Episode 051: Ela Veresiu
Making a simple consumer choice has become a minefield of moralizing and shame. It’s not enough to buy the right products, you have to use them in the right way. Returning guest Dr. Ela Veresiu, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Schulich School of Business, studies how consumer behaviour is moralized. With her co-authors, she has identified four scripts that people follow in taking a moral position on the products and services they use: hygienic, improvement, holistic, and indulgent. In this interview, she explains how policy makers can apply these insights to influence public behaviour, and how companies can position their products to align with morally desirable end-states, leaving consumers to choose their own moral path to that end.
Cameron: Ela, welcome to the podcast.
Ela: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here.
My name is Ela Veresiu And I am now an Associate Professor of Marketing, the current Marketing Area Coordinator and the Marketing PhD Program Representative at the Schulich School of Business. I specialize in branding and consumer behavior.
Cameron: I have deep sympathy for you as you list off all your administrative duties. We've all had a chance to do those and they can be very time consuming. So I'm impressed that you have so much time for research. Tell me about your research, your general approach. I know you've had quite a trajectory of research topics. How would you describe your current interests?
Ela: I think the common thread would be that I study branding and consumer behavior from a sociological perspective using qualitative methods. My research overall focuses on consumer diversity, wellbeing, and market inclusion at really the interplay of institutions, technology, branding, and identity. I think that would wrap it up in a nutshell.
Cameron: Well, that is a big nutshell. You've got a lot of things going on, and a lot of them are picked up in your most recent publication, which is on the morality of consumption. Can you tell me about this paper?
Ela: Today I'm here to talk about a new co-authored paper called Moralizing Everyday Consumption: the Case of Self-care, that was very recently published in the Journal of Consumer Research. It's how consumers moralize their everyday consumption practices, especially when engaging in self-care. I'll reveal our findings right away, and then I'll dive deeper into them.
Cameron: Sure.
Ela: We find that moral considerations, a person's appraisals of right and wrong, tend to significantly shape consumer behavior and decision making. Probably the most interesting thing from the study is that moral considerations not only affect traditionally polarizing consumption choices, such as recreational drug use, but even routine basic everyday purchases can be influenced by moral judgments and often require justification to the self, the person that's engaging in these purchases, as well as to others. We set out to better understand, and these are the two research questions that guide this particular paper, when and how consumers moralize everyday consumption practices, and we examine these questions in the context of the booming self-care market, which is a broad category that includes all types of products, services, and resources that are meant to support self-care.
Cameron: Now, why is self-care something that is particularly connected to questions of morality?
Ela: That's an interesting, question. Everyday consumption is likely to be moralized when there are culturally contested meanings of consumer trends, which leads cultural authorities, influencers, brand managers, medical professionals, journalists, to prescribe very different ways to pursue the same consumption goal. So, for example, we find that the quote-unquote cultural script of self-care perpetuated by marketers and influencers includes much more bubble baths, wine, and this shopping spree idea that anything goes as long as it makes you happy in the moment.
The cultural script of self-care that's perpetuated by healthcare practitioners encompasses exercise, a balanced diet, and regular doctor's appointments.
We find that exposure to cultural scripts that clash, these clashes trigger consumer moral introspection. What's the right practice, what types of products and services should I buy, which cultural authorities should I listen to, and what's the wrong way of engaging in self-care. And we were surprised that the consumers we interviewed in this project had very different views on what self-care meant to them, and were policing others in their real life, in their own circles, as well as online about the right and wrong ways of engaging in self-care consumption.
