Nostalgia marketing - a systematic literature review and future directions

This study addresses the knowledge gap in nostalgia marketing by examining its theoretical foundations, consumer behavior implications, and brand promotion aspects. Through a comprehensive review of 139 Scopus-indexed papers and the use of bibliometric techniques and the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) framework, the researchers analyze the theories, context, features, and methodologies employed in nostalgia marketing. The findings propose a paradigm for collective nostalgia marketing, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing nostalgia in advertising campaigns and its role in shaping identities and establishing a sense of self through an exploration of the imagined past. The study highlights gaps, restrictions, and ambivalent findings, guiding future research directions and providing practical insights for academics and marketers. By identifying consumer demand for branding campaigns through nostalgia and forestalgia, businesses can capitalize on people’s affinity for the past to build their brands and enhance revenue. The study contributes to a contemporary understanding of nostalgia marketing, emphasizing the importance of collective consumer behavior in this domain.