CH-16 Symbolic Consumer Behavior – Consumer Behavior : Book Guide

Chapter 16 Symbolic Consumer Behavior CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter discusses the symbolic role that products can play. Some products are used as conscious badges that designate the various cultural categories of which we are members. Products and rituals also hold symbolic significance when we undergo role transitions. They serve as symbols by connecting us to people, places, and times that have been important to us, and they are symbols of our individuality and uniqueness. The combined symbolic uses of products and rituals affect our self-concept. Some of our possessions are regarded as very special. They are non-substitutable, will not be sold at market value, and will be purchased with little regard for price. They are rarely discarded, even if their functional value is gone, and may not even be used for their original functional purpose. We personify these possessions, may feel powerful emotions in their presence, and may have feelings of fear or sadness over their potential or actual loss. In part, possessions are special because they serve as unique emblems, facilitate role transitions, connect us to others, or express our unique styles. In part, they are special because they indicate personal mastery and achievements or are mood enhancing. Background characteristics such as social class, gender, and age all seem to influence just what type of object is regarded as special. Some entities are so special they are worshipped, set apart, and treated with inordinate respect—that is, they are sacred. A number of things outside the realm of possessions—people, places, objects, times, and events—also take on sacred status. Sacred objects transcend time and space and have strong approach/avoidance powers and great fascination. They are cared for and nurtured. Often, special rituals are devised to handle them. Sacred objects can be profaned or made more ordinary by commercialization, inappropriate usage, or divestment patterns. As such, marketers need to take care in developing, changing, or profaning sacredness in objects. Gift giving is a process of transferring meaning in products from one person to another. Gift giving entails three phases: gestation, presentation, and reformulation, and is a complex process, involving single or multiparty donors, along with single or multiparty recipients. Gift-giving occasions are often culturally prescribed, but may vary in their timing. CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, students will be able to 1. Discuss how products, special possessions, and consumption activities gain symbolic meaning and how this meaning is conveyed from one consumer to another. 2. Identify how marketers can influence or make use of the symbolic meaning that consumption may have for consumers. 3. Distinguish between sacred and profane entities, and show why this distinction is important for marketing strategy. 4. Understand the process of gift giving and describe how marketers can use knowledge of this process to market more effectively. CHAPTER OUTLINE I. Sources and Functions of Symbolic Meaning A. Meaning Derived from Culture 1. Cultural categories are natural groupings or categories of objects that reflect culture. a) Time (work time, leisure time) b) Space (home, office, safe/unsafe places) c) Occasions (festive versus somber) d) Gender, age, social class, ethnicity 2. Cultural principles are ideas or values that specify how aspects of culture are organized and/or how they should be perceived or evaluated. B. Meaning Derived from the Consumer 1. Consumers can develop their own individual meanings associated with products. 2. Consumption symbols can be used a) To say something about the consumer as a member of a group b) To say something about the consumer as a unique individual C. The Emblematic Function 1. Geographic Emblems a) Products can symbolize geographic identification. (1). Preppie clothing style symbolizes identification with New England. 2. Ethnic Emblems a) Products and consumption activities can symbolize identification with a given culture or subculture. (1). Clothing and food are used to express ethnic identity. b) Consumers sometimes use ethnic emblems of other cultures to differentiate themselves. 3. Social Class Emblems a) Products we consume reflect our social class. b) Social classes use different symbols in consumption rituals. 4. Gender Emblems a) Products seem to be characterized as having membership in the male or female gender category. (1). Stems from culturally devised notions of fatness and thinness 5. Reference Group Emblems a) Products such as school uniforms can serve as emblems of membership in a reference group. b) Rituals such as debutante balls are sometimes indicators and affirmations of group membership. 