ABSTRACT
Consumption also poses societal risks: for example, consumer decisions regarding energy usage and trash disposal pose environmental risks. Consumer welfare advocates often promote risk avoidance to help consumers deal with risk: "just say no" campaigns, smoking cessation programs, and cutting up credit cards are examples. However, remedy marketing offers an alternative to risk avoidance. Remedies refer to products or services designed to mitigate risk—and the offerings provide a way for consumers to manage risk in their everyday lives. The boomerang emerges with exposure to remedy marketing and in response to remedy consumption itself. The net effect of remedies in terms of risk will depend upon many factors. Remedies that offer little in the way of risk-reduction may net negative due to the boomerang, and even remedies that reduce specific risks could expose consumers to other risks. At a broader level, the boomerang could account for why innovation sometimes fails to solve societal problems.
