Living in Another World: the Role of Narrative Imagination in the Production of Fantasy Enclaves

EXTENDED ABSTRACT - While there are multiple manifestations of consumers’ imagination in the marketing literature, very little is known about its nature and the role that it plays in consumption experiences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concept of imagination, especially as it relates to the construction of alternative consumption realities or what Belk and Costa (1998) call Afantastic consumption enclaves.@ In this regard, we address two pertinent issues that are of interest to consumer researchers. First, we explore the nature of consumer imagination in consumption experiences and second, we provide insight into the role that imagination plays as a source of pleasure and as an indication of consumers’ playful, voluntary participation in experiential consumption.

Citation:

Athinodoros Chronis and Ronald D. Hampton (2004) ,"Living in Another World: the Role of Narrative Imagination in the Production of Fantasy Enclaves", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 31, eds. Barbara E. Kahn and Mary Frances Luce, Valdosta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 193-195.