Background: The Swedish island Gotland provides suitable conditions for the successful implementation of electric cars. Despite these conditions and the availability of the product in the Gotlandic market, electric cars do not find acceptance among consumers on Gotland. This phenomenon of consumer resistance behavior represents a rather under-researched area in current literature. Since resistance behavior is one of the main reasons responsible for the high failure rate of innovative products such as electric cars, this justifies the relevance of this study. Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the reasons for consumer resistance behavior towards electric cars on Gotland. By answering this question, the authors intend to contribute not only theoretically to the existing theory of this phenomenon but also to shed new light on the special case of Gotland regarding the non-adoption of electric cars. Methodology: In order to answer the research question, an exploratory case study approach was chosen. Quantitative data in form of a questionnaire as well as qualitative data including a group interview and six expert interviews were collected and analyzed. Key findings: The barriers preventing consumers on Gotland from adopting electric cars are rooted in four different areas. First, functional barriers occur due to the limited range of electric cars, the existing charging infrastructure, the purchase cost, as well as the technological development status of the car batteries. Second, institutional barriers arise since the local government does not provide sufficient support for the further implementation of electric cars and related issues. Third, a contextual barrier in terms of the local car industry was figured out. This contributes a lot the last identified barrier, the cognitive barrier, which concerns the consumers themselves since their lacking knowledge and awareness about issues related to electric cars on Gotland is one of the main reasons for the resistance towards this innovation. As long as these barriers exist, consumers tend to postpone the buying decision of this product to a future point in time.

Background: Since the dawn of internet shopping there has always been consumers who show resistance. Researchers have identified several relevant barriers which inhibit these consumers from shopping online. Now that e-commerce has developed to the point that it could be regarded as mainstream, the resistance that remains is most evident in certain industries, such as the e-grocery industry.        Purpose: To identify which general e-commerce barriers are also applicable to the industry of e-groceries, and to understand the resistance shown towards the sector. Also, to evaluate how countermeasures could impact these barriers.                    Method: A qualitative and abductive approach was used in the study to analyze which barriers are relevant and which are irrelevant. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants located in the south of Sweden who have distinct opinions about e‑groceries and show resistance to embracing their services.         Conclusion: Six of the original ten e-commerce barriers were deemed irrelevant to e-groceries. The other four were relevant and impacted the embrace of e-grocery services for potential customers. Two new barriers specifically linked to e-groceries were discovered. Countermeasures have to a certain degree influenced how customers have managed to overcome certain barriers.

This study investigates the complex relationship between women and nature and the subsequent marketplace behaviors that were manifested as a result of this relationship. The relationship between women and nature was described with four dimensions: intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual. This research then examines how the women's marketplace activities reflected this powerful relationship. In particular, the women did without, used less of, reused, and bought second-hand certain goods. An interpretation based on de Certeau's work on cultural resistance is presented to explain the women's marketplace activities. In particular, Poster (1992)'s interpretation of de Certeau's theories of consumption and resistance is offered as a theoretical framework to explain the women's activities in terms of consumer resistance. / Ph. D.

