Seeking sustainable futures in marketing and consumer research

Abstract

Purpose Seeking ways towards a sustainable future is the most dominant socio-political challenge of our time. Marketing should have a crucial role to play in leading research and impact in sustainability, yet it is limited by relying on cognitive behavioural theories rooted in the 1970s, which have proved to have little bearing on actual behaviour. This paper aims to interrogate why marketing is failing to address the challenge of sustainability and identify alternative approaches. Design/methodology/approach The constraint in theoretical development contextualises the problem, followed by a focus on four key themes to promote theory development: developing sustainable people; models of alternative consumption; building towards sustainable marketplaces; and theoretical domains for the future. These themes were developed and refined during the 2018 Academy of Marketing workshop on seeking sustainable futures. MacInnis’s (2011) framework for conceptual contributions in marketing provides the narrative thread and structure. Findings The current state of play is explicated, combining the four themes and MacInnis’s framework to identify the failures and gaps in extant approaches to the field. Research limitations/implications This paper sets a new research agenda for the marketing discipline in quest for sustainable futures in marketing and consumer research. Practical implications Approaches are proposed which will allow the transformation of the dominant socio-economic systems towards a model capable of promoting a sustainable future. Originality/value The paper provides thought leadership in marketing and sustainability as befits the special issue, by moving beyond the description of the problem to making a conceptual contribution and setting a research agenda for the future.

Prefiguring sustainable living: an ecovillage story

“…They have consequently been criticised for ignoring the embeddedness of market actors in cultural contexts, socio-technical systems and daily practices (Clarke, 2008;Dolan, 2002;Scott et al, 2014). Largely, marketing scholarship follows this agenda, concerning itself with the promotion of green, sustainable and ethical products to consumers (Oates et al, 2020;Varey, 2010). This approach has had the effect of responsibilising individual consumers for social and environmental harms putatively resulting from their bad behaviour thereby constructing consumers as either 'sustainable' or 'unsustainable' (Bakan, 2016;Devinney et al, 2010).…”

“…This approach has had the effect of responsibilising individual consumers for social and environmental harms putatively resulting from their bad behaviour thereby constructing consumers as either 'sustainable' or 'unsustainable' (Bakan, 2016;Devinney et al, 2010). However, if marketing is to prioritise sustainability, it needs to address the systemic barriers to necessary social and economic change (Oates et al, 2020); 'barriers that consumers face with sustainable consumption; such as our persuasive consumption ideology, institutional barriers and social norms' (Kemper et al, 2019, p. 289). This represents a move towards a more radical conception of sustainability, a worldview that would undoubtedly enrich current debates around marketing, consumption and sustainability (Kilbourne, 2004).…”

Constructing the food waste issue on social media: a discursive social marketing approach

“…To date, the actual impact of marketing in delivering significant changes towards sustainability has remained scant despite the efforts to improve it (K. Peattie & Peattie, 2009). Furthermore, Davies et al (2020) argue that one barrier in marketing's lack of influence on sustainability change to date can be traced back to its strong dependency on cognitive behavioural theories that are often insufficient for explaining and impacting this issue. On a positive note, in recent years, new approaches have reinforced marketing's potential in conducting research on sustainability and finding ways to make an impact (see, e.g.…”

“…On a positive note, in recent years, new approaches have reinforced marketing's potential in conducting research on sustainability and finding ways to make an impact (see, e.g. Davies et al, 2020;Kemper & Ballantine, 2019a;White et al, 2019).…”

Understanding Environmentally Conscious Behaviour Through Environmental Identity

“…Soron [26] argues that EI expression in ECB is challenging due to two reasons: (a) it confronts psycho-cultural factors that maintain and expand demand for materialistic consumption, and (b) it confronts difficulties faced by ordinary consumers. Apart from being consumers, as citizens or responsible people they try to understand and respond ethically to large scale social and ecological problems [27].…”