Poor women can face stigmas about indolence, moral turpitude, and substance abuse. This stigmatized condition includes female sex workers, who live and work in situations that exacerbate impoverishment and bring societal exclusion and shame. We situate our arguments at the nexus of poverty and stigma and examine the value of identity formation and reformation in the context of female sex workers in

For several decades, the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing has stimulated and led debates with far-reaching implications for consumer well-being, global relationships and, ultimately, human survival. The challenges we face have not disappeared but intensified. Today, we must respond to climate change, manage a global pandemic, and address disparities and inequities that threaten our planet in ways

The purpose of this special issue is to encourage the emerging role of analytics in marketing and public policy research. We draw attention to a multitude of comprehensive data sources and analytical techniques that tackle important public policy and marketing issues. We highlight six key domains that provide fruitful avenues for such pursuit: retail analytics, social media analytics, marketing mix

In this JPPM article for the 40th Anniversary of the Journal of Public Policy … Marketing, the authors first share what is meant by “policy,” “public policy,” and “marketing and public policy” for researchers in our field. The authors then offer examples of JPPM research informing policy across different stages of the policy making process: problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation

The present research investigates how charitable giving in response to threat-based awe, an emotional experience that typically accompanies disaster-relief campaigns, is likely to depend on consumers' implicit theories. While consumers want to behave prosocially when experiencing threat-based awe, due to the presence of threats, such behavior depends upon whether they believe that their donations have

Many public-policy studies (Martin and Scott 2020) use randomized field experiments for drawing causal conclusions (e.g., Chen et al. 2020). A typical randomized field experiment involves a control group and a treatment group to which individual units (e.g., consumers, patients) are randomly assigned, after which an intervention is implemented in the treatment group. An intervention could be a marketing

The Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M) published its first issue in 1982, and over the course of the next year we are celebrating 40 years of scholarship in its pages. Under the stewardship of founding editor Thomas C. Kinnear and the bold visions of the editors who followed, the Journal has featured change-making research that tackles some of society’s most pressing issues and questions

Both regulatory agencies and nonprofit organizations seek to understand how different tactics and appeals contained in food and public health advertisements might influence the food intake of an increasingly dieting-concerned population. This article addresses this important issue by examining how consumers who are concerned with their diets react to rich images of unhealthy food consumption. Results

Diet carbonated soft drinks were introduced to help consumers lower caloric intake. However, critics suggest that these drinks can provide an excuse to consume more calories, a so-called “Big Mac and Diet Coke” mentality that is consistent with behavioral theories such as moral licensing (e.g., combining a healthy eating choice with an indulgent, less healthy one). Using individual-level food and drink

The increase in global temperatures requires substantial reductions in the greenhouse emissions from consumer choices. We use an experimental incentive-compatible online supermarket to analyse the effect of a carbon-based choice architecture, which presents commodities to customers in high, medium and low carbon footprint groups, in reducing the carbon footprints of grocery baskets. We relate this

It has been an honor and inspiration to serve as coeditors for this special issue of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M) on Transformative Consumer Research (TCR). In this editorial, we aim to provide some background on the TCR movement and position it within a broader emerging theme that envisions “Marketing as a Force for Good” in a more sustainable world. To operationalize this vision

Food waste is a global sustainability issue that demands several stakeholders to participate in solving it. This article examines how different food system stakeholders are held responsible in the policy debate related to food waste reduction. The study adopts a framing approach, paying attention to the construction and negotiation of what is going on in the food waste related public policy debate

Communities are increasingly confronted with disasters that bring acute and chronic challenges. Past research highlights the importance of ad hoc marketing exchange systems for expanding community resource capacities following a disaster. The current study builds on this research taking a granular look at an existing ad hoc marketing system that provided exchange services before a disaster. Prior to

This paper highlights some benefits to and issues with the application of big data and analytics, with emphasis on its role in health care. It considers both its effectiveness/value (i.e., how it can be used) and concerns about its use related to privacy and acceptance by individuals (i.e., how it should be used)

