Here Comes the Sun: Present and Future Impact in Marketing and Public Policy Research

As the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M) celebrates 40 years, we look to the future through the lens of our strategic plan: based on the principles of impact, rigor, and relevance through inclusivity (Martin and Scott 2021). Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s (1968) observation that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” we believe that, as marketing and public policy scholars, we can also play a role in King’s vision. Perhaps the arc of scholarly knowledge positively impacting this world is also long? Can our research help bend it toward justice? We recognize that many in our community have the privilege of focusing their efforts on initiatives that impact society’s grand challenges, without facing duress and peril, giving us some freedom to think about sustained impact. In this editorial, we highlight the areas in which the Journal has made a substantial and sustained impact, and we uncover opportunities for further research in the area of marketing and public policy. We also discuss the various forms that impact at the interface between marketing and public policy research can take. One guiding principle that has traditionally influenced the work in JPP&M is a focus on sustainability, as outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs; e.g., Mende and Scott 2021). This focus also points to a path toward consistent, increased future impact and relevance, not only for our journal but also for marketing and business scholarship more generally (Jack 2021; Mende and Scott 2021).