Consumers’ asset monetization: A conceptual framework and research agenda

This conceptual work investigates the emerging role of consumers as investors in various physical and digital assets. We introduce the notion of consumers’ asset monetization, defined as consumers’ orientation to monetize their asset(s) in secondary markets and benefit financially from them in the short or long term. Our work articulates the theoretical underpinnings of consumers’ asset monetization as a market phenomenon and highlights its idiosyncrasies relative to three interrelated but distinct literature streams (i.e., product reselling, consumer collecting, and resource monetization). We then set out a research agenda that proposes various psychological frameworks to understand consumers’ asset monetization journey and discusses its consequences for firms, creators, and consumers. Last, we highlight five areas of research interest for researchers and practitioners to better understand how consumers adopt an investor mindset (i.e., conceptualization, antecedents, individual-level consequences, firm responses, and ethical/financial implications arising from consumers’ asset monetization).