The Consumer as ‘‘Voter,’’ ‘‘Judge,’’ and ‘‘Jury’’: Historical Origins and Political Consequences of a Marketing Myth

Abstract

This article discusses the origins of the idea that a consumer’s choice is equivalent to a citizen’s vote or a juror’s verdict and that markets therefore resemble the political process of a democracy. The idea of the consumer as sovereign driver of the marketplace emerged during the enlightenment. It was, however, the development of market research methods during the 1930s and 1940s, which provided the crucial backdrop for the sudden rise to prominence of an idea that assumes that consumers dictate what is produced through their ‘‘votes,’’ that is, daily choices. Innovations in the measurement of consumer preferences, such as consumer juries, panel surveys, and the program analyzer technique, provided the final touch of scientific credibility to this idea. An understanding of the historical origins and political—philosophical implications of the equation of consumer markets and democracies is of importance for the study of macromarketing because it helped legitimize specific industries that today have come under closer scrutiny for their potentially detrimental impact on the social welfare of consumers, such as the advertising and the entertainment industries. This equation also provided—and still provides—a theoretical underpinning for the marketing concept as a marketing management philosophy.

Purchase power: An examination of consumption as voting

“…Hutt (1940, p.66) reminds us that early marketing literature already contained phrases like 'the customer is always right,' and that an old, Dutch proverbial expression said 'De klant is koning' (the customer is king). Also, Schwarzkopf (2010) suggests that the idea of consumer sovereignty can be traced back to the Enlightenment, and Hutt himself first used the term consumer sovereignty in the early 1930s (Hutt, 1940;Persky, 1993;Reekie, 1988). Although Hutt (1940) seemed to believe that it was his usage of the term that fostered its wider use ever since the early 1930s, Schwarzkopf (2010, p.1) argues that it was 'the development of market research methods during the 1930s and 1940s, which provided the crucial backdrop for the sudden rise to prominence of an idea that assumes that consumers dictate what is produced through their votes'.…”

“…For example, Schwarzkopf's (2010) work, which is also reviewed by Shaw (2010), states that the consumer sovereignty concept is historically important because it helped legitimize specific industries that have come under scrutiny for their negative impact on consumer social welfare. Additionally, Dixon (1992) argues that because marketing discourse and practice are so closely linked to the idea of consumer sovereignty, marketing managers' pursuit of their firms' interests are transformed into consumer benefits, which, in turn, is said to exclude the dimension of individual responsibility from the equation and, thus, lead to unrealistic beliefs about markets.…”

Myth and the market: An introduction

“…Often 'myth' is used as a signifier in the academy to overturn one argument deemed false, so as to install another in its place; seeking for example to replace 'goods-centred' logic with one that is 'service-centred' (Vargo and Lusch 2004). Other studies address fundamental questions regarding the landscape we academics inhabit but only partially see; the founding myths of the USA, of individuality and freedom that inform the conceptions of the consumer framed by Vargo and Lusch (2004) as a personage who is free and unencumbered by social constraints (Carrier 1997;Schwarzkopf 2011). What then too of the prevailing myths that frame European and Asian thought on marketing and the market?…”

Narrative transparency

“…Invitations to consumer enlightenment (self-knowledge) and sovereignty (judgement) are tactics deployed to achieve this goal (Schwarzkopf, 2011). Much like the rhetorical techniques used in destination marketing, CSAs use consumer enlightenment and sovereignty to evoke 'the sense of personal responsibility and accountability that might be associated with visiting … sacred sites, natural reserves, and world heritage wilderness areas … In this sense, [the consumers] may also be regarded as environmental stake-holders' (Walker & Hanson, 1998, p. 628).…”

“…This rhetorical tactic asserts that consumers hold integral roles in the marketplace and in contributing to the general wellbeing (Cohen, 2004;De Tocqueville, 1945;Schwarzkopf, 2011). In the myth of sovereignty, consumers adjudicate the quality of products, services, and information offered to them.…”