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The Use of Mafia Stereotypes in Marketing: A Study into Consumers’ Perceptions and Willingness to Buy

ABSTRACT Mafia stereotypes referring to Sicilian organized crime organization have been used by some businesses to market their product or services. Although these practices are not unethical, the use of these stereotypes is questionable considering the history behind this criminal organization, that is responsible for hundreds of killings. So far, research has not studied consumers’ perceptions toward these products and services, their willingness to buy them, and the rationale behind their decision as to whether to buy them or not. As such, this paper aims to fill this gap in scholarly literature. This research was carried out through a concurrent parallel mixed method, based on a survey of 152 British consumers recruited through Prolific. This study suggests that even products that are not deemed to be unethical could promote “political” reactions from consumers. However, additional research is required to understand political consumerism choices related to these products and services.