6. Marketing Implications a) Marketers play three roles in establishing the emblematic function of products. (1). Symbol Development (a) Identifies cultural principles associated with a cultural category and imbues the product with attributes deemed to represent those characteristics (2). Symbol Communication (a) Advertising can imbue a product with meaning through the selection of setting, time of day, types of people in the ad, and how the product is presented. (3). Symbol Reinforcement (a) Other marketing mix elements are designed to reinforce the symbolic image. (4). Symbol Removal (a) Some marketers help consumers erase symbols associated with groups with whom they no longer identify. D. The Role Acquisition Function 1. Role Acquisition Phases a) We fill many roles in our lives, and these roles are constantly changing. b) Moving from one role to another involves three phases. (1). Separation from the old role (a) Often involves disposing of products associated with the role we are leaving (2). Transition from one role to another (a) Marked by experimentation with new identities (3). Incorporation (a) Taking on the new role and the identity associated with it 2. Use of Symbols and Rituals in Role Transitions a) We feel uncomfortable with a new status because we have not had experience in the role and have little knowledge about how to fulfill it. b) A common reaction is to buy and use many products stereotypically associated with that new role. c) Feedback from others, called reflexive evaluation, tells us whether we are fulfilling the role correctly. 3. Marital Transitions a) When a couple weds, they have to decide which possessions they wish to dispose of and which to move to the new household. b) They begin to acquire new products that are considered culturally appropriate for the role and help them create a mutual history. c) A similar process occurs in the transition from married to single status. 4. Cultural Transitions a) Consumers engage in role changes when they move to a new culture. b) Usually involves abandonment of old traditions and adoption of new ones. 5. Social Status Transitions a) Consumers who newly come into money, the nouveau riche, will ostentatiously spend to demonstrate and validate their new role. 6. Marketing Implications a) Consumers’ role transitions have many important implications for marketers. (1). Consumers in transition are an important target market. b) Those leaving a role may wish to dispose of products, which can develop inventory for marketers of secondhand products. c) When consumers are anticipating role transitions, marketers can promote their product as instrumental in incorporating a new role. d) By stressing the importance of product constellation, marketers can persuade consumers in the process of role acquisition to purchase a bundle of goods. e) Marketers can develop services that manage rituals surrounding role transitions. E. The Connectedness Function 1. The use of products and consumption activities that express our membership in a group and serve as symbols of our personal connections to significant people, events, or experiences in life F. The Expressiveness Function 1. The use of products as symbols to express something about our uniqueness—how we stand out from others 2. Marketing Implications a) Marketers can invoke nostalgia by connecting their product with people, places, or events. b) Marketers can convince consumers their product will help make them stand out as unique. G. Multiple Functions 1. A given product can satisfy several symbolic functions at one time. H. Symbols and Self-Concept 1. When combined, the symbolic functions of products and consumption rituals help to define and maintain our self-concept. 2. Social identity theory proposes that we evaluate brands in terms of their consistency with our individual identities. 3. Actual identity schemas are the separate, multiple identities that reflect our self-concept. 4. Ideal identity schema is the set of ideas about how the identity we seek would be indicated in its ideal form. 5. Possessions help shape our identity. 6. Marketing Implications a) Marketers play a key role in producing and maintaining an individual’s self-concept. b) Marketers should understand how their products fit with the various identities of their target consumers. c) Marketers need to be concerned about whether products are consistent with all aspects of multiple self-concepts. d) Advertising should appeal to the appropriate gender and cultural identity concept. II. Special Possessions and Brands A. Special Brands 1. A brand becomes special when consumers feel emotionally attached to it. B. Special brands evoke brand loyalty and can command a premium price. C. Types of Special Possessions 1. Pets a) Special treatment of pets is culturally specific. 2. Memory-Laden Objects a) Some products acquire special meaning because they evoke memories or emotions of special people, places, or experiences. 3. Achievement Symbols a) Consumers often regard possessions that symbolize achievement as special. 4. Collections a) Collectors often view their collections as extensions of themselves. D. The Characteristics That Describe Special Possessions 1. Often non-substitutable 2. They will not be sold at market value. 