Jane Machin, Ph.D.

Traditional assignments that aim to develop and evaluate creative problem solving skills are frequently foregone in large marketing classes due to the daunting grading prospect they present. Here, a new assessment method is introduced: the “snapsignment.” Through photography, individual projects can be assigned that promote higher order cognitive functions, build creative confidence, and ease the grading grind. Results from the implementation of the technique in an introductory marketing creativity challenge are presented. The benefits for students and faculty are discussed, and adaptations to other marketing assignments are suggested.

The authors propose a restructuring of the “food as health” paradigm to “food as well-being.” This requires shifting from an emphasis on restraint and restrictions to a more positive, holistic understanding of the role of food in overall well-being. The authors propose the concept of food well-being (FWB), defined as a positive psychological, physical, emotional, and social relationship with food at both individual and societal levels. The authors define and explain the five primary domains of FWB: food socialization, food literacy, food marketing, food availability, and food policy. The FWB framework employs a richer definition of food and highlights the need for research that bridges other disciplines and paradigms outside and within marketing. Further research should develop and refine the understanding of each domain with the ultimate goal of moving the field toward this embodiment of food as well-being.

The transformative consumer research (TCR) and transformative service research (TSR) movements seek to encourage, support, and publicize research benefiting consumer welfare. In this article, we introduce design thinking (DT) as a rigorous, effective, and creative problem-solving process well-suited to tackle the multi-dimensional problems TCR/TSR researchers address. A scoping review of TCR/TSR and DT literatures examining complex issues, such as health and well-being, inequality, and sustainability, reveals each orientation's theoretical and methodological strengths as well as its opportunities to more effectively catalyze positive change. Specifically, DT would benefit from the rigorous theoretical perspective brought by TCR/TSR researchers. In turn, transformative consumer and service researchers can find inspiration in the participatory ideation and prototyping techniques central to DT. The problem-solution-impact (PSI) research process model for transformative change draws from the strengths of the two traditions to creates a rigorous and relevant approach to addressing the world's most complex and dynamic problems.

The purpose of this paper is to inspire research at the intersection of marketing and mental health. Marketing academics have much to offer – and much to learn from – research on consumer mental health. However, the context, terminology, and setting may prove intimidating to marketing scholars unfamiliar with this vulnerable population. Here, experienced researchers offer guidance for conducting compelling research that not only applies marketing frameworks to the mental health industry but also uses this unique context to deepen our understanding of all consumers.

This paper examines the potential of photography as a design thinking method to develop innovative food experiences that improve food well-being. This paper is a critical review of research using photography to examine the complex physical, emotional, psychological and social relationships individuals have with food at personal and societal levels. The conceptual legitimacy of photography is well-established in the social sciences but has been missing from design thinking practices. Photography is particularly well suited to understand the highly visual practice of food and to design innovative food experiences. Practical and ethical issues in the use of photography are considered as a research tool. Future research should examine photography as an integrated tool in the entire design thinking process. A table of photographic research methods for all stages of design thinking, from empathy to prototyping, is presented. Best practices for the successful implementation and interpretation of photography in food design thinking are discussed. To the best of the authors knowledge, this paper provides the first conceptual foundation for the use of photography in design thinking. The paper identifies novel photographic methods that can be used to understand problems and generate solutions. It provides guidelines to successfully integrate photography in the design of innovative food experiences that improve food well-being.