Seminario académico Marketing as an Instrument for Inequity Belief: Conceptualization, Scale Development, and Validation

Presenta: Ignacio Vargas, University of North Texas
Abstract: Scholars and practitioners have long sought to understand consumers’ negative perceptions of marketing. Most explanations rely on consumers’ lay beliefs rooted in the idea that marketing drives sales and influences consumption in ways convenient for firms but not for them. However, modern consumers’ concerns go beyond consumption; they also care about how businesses and their marketing strategies affect society. Thus, the previously described beliefs do not fully capture the concerns of these socially conscious consumers. This research addresses this gap by conceptualizing and developing a measurement scale for the lay belief that marketing strategies are used to legitimate and perpetuate social inequity, the “Marketing as an Instrument for Inequity Belief.” In seven studies, this research demonstrates the convergent, content, experimental, discriminant, and predictive validity of the measurement, as well as its relationship with important consequences such as a reduction in consumers’ confidence to advocate for their rights during marketplace interactions, and an improved attitude toward radical actions such as boycotts against brands. This construct and its scale offer new opportunities for marketers, scholars, and policymakers to better understand negative consumers’ beliefs about marketing and how it influences their relationships with the marketplace.