Saridakis, C orcid.org/0000-0001-8088-1722 and Angelidou, S (2018) A case-based generalizable theory of consumer collecting. European Journal of Marketing, 52 (5/6). pp. 946-972. ISSN 0309-0566
Abstract
Purpose: Collecting behaviour is a special type of consumption, which consists of several traits, such as “completion”, “perfection”, “caring” and “cooperation”. The purpose of this study is to shed light on this complex consumption behaviour, by effectively developing an empirical typology of collectors and explaining their motivation to engage in collecting.
Design/methodology/approach: In total, 208 questionnaires were collected among Thai collectors. A set-theoretic comparative approach was implemented – namely, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The value of the proposed approach over conventional correlational methods, is illustrated through an examination of a set of relevant research propositions.
Findings: The study develops an empirical typology of collectors, on the basis of the various collecting behaviour traits. It has been suggested that different combinations of motives are sufficient for identifying collector types accurately, and the proposed typology is stable and generalizable across collectors of different demographic characteristics. Specifically, “expert professionals” are mainly driven by adventure and social motives, while the role of idea motive is crucial for “introvert focusers”. Adventure and social motives are necessary conditions for “extrovert altruists”, while gratification has a deleterious role. The presence of social motive is necessary for “hobbyists”, while the absence of value motive is also required.
Practical implications: The brand collectible market is booming, and the collectibles can be a strategy for brands to maintain existing users and reinforce loyalty levels. Global brands, such as Swatch and Coca-Cola, have been acquired for collection rather than typical consumption purposes. Marketers and brand managers should therefore monitor the motivation behind this complex consumption behaviour. The mosaic of motives to engage in collecting behaviour varies across different types of collectors, and therefore specifically tailored strategies are proposed.
Originality/value: The study tackles the lack of literature specifically focussing on collecting behaviour in relation to motivation. This is the first attempt to empirically derive a collectors’ typology and provide a nuanced coverage of how financial and nonfinancial (hedonic) motives and their combinations affect different collector types.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author produced version of a paper published in European Journal of Marketing. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Consumer research; Hedonic consumption; Collecting behaviour; Collector typology; Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis; Motive |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Business (Leeds) > Marketing Division (LUBS) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 14 Dec 2017 15:35 |
Last Modified: | 17 Feb 2020 14:31 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/EJM-10-2016-0570 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:125015 |