Lecture 10- Family & Social Class Important !!!! Flashcards
(9 cards)
What is the Role of the Family in Consumer Behavior?
The family is the primary agent of socialization, teaching values, brand preferences, decision-making, and consumption norms.
Memory Tip:
Family = First teacher of “how to buy”
What is Consumer Socialization?
The process by which children learn how to be consumers — e.g., understanding prices, brands, decision-making.
What is Intergenerational Brand Transfer?
When consumers develop brand loyalty because it was used in the household they grew up in.
Example:
Buying Lipton Tea or Angostura Bitters because that’s what your grandmother always used.
Memory Tip:
IBT = “I Buy Tradition”
What are the Types of Family Decision Making?
Husband-dominated (e.g., car purchases in some cultures)
Wife-dominated (e.g., food, kids’ clothes)
Joint (e.g., house, big vacations)
Children’s Influence (e.g., toys, fast food, phones)
Key Term:
“Pester Power” – kids influence purchases through repeated requests
What is the Family Life Cycle (FLC)?
The stages a family goes through over time, which affect spending patterns and product choices.
What is Social Class?
A hierarchical grouping of people based on income, education, occupation, and lifestyle.
What are the Two Ways to Measure Social Class?
Subjective: People estimate their own class
Objective: Based on real data (income, job, education)
Memory Tip:
Subjective = Self-perception
Objective = Official Data
What is Geodemographic Clustering?
Combining where someone lives + demographics to predict consumer behavior.
Example: Ads in Warrens for working-class families vs ads in Sandy Lane for high-end luxury.
How Does Social Class Affect Consumer Behavior?
Determines what’s affordable and aspirational
Affects brand loyalty, store preference, spending patterns
Influences conspicuous consumption (buying to show off)
Example: Middle-class consumers might buy a designer handbag as a status symbol.
