Publications

The Rise Of Inconspicuous Consumption

Journal of Marketing Management

In this conceptual paper we demonstrate the rise of inconspicuous consumption. We attribute this rise to the signalling ability of traditional luxury goods being diluted, a preference for not standing out as ostentatious during times of economic hardship, and an increased desire for sophistication and subtlety in design in order to further distinguish oneself for a narrow group of peers. We decouple the constructs of luxury and conspicuousness, which allows us to reconceptualise the signalling quality of brands and the construct of luxury. This also has implications for understanding consumer behaviour practices such as counterfeiting and suggests that consumption trends in emerging markets may take a different path from the past.

Luxury Branding Below The Radar

Harvard Business Review

More and more brands today are aspiring for luxury status, and their entire strategy is based on people buying products to signal their social status to others as loudly and widely as possible. That’s the approach professionals learned in their MBA programs. But we think there is a long-term shift happening, and not a cyclical one, where subtle signals to like-minded people of any socio-economic stratum will hold more power and meaning.

Islamic Branding

Journal of Islamic Marketing

For a number of reasons, Islamic and Brand agendas/imperatives have risen in the consciousness and practices of Muslims and non-Muslims globally. These have placed Islamic, branding and marketing practices in the spotlight, singularly and collectively. On the surface, many have considered whether Islamic marketing is a truism, a phenomenon, a noumenon, an ideology, or even a paradigm? The paper suggests that it represents a new focal phase “torchbearer”, as a conspicuous and necessary challenger strain towards convention, supporting fit for purpose marketing – just as “green” and “digital” marketing have previously.

Hip Hop Branding

Journal of Brand Management

Although academic marketing literature exists on the value of hip hop as a marketing tool, there appears to be less on hip hop’s philosophical roots and why it proves to be so effective. This study attempts to fill this gap, investigating the apparent natural synergy with brand theory – in that they are both able to captivate and engage consumer-centric sub-cultural groups. Findings indicate that brands and hip hop weave themselves into the fabrics of society – creating social capital and providing a way for individuals to connect with the world. Through metaphor, slang, symbolism and sampling, they recycle and preserve aspects of culture - but in doing so, they also innovate.

UK Twitter and Chinese Weibo Selfie-Takers

Journal of Business Research

The “selfie” is a global social phenomenon - and little work has been done by marketers to understand the mindset of selfie-takers; not to mention the potential to develop selfies as vehicles for new immersive, contextual, and real-time marketing communication channels. Furthermore, marketing literature offers little insight regarding the interpretation of the style, artifacts, location, usage, participants' image, and cultural differences in these pictures. Our study tackles these areas – analyzing cross-cultural data from photos uploaded to Twitter and Sina Weibo. Our empirical evidence shows that selfie-takers attempt to present an ‘ideal self’; and secondly the criteria for judging this differs between UK and Chinese consumers.

10 Year Marketing Challenge

Marketeers Magazine

What will the next ten years hold for marketers? Depending on which news stories are recommended to you in your social media feeds, or what stories your friends share, you may be presented with alternative realities. No job is for life - forcing professionals to consider moving employers more frequently, and even start a side hustle. This has made people focus, and use social media more with a purpose. Find out some of my thoughts on the topic…