A Critical Reconceptualisation of Marketplace Cultures: The Ambiguity of Sociality and Centrality of Play

Consumers are becoming more involved in marketplace cultures, which attempt to revive the community spirit of village or district – communal consumption provides opportunities for desired social interactions among consumers.... [ view full abstract ]

Consumers are becoming more involved in marketplace cultures, which attempt to revive the community spirit of village or district – communal consumption provides opportunities for desired social interactions among consumers. The conceptualisation of marketplace cultures is founded upon Maffesoli’s conceptualisation of neo-tribes – marketplace cultures have at their conceptual core sociality. Reification and longevity of marketplace cultures is dependant upon the power and attraction of social consumption rituals. However, given the relative blending of characteristics discussed in the consumer culture theory literature, and frequent interchangeable use of the terms brand community, subculture of consumption, and consumer tribe, we critically examine the marketplace culture phenomenon adopting play as an alternative foundational theoretical lens. The authors introduce play theory, the categorisation of play, and their centrality to marketplace cultures. Finally, the authors suggest communal consumption be understood as marketplace play. Marketers must aim to understand and facilitate these play forms. Identifying the play desires embedded in communal consumption, marketers can better facilitate marketplace cultures by providing relevant resources for marketplace play. Such an approach contributes to a renewed community-based marketing approach, which could lead to symbiotic marketer-consumer relationships based on play facilitation and co-creation of the play-ground