Strategy narratives and wellbeing challenges: the role of everyday self-presentation

How do consumers manage their everyday self-presentation to attain a sense of wellbeing? Through the lens of consumption, this study contributes to understanding the link between self and everyday interactions by identifying and developing a typology of wellbeing challenges and how these are managed in a variety of social contexts. Fifteen phenomenological interviews revealed a series of strategy narratives through which individuals pursue wellbeing within their web of social encounters. These strategy narratives combine in a series of pathways that range from harmonious (e.g., enhancement) to incongruous (e.g., concealment) in individuals’ efforts to manage challenges to personal wellbeing. Constructing a typology from these pathways, the research findings pose both opportunities and challenges for social marketers to promote consumers’ positive experiences in the marketplace.