Lecture 9 Consumer Diversity + External/Internal Influences

Question 1

What are values?

Answer 1

enduring beliefs that a given behaviour is good or bad and serve as standards that guide behaviour across situations and over time.

Question 2

What are value systems?

Answer 2

our total set of value and their relative importance

Question 3

How do values vary?

Answer 3

Vary depending on specificity:
Global values → most enduring, strongly held and abstract values (2 types)
- Terminal → highly desired end states
- Instrumental → needed to achieve desired end states
Domain-specific values → apply only to a particular area of activities

Question 4

What are personality characteristics?

Answer 4

An individual’s unique psychological make-up which consistently influences the way they respond to their environment

Question 5

What are personality characteristics distinct properties?

Answer 5

1. Personality reflects individual differences
2. Personality is consistent and enduring
3. Personality can change

Question 6

What are the research approaches to personality?

Answer 6

1. Psycho-analytic (dynamic): personality arrives from a set of dynamic, unconscious internal struggles of the mind
2. Social-psychological: personality results from an individual’s interaction with their social environment
3. Trait theories: individual’s personality is made up by a set of differentiating characteristics
4. Phenomenological: personality is shaped by an individual’s interpretation of life events
5. Behavioural: personality is shaped by their experiences

Question 7

How is personality useful to consumer behaviour and marketing?

Answer 7

• Optimal stimulation level: the degree to which people prefer to seek excitement and novel experiences → more risk-taking, try new products, seek exciting services
• Dogmatism: tendency to be resistant to change or new ideas; responsive to ads with an authoritative appeal
• Need for Uniqueness (NFU): desire for novelty through purchase, use and disposition of products and services; may avoid conformity
• Need for Cognition (NFC): describes how much people like to think; enjoy products and experiences with a high degree of learning

Question 8

How does age affect acquisition, consumption and disposition behaviour?

Answer 8

How does age affect acquisition, consumption and disposition behaviour?

Question 9

How does gender and sexual orientation affect acquisition, consumption and disposition behaviour?

Answer 9

Sex and gender norms are engrained in most cultures and thus can challenge marketing efforts

• Agentic goals: stress mastery, self-assertiveness, self-efficacy, strength and no emotion
• Communal goals: stress affiliation and fostering harmonious relations with others
• Women: more likely to engage in detailed and thorough examination of a message
• Male: more likely to be selective information processors

Question 10

How does social class influence consumer behaviour?

Answer 10

Members of a social class interact more frequently with individuals in their own social class → similar norms and behaviours

• Trickle-down effect: trends start in upper and are copied by lower
• Status float: trends start in lower to middle and move upward

Question 11

What factors do marketers need to consider because of social class influences?

Answer 11

• Conspicuous consumption: acquisition and display of goods and services to show off one’s status
• Compensatory consumption: tendency of buying products/services to offset frustrations or difficulties in life
• Status symbols: product/service inform others about someone’s social standing

Question 12

What are the types of households and families?

Answer 12

• Nuclear family: father, mother, children
• Extended family: nuclear family + other relatives

A household is defined as one or more people sharing the same dwelling together

Question 13

What is the family lifecycle?

Answer 13

Family lifecycle is the different stages of family life, depending on the age of the parents and how many children are living at home

Young singles → young marrieds → parenthood → post-parenthood → dissolution

Question 14

How does the family lifestyle affect consumption decisions?

Answer 14

Household decision roles: roles that different members play in a household decision

• Gatekeeper → collect and control info important to decision
• Influencer → try to express opinion and influence decision
• Decider → those who chose products/services
• Buyer → those that acquire the product
• User → those that consumer the product

Question 15

How do cultural, ethnic and religious influences affect consumer behaviour?

Answer 15

• Culture satisfies needs by offering order, direction and guidance
• Individualism vs collectivism; horizontal vs vertical; masculinity vs femininity
• Religion can serve as a code of conduct for behaviours

Question 16

What is accomodation theory?

Answer 16

the more effort one puts in forth trying to communicate with an ethnic group, the more positive the reaction (e.g. ethnic role models and languages in ads)