The Value-Translation Model of Consumer Activism: How Consumer Watchdog Organizations Change Markets.

This article focuses on how consumer watchdog organizations (CWOs) change markets by translating higher-order values into practical evaluation procedures and actionable evaluations, a process termed the value-translation model of consumer activism. Drawing on a historical study of the Danish Consumer Council's magazine THINK, a key actor in the comparative-testing movement, the article shows how CWOs shape market change not merely by promoting new values but by defining how these values are measured and communicated to consumers. THINK's work in redefining the criteria and procedures for evaluating products—such as child car seats—illustrates how CWOs organize "trials of value" and create "evaluation agents" that equip consumers to make informed choices aligned with consumer interests. The value-translation model differs from prior models by emphasizing the political and practical formatting of consumer choice rather than solely focusing on value negotiation or ideological expression, highlighting the distinct role of formalized consumer organizations in market transformation.