Final Considerations

(2) the valence regarding to the home country, since consumer affinity does not implicate any kind of criticism toward one’s own group or any type of anti-ingroup disposition (Bartsch, Riefler, et al., 2016).

What seems to be the great focus of attraction to the exotic can be better explained with Todorov’s contribution (1993). Although it is clear in the literature review that exoticism is not a process of identification, the author brings to the discussion the effect that contact with the other brings to construction of identity. Facing the other brings home back to us, in a self-criticism process. The exote is the “person who is able to practice exoticism, that is, to enjoy the difference between himself and this object of perception” (Todorov, 1993, p. 328). Both existing forces – the familiarity and the strangeness – form the exoticism paradox. This is how consumer exoticism can also help us to understand identity construction through consumption.

As a managerial contribution, we can foresee how consumer exoticism can help in the establishment of international marketing strategies. First, Cleveland, Laroche, et al. (2009) argue that it is important in a globalized world to review the way people are grouped in the market, using psychographic segmentation variables, since

"globalization increases what is common among consumers from different countries, while reduces similarities within countries” (p. 118). These authors believe that the current competitive environment requires managers to direct their products to segments that cross national boundaries. For this, more than ever, attention should be focused on the consumers’ orientations and attitudes and not on the characteristics of countries. That is why the reaction of consumers to global flows must be understood and consumer dispositions studied. It is clear enough that “what is exotic for one person is not necessarily exotic for another” (Aravamudan, 2012, p. 1), as well as that

“not all foreign products are valued higher than domestic ones” (Muller et al., 2016, p 81). Different consumers can show different levels of consumer exoticism in different product categories. As seen in capoeira, some of the capoeiristas limited themselves to the twice-a-week practice, while others have already gone to Brazil seven times in order to improve their movements, their Portuguese language skills, and their understanding of more aspects of Brazilian culture. Some consumers may show an exote attitude towards one specific category – such as food, for example – and some for another type of category, such as travel destination choice.

As well as for segmentation and targeting, we can also already find products being positioned as exotic. The interest in place branding and the need to manage the image of a country has increased, and the exportation of cultural products, loaded with

symbolic meanings, can be definitive in the search for competitive advantage in the international market. Dinnie (2004) believes in the key role that cultural products can play in determining a country’s reputation and image, even though they are

"surprisingly ignored in most country-of-origin and place-branding research" (Dinnie, 2004, p. 108). The very close relationship between sociology, history, cultural, and national identity and place branding has already been presented (Dinnie, 2004;

Skinner & Kubacki, 2007), as well as their understanding as a key element for the creation of the country’s brand identity. Some cultures show their interest in positioning themselves as exotic in the global cultural marketplace: a kind of positioning of “we are others”, the so-called self-exoticism (Ventura, 1991) or domestic exoticism (Hall-Araujo, 2013). Brazil is one of these countries that exploits the discourse and rhetoric of the exotic in the construction of its national identity (Motta, 2015, Murari, 1999). As Scheyerl and Siqueira (2008) affirms “we contribute to spread the idea that we are exotic” (p. 377). In the fashion sector, for example, the exotic image of Brazil, sold to Europeans, but domestically built, helped to establish a unique position and create the awareness that Brazilian fashion finds today in the world (Leitão, 2008). Figure 3 shows other examples of how exoticism is explored by producers when they offer Brazilian cultural products on the international market. Japan is also an example.

During the 1980’s the “Discovery Japan” tourism campaign was replaced by the “Exotic Japan” campaign, which defined Japan as “a foreign country and as an archive of exotic commodity forms” (Huang, 2011, p. 6).

Figure 3 – Exotic positioning

Source: The first two flyers were collected in London, England, in 2016 by one of the authors, and the third flyer was collected online (on Facebook) in 2018.

Although Segalen (2002) asserts that there are different types of exoticism, we understand that in the context of consumer disposition, we are limiting ourselves to the geographic one. These are some products that already value exotic positioning as products that contain ingredients from different, culturally distant foreign countries. As the assemblage in Figure 4 shows: (1) The Lifesavers Gummies Exotics Flavors of The World (and made in the USA) “take your taste buds on a trip to exotic destinations abroad”²⁵. The available flavours are: lemon star fruit (Indonesia), mandarin orange (China), Asian pear (China), Fuji apple (Japan) and raspberry dragon fruit (Central America and Mexico); The next item, (2) Davene Exotic Soaps and Moisturizers offers the description “in order to create the Exotic Line, Davene allied high perfumes with hydration. Inspired by countries and their cultures, Exotic moisturizing products will make your bath a journey through the senses”²⁶. The available fragrances are matcha and orange flower (Japan), baoba and karité (Africa) lotus and dragon fruit (Thailand), and orchid and coconut water (Caribbean); (3) Finally, Glade Fragrance Spray Exotic Market Limited Edition, states, “Explore the unexpected in an exotic local market.

Sometimes the best vacation is staying at home. Go out in search of something totally new in the place around you, with surprising notes of wild rose and jasmine, and transform this mission into an adventure that’s worth a picture”²⁷.

As further research, we recommend that the current findings on consumer exoticism should be explored in different contexts, both in diverse cultural categories such as salsa, belly dancing, frevo and even flamenco, since Spain still carries a mystique and exotic sense for the rest of Europe (Arkin, 1994) as well as diverse consumer goods categories. The results should consolidate the present findings. The construction of a C-EXO scale should be developed based on the proposed key dimensions (outgroup enchantment, consumer disidentification, and self-enhancement) in order to provide deeper understanding and the measurement of the influence of exoticism on consumer responses towards foreign products and countries.

The development of a quantitative measure will identify the dimensionality and the universality of this construct.

25 https://www.candywarehouse.com/lifesavers-exotics-gummy-candy-5lb-box – accessed 15 Nov.2018

26 https://davene.net.br/linha/exotic – accessed 15 Nov.2018

27 http://test.glade.com/pt-br/fragrances/collections/the-glade-limited-edition-collection – accessed 15 Nov.2018

Figure 4 – Exotic positioning: consumer products

Source: The authors, assemblage made from pictures from the website of these products’

companies.

We also suggest the study of consumer exoticism in the “far distant countries”

as well in order to understand and test the “Eurocentric view” conceptual characteristic of exoticism. Since the global cultural supermarket has democratized access to different cultures, we could start asking “what is exotic for those who are ‘exotic’?”. For example, what would be considered exotic to Brazilians, Tahitians, Mexicans, and so on? Would they have a xenocentric attitude towards the others or could some of them display an exotic attitude as well?

Finally, we believe we should also explore a macro-level approach to the consumer exoticism issue and connect it to the current socio-political and economic environment. The world as a whole, and Europe in particular, has been faced with the growth of ethnocentric and nationalist movements. Could consumer exoticism represent a political position against these movements?

More than hundred years ago, in 1911, Segalen raised a question: would globalization put an end to exoticism? His final “agonizing” question was about the exoticism’s decline in the world. In other words, Baudrillard and Guillaume (2008) question what is left of exoticism in a well-explored world. As shown, they believe the other is becoming scarce. In fact, globalization has left the world smaller and has decreased the exotic tension. It can bring us a sense of the finite nature of the object:

“is there still such a thing as the ‘far distance’?”. But there is yet much to understand from the other in the sense of true exoticism. Not in the linearity sense, but in the circularity form (Baudrillard & Guillaume, 2008). As we keep consuming in the global cultural supermarket we can journey into other cultures, explore alterity, and live true exoticism.