Nostalgia, autobiographical memories and brand strategy: Marketing to the post–World War I generation

Abstract

For marketing managers, the current trend for nostalgia marketing is not without risk. Indeed, leveraging nostalgia to reach the aging post–World War I generation can prompt feelings of sadness. This paper compares the benefits the postwar generation derives from consuming nostalgic brands with the competitive advantages that nostalgia marketing offers to marketing professionals. The paper examines how these benefits translate into competitive advantages via two complementary qualitative studies. The first was performed among a sample of 20 consumers, born between 1928 and 1947, while the second was performed among a sample of eight marketing managers whose companies target this generation. Two thematic analyses were conducted after the integral transcription of the interviews. The first highlights the main emotional benefits associated with the postwar generation's nostalgic consumption behaviour. The second shows the competitive advantages and risks for nostalgic brands targeting the postwar generation.