Our Byzantine heritage: consumption of the past and its experiential benefits

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore consumers' attraction to the past and the experiential benefits associated with past‐related consumption practices.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive study was undertaken using a heritage exhibition in Greece as an appropriate context. A total of 49 interviews using the central premises of phenomenological research were conducted in which 82 individuals participated. Informants were asked to elaborate on their consumption experience. Verbal data were analyzed and interpreted using theoretical guidance by Lowenthal's pioneering work on people's attraction to the past.FindingsSix experiential benefits are found that are prevalent among consumers in their contact with the past: the experience of knowledge, cultural identity, cultural values, escape in time, aesthetic appreciation, and narrative connection. These benefits are embedded on existing cultural narratives that are further enriched through consumption practices. Moreover, the beneficial consumption outcomes of the past are mediated by imagination that functions as a “linking glue” and a “creative force” in the construction of narrative vignettes.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this discovery‐oriented study provides insight into the consumption of the past, its exploratory nature does not guarantee generalizability beyond the convenience sample employed and the specific context. Further research should also investigate the extent to which the specific consumer benefits are prevalent in other consumption experiences.Practical implicationsThis research provides orientation for the management of experiential products. Marketers can facilitate consumer experiences through the appropriate staging of the servicescape in both substantive and communicating ways. Specific direction can be taken by paying attention to each of the identified experiential benefits.Originality/valueAs experiential consumption rises in consumer research, it is of paramount importance to elucidate what drives consumers in participating and enjoying various consumption experiences. This study provides theoretical guidance to researchers in the area of experiential consumption by elaborating on the benefits associated with the consumption of the past. It also offers suggestions to practitioners for the appropriate management of an experiential servicescape.

Visitors’ Experience, Place Attachment and Sustainable Behaviour at Cultural Heritage Sites: A Conceptual Framework

“…The study shows that museum visitors are both mindful (education and learning) and non-mindful (recreation and social activities), suggesting that a cognitive approach cannot be deemed wholly relevant in the museum service experience context. Chronis [79] draws on Lowenthal's [57] identification of benefits related to people's attraction to the past-familiarity, reaffirmation and validation, identity, guidance, enrichment, escape-to explore how consumers articulate their experience at a heritage museum. The study identifies six experiential benefits associated with the consumption of the past: the experience of knowledge, cultural identity, cultural values, escape in time, aesthetic appreciation, and narrative connection.…”

Efek Narasi Cagar Budaya Pada Intensi Dan Kebanggaan Remaja Terhadap Majapahit Dan Indonesia

“…Pada umumnya studi yang berkaitan dengan hal itu telah banyak dilakukan oleh ahli perilaku konsumen dan pemasaran. Misalnya penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Chronis (2005;2006), Polyorat, Alden, dan Kim (2007), dan Paharia dan kawan-kawan (2009). Chronis (2005;2006) pernah mengonsumsi masa lalu di dalam konteks sebuah pameran temporer di Museum of Byzantine Culture di Thessaloniki, Yunani.…”

“…Misalnya penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Chronis (2005;2006), Polyorat, Alden, dan Kim (2007), dan Paharia dan kawan-kawan (2009). Chronis (2005;2006) pernah mengonsumsi masa lalu di dalam konteks sebuah pameran temporer di Museum of Byzantine Culture di Thessaloniki, Yunani. Maka, dalam penelitiannya mengenai berbagai manfaat yang diperoleh pengunjung, ia menemukan bahwa pengemasan sebuah informasi cagar budaya dalam bentuk cerita atau narasi dapat meningkatkan koneksi atau kedekatan pengunjung dengan masa lalu.…”

“…Temuan Chronis (2005); Polyorat, Alden, dan Kim (2007) serta Paharia dan kawan-kawan tersebut menjadi daya tarik untuk melakukan penelitian, sekaligus menjadi "'kerangka teoretis penelitian" tentang respon konsumen (publik/calon pengunjung) pada cagar budaya, dalam hal ini, Cagar Budaya Majapahit yang berada di kawasan Trowulan, Jawa Timur. Seperti diketahui, di kawasan Cagar Budaya Trowulan terdapat sejumlah benda/struktur/bangunan/situs cagar budaya yang diperkirakan sezaman dengan Kerajaan Majapahit.…”

Intrinsic Religiosity and Attitude toward Finales as Precursors of Superstitious Beliefs: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

“…Experiential superstitious consumption-grounded in involvement, excitement, communal connection, and social bonding-promotes planning, enjoying, and recalling experiences. Although consumers' attitudinal responses in experiential consumption settings are important to marketers (Chronis, 2005;Gazley, Clark, and Sinha, 2011), knowledge about such responses is incomplete (Wikström, 2008).…”