Extricating the concept of linking value from its tribal gangue

Abstract

The concept of linking value appeared in the marketing literature 30 years ago, at the height of the postmodern wave. In this text, we show that to reinvigorate this concept, it is necessary to break with its tribal roots. The tribal anchoring, which was the strength of its initial theorization because it attracted researchers, is now a drawback because it limits the potential applications of the concept of linking value at a time when the social world is undergoing fundamental change. Our aim is to reopen the black box of linking value that marketing researchers have kept closed during the last few decades.