Transformative Consumer Research and Public Policy and Marketing Research: Distinct, Yet Complementary, Approaches

Abstract

Research on marketing in society has become increasingly prevalent, as evident in many subgroups such as public policy and marketing (PPM), macromarketing, consumer economics, social marketing, marketing ethics, international consumer policy, Transformative Consumer Research (TCR), and the Subsistence Marketplaces Initiative (Wilkie and Moore 2012). PPM and TCR represent significant communities, with over 2,500 conference registrations over the past decade between them. The PPM and TCR communities have significant overlap in conference participants, research identity, and aspiration to make the world a better place, leaving many researchers confused about differences between the two communities. Given their cooperation, size, and publication history in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M) we explore helpful distinctions in the approaches of these partner organizations while also demonstrating their complementarity. We start with a brief history of both communities and explain the key differences between them (for an overview, see Table 1). We then discuss two substantive current issues in “marketing in society”— vaccination and marijuana legalization—suggesting future research questions based on each perspective.