Prof. Jeremy Lee, from York University, Schulich School of Business, will present his research. 

The Morality of Seeking Meaning in the Marketplace

People are seeking greater well-being amidst global upheaval. To cater to this desire, marketing managers are positioning their brands as sources of meaning, believing that consumers view consumption as an appropriate path to meaning. Findings from six studies (N = 2,685) challenge this belief: participants judged seeking meaning (vs. pleasure or no-goal baseline) through consumption as less morally appropriate. This effect applied across a wide range of products, services, and experiences — including ethical purchases that uphold social or environmental values. The core effect occurred because participants believed that the marketplace threatens their control over how they pursue meaning (vs. pleasure). Because of reduced morality perceptions, participants responded to a brand positioned on meaning (vs. pleasure) with less positive word-of-mouth. These findings suggest that consumers feel a moral tension between the marketplace and pursuing meaning, and they reveal a novel point of divergence between the pursuit of meaning and pleasure (i.e., sensitivity to threats to their control). They also suggest that marketers should be careful when appealing to consumers’ meaning motive. Brands may increase receptiveness towards meaning-based positioning by giving consumers the freedom to create meaning in their own way.