Researchers are increasingly confronting the need to examine the impacts of social media on democratic discourse. Analyzing 55,560 tweets from the official Twitter accounts of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, we examine approaches used by political parties to encourage sharing of their content within the contemporary political divide. We show that tweets sent by the Republican

The internet raises substantial challenges for policy makers in regulating gambling harm. The proliferation of gambling advertising on Twitter is one such challenge. However, the sheer scale renders it extremely hard to investigate using conventional techniques. In this paper the authors present three UK Twitter gambling advertising studies using both Big Data analytics and manual content analysis

Using data gathered through data scraping techniques from a variety of previously disjointed sources—some proprietary and some publicly available—our work applies the analytical techniques of data visualization and machine learning to (1) gain exploratory insights into the drivers of prescription drug list prices and to (2) test how well these variables directly impact and interact to predict pricing

Political polarization is a marked political division in the population, characterized by multiple manifestations. We argue that it can impact consumer psychology, which in turn influences marketers, policy makers, and consumer welfare. The present work introduces the construct of political polarization to the marketing literature, and shows how it serves as a novel challenge for various marketing

Within an institutional theory framework, this paper identifies three interconnected fields of the marketing institution – research, education, and practice – that contribute to advancing the diversity and inclusion discourse in promoting multicultural marketplace wellbeing. Conducting three studies, one in each field and across contexts in three continents, we identify barriers that inhibit effective

This article demonstrates symbiotic academic-social enterprise (SASE), a bottom-up approach intertwined with the subsistence marketplace research stream. The SASE approach is unique in coevolving academic and social initiatives in parallel for the express purpose of achieving dual objectives: societally relevant research and social impact over an extended period. Distinct from typical action research

Medicare uses a pay-for-performance program to reimburse hospitals. One of the key input measures in the performance formula is patient satisfaction with their hospital care. Physicians and hospitals, however, have raised concerns especially about questions related to patient satisfaction with pain management during hospitalization. They report feeling pressured to prescribe opioids to alleviate pain

This study examines the long-term efficacy of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) 2003 Red Flag Initiative, which aimed to curb the prevalence of deceptive claims in over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss product advertising. The principal component of this effort was the FTC’s promotion of voluntary guidelines which encouraged media outlets to screen advertisements for the seven deceptive (“Red Flag”)

Environmental disruptions, such as extreme weather events or poisoning of natural resources, are increasing in frequency and intensity. These critical global problems demand market- and policy-based solutions. Adopting a transformative consumer research perspective, this article examines the effects of environmental disruptions on the livelihoods of a very vulnerable group: nature dependent prosumers

Contemporary consumers, societies, and ecologies face many challenges to well-being. Consumer researchers have responded with new attention to what engenders happiness and flourishing, particularly as a function of consuming more wisely. Consumer wisdom has been conceptualized as the pursuit of well-being through the application of six interrelated dimensions: Responsibility, Purpose, Flexibility,

Race is integral to the functioning and ideological underpinnings of marketplace actions yet remains undertheorized in marketing. To understand and transform the insidious ways in which race operat...

In this editorial update, we provide perspective regarding what has transpired since these commentaries were written and published online in July 2020 (Scott et al. 2020). We remain in the midst of a pandemic that has rapidly and catastrophically spread worldwide. Indeed, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, it has underscored social inequalities and divides affecting the world. Though not comprehensive

The overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with non-communicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer. While voluntary industry codes have largely failed ...

Ultra-processed food manufacturers have proposed that product reformulation should be a key strategy to tackle obesity. In determining the impact of reformulation on population dietary behaviours, ...

The critical role of marketing in driving nonprofit performance has been recognized for decades. However, in practice, there has been a disturbingly weak acknowledgment and/or implementation of mar...

The global refugee crisis is a complex humanitarian problem. Service researchers can assist in solving this crisis because refugees are immersed in complex human service systems. Drawing on marketi...