We didn't go into this project thinking it was going to be such a contentious topic and, and
Cameron: No, I can imagine, but on the other hand, we know that people not only have conflicting ideas on particular practices, for example, whether drinking alcohol is right or wrong. You know, there are some people who think that that's just wrong, it's sinful. Other people think it's just an enjoyable thing to do. But there's also conflict about who gets to enjoy that form of self-care, right? We've got a great colleague at York University by the name of Steve Gaetz. He's an eminent researcher in the field of homelessness. And he talks about how, you know, when people put money in the cup of someone who is homeless, people will say, well, why are you giving that money to that person? They're just going to spend it on alcohol. And Steve says, like, we go home at the end of a stressful day and we open a bottle of wine, pour ourselves a glass of wine. How come we're the only ones who get to self medicate? Right? So there's this conflict, not just between two opposing views, but also about who those views should be applied to, right? I think that maybe that has to do with this definition of self, who is a self?
Ela: Oh, absolutely. Interestingly enough, through our media as well as market level data, we found four, um, what we refer to as market-mediated scripts for self-care. Four very different ones.
Cameron: Could you just, just take a side detour and explain to me how you went about doing the research? Like, what did you actually go and get for data?
Ela: I'm very excited that I worked with a doctoral student on this particular project. So this is based on her dissertation work. So she collected all of the data.
Cameron: Is this Rachel or Colleen?
Ela: That's Rachel.
Cameron: Rachel. So this is Rachel Hochstein.
Ela: First author of this project, and I'm very, very proud of her. She's a wonderful scholar and colleague.
Cameron: For the record, your third co author, Colleen?
Ela: Colleen was Rachel's official supervisor at Florida State University.
Cameron: Colleen Harmeling.
Ela: That's correct.
So, Rachel collected news coverage with articles featuring self-care in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today from January 2015 to February 2021, 762 articles, which was quite impressive. Then she also collected TikTok videos. So they were self-care related TikTok videos from 65 brands. She also collected consumer generated TikTok videos and comments. These were just regular TikTok users that mentioned self-care.
Cameron: These are the brand influencers you're talking about?
One possible self-care script. (Image: Toa Heftiba, Unsplash)
Ela: No, just regular consumers. And finally, she collected consumer interviews and diaries. So these were 26 in total, semi-structured consumer interviews. The interviewees had an option to participate in writing diary entries for about a month on their self-care routines. So all of this together comprised our, very extensive data set.
And we found four different scripts perpetuated by these cultural authorities on how to engage in self-care consumption. We refer to them as the hygienic, improvement, holistic, and indulgent self-care scripts, but what is the most fascinating finding about them is that all of these scripts have a different definition and meaning that they promote about what the self means, as well as what care means. So we thought that was very interesting and that ties back to your comments.
So for example, in the hygienic self-care script, self is typically defined as the physical body, and care are any actions taken to maintain the body in its immediate environment.
Whereas in what we refer to as the improvement self-care script, the self is a culturally ideal body and care are actions taken to move the self towards a cultural ideal of productivity and success.
And in the holistic script, the self is an integrated body, mind and soul, and care are any actions that enhance the longevity of internal feelings of contentment.
And finally, in the indulgent self-care script, the self is a pampered body entitled to immediate consumption and gratification. And so care is any actions that are comforting in the moment.
And interestingly enough, all of these different scripts had criticisms attached to them. So the hygienic self-care script was criticized as not being self-care because we should all be able to take basic care of our body. The indulgent self-care script similarly was labeled as not self-care at all, but rather being selfish and a therapy dupe and wasteful and causing people to ignore their personal problems and responsibilities, whereas the improvement self-care script was mostly criticized for normalizing certain body types and body ideals.
Cameron: So, you've got three of those categories that are related to the self as a body.
Ela: Correct.
Cameron: The hygienic one, which is basically looking after the body as we are.
Ela: Yeah.
Cameron: The improvement one, which has this...
Ela: All of them are related to bodies. So,
Cameron: Okay,
Ela: The hygienic is just the physical body.
Cameron: You said that the holistic one is a body-mind kind of a composite.
Ela: Mind and soul.
Cameron: Right, right. So the hygienic and the improvement and the indulgent ones are quite focused on the body, the physical body.
And the improvement one has got this goal in mind, whereas the others are more about how you are now. Is that a fair categorization?
