Consumer experiences often build on resonant atmospheres that touch, seduce, or thrill consumers. Lack of resonance can diminish an atmosphere, alienate consumers, and render experiences meaningless. However, the way in which consumers contribute to atmospheres’ evolving resonance and plural nature has nonetheless been undertheorized. We address this question by operationalizing the concept of spheres of resonance, which we develop based on a multi-sited ethnography at the iconic holiday resort Club Med. Drawing on theory of resonance, we explain atmospheres are consumed through co-evolving spheres of resonance emerging in bodily encounters that momentarily envelop people and groups. Our findings show how these spheres co-exist but can also overlap, merge, and clash, influencing how atmospheres are felt and mobilized. Overall, we expand prior understandings of consumption atmospheres beyond a “mono-spherical” view and contribute to theory on the dynamics of atmospheres and resonance in consumer research.
- Spheres of resonance
- Joonas Rokka (Author) - École de management de LyonBrigitte Auriacombe (Author) - École de management de LyonÉric J. Arnould (Author) - Aalto UniversityMaíra Lopes (Author) - Royal Holloway University of London
- Marketing Theory
- SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC; THOUSAND OAKS
- 25 p.
- 25
- EMLYON
This research was conducted according to a partnership contract with Club Med and EMLYON, which provided funding for organizing our fieldwork travels and stays in 2016-2020. The contract ensured that our research objectives and methodologies were shared with Club Med management and that our research was carried out unobtrusively, while safeguarding customers' and employees' privacy and anonymity in the holiday resorts studied. The authors extend their thanks to all EMLYON Lifestyle Research Center members and our students who took part in Club Med fieldwork and related discussions over the years. Special thanks goes to Lionel Sitz for contributing to an earlier iteration of this project. We also thank Maria Federley for her help with the graphical illustrations of our paper.
- 9917688709453
- OCE - Organizations, Critical & Ethnographic perspectives; Lifestyle; Department of Marketing
- English
- Journal article
- 771061