3. Often purchased with little regard for their price 1. Often not discarded, even after they lose their functional value 2. May not be used for their original functional purpose 3. Can provide powerful emotions 4. Often personified 5. Often treated as though they were our partner, feeling such commitment and attachment that we are devastated by their loss. D. Why Some Products Are Special 1. Symbolic Value a) Fulfills the emblematic, role adoption, connectedness, and expressiveness functions 2. Mood-Altering Properties a) Can evoke feelings of pride, joy, and comfort 3. Instrumental Importance a) Extremely useful E. Consumer Characteristics Affect What Is Special 1. Social Class a) People in different social classes value possessions differently. 2. Gender a) Men tend to regard symbols of identity as special, especially products that symbolize activity and physical achievement. b) Women tend to regard as special symbols of identity, as well as products that symbolize their attachment to other people. 3. Age a) What is regarded as special changes as people age. F. Rituals Used with Special Possessions 1. Possession rituals enable consumers to claim personal possession of new goods. 2. Grooming rituals used to bring out the best in special products. 3. Divestment rituals are designed to wipe away all traces of our personal meaning in a product. G. Disposing of Special Possessions 1. People dispose of these possessions to mark rites of passage and progression. 2. Often given to close friends and family in the hope that the meaning of the possession is transferred to recipient III. Sacred Meaning A. Sacred people, objects, and places 1. Include popular, historic, and religious figures a) Examples include: John F. Kennedy, Gandhi, Princess Diana, Elvis Presley 2. May be represented by artifacts preserved as a mark of reverence a) Examples include: Graceland, entertainment celebrities’ footprints and handprints outside Mann’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles 3. Ancestors and historical figures such as Winston Churchill are seen as heroes. 4. Many people experience overwhelming emotion when visiting sacred places. a) Examples include: the Vietnam Memorial, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China B. Characteristics that describe sacred entries 1. Mystery or myth that raises them above the ordinary 2. Qualities that transcend time, place, and space 3. They may possess strong approach/avoidance characteristics. 4. They can create an overwhelming feeling of power and fascination. 5. They can evoke strong feelings of attachment. 6. May cause people to feel the need to take care of and nurture the sacred entity 7. Sacred status is maintained by scarcity and exclusivity. C. How sacred objects are profaned 1. Not treating them with due respect 2. Divesting them of their sacred status by bringing them into the world of commerce D. Marketing Implications 1. Sometimes marketers can create and/or maintain sacredness in objects or people 2. Unsophisticated marketers sometimes profane sacred objects through commercialization. 3. Marketers sell products regarded as instrumental to the continuation or conduct of sacred times and the rituals they involve, such as Christmas cards. IV. The Transfer of Symbolic Meaning through Gift Giving A. The Timing of Gifts 1. Culturally determined and timed (e.g., holidays like Valentine’s Day) 2. Religious occasions 3. Culturally prescribed with timing specific to the individual (e.g., birthday, weddings) 4. Ad hoc a) As part of a reconciliation attempt b) To form an alliance B. Three Stages of Gift Giving 1. The Gestation Stage a) Motives for and Emotions Surrounding Giving (1). Altruistic—giving to help the recipient (2). Agnostic—giving because the donor derives positive emotional pleasure from the act of giving (3). Instrumental—giving because donors want the recipient to give them something in return (4). Obligatory—giving because donors feel the situation or relationship demands it (5). Relationship mending—giving to reduce guilt or alleviate hard feelings (6). Antagonistic—giving to “bother” the recipient b) The Appropriateness and Meaning of the Gift (1). Nature of gift signals feelings toward recipient (2). Token gifts (a) Not appropriate for clearly demarcated gift-giving occasion (b) May seem highly significant when no gift is expected (3). Gift may symbolize the meaning we wish to transfer to the donor. c) The Value of the Gift (1). Decisions about the value of the gift are culturally determined. d) The Amount of Time Spent Searching (1). Symbolizes the nature and intensity of the relationship the donor has with the recipient. 2. The Presentation Stage a) Rituals or ceremonial aspects, such as gift wrapping b) Timing and surprise element of the gift c) Attention devoted to gift-giving process or recipient d) Reaction donor hopes to elicit from recipient 3. The Reformulation Stage a) Donor and recipient reevaluate their relationship based on the gift-giving process. b) An appropriate gift may strengthen relationship bonding. c) This stage has implications for whether the recipient will reciprocate on the next gift-giving occasion. C. Marketing Implications 1. Marketers can promote their products and services as gifts. 2. Technology has created major changes in the gift-giving process. 3. Growing use of gift cards. 4. Alternatives to traditional gifts are increasing. