Cycles of inequality in the marketplace: Insights from macro, marketer, and consumer perspectives

Author

Debora V. Thompson
Amna Kirmani
Rebecca Hamilton
Andy Li
Christilene Du PLESSIS, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Daniel Fernandes
Guillaume Johnson
Brent McFerren
Jian Ni
Vladmir Pavlov
Francine Petersen
Lisa Scheer
Yan Vieites
Keith Wilcox

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

9-2025

Abstract

Seeking inequality via differentiation is a fundamental theme in the marketing literature: consumers derive utility from products that convey socially valued attributes, and marketers target consumers by giving them opportunities to differentiate on socially valued attributes. However, as a large body of evidence shows, inequality can reduce consumer well-being and limit economic growth. In this paper, we take a systemic view of marketplace inequality, examining the interdependence among consumers, marketers, and macro forces in shaping inequality in markets for goods and services. Our broad review of the marketing literature across ten marketing journals and a variety of subdomains within the field (e.g., macromarketing, consumer behavior, marketing strategy, quantitative marketing) suggests that macro forces, marketers, and consumers are all part of a dynamic system in which each contributes to creating, perpetuating, and disrupting cycles of marketplace inequality. By highlighting the process by which inequality can be created, perpetuated, and reduced, we hope to give marketing researchers and practitioners insight into interventions that have the potential to increase consumer well-being and marketer profitability.

Keywords

Inequality, Status, Discrimination, Power, Social class, Income distribution

Discipline

Marketing | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Marketing

Publication

International Journal of Research in Marketing

First Page

1

Last Page

20

ISSN

0167-8116

Identifier

10.1016/j.ijresmar.2025.09.004

Publisher

Elsevier

Citation

Thompson, Debora V.; Kirmani, Amna; Hamilton, Rebecca; Li, Andy; PLESSIS, Christilene Du; Fernandes, Daniel; Johnson, Guillaume; McFerren, Brent; Ni, Jian; Pavlov, Vladmir; Petersen, Francine; Scheer, Lisa; Vieites, Yan; and Wilcox, Keith. Cycles of inequality in the marketplace: Insights from macro, marketer, and consumer perspectives. (2025). International Journal of Research in Marketing. 1-20.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7810

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2025.09.004