Nostalgic bonding: exploring the role of nostalgia in the consumption experience

TLDR

Recent research has focused on nostalgia's role in consumer behavior and marketing, but has largely used quantitative surveys to examine its chronological and personality aspects. The study aims to investigate nostalgic bonding in consumption through an interpretive lens. The authors use a collective introspective method to infer key nostalgic experience types. © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.

Abstract

Abstract The recently awakened awareness of the past has produced a flurry of research directed towards understanding the nostalgic aspects of the human condition, towards investigating the role of nostalgia in the lives of consumers, and towards the application of such knowledge to the design of marketing strategies. With rare exceptions, however, such research has pursued a quantitative survey‐based approach to establishing the chronology‐related and personality‐driven aspects of nostalgia. To explore the nature and types of nostalgic bonding in greater depth, the present study pursues an interpretive approach to understanding the role of nostalgia in the consumption experience. Specifically, it applies a collective approach to subjective personal introspection to draw inferences concerning the key types of nostalgic experience. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.