Virtue Ethics in Marketing: The Art of Crafting Tragic Brand Stories

Zafeirenia Brokalaki ()
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Zafeirenia Brokalaki: Queen Mary, University of London

Journal of Business Ethics, 2025, vol. 200, issue 3, No 6, 599-622

Abstract: Abstract The paper explores the role of marketing stories in cultivating virtue ethics in consumers. Drawing from the philosophy and storytelling tradition of the Aristotelian tragedy along with Kierkegaard’s Either/Or and Castoriadis’ insights, it is illustrated that tragic stories can be a valuable creative resource for marketing professionals who wish to promote virtue ethics in the marketplace. To achieve this, the paper: a) illuminates the value of virtue-oriented stories in marketing; b) critically examines the value of existing brand stories; c) proposes an alternative brand storytelling orientation, based on the tradition of tragedy, which fosters virtue ethics; d) offers a framework and guidelines to brand executives who want to craft tragic brand stories.

Keywords: Virtue ethics; Marketing storytelling; Brand tragedy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05838-1

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