Marketing in Context

The best marketing doesn't just focus on the individual psychology of the consumer, it operates at a cultural level. It frames choices so that the consumer isn't aware their buying decisions are being influenced. Hackley shows how marketing must set the scene and identify the broader cultural context to successfully influence consumers.

"Once again Professor Hackley has written the book I wished I had. Lucid, cogent, entertaining and above all critical, this book should be required reading for anyone interested in a more sophisticated understanding of the role and influence of marketing in contemporary society." - Avi Shankar, Professor of Consumer Research, School of Management, University of Bath

"This is an excellent book that calls for marketing to be more contextually sensitive, creative and theatrical in its efforts to shape the texture of the consumer cultural context. It offers a wealth of insights for students, theorists, practitioners and public policy makers alike." - Professor Mark Tadajewski, Durham University

"Chris Hackley does for consumer culture what Malcolm Gladwell did for epidemiology - he takes complex ideas about the reality of consumption and marketing and communicates them in an engaging, jargon-free manner without sacrificing depth and richness. This book should be read by all serious students of marketing and consumption practice." - Professor Michael Beverland, School of Management, University of Bath

"Finally! An introductory marketing textbook that takes marketing as a cultural practice seriously. Far beyond being a mere individually oriented persuasion technique, contemporary marketing is a cultural navigation ability that mobilizes markets. And this book shows why and how!" - Professor Søren Askegaard, University of SouthernDenmark

"A welcome addition to our understanding of marketing, this book shows how the adoption of a cultural perspective can enhance marketers' insights into consumers. First-class scholarship containing many provocative ideas is translated into practical applications for marketing managers." - Professor Pauline MacLaran, School of Management, Royal Holloway, University of London

"In these days of marketing ideologies, discourses and dominant logics, Professor Hackley's refreshingly straightforward approach illustrates that, for marketing, context is everything. Hackley sets the marketing scene with his provocative notion of 'contextual marketing' and, eschewing the narrative style of both academic and 'how to' management texts, he puts marketing squarely or roundly -in its place." - Mike Saren, Professor of Marketing at the University of Leicester

Chris Hackley is Professor of Marketing at the School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London. His research and writing on marketing, advertising, media, education, and consumer cultural policy issues has been published in more than 100 books, research articles, and features. He has consulted with government bodies such as the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team on alcohol policy, and with commercial organizations such as Channel 4 Television, New Media Group, Sky Media, and The Huffington Post on product placement and native advertising.

He is a regular contributor to print and broadcast media on marketing and consumer policy topics. His TV and radio appearances include BBC Breakfast TV, Channel 4 News, ITV Tonight, BBC Radio 4 You and Yours, and BBC Radio 4 Thinking Allowed. His research and comment has been quoted in many national and international newspapers such as the Guardian, Daily Mirror, The Times, the Daily Telegraph, The Age, and the Times of India, and in trade publications such as Campaign, Advertising Age, the Financial Times, and Harvard Business Review. His opinion pieces and features have appeared in various print publications including Times Higher Education, Admap, and The Psychologist.