Consumption and Consumer Culture final

Explain why understanding consumers is of value

<>Firms rely on consumers reactions to marketing campaigns for success

<>By knowing Consumers they are then better able to gade how they will react to different campains

Define the domain of consumer behavior

It is the multifaceted relm in which consumers ACQUIRE, CONSUME, and DISPOSE of PRODUCTS, SERVICES, IDEAS, and EXPERIENCES

Describe different examples of consumer behaviour

<>Consumers make purchases for items SYMBOLIC VALUE and LINKING VALUE in addition to materialistic motivations

<>Symbolic value~ meanings and associations that consumers attach to products/brands

<>Linking value~ connections formed between consumers and brands or between consumers in a community

Discuss the circle of consumption

<>PACD (Production, Acquisition, Consumption, Disposal)

<>Motivational Dynamics facilitating this are COMAPRISON, DIFFERENTIATION, and AFFILIATION

Define culture and describe the importance of cultural values to consumer behaviour

<>Culture is the accumulation of shared meanings, rituals, norms and traditions among the members of an organization or society

<>The culture system is made up of ecology, social structure, and ideology

<>Ecology~ the conditions within which culture is played out; the way a system is adapted to its habitat; this is the INFASTRUCTURE in the universal patturn

<>Social Structure~ the way that orderly social life is maintained in a culture; can apply to domestic and political life; this is the STRUCTURE in the universal pattern

<>Ideology reflects the mental characteristics of people (worldview, ethos, ideas, and principles); ethos is the moral, aesthetic, evaluative aspect of culture, embodying people's mood or character; worldview and ethos give meaning to experiences; This is the SUPERSTRUCTURE in the universal patturn

Explain and identify some examples of consumer rituals.

<>Position rituals

<>Divestment rituals~ donating goods

<>Grooming rituals

<>Exchange rituals~ Gift giving on holidays and birthdays

Why is meaning an important issue for marketers

<>Meaning adds value to customers

<>some consumption activities are primarily about evoking important meanings

<>marketing communications act as sources of meaning

Describe the workings of the meaning transfer model

1) celebrities and different icons hold cultural meanings due to their roles in society; These meanings can hold different attributes like status lifestyle values and personality traits

<>Ex Michale Jordan is athletic

2) Transfer the meaning from the celebrity to the product by looking at the desired brand identity and the exsisting brand identity; This alignment helps to instil positive cultural meaning to the endorsed product

<> EX jordans the shoe

3) Transfer from product to consumers where consumers absorb the new meanings that are attached to the product; This connection between the celebrity or icon allows consumers to incorperate the brands cultural meanings into their own identity and lifestyle choices

<>EX customer gets jordans and plays basketball

Describe both ordinary and ritualized processes through which consumers transfer meaning from products to themselves

<>Classify through objects~ use the shared meanings associated with a consumption object to classify themselves or others

<> Classify through actions~ use the manner in which they experience or interact with the consumption object to classify themselves or others

<>Birthdays and weddings use specific products like rings and candles to act as symbols that transfer to the consumer

Understand the processual and relational nature of identity

<>Identity is fluid~ It is a constant negotiation that helps us create an understanding of who we are so we are able to position ourselves within others

<>Identity is relational~ It is negotiated in respect of SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, IDEAS, and OBJECTS

<>Self concept~ is an organized configuration of perceptions of the self that is able to be perceived; The self concept is multifacited

>self Image

>Self Esteem

>Ideal Self

>Actual Self

>'Looking glass' self~ When you bounce signals off of others to get a reading of what impressions other people have of us

Explain how self concept affects intrapersonal and interpersonal processes

<>Self-narratives~ stories that are coherent, context sensitive accounts of experiences that provide a sense of personal continuity

<>Self-relevant information~ Internalized information that summarizes a persons beliefs, experiences, and generalizations

<>Self-Gifts~ Carry messages about identity and self distinctiveness which contribute to self esteem

<>Interpersonal~ self is a reference point for evaluating others

Identify the characteristics, structure, and ethos of consumption, communities, and subcultures

<>New forms of social participation and community are formed based of common consumption interests

<>People forge feelings of solidarity and create distinctive, fragmentary, self selected, and sometimes transient cultural worlds through common consumption interests

<> STRUCTURES of consumption have identifiable hierarchial structure that is based off of peoples commitment to the subculture and the shared ideology that the group has

<>Across group status is based on judgements of the authenticity of other groups as representatives of the subculture

<>ETHOS is a set of core values which are accepted of varying degrees by all members; These values find expression in products and how they are used; When there are multiple subgroups that coexsist expressions of teh core values through symbolic consumption may reflect cultural or socio-economic idiosyncracies of the subgroup

Describe the relationship between identity & consumption

<>Consumer tribe~ a co-consuming, heterogeneous group of people, interlinked by subjectivity, the same passion, and capability of taking collective action, often short lived, but intense

<>People consume in order to better fit within subcultures and gain credibility within them to show their commitment to the group.