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION Possible answers are as follows. 1. Contrast the emblematic function of a product with the role acquisition function; also contrast the connectedness function of a product with the expressive function. Answer: The emblematic function is the use of products to symbolize membership in social groups. The role acquisition function uses products as symbols to help feel more comfortable in a new role. An emblematic product signifies that you belong to a particular group. A sweatshirt sporting your fraternity’s Greek letters indicates to others that you are a member of that organization. A new briefcase could help an individual transition from college to the working world and would exemplify the role acquisition function. The connectedness function is the use of products as symbols of our personal connections to significant people, events, or experiences. An example of this might be a collection of ticket stubs from concerts attended that help the individual connect to those memories and the people with whom they shared the experiences. The expressive function is the use of products to demonstrate our uniqueness from others. We express our unique personalities through offerings like clothing, home decoration, art, music, leisure activities, and food consumption. 2. What is reflexive evaluation, and how does it affect role acquisition? Answer: Reflexive evaluation is the feedback from others that tells us whether we are fulfilling a role correctly. If the feedback a consumer receives is not to their liking, they will likely be motivated to acquire additional products to aid in building confidence in their new role. 3. How does the ideal identity schema relate to a person’s actual identity schema? Answer: Ideal identity schema and actual identity schema is conceptually similar to the ideas of actual and ideal states back in Chapter 9. Here the ideal identity schema is a set of ideas about how our identity would be indicated in its ideal form while the actual identity schema is the set of multiple, salient identities that reflect our self-concept. 4. What is frame switching, and why do marketers have to consider it when targeting bilingual, bicultural consumers? Answer: Frame switching is often seen in bicultural individuals, who switch back and forth between their cultural identities. For instance, an Asian-American has their traditional Asian frame of reference-with traditional language, food, and other cultures. Yet, as Americans, they may switch behaviors in other situations and wear American fashions and consume American foods. Because it is very common to have consumers who have roots in more than one religion (e.g., mother is Jewish, father is Catholic), ethnicity, or country, it is important for marketers to consider that these consumers are a part of two or more segments. Thus, there should be no conflicting messages. 5. What are the three main reasons for possessions taking on special meaning? Answer: Possessions take on special meaning when they have symbolic value; they possess mood-altering properties, or have a level of instrumental importance to the consumer. Possessions may be special because they fulfill the emblematic, role adoption, connectedness, and expressiveness functions. 6. Why do consumers engage in possession, grooming, and divestment rituals? Answer: Possession rituals are the processes we engage in when we first acquire a product that help to make it “ours.” Grooming rituals then bring out or maintain the best in our special products. Divestment rituals are designed to wipe away all traces of our personal meaning in a product. We engage in these rituals to create, energize, or enhance the meaning of our special possessions. 7. What are sacred entities, and how are they profaned? Answer: Sacred entities are those that we have awarded special status to. These include people, things, and places that are set apart, revered, worshipped, and treated with great respect. We profane something by removing this special status to make the person, place, or thing ordinary. 8. Identify the three stages of gift giving, and explain how gift giving can affect relations between the giver and the recipient. Answer: Stage one is the gestation stage. Here we consider what to give someone. In stage two, the presentation stage, we actually offer a gift to someone. The third stage is the reformulation stage, when we reevaluate the relationship based on the gift-giving experience. Gift giving has some potentially strong effects on relationships. These include strengthening the relationship, affirming the relationship, weakening the relationship, and severing the relationship. Gift giving might also have a negligible effect or provide a negative confirmation when the gift receipt validates an existing negative quality of the relationship between giver and receiver. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CASE Bicycles: More than Pedal Power Not so long ago, a bicycle was, well, just a pedal-powered way to get around. Today, the bicycle is not just two-wheeled transportation—it’s become a major industry worldwide. A growing number of consumers are buying bikes for commuting, for fun, for status, for personal style, and for environmental reasons. Especially in developing nations, where incomes are rising and middle-class consumers are looking for more than basic transportation, demand for better bicycles is rising year after year as the product category takes on new significance as a sign of wealth and of interest in a healthy leisure-time activity. “As people become more affluent, they tend to go to global brands,” says the director of international sales for Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles, “and that’s where global brands have advantages.” Trek’s high-quality bikes are now marketed in two dozen nations, with even wider distribution on the way. Some top automotive firms are putting their brands on upscale bicycles. Porsche, for example, offers high-end bicycles with precision-made bodies and brakes so riders can glide smoothly on paved paths and navigate off-road trails. Each carries the red, black, and gold brand badge positioned below the handle bars, signaling others that the rider is pedaling a Porsche. Luxury designer brands are also involved in the burgeoning bicycle business. Gucci’s creative designer has developed a lightweight, high-performance bicycle and accessories (such as a helmet and riding gloves) for Bianchi, decorated with the red and green stripes that are Gucci’s brand symbol. Missoni’s colorful bicycle, marketed by cheap chic retailer Target at a more affordable price, is for city-dwellers or suburbanites who want to pedal along in style. Folding bicycles are increasingly popular, everywhere from Kentucky to Kuala Lumpur. On a recent World Car-Free Day, cyclists rode folding bicycles along Kuala Lumpur roads to nearby mass-transit stations, folded their bikes, and took them on board. They were not just demonstrating a greener alternative to gas-powered vehicles—they were also showing the convenience and ease of taking folding bikes on commuter trains. Another use of bicycles is for tourist transportation. In Santiago, Chile, cyclists have ridden through the streets to promote environmentally-friendly bicycle tourism and encourage the construction of bicycle paths throughout Patagonia. From the great outdoors to the inner city, bicycles are often used to show off the rider’s personal style. In particular, youngsters who aren’t yet old enough to drive four-wheeled vehicles like to cruise the streets in home-decorated two wheelers. One urban trend in bicycle bling is the “scraper bike,” a small-framed bike with special touches such as dashes of color, duct tape detailing, aluminum foil wrapped around the wheel spokes, and flashy, outsized accessories. A scraper bike song by the California hip-hop group Trunk Boiz has attracted more than 3 million YouTube views and spread the look’s popularity far beyond the West Coast. “It just makes you feel like a star,” says one teen of the scraper bike he spray painted and outfitted with foiled-wrapped spokes. A gallery in Berkeley, California, has even exhibited scraper bikes as objects of art. Consumers who are serious about their bicycling look carefully at specifications and notice which brands the top athletes endorse. Cannondale, for example, is endorsed by women’s triathlete champion Chrissie Wellington. Many enthusiasts attend bicycle shows, watch bicycle races, test-ride new models, and compare every technical detail before deciding what to buy. One purchase leads to another as enthusiasts acquire all the gear they need—bike racks, locks, seats, tools, and anything else they must have to keep their bikes looking good and working properly. No wonder the two-wheeler business is gaining speed. Case Questions 1. What emblematic functions can a bicycle serve? Be specific. Answer: A bike can serve several different emblematic functions: Social class – are you riding a custom Porsche brand bike or a Huffy from a big box retailer? Gender – typically “girl” and “boy” bikes have different designs, but color, style and personalization can also contribute to this emblem Reference group – such as individuals who customize “scraper bikes” identify with their urban reference group 2. How can a bicycle be part of a social status transition? Answer: Purchasing a high-end bike may allow a consumer to try out a newly acquired or desired status. For example a college student who was riding a “beater bike” to avoid theft on campus may purchase a new bike as they transition into the workplace as a young professional. 