Ela: That is a hundred percent correct, yes.
Cameron: So that improvement one I find quite interesting because you've got this really lovely long word. I love long words in academic articles: “teleoaffectivity.” Can you define that?
Because that's got that idea of a goal in mind.
Ela: Yeah, so in a nutshell, teleoaffectivity is a consumption goal.
Cameron: So this is the reason why you are doing the consumption? Like this, this end state that you have in mind?
Ela: Correct.
It comes from a practice theoretician. If we want to get into…
Cameron: Oh, I do!
Ela: ... more detail, by the name of Schatzki, who defined teleoaffectivity as a set of ends that participants should or may pursue that are allied with normative emotions and even moods. Teleoaffectivity guides the external and internal states of being that consumers desire to achieve.
Cameron: So this is about desire.
Ela: Correct.
Cameron: Now, these different ways of... you're calling them cultural scripts. So I want you to define that notion of cultural script for me, and then I want you to tell me what market-mediated means. So first of all, what's a cultural script?
Ela: A cultural script is something that prescribes doings and meanings and objects that everybody agrees form a certain practice, if you will.
Cameron: Can you give me an example?
Ela: Engaging in hygienic self-care includes certain objects that brands would like you to use, like Dove Body Wash. It includes taking showers, taking your vitamins, and going to the doctor if you fall ill.
Cameron: Take a bubble bath.
Ela: That, that would not be hygienic. That would be more indulgent
It may take more than self-care this time. (Image: Matthew Henry, Unsplash)
Cameron: And so what does market-mediated mean?
Ela: So market-mediated means that brands come in to try to sell consumers on the different objects that they should be using, which tend to be very branded products and services in order to achieve self-care. What we also found through our consumer interviews and diaries is that consumers often set moral boundaries of acceptable self-care consumption when they have cultural scripts that clash , clash with one another, as well as clash with consumers moral intuitions. So we find that they assume four various positions, some more combative than others.
When they assume a moral righteous stance, they typically align themselves with the rules of one chosen script only out of the available set of cultural scripts, and they police themselves and others from deviating from this particular script.
If they engage in a more moral inclusivity, they tend to align themselves more with the desired end goal of self-care. So, they may choose one particular cultural script that they like more than others, but there's more of a kumbaya where whatever an individual finds as the most effective for him and herself, that's great for them. So live and let live, in words.
Then the third type which we refer to as moral licensing, they try to engage with different moral scripts, but in particular orders in order to assuage the negative associations of each script.
The most perfect example we have for this is a phenomenon on TikTok called Self-care Sunday, where they would post a Self-care Sunday routine. So they would start off with gym and groceries, and they would clean their house and their car. Then they would shower, then they would spend time in nature, then perhaps they would engage in, yoga before bed. And then finally something more indulgent like YouTube and FaceMax. So they would go from things that were morally the most acceptable, like grocery shopping and cleaning your house, to things that were the most self-indulgent. So they would justify the criticisms of one of the cultural scripts by saying, but we also engage in the more positive or socially accepted cultural scripts.
Cameron: So there's a diversity in how people approach this.
Ela: Absolutely.
Cameron: And that's going to be perceived with different value judgments, depending on which perspective people are coming from.
Ela: Absolutely. Absolutely. Which is so interesting. Ultimately this consumer moralization process has implications for a variety of consumption practices as well as public policy makers.
Cameron: So the role of policy makers here, is it, directed towards the marketers or towards the consumers?
Ela: The reality is that policy makers also need to engage in, um. marketing actions, if you will, in order to change public perceptions. So for example, underlying sustainability, inclusion and public health initiatives are widely varying moral intuitions related to the most appropriate way to achieve a desired public goal. Consumers need to recalibrate their moral intuitions through moral introspection, and if they don't reconfigure their moral intuitions, they're likely to balk at mandates, such as the introduction of paper bags and reusable bags. So, we think that understanding the full moralization process from how people acquire cultural scripts to how they apply and defend them is essential in changing consumption behaviors in these public initiatives, if you will.
