Lifestyle and sport: Emulation marketing.

Abstract

Like a hammer, lifestyle research is a tool that can be used for good purposes, such as helping consumers find optimal products; for bad purposes, such as deceiving consumers to turn over their resources for a dubious product; or for anything in between. Valette-Florence (1986) proposed to define lifestyle of an individual as an interaction of three levels, wherein personal values, attitudes, activities, and consumption collectively form lifestyles. Emulation is an important mechanism of lifestyle marketing. We explore this definition later. Sports marketing has a completely different tradition from lifestyle marketing, but it shares with lifestyle marketing a focus on being a tool that uses emulation. This chapter explores these two traditions and shows their similarity. We consider the application of lifestyle logic to the field of sports and then synthesize the two approaches. LIFESTYLEAfter an introduction to the lifestyle concept and a part devoted to the historical heritage of lifestyles, this chapter presents details of the definitions of lifestyles used in marketing, the approaches using values, the approaches focusing on attitudes and activities, and the methods using analysis of products, goods, and services purchased by the consumer. Next is a presentation of the market applications of lifestyle research with a focus on values, their applications in marketing, and their use in consumer behavior. A discussion of future trends in lifestyle research closes this section.

Services as emulation marketing: conceptualization and concerns

“…A key question, however, is what is the underlying construct or motivational principle driving this behavior? Building on existing research exploring the overlap between sports and lifestyle marketing (Valette-Florence et al , 2022), this article argues that emulation , or the motivation to match or exceed others, is the driving mechanism behind many of these forms of marketing.…”

“…As such, emulation marketing represents a driving mechanism behind many subareas of services marketing. It is a defining construct that underpins a multitude of marketing efforts that “portray an idealized existence as a marketing strategy” (Valette-Florence et al , 2022). It represents an additional strategy as a motive for seeking services.…”

“…Emulation is an important force behind emerging subareas of services marketing, including lifestyle marketing and sports marketing. A recent chapter (Valette-Florence et al , 2022) shows that sports marketing and lifestyle marketing can be dialectically integrated (Kahle et al , 2000), as both often are types of emulation (Goodin, 2018), especially when applied to marketing. The authors argue, “What do lifestyle marketing and sports marketing have in common?…”

“…Both types of marketing often attempt to portray an idealized existence as a marketing strategy. Both use consumer information to reframe human uncertainty about expected behavior” (Valette-Florence et al , 2022, p. 286).…”