Economic Utility Obtained from “Sense of Play”: Marketing in Evolution toward “Play-Oriented Economies”
Why are most products in retail stores designed, packaged, and decorated attractively? This paper develops a theoretical model illustrating how consumers derive utility from a "sense of play" associated with the designs and decorations of products, distinct from their practical utility. The concept of "play" is broadly defined to encompass non-functional or non-essential activities and emotions such as recreation, diversion, playfulness, and entertainment. The model demonstrates that as an economy grows and develops, the relative significance of play-related utility increases compared to practical usefulness. Consequently, product designs become more sophisticated and decorative. The study concludes that economies tend to evolve into "play-oriented economies," where the sense of play becomes a central factor in marketing strategies. Furthermore, this shift introduces a bias in the estimation of purchasing power parity.
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Harashima, T. (2025). Economic utility obtained from “sense of play”: Marketing in evolution toward “play-oriented economies”. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XX, Summer, Issue 2(88), 244–254. https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v20.2(88).06
Caillois, Roger (1958) Les jeux et les hommes, Paris, Gallimard, Folio Essais (Man, Play and Games, The Free Press, 1961).
Harashima, Taiji (2013). An Asymptotically Non-Scale Endogenous Growth Model,MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 44393.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44393/1/MPRA_paper_44393.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2016). Ranking Value and Preference: A Model of Superstardom, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 74626. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/74626/1/MPRA_paper_74626.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2017). The Mechanism behind Product Differentiation: An Economic Model. Journal of Advanced Research in Management, Volume VIII, 2(16), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.14505//jarm.v8.2(16).01
Harashima, Taiji (2018a) “Do Households Actually Generate Rational Expectations? “Invisible Hand” for Steady State,” MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 88822. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/88822/1/MPRA_paper_88822.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018b). Ranking Value and Preference: A Model of Superstardom, in Japanese, Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.1, 27-40.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/74626/1/MPRA_paper_74626.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018c). Superstars in Team Sports: An Economic Model, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 86360. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/86360/1/MPRA_paper_86360.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018d). Why Is Executive Compensation So High? A Model of Executive Compensation. Journal of Advanced Research in Management, Volume IX, 2(18), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.14505//jarm.v9.2(18).03
Harashima, Taiji (2019a). Do Households Actually Generate Rational Expectations? “Invisible Hand” for Steady State,” in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.2, 49-70.
Harashima, Taiji (2019b). An Asymptotically Non-Scale Endogenous Growth Model, in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.2, 71-86.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44393/1/MPRA_paper_44393.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2021a). Consequence of Heterogeneous Economic Rents under the MDC-based Procedure. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XVI, 2(72), 185-190. https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v16.2(72).04
Harashima, Taiji (2021b). Superstars in Team Sports: An Economic Model,” in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 55, No.1, 39-51.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/86360/1/MPRA_paper_86360.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2022). A Theory of Inflation: The Law of Motion for Inflation under the MDC-based Procedure, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 113161. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/113161/4/MPRA_paper_113161.pdf
Huizinga, Johan (1938). Homo Ludens: Proeve Ener Bepaling Van Het Spelelement Der Cultuur. Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff cop. 1985. Original Dutch edition (Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture, Boston, Beacon Press, 1955). https://merton.bellarmine.edu/files/original/b0899cfad820ab8ad7033952b7a022ba1d7cab9d.pdf
World Bank (2015). Purchasing Power Parities and the Real Size of World Economies, A Comprehensive Report of the 2011 International Comparison Program, The World Bank, Washington DC. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0329-1 Caillois, Roger (1958) Les jeux et les hommes, Paris, Gallimard, Folio Essais (Man, Play and Games, The Free Press, 1961).
Harashima, Taiji (2013). An Asymptotically Non-Scale Endogenous Growth Model,MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 44393.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44393/1/MPRA_paper_44393.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2016). Ranking Value and Preference: A Model of Superstardom, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 74626. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/74626/1/MPRA_paper_74626.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2017). The Mechanism behind Product Differentiation: An Economic Model. Journal of Advanced Research in Management, Volume VIII, 2(16), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.14505//jarm.v8.2(16).01
Harashima, Taiji (2018a) “Do Households Actually Generate Rational Expectations? “Invisible Hand” for Steady State,” MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 88822. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/88822/1/MPRA_paper_88822.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018b). Ranking Value and Preference: A Model of Superstardom, in Japanese, Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.1, 27-40.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/74626/1/MPRA_paper_74626.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018c). Superstars in Team Sports: An Economic Model, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 86360. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/86360/1/MPRA_paper_86360.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2018d). Why Is Executive Compensation So High? A Model of Executive Compensation. Journal of Advanced Research in Management, Volume IX, 2(18), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.14505//jarm.v9.2(18).03
Harashima, Taiji (2019a). Do Households Actually Generate Rational Expectations? “Invisible Hand” for Steady State,” in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.2, 49-70.
Harashima, Taiji (2019b). An Asymptotically Non-Scale Endogenous Growth Model, in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 52, No.2, 71-86.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44393/1/MPRA_paper_44393.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2021a). Consequence of Heterogeneous Economic Rents under the MDC-based Procedure. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XVI, 2(72), 185-190. https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v16.2(72).04
Harashima, Taiji (2021b). Superstars in Team Sports: An Economic Model,” in Japanese. Journal of Kanazawa Seiryo University, Volume 55, No.1, 39-51.https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/86360/1/MPRA_paper_86360.pdf
Harashima, Taiji (2022). A Theory of Inflation: The Law of Motion for Inflation under the MDC-based Procedure, MPRA (The Munich Personal RePEc Archive) Paper No. 113161. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/113161/4/MPRA_paper_113161.pdf
Huizinga, Johan (1938). Homo Ludens: Proeve Ener Bepaling Van Het Spelelement Der Cultuur. Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff cop. 1985. Original Dutch edition (Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture, Boston, Beacon Press, 1955). https://merton.bellarmine.edu/files/original/b0899cfad820ab8ad7033952b7a022ba1d7cab9d.pdf
World Bank (2015). Purchasing Power Parities and the Real Size of World Economies, A Comprehensive Report of the 2011 International Comparison Program, The World Bank, Washington DC. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0329-1