Evolution of the Literature on Experiential Marketing After Holbrook and Hirschman’s (1982) Seminal Article

François Colbert

François Colbert is a marketing professor, holder of the Carmelle and Rémi-Marcoux Chair in Arts Management, and codirector of the Master of Management in International Arts Management at HEC Montréal.

ABSTRACT
From logic where the consumer is considered a rational being when it comes to making purchasing decisions, we now consider that this same consumer can be irrational when it comes to living an experience. Morris Holbrook offered this different perspective in his article published in 1982 with his colleague Hirschman: from a homo economicus to a human who has fantasies, wants to feel and enjoy (“The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun”). This article explores the evolution and the multiple facets that have been addressed by academic researchers since 1982, particularly those interested in arts and culture marketing. A literature review comprising 579 articles from 93 scientific journals identified several mechanisms at work in the cultural consumer’s day. It also shows that Morris Holbrook’s work extends beyond marketing journals to the fields of tourism, psychology and sociology. Arts marketing emerged 40 years ago from studies on the socio-economic profile of cultural consumers to address notions of why and how they experience their relationship with the world of arts and artists.
KEYWORDS
Literature Review; Experiential Marketing