Mutual fund advertisers often highlight their funds’ past returns albeit with an SEC mandated disclosure. To ascertain whether the SEC disclosure is effective and how it could be improved, the authors conduct seven experiments of individuals’ choices of mutual funds with ads touting past success plus disclosures. These experiments lead to several findings: First, current SEC disclosures do not work

Consumer-generated online reviews of credence service providers, such as doctors, have become common on platforms such as Yelp and RateMDs. Yet doctors have challenged the legitimacy of these platforms on the grounds that consumers do not have the expertise required to evaluate the quality of the medical care they receive. This challenge is supported by the economics of information literature, which

Millions of women entrepreneurs in subsistence contexts face consumption constraints while embedded in strongly patriarchal social institutions. In these contexts, the place for women is believed t...

In general, Americans are not savers, which contributes to their inability to absorb even small financial shocks and increases their potential for financial hardship. Savings automation has been pr...

I started The CMO Survey in 2008 with the mission to collect and disseminate the opinions of top marketers in order to predict the future of markets, track marketing excellence, and improve the value of marketing in firms and in society. Since February 2018, I have been tracking marketing leaders’ response to the following question: “Do you believe it is appropriate for your brand to take a stance

The global political system is undergoing profound transformations. Political spending is reaching unprecedented heights (particularly in the United States), and much of it is shifting to social media and other nontraditional forms. The way that citizens engage the political system is also changing. For example, in 2020, the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer sparked protests and

As incoming editors, we created a leadership structure that was a first for JPP&M: three coeditors serving as equals. We had several primary goals for the journal during our tenure. One was to engage a broader group of scholars who were dedicated to marketing and public policy issues. We welcomed Kelly Martin, Rebecca Reczek, Maura Scott, Cliff Shultz, Lisa Bolton, Marlys Mason, Beth Vallen, and Melissa

A lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workplace equality policy (LGBT-WEP) helps signal and reinforce the organizational commitment to workplace equality and diversity. Prior evidence suggests that LGBT-WEP is viewed favorably by stakeholders (customers, employees, and channel partners) and influences firm performance. Drawing on stakeholder theory and the resource-based view of the firm, the authors

Corporations are becoming increasingly active in the political landscape, with some claiming to support social causes aimed at influencing the regulatory agenda. Beyond the effects of such activities on consumers, the effects on the original advocates of a cause are unknown. Therefore, this research examines how the advocates of a cause respond to corporate approaches that integrate marketing and political

This article examines the motivations of liberals and conservatives to boycott and buycott. Nine studies demonstrate that although both liberals and conservatives engage in consumer political actions, they do so for different reasons influenced by their unique moral concerns: Liberals engage in boycotts and buycotts that are associated with the protection of harm and fairness moral values (individualizing

Political ideologies of the far-right are gaining ground in world politics and culture, not least by way of market forces. It has therefore become urgent to understand how these ideologies manifest themselves in the fields of marketing and consumption at a sociocultural level. The authors explore the discursive efforts in far-right consumer resistance to advance a political agenda through protests

In today’s marketplace, consumers want brands to take a stand on sociopolitical issues. When brands match activist messaging, purpose, and values with prosocial corporate practice, they engage in authentic brand activism, creating the most potential for social change and the largest gains in brand equity. In contrast, brands that detach their activist messaging from their purpose, values, and practice

Companies are more frequently taking public stands on often controversial social, political, economic, and environmental issues. Despite the importance of the topic, research on understanding the role of companies in societal change through activism is scarce. Using institutional theory, this article defines corporate activism as a company’s willingness to take a stand on social, political, economic

A common strategy employed by political leaders to win elections is to establish similarity with their constituents. This article extends previous research on this approach in several ways. First, the authors test and confirm the commonly used, but underresearched, political marketing tactic of highlighting similarity with constituents through upbringing characteristics. Second, given the debate about

Food systems and the ways food products are formulated, packaged, and marketed contribute to obesogenic environments. The current research focuses on products informally referred to as junk food (foods high in sugar, fat, and salt) and how they function as a mechanism in developing taste preferences in children three to five years old. Across two studies, the authors examine how parents’ taste preferences

This research focuses on youth social entrepreneurs who are leading ventures that address pressing societal problems including climate change, gun reform, and social justice. It answers Journal of ...

