Call for Papers

Visual Representation

Deadline: January 5, 2017

Manuscripts can be submitted in English or in French

Special issue editors:

• Eric Arnould, Aalto University and EMLYON Business School;
• Delphine Dion, ESSEC Business School.

We are pleased to announce a call for papers focusing on Visual Representation. This call provides an opportunity to extend theoretical and practical reflection on the many currents of the visual in thought and practice concerning markets, marketing and consumption in an intense and dense environment of commercial visual cues. We are looking especially for papers that make a synthesizing contribution on some aspect of the visual.

Topics are many and varied. Papers might speak to the ontological, epistemological and axiological implications of the transition from representational to presentational modes of figuration induced by Big Data in market research. Still other papers might reflect on these questions with regard to the visual emphasis in qualitative market research including videography. Others might reflect on what the proliferation of eye tracking studies tell us about scientific representation in marketing.

In terms of contexts, again choices are many: some papers might look into new visual recording and broadcasting modalities such as those associated with GoPro and drones. Papers might well address global v. local televisual spectacle. What does the proliferation of visual arts festivals tell us? What commonalities are there between broadcasting of non-lethal sports and the more lethal variety associated with war and terrorism? Other kinds of visual spectacle ranging from MORGs to historical re-enactments; from spectacular museum exhibits to fan-produced film trailers; from the consumption of fantasy media such as Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings to Cosplay. What does this all have to do with ideas of communities and publics? And what does the massive proliferation of techniques of production and consumption of self-presentation ranging from avatars to selfies say about the consumer self?

Topics might also include reflections on marketing practices. Papers might examine the visual representations of markets and consumers. How do managers define these visual representations?

How do these visual representations impact marketing practices? Papers might well address brand personification and anthropomorphism. They might examine how visual, digital social media has effected advertising planning and execution across various platforms.

And how does all of this intersect with the recent resurgence of serious social science theory in global marketing scholarship?

We are able to host online movies as supplemental materials, in MP4 format preferably. We could also host podcasts, in MP3 format, and if authors wish to provide images in their articles such would be welcome. A visual section of an article full of images could work well. Of course with images the author need to clear copyright before articles can be published. This is the authors’ responsibility and evidence of these rights must be included in final submissions.

Both conceptual and empirical manuscripts are welcome and there is no restriction regarding the methodology used in the submitted articles. Submission can be done in English or French. Manuscripts will follow the normal RAM review process and must respect the journal’s editorial rules. For more information:

http://rme.sagepub.com/.

Manuscripts should be submitted in electronic format to revueram@gmail.com before January 5, 2017.

The special issues should appear online, in May 2018. Accepted papers will be published both in French and in English.

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (RAM) is an official journal of the AFM (French Marketing Association). It is the leading French research journal in the field of marketing which has been published since 1986 and in both English and French since 2007. It is a main reference for the development and dissemination of new concepts and new methods in marketing. It publishes articles covering any aspect of marketing, including consumer behaviour, communication, retailing, CRM, new product development and more. The journal publishes research articles, research notes, critical state of the art papers, and also articles offering perspectives from other disciplines which might be applied to marketing.

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