Wellbeing and sustainability in the marketing literature: A bibliometric approach

Framing of the research. This study analyzes the relationship between the concept of wellbeing and sustainability as it emerges from marketing studies. Wellbeing is a multidimensional concept and its relevance increases its possible applications thus making it one of the most interesting topics for scholars and practitioners. Purpose of the paper. Understand the evolution of marketing studies on the theme of wellbeing and sustainability. The analysis of the scientific literature conducted allows us to identify possible future research trends in the field. Methodology. This work makes use of a bibliometric analysis conducted on the international scientific literature published in the last 25 years. Results. Three main clusters emerge from the analysis of the articles focused on wellbeing and sustainability: the managerial dimension, which relates to the customer, and, finally, the ethical one. Research limitations. The analysis adopts a very specific but also very limited research scope: a future extension of the sample size of the studies analyzed and of the multidisciplinary perspectives could lead to broader and more comprehensive results. Managerial implications. The implications of this study concern 3 targets: (a) marketing scholars who can obtain useful indications on publishing strategies for the future not adequately explored in the past; (b) managers who enrich their interpretative levers of value generation for their customers; (c) policymakers who acquire useful insights to design policies capable of increasing the well-being of their societies. Originality of the paper. The scientific literature on wellbeing and sustainability is as florid as it is fragmented. This systematic analysis provides an overview of this concept in the discipline of marketing. This study also provides important indications of the interdisciplinary development that the topics under analysis are experiencing.