We write this editorial in the midst of a global pandemic. At the time of our writing in mid-May 2020, 215 countries and territories worldwide report over 5.4 million cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and more than 345,000 confirmed deaths; but given problems with available testing, those numbers are likely magnitudes higher (worldometer.info). Few, if any, people have been unaffected by the

In the United States alone, COVID-19 has claimed tens of thousands of lives. And though it is no respecter of wealth, social status, or national boundary, initial claims that “We are all in this together!” have fallen flat. Such universalizing claims have proven unable to camouflage the extreme inequality in suffering, just as history would suggest (De Waal 2020). This essay appears at a critical moment

COVID-19 is a worldwide crisis—cruelly infectious, fast-moving, and lethal It has stressed or overwhelmed health care infrastructures on a global scale In the United States, hospitals have been ravaged Workers who provide for basic needs on which everyone’s health depends have put their own health at greater risk It is the very threat to these workers—and, by extension, to all of us—that offers an

The health, economic, and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in our lifetime, and no individual in this globalized, interconnected world is immune from its effects. This pandemic is a fundamental challenge for consumers, companies, and governments. Against this background, our commentary underscores linkages between public health, environment, and economy and explores how lessons

The COVID-19 pandemic is a generational phenomenon, a defining experience for those who have experienced it. Much will be written about the causes and effects of the pandemic as additional data become available. Although not deliberate, there are quasi-experiments underway related to alternative societal responses to the pandemic, such as the reduction of economic and social activity, the degree of

In March 2020, when COVID-19 was labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, store shelves were emptied of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and toilet paper. Newspaper headlines documented shortages of these products and announced closures of nonessential businesses. Restaurants, hotels, department stores, and childcare centers temporarily closed their doors, leaving many hourly workers

The COVID-19 pandemic placed a heavy weight on a trillion-dollar global pharmaceutical industry already struggling under the opioid crisis and pricing controversies Although the drug development process typically takes ten or more years, the urgency of COVID-19 forced government regulators to shed tradition for flexibility The race for effective treatments and care reveals knowledge gaps for marketing

Emergencies and disasters often expose existing flaws in our systems As Warren Buffet said, “It’s only when the tide goes out that you discover who’s been swimming naked” (Emanuel 2020) We have been swimming in the buff The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic vulnerabilities in food access for people experiencing hunger Simultaneously, it has revealed opportunities to strengthen food access Working

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected consumer privacy, and what are the implications for the future of privacy and public policy? We argue that response to the outbreak has threatened privacy by reducing consumer control over the collection, sharing, and protection of some of the most sensitive types of personal information, including health and location data. Collection of these data has increased

In this commentary, we explain how desktop manufacturing was able to solve supply shortages in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic and discuss this technology’s potential to serve as an alternative to global manufacturing By the end of April 2020, this dangerous virus had already infected over 3 million people and resulted in >200,000 deaths Due to its virulent nature and rapid diffusion, COVID-19 severely

While service-dominant logic prescribes consumer participation with firms, some theorists of elitist democracy oppose citizen participation in governance because these theorists perceive citizens as being incompetent in political matters. This study, grounded in political marketing theory, suggests that citizens do, indeed, have the competence for participating in governance through the thin-participation

We are thankful to serve as Coeditors in Chief for the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M), a journal with an important legacy and wide-reaching impact based on the tireless work and solid foundation of the previous editors: Tom Kinnear, Pat Murphy, Michael Mazis, Debbie Scammon, Craig Andrews, Joel Cohen, Ron Hill, Dave Stewart, Scot Burton, Pam Scholder Ellen, and Josh Weiner. We are tremendously

This paper explores the intersections of emerging recreational marijuana policy and large-scale contemporary marketing practices. The authors examine the evolution of current policies and the overall regulatory environment related to the legalization and marketing of recreational marijuana in the United States, exploring current and possible effects of marijuana legalization on adolescent uptake. Although

Many Americans living in poverty rely on a constellation of social services to meet their consumption needs. This article explores the conditions under which social service programs enhance or detract from holistic well-being, from recipients’ perspectives. Depth interviews with 45 rural and urban recipients reveal, through a power–justice–access model, that holistic well-being extends beyond access