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This omnibus paper brings together a number of esteemed editors and associate editors in order to share a variety of perspectives on academic publishing within the marketing discipline. Together, they provide glimpses into current thinking on some of the most pressing and current debates which we are struggling with, for example: impact, originality, bias, alienation, and the need for communities of thought. Polyvocally, this omnibus reflects on the many failures of our discipline and provides some routes forward in reframing our field's epistemic assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nostalgia has predominantly been situated as a positive orientation to the past – a function of either personal or vicarious rose – tinted memory, triggered by circumstances in the present – a past/present dichotomy. Yet, nostalgia has no counterpart, a concept to explain a longing for the future, anchored in the present and determined by actions taken in the present. This paper details such an emotion by proposing the concept of "Mellostalgia." Drawing on a study of visitors to the site of a British TV drama, the process of experiencing mellostalgia through a series of triggers and actions is examined. These include; stimulating mellostalgia; mellostalgia, the present and the future, and, capturing the mellostalgic experience, or "looking forward to looking back." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rituals, particularly religious rituals, may play a significant role in times of crises. Often, these rituals undergo revision to adapt to the changing needs of the time. This article investigates recent unofficially revised Hindu religious rituals as performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The multifarious creative interplay between Hindu tradition and change is illustrated through four cases: the religious festival of Durga Puja, the devotional songs or bhajans, the ritual of lighting lamps or diyas, and the fire rituals or havans. The authors offer a systematic discourse analysis of online news articles and YouTube posts that illuminate several aspects of ritual revision during unsettled times. They focus on the changes that were made to ritual elements: who controlled these alterations, how these modifications were made, and what potential benefits these revisions offered to the community of ritual participants. The authors highlight public policy implications regarding the involvement of diverse social actors, the creation of faith in science, the creation of feelings of unity and agency, and the amplification of local ritual modifications on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on consumer behaviour at contemporary museums. It explores the concept of postmodern consumer society in relation to the individual and the 'popularisation' of museums. The paper then draws upon findings from a grounded theory study of consumer behaviour at contemporary museums and heritage attractions. It proposes that there are three identifiable types of behaviour based around differences in cultural identification, perceptions of self, the desire for authenticity, nostalgic reactions, and social motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors examine the consumption practices of young adult Iranians in the context of cultural globalization. Based on the analysis of qualitative data collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with 28 individuals in Tehran and Karaj, the authors demonstrate how, through its cultural flow (circulation of images, signs, products, etc.) globalization stimulates reflexivity in “an ongoing process of virtual intercultural learning” through which people reconstitute their lives and change their everyday consumption practices and lifestyle choices. The key contribution of the study lies in the fact that it examines consumers’ subjective consumption experiences in a society where the traditional/institutional dynamics enforce their own values and ideal lifestyles on individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]