Explain why people buy and consume things the way they do

<>Motivation and Involvement are interrelated concepts that drive consumption

<>Three theories: Maslow, Freud, Jung

<>Maslow hierarchy: Physiological, Safety, Belongingness, Ego needs, Self Actualization

<>Freud: Human psyche is divided into conscious and unconscious; id (unconscious mind that includes all the instincts and psychic energies that exist at birth), Superego (traditional ideas and values of society), ego (represents conscious mind composed of perceptions, thought, memories, and feelings)

<>Jung: Personal and collective unconsious hold all the hidden content of the mind

>Personal unconscious: Previously conscious experiences that have been repressed forgotten or ignored

>Collective unconscious: A storehouse of latent memory traces, or archetypes that were inherited from the human ancestorial past

Discuss the concept of involvement and how it is applied in consumer behavior and explain the difference between low-involvement and high involvement situations

<>Involvement~ the psychological outcome of motivation

<>High involvement vs Low involvement~ High involvement means higher financial investment and use of time and effort low involvement it the opposite

<>Limited Involvement~ Consumers have experience witha product and conduct a moderate amount of research before making a decision; an example may include selecting a specific type of clothing based on brand familiarity

<>Info search

<>Evaluation of alternatives

<>Post purchase behavior

Describe ways to increase consumer involvement

<>Linking low involvement products with high involvement issues

>A juice product is linked to fitness, health, or self image

<>Promoting the product in a high involvement medium instead of a low involvement medium

>high involvement= TikTok; Low involvement = radio

<>Adapting the advertising medium to the product category

<>build a bond with consumers

Describe the characteristics of interpersonal influence

<>It can be accidental, expressive, or rhetorical

<>ACCIDENTAL~ No intention it stimulate meaning; probably through tone of voice

<>EXPRESSIVE~ emotions and motivations are critical and there is usually an intention of communicating; this is source centered and we are concerned with providing info as clearly as we can

<>RHERTORICAL~ communicator gives thought to the intended message and stimulates the reader to the intended message to achieve a specific result; this is receiver centered; seeking to have an effect on the receiver

Identify different types of social influence and give examples how they are used

<>NORMATIVE (UTILITARIAN) INFLUENCE~ when an individual fulfils others' expectations to gain a direct reward or to avoid a sanction

>EX peer pressure

<>VALUE-EXPRESSIVE (IDENTIFICATION) INFLUENCE~ when individuals use other's norms, values, and behaviors as a guide for their own

>EX volunteering and adapting other values that the volunteer group holds

<>INFORMATIONAL INFLUENCE~ when an individual uses the values, norms, and behaviors of others as credible evidence about reality

>During a public health crisis people may look to health experts

Discuss the influence of reference groups on consumer behavior

<>Reference group~ a group whoes presumed perspectives, attitudes, or behaviours are used by an individual as the basis for their perspectives, attitudes, or behaviours

Describe consumer Aquisition strategies and behaviors

<>UTILITY-MAXIMIZING~ Marketers look at how consumers deliberately collect info, weigh alternatives, and make acquisition decisions that lead to the greatest net benefit to them

<>DECISION-MAKING~ consumers engage in problem solving tasks in which they move through a series of stages

<>EXPERIENTIAL AND HEDONIC~ in some cases consumers aquire things in order to create feelings and experiences rather than to solve problems

<>BEHAVIOURAL INFLUENCE~ consumers often act in situational environmental pressures such as perceptual cues in retail environments

<>MEANING TRANSFER~ aquisition and consumption behaviours are often motivated by the desire to obtain meanings that are valuable within consumers' life stories

Understand different types of purchase decisions

<>Cognitive heuristics~ simplify decision making but are subject to cognitive bias

>Representativeness heuristic~ categorizing; compare to decide if it will work

>Availability heuristic~ advertising also help keep in consumer minds

>Simulation heuristic~ imagining an event increases idea that it will happen

>Anchor and adjust process

Identify means by which marketers attempt to manage control purchasing behaviour

<>brand loyalty vs brand switching

<>timing frequency and monetary value

<>track experiences and angagement with digital media

Recognize the importance of gift exchange in consumer behavior

<>gift giving is a highly symbolic, highly emotional, interpersonal medium that helps us to say things we find difficult or impossible to say in words

Understand the motivations for interpersonal gift giving

<>Agapeic love gifts~ just because gifts out of love, no real reason or societal standard that they are trying to meet

<>economic exchange gifts~ gifts are seen as commodities with economic utilitarian value

<>gifting as a social exchange~ staggered exchange dates; birthdays weddings ect