Cameron: My mind is going in a different direction here and I'm thinking of the articles I've read recently about bike lanes in Toronto and the contentious alternative ways of regulating this public space. I wonder what policy makers would want to take into account. If I follow your logic, you're trying to get them to see that triggering these moments of introspection about the moral value of consumption choices, choosing to drive a car, choosing to ride a bike, choosing to take transit, is a key towards successful public policy. Is that the direction you're going.
Ela: Exactly. So first of all, policymakers need to understand that there are competing cultural scripts that are often market-mediated guiding, let's say transportation in this particular case, where they're going to compete for, consumer's attention, if you will. And so ideally you want to ensure that the cultural script that is less damaging to the environment gets the most moral buy-in from everyday consumers.
Cameron: What are the consequences for corporations and brand managers if they don't understand this stuff properly?
Ela: They may have a harder time with their marketing and branding strategies, especially for entrepreneurs or companies that are trying to bring a new product, service, experience to the market. For example, our research suggests that early adopters will likely face greater moral judgment from others, for their consumption choices. Brand managers should align themselves with a desired end goal and be morally inclusive.
Cameron: Well, it's a fascinating study, and it seems to go after just about every aspect of modern life, if you want to push it in those directions.
Ela: Yeah. Yeah. It, it is. At the core, , it's about how consumers and other actors moralize everyday consumption practices.
Cameron: Well, these ideas of, of cultural scripts, if you just take away the self-care part of it for a second, set that aside. This idea of how people make choices using cultural scripts would've implications for, for voting, for...
Ela: I did not want to get into that!
Cameron: No, no. I will just, you know, flag that for those who want to think about it,
Ela: Yep
Cameron: Um, it probably has implications for even more important decisions such as whether you support the Leafs or the Canadiens.
Ela: That's very true. Cultural scripts are a way to understand that our, our actions are guided by others. Our actions, thoughts, behaviors, not just as consumers, but as people in general, don't just occur in a vacuum, but are rather guided by others. and that being said, we still have an opportunity to shape them ourselves, so consumers can also shape market-mediated cultural scripts or cultural scripts in general. That's the beauty of this construct that, yes, it guides our individual thoughts, behaviors, actions, but we also have an opportunity to shape future cultural scripts so they're not written in stone. It takes a while to change them because they occur at the aggregate level. but it, it's not impossible for these scripts to change. And in fact, historically they have, for better or worse.
Cameron: Tell me about your new papers that you're working on.
Ela: Ah, so currently, I am working on a paper that looks at stigma in the marketplace, ethnic stigma or immigrant stigma, and how it is more nuanced how it is created and how it is managed.
Cameron: Yeah. You've been working on that notion of stigma for a long time. That goes right back to your doctoral research, doesn't it?
Ela: That's right. So I'm, continuing the thread with that work, trying to expand its definition and also expand its public policy implications and managing strategies of how to mitigate it or minimize it.
Cameron: Well, sadly, the stigmatization of immigrants is what we might call an evergreen research topic. It will always be there to study. I hope that you can make some, some good penetrating insights around that for us. Where can people find you, Ela?
Ela: I do have a website. So my own website is elaveresiu.com. or on the Schulich website.
Cameron: I'll provide links to those in the show notes. Thank you so much for talking with me, Ela. It's lovely to ...
Ela: My absolute pleasure.
Cameron: Nice to have you on the program again.
Ela: Thank you very much for inviting me.
Some succinct self-care scripts. (Image: Sara Kilian, Unsplash)
Links
Ela Veresiu’s website
LinkedIn: Ela Veresiu
Research
Moralizing Everyday Consumption
Credits
Host and producer: Cameron Graham
Co-producer: Andrew Micak
Photos: York University
Music: Musicbed
Tools: Descript, Squadcast
Recorded: November 20, 2024
Location: Toronto
