Paradox, tribalism, and the transitional consumption experience

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.

Consumption of experiences in boutique hotels in the context of e-WOM

“…As per Cova and Cova (2002) and Pathak and Pathak-Shelat (2017) a group interacts by sharing cognitive experiences; these experiences are based on self-perception and emotions emerging from the feeling of belongingness to the group. This is the paradoxical aspect of the postmodern individual, as defended by Skandalis, Byrom, and Banister (2016). On the one hand, tribalism and collective practices are evidenced, and, on the other, individualism and hedonism are hallmarks of this dialectical and paradoxical individual's behavior.…”

“…Moreover, the observed results corroborate the work of Henning-Thurau and Walsh (2003), who consider selfexaltation as the main factor motivating online comments. Concerning studies on the Internet as a potential research tool for understanding the postmodern consumer, this study aims to extend research in the context of postmodernity (Skandalis et al, 2016). It extends the study of Samuels (2008) and Tavares (2015), with an emphasis on the individual's virtualization.…”

Experiential marketing and the changing nature of extraordinary experiences in post-postmodern consumer culture

“…Renewed theorizations associated with the rise of post-postmodern discourses are marked by a reconstructive spirit, entailing sincerity, enthusiasm, and engagement (Cova et al, 2013;Cronin et al, 2014;Skandalis et al, 2016a). Cronin et al (2014) illustrate how women reconstruct their everyday food experiences through the unification of paradoxical tensions, which arise from maintaining heteronormative feminities.…”

“…However, the ability of postmodern discourses to explain contemporary market and consumption phenomena has started to be questioned; some researchers highlight the need for novel theoretical approaches to explore the rise of a post-postmodern era (Cova et al, 2013;Cronin et al, 2014;Skandalis et al, 2016a). Recent studies incorporate understandings of contexts where both structural and antistructural characteristics come into play, giving rise to negotiable marketplace tensions and eventually leading to extraordinary consumption experiences (e.g.…”

“…These studies signal the need for renewed understandings of extraordinary experiences which move beyond a focus on the deconstructive ethos of postmodernism (Cova et al, 2013;Skandalis et al, 2016a), towards a postpostmodern framing; thereby allowing for a meaningful status that maintains the structures of everyday life. Our paper fills this gap by directly exploring the nature of such consumption experiences.…”