Background: Consumers have created resistance towards marketing which can be seen for example as cynicism and criticism towards advertisements. Consequently, marketers do not achieve the aimed effect to consumers as easily as earlier. Authentic advertisement is said to be a tool to surpass the consumers’ resistance. Additionally, authenticity is argued to be the cornerstone of modern marketing and influencer marketing is said to be an appropriate channel fostering this. Aim: With this thesis the aim is to research how this the perceived authenticity of consumers affect on the engagement in Instagram to influencer marketers’ postings. Also, to determine and identify the consumers’ perception of authenticity in influencer marketing, especially in Instagram postings. Additionally, the aim is to identify what is the significance of consumers’ perceived authenticity to engagement in influencer marketing postings in Instagram. Methodology: A qualitative explorative research including an influencer interview, focus group interview with five Instagram users and observational study to three Instagram influencers. Findings: Consumers’ perceived authenticity have a positive significance to engagement in influencer marketing in Instagram. However, causes of engagement are relatively ambiguous, and the engagement in influencers’ postings is influenced by other aspects as well than consumers’ perceived authenticity.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Estudos sobre diferentes comunidades e suas resistências ao consumo mostram a crescente onda de opções alternativas de estilo de vida, opostas ao esfacelamento das comunidades no ambiente de mercado – e seu subsequente restabelecimento em contextos de eventos e grupos com interesses especiais. Este estudo buscou compreender a atividade contra-hegemônica e sua ligação com resistência ao consumo na cidade de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil no evento Massa Crítica, contexto que se caracteriza por pregar valores contrários à cultura vigente de consumo, uma maior ligação com a comunidade e sustentabilidade. O estudo utilizou três técnicas diferentes para coleta de dados para que a captura do fenômeno fosse mais ampla e cobrisse os possíveis desdobramentos para os consumidores locais do contexto pesquisado. Tomadas fotográficas ajudaram a transpor as barreiras do texto e evidenciar mais detalhes do andamento do evento (Massa Crítica) e de contextos altamente relacionados. Observações de campo buscaram detalhes de ativismo, atividade contrahegemônica e resistência ao consumo nas relações dos indivíduos entre si mesmos e com transeuntes, motoristas e habitantes dos bairros que não puderam evidenciarse diretamente com os sujeitos de pesquisa. Entrevistas em profundidade, por sua vez, buscaram categorias culturais emergentes nos indivíduos participantes, suas opiniões, narrativas e sentidos que explicam - e são explicados por - suas opções e orientações de vida, consumo e ativismo. Encontrou-se uma convergência (com aspectos similares e diferentes em diferentes indivíduos) intrínseca entre a atividade contra-hegemônica e resistência ao consumo nos entrevistados, resolvida através do posicionamento de “nós” (com práticas positivas) e “eles” (com práticas negativas). Também foram identificadas motivações distintas que atraíram os entrevistados e participantes para o evento, consideradas “fracas” e “fortes” pelos participantes. Entre alguns pontos relevantes dos achados estão a necessidade de engajamento para a aceitação, pelo grupo, de conceitos e termos de marketing; a indicação de que o não-uso, o não-consumo e a não-posse podem, também, ajudar um indivíduo a se expressar perante o grupo a que se sente pertencente e à sociedade; e o capital social intrínseco às bicicletas entre os participantes do movimento. / Studies regarding different communities and the consumer resistance phenomena within bring out the growing wave of alternative lifestyle options, opposed to the communities' crumbling context in the market environment - and its subsequent reestablishment in event and groups' context. This study aims at understanding the counter-hegemonic activity and its connection to consumer resistance in the city of Porto Alegre, at the Critical Mass event, a context characterized by the dissemination of values opposed to the mainstream consumer culture, a greater community sense, and sustainability. Three different techniques were used in order to collect data, to broaden the phenomenon comprehension and cover some possible results for consumers in the local field. The use of photographs helped to transpose text barriers and bring out details of the event's development - as well as highly related fields. Field observation was used in order to seek out details of activism, counter-hegemonic activity, and consumer resistance in the individuals' relationships (among themselves and drivers, motorists, and passers-by) that could not be seen directly from the research subjects. In-depth interviews, by its turn, helped in the process of bringing out categories with the participant individuals - their opinions, narratives and senses that explain - and are explained by - their lives' options and orientations, consumption, and activism. An Intrinsic convergence was found (with similar or differing aspects, depending on each individual) between counter-hegemony and consumer resistance in the interviewees, resolved through the "us" (positive practices) versus "them" (negative practices) positioning. Some distinctive motivations attracting the individuals to the movement were also identified, within the interview subjects, regarded as "weak" or "strong" by participants. Some relevant findings that can be shown: the "engagement for acceptance within the group" regarding participation initiatives; the indication that non-use, non-possession, and non-consumption can, also, help an individual to express itself among its peer group and society as a whole; and the intrinsic bicycle social capital between the event participants.