Consumer Culture

Abstract

This entry discusses the relationship between marketing theory and the concept of consumer. Specifically, it focuses on the emergence of the research tradition labeled consumer culture theory (CCT) and relates this theory to market‐oriented strategic communication. The historical development of marketing thought and consumer culture is briefly outlined, followed by an overview of the research streams of CCT. Three shifts in marketing's conceptualization of consumers are outlined and the implications of these shifts for market‐oriented strategic communication are discussed. The way marketing has been implicated in the emergence of the consumer culture is then examined, and finally, after a discussion of how the development of a reflexive postmodern or late modern consumer culture has given rise to new thoughts on marketing‐oriented strategic communication, the entry shows how viewing strategic communication from a consumer culture perspective has a significant impact on how organizations can use communication to fulfill their mission.