicity resolved in creating and managing a human brand. Methodology/approach Using structuration theory, we analyzed David Bowie’s 50 year career, from 1964 to 2013, totaling 562 documents. Applying Langley’s (1999) stages of data collection of grounding, organizing, and replicating, we develop a process of model of celebrity and iconicity. Findings We identify three stages of human brand symbolic associations: forming, fixing, and transitioning associations. These represent alternate trajectories that Bowie and Ziggy Stardust followed to become icons. In resolving his trajectories across these stages, Bowie adapts and adopts commercial materials, business practices, and new technologies to converge his symbolic associations into a coherent iconic human brand. Research limitations/implications Limitations of this paper lie in focusing on one human brand in a particular industry. Future research is suggested in three areas: (1) the relationship between the proposed model and other human brand activities; (2) to explore how the process is manipulated by other market agents; and (3) whether a human brand’s association shifts can precede culture. Originality/value This perspective challenges existing conceptualizations of celebrity and iconicity by framing them as inter-related processes, where celebrity associations are fixed in time, while iconic associations transition across time periods to reflect changing cultural values and concerns.

Do Gambling Game Choices Reflect a Recreational Gambler’s Motivations?

Purpose Gambling is increasingly a global phenomenon, derided by some as exploitative and viewed by others as entertainment. Despite extensive research into gambling motivations, previous research has not assessed whether gaming choice is a function of one’s personal motivations or simply a desire to gamble in general, regardless of game choice among recreational gamblers. The purpose of this study is to explore this theme by considering “illusion of control” where luck and skill may moderate gambling motivation. Design/methodology/approach This study applies two motivation theories, hedonic consumption theory and motivation disposition theory, and examines heuristic perspectives related to gambling. Three stages of qualitative data collection were undertaken. Findings The findings indicate that for recreational gamblers, gaming choice is a function of personal motives. Hence, gamblers chose games that reflect their needs or motives, focusing on the game or games that best allow them to achieve their goals and desires. Research limitations/implications These findings shed light on an important topic and include an in-depth examination of recreational gamblers’ motivations. Further quantitative examinations should be considered. Practical implications This research could be used by practitioners or researchers in better segmenting the casino recreational gambling market. Originality/value While many researchers have examined gambling motivations and even gambling motivations by venue (e.g. casino versus online), few researchers have focused on gamblers’ choice of games and even fewer have studied recreational gamblers’ motivations with a qualitatively rich approach, resulting in some useful perspectives on drivers of recreational gamblers by personal motives.