Empowerment as latent vulnerability in techno-mediated consumption journeys

International audience; Marketers, retailers, and brands increasingly rely on digital technologies to shape consumers’ journeys.Extending from the paradox of technology, which captures the coexistence of inherent benefits and risks, wepropose that empowerment from techno-mediated interactions with brands conceals vulnerability; thus, introducingthe concept of latent vulnerability. Adopting a dream interpretation approach from psychoanalysis, weexplored consumers’ reflections on the integration of techno-based interactions with brands in their consumptionjourneys. The analysis unearths processes whereby consumer empowerment may convert to experiences ofvulnerability. This research shows that, while giving consumers a sense of empowerment, techno-mediatedjourneys may hide a form of latent vulnerability. Latent vulnerability becomes manifest through revelationmechanisms that allow consumers to develop self-reflexivity and recognize their dependence and manipulation.We discuss the ethical implications that latent vulnerability raises.