The Family & Its Social Standing 1 Flashcards
Consumer Socialization
Process of making people behave in a way that is acceptable to their society
The most important role of the family is the socialization of family members
- Includes teaching children basic cultural values and behaviors
Pre-Adolescent
- Observe parents and older siblings
- Families more reliable than advertising
Teenagers
- Peers most influential
- Like products when parents disapprove
Socialization Process
Two-way process
Young Person ->
<- Family Members
Influence Basic Values/Behavior
- moral/religion
- interpersonal skills
- dress/grooming standards
- manners & speech
- educational motivation
occupational goals
- consumer behavior norms
<- Friends
Influence Expressive Attitudes/Behavior
- style
- fashion
- fads
- in/out
- acceptance
Socialization Agents
Person/organization involved in the socialization process
- Frequency contact with the individual
- Control over rewards and punishments
Mothers are strong consumer socialization agents
- Usually directly involved with their children
- Control their children’s exposure to commercial messages
- Provide instruction in the skills needed to become consumers.
- Regulate the amount of money children can spend and how they spend it
Parental Styles & Consumer Socialization
Parental styles can be classified along two dimensions:
Permissive & Nurturing: Indulgent (Easygoing)
Permissive & Not Nurturing: Neglecting
Nurturing & Restrictive: Authoritative (Reliable)
Not Nurturing & Restrictive: Authoritarian (Tyrant)
Socialization As Learning
Stage 1: Shopping with Parents and Observing
- 12 - 15 months
- Notice specific products (colors and shapes)
- Rewarded for good behavior
Stage 2: Shopping with Parents and Making Requests
- 2 - 3 yrs
- Begin to connect ads with items in the store
- Request items by pointing
Stage 3: Shopping with Parents and Making Selections
- 3 - 7 yrs
- Begin to distinguish and associate specific products with ads
- Select certain brands over another
- Understand basic spending and saving
Stage 4: Shopping Independently
- 7 - 11 yrs
- Explore and discover shopping and deciding among choices
- Understand the persuasive intent of ads and process the functional cues of products
Stage 5: Complex Shopping and Skepticism
- 11 - 16 yrs
- More complex shopping
- Product comparison and careful of scams
- Adept at negotiations and are able to influence purchase decision
Intergenerational Socialization
Socialization is ongoing.
Many product preferences and brand loyalties are transferred from one generation to another
Grandparents play an important role in teaching grandchildren consumption behaviors
Intergenerational Influence
- Traditional values and practices: passed down by older generations
- New technologies: first adopted by younger generations
- Sustainable and ethical consumption: spread from younger generations to older generations
- Brand preferences
- Health and wellness
- Financial behavior
Application: Nostalgia
Advertisements that evoke nostalgia or family values can resonate with multiple generations, leveraging intergenerational connections
“Average” Family Spending
The most important economic function of the family is to provide financial resources to its members
Family Purchase Decisions
- Husband–Wife (spousal) decision-making
- Relative influence each family member has regarding consumption
- Children’s role in family decision-making
- The roles that family members may assume regarding purchase, use, and maintenance of possessions
Children’s Influence
Pressure
- The child demands, threatens, and tries to intimidate the parents
Exchange
- The child promises something (“to be good”) in exchange
Rational
- The child uses a logical arguments and factual evidence
Consultation
- The child seeks parents’ involvement in the decision
Ingratiation
- The child tries to get the parent in a good mood first and then makes the request
Children As Three Markets
Influencers
- request products and brands
- toys, laptops, smartphones
Primary Market
- purchase things with their own money
- snacks, clothes, games, movies
Future Consumers
- contemplate future purchase decisions
- house, cars, phones
Purchase Decision Roles
Gatekeepers
- control information
Influencers
- provide information
Deciders
- make purchase decisions
Buyers
- manage actual purchase
Preparers
- transform product
Users
- consume product
Maintainers
- Repair product
Disposers
- carry out disposal
Non-Traditional Families & Households
“Typical” family or household has changed considerably over time
As people get older, many more non-family households emerge
- Due to increased life expectancy, this segment has been growing
Taxonomy For Segmentation
Families
Delayed Marriage
Single Parents
Families With One Child
Large Families
Extended Families
Blended/Joint Families
Grandparent Families
Boomerang Families
Childless Families
Adult Children Caring For Elderly Parents
Multicultural Families
Same-Gender Families
Adoptive Families
Caregivers As Family
Polygamous/Polyandrous Families
