Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2013

Publication Title

Journal of Consumer Research

Volume

40

Issue

4

Abstract

Myths have come of age in consumer research. In the 22 years since Levy’s inaugural article, the literature has grown at an impressive rate. Yet important questions remain unanswered: What makes some myths especially meaningful to consumers? Why are certain consumer myths more prevalent and less perishable than others? This article argues that ambiguity is an influential factor. Using the RMS Titanic as an empirical exemplar, it unpacks the principal forms of myth-informed ambiguity surrounding “the unsinkable brand.” Predicated on William Empson’s hitherto unsung principles of literary criticism, the article posits that ambiguity in its multifaceted forms is integral to outstanding branding and consumer meaning making, as well as myth appeal more generally.

Comments

Author Posting. © 2013 by Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. This article is posted here by permission of the Journal of Consumer Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The article was published in Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 40, Issue 4, December 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/671474

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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