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Redistributed consumer desire in digital virtual worlds of consumption

Redistributed consumer desire in digital virtual worlds of consumption
Redistributed consumer desire in digital virtual worlds of consumption
The aim of this paper is to discuss and illustrate how the use of software available in digital virtual worlds of consumption, including wish lists, watch lists, and digital virtual goods (DVGs), interact with consumer desiring practices. We draw on a data set of three interpretative studies with technology users living in the South of England. Our study makes a unique contribution to our understanding of consumer desire and digital virtual consumption by bringing to the fore the often-neglected role of non-human agents in the practice of consumer desire. In particular, it shows (1) the assemblage of consumer desire in human–non-human hybrids (composed of consumers and online wish lists, online auction tools, and video-game resources; (2) the redistribution of competence and skills in human–software hybrids; (3) the r-distribution of affect and commitment in human–software hybrids; and (4) the refocusing of desire in human–software hybrids. Based on our findings, we conclude that, over time, the use of software in the construction and actualisation of desire reconfigures consumer desire practices into a goal-orientated task, where the focus is not daydreaming activity or material commodities per se but rather the software itself. Here, the software not only presents things to be desired, but also absorbs some of the skill and competence needed to conjure up desire. Ultimately, these configurations appear to create breaks in the experience of desire that weaken the hold previously binding consumers to objects of desire.
digital virtual consumption, consumer desire, human–nonhuman hybrids, eBay, wish lists, video games
0019-8501
1561-1579
Denegri-Knott, Janice
db2bfb78-a91f-4fa0-a15a-a611c41e3c19
Molesworth, Mike
48a49a79-1d99-4120-b0aa-578e42541724
Denegri-Knott, Janice
db2bfb78-a91f-4fa0-a15a-a611c41e3c19
Molesworth, Mike
48a49a79-1d99-4120-b0aa-578e42541724

Denegri-Knott, Janice and Molesworth, Mike (2013) Redistributed consumer desire in digital virtual worlds of consumption. [in special issue: Virtual Worlds] Journal of Marketing Management, 29 (13-14), 1561-1579. (doi:10.1080/0267257X.2013.821420).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss and illustrate how the use of software available in digital virtual worlds of consumption, including wish lists, watch lists, and digital virtual goods (DVGs), interact with consumer desiring practices. We draw on a data set of three interpretative studies with technology users living in the South of England. Our study makes a unique contribution to our understanding of consumer desire and digital virtual consumption by bringing to the fore the often-neglected role of non-human agents in the practice of consumer desire. In particular, it shows (1) the assemblage of consumer desire in human–non-human hybrids (composed of consumers and online wish lists, online auction tools, and video-game resources; (2) the redistribution of competence and skills in human–software hybrids; (3) the r-distribution of affect and commitment in human–software hybrids; and (4) the refocusing of desire in human–software hybrids. Based on our findings, we conclude that, over time, the use of software in the construction and actualisation of desire reconfigures consumer desire practices into a goal-orientated task, where the focus is not daydreaming activity or material commodities per se but rather the software itself. Here, the software not only presents things to be desired, but also absorbs some of the skill and competence needed to conjure up desire. Ultimately, these configurations appear to create breaks in the experience of desire that weaken the hold previously binding consumers to objects of desire.

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More information

Published date: September 2013
Keywords: digital virtual consumption, consumer desire, human–nonhuman hybrids, eBay, wish lists, video games
Organisations: Centre for Relational Leadership & Change

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 362364
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362364
ISSN: 0019-8501
PURE UUID: 43780c87-9f9c-4d22-991d-eeea66c2c54a

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Date deposited: 24 Feb 2014 11:20
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:06

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Author: Janice Denegri-Knott
Author: Mike Molesworth

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