Leaving Pleasantville: Macro/micro, public/private, conscious/non-conscious, volitional/imposed, and permanent/ephemeral transformations beyond everyday life

Your first family pet! Your first kiss! Your first real job! Your first day of college! Your induction into whatever! Your first sale of a big idea! Certain transformations are with us forevermore while others are rather micro happenings that we soon are unable to recall. This special issue includes research into 32 different categories of transformations. The articles here are valuable for marketers and consumers. Understanding transformation processes contributes to marketers' ability to design and deliver offerings that are beneficial to customers and that consumers seek to experience. The introductory essay in the special issue proposes a five-dimensional framework for classifying transformation research, places each article in the special issue within the framework, and briefly introduces something unique and interesting about each article. Authors and reviewers participating in this special issue represent a diverse international group of scholars. Get ready! Reading this issue is going to transform you.