3. Do scraper bikes derive their product meaning from the culture or the individual? Explain your answer. Answer: Both. Meaning is derived from the individual based on how they decorate and alter the bike to represent their personality and characteristics. But beyond the individual, the scraper bike phenomenon is representative of an urban culture as illustrated through its prominence in music, local art museums, etc. 4. What sacred meaning(s) might a bicycle hold for a consumer? What are the implications for marketers? Answer: One sacred meaning may be a consumer’s association of a particular brand or type of bike with a loved one. Marketers could use nostalgia when marketing their bikes, reminding customers of the fun times they had when they were young, riding a bike with a loved one, for example. SUGGESTED EXERCISES AND TEACHER GUIDELINES 1. Consider the cultural category of occupational status and the typical clothing of doctors, farmers, waitresses, politicians, businesspeople, truck drivers, and pharmacists. Identify the cultural principles that reflect membership in each of these occupational groups, and explain how the clothing worn by members of each group illustrates these characteristics. Answer: Students might also consider not only the clothing typical to each of these professions, but also the frequently used objects that are important to the occupation. How do the objects help define each of these roles. Occupational status often influences clothing choices, reflecting cultural principles associated with each profession: 1. Doctors: Professionalism and authority. Clothing like white lab coats and scrubs emphasize cleanliness and expertise. 2. Farmers: Practicality and ruggedness. Work boots, overalls, and durable clothing reflect the hands-on, labor-intensive nature of their work. 3. Waitresses: Service and approachability. Uniforms such as aprons and name tags promote a welcoming and organized image. 4. Politicians: Formality and leadership. Suits and ties or professional dresses signal authority, respect, and competence. 5. Businesspeople: Professionalism and status. Business suits, dress shirts, and polished shoes denote seriousness and high status in the corporate world. 6. Truck Drivers: Practicality and comfort. Casual, durable clothing like jeans and work shirts reflect long hours and the need for functionality. 7. Pharmacists: Professionalism and precision. White lab coats and neat attire emphasize accuracy, trustworthiness, and a professional demeanor. 2. Consider two role transitions: graduation and new parenthood. For each, identify the rituals that mark these role transitions and the enabling products that mark their passage. (This task will be easier if you can actually attend a graduation or watch a new parent care for a baby.) Find several advertisements for the products or services that are relevant to these rituals. Identify a set of marketing implications regarding marketing to groups undergoing these transitions. Answer: Graduation Rituals: • Ceremony (cap and gown) • Celebratory events (parties, gifts) Enabling Products: • Caps and gowns • Graduation announcements • Gifts (jewelry, electronics) Marketing Implications: • Advertise graduation-specific products • Emphasize achievement and celebration • Create gift guides New Parenthood Rituals: • Baby showers • Birth announcements • Initial care (setting up nursery) Enabling Products: • Baby clothes and gear • Health and safety products Marketing Implications: • Advertise baby-related products • Offer parenting guides and checklists • Focus on emotional appeal 3. Interview someone you know about one or more possessions that they regard as special/sacred. Try to get them to indicate why these possessions are special and compare their answers with the reasons given in the chapter for why possessions are special. What marketing implications can you derive from their responses? Answer: Since this exercise deals with very personal thoughts, it is important to be very careful when discussing this in class. Feelings may be hurt if negative comments are part of this discussion. Interview Summary: Person's Special Possessions: A family heirloom watch and a hand-crafted quilt. Reasons They Are Special: • Emotional Connection: The watch was passed down from a grandparent, symbolizing family legacy. • Personal Significance: The quilt was made by a loved one, representing care and tradition. Comparison with Chapter Reasons: • Emotional Connection: Both possessions hold personal and emotional value, similar to how possessions can represent personal history or emotional bonds in the chapter. • Symbolic Value: They serve as symbols of family heritage and personal history, aligning with the idea that possessions can carry symbolic meanings. Marketing Implications: • Highlight Emotional Value: Promote products that can become personal or family heirlooms. • Create Symbolic Connections: Position products as symbols of tradition and legacy. • Personalization: Offer customization options to enhance the sentimental value of products. SUGGESTED INTERNET EXERCISES WITH SAMPLE ANSWERS MARGARITAVILLE Do you know any Parrot heads? Chances are you do—you may even be one yourself. Parrot heads are the reference group comprised of aficionados of singer Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, their tropical lifestyle, their music, and other products. Now Parrot heads and the merely curious may change their latitudes and attitudes with a virtual visit to Margaritaville at www.margaritaville.com. Click through to any of the Margaritaville cities, including Charleston, Key West, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Glendale, Panama City and Cancun—and examine the product offerings. Which symbolic functions are served by the products and services that Parrot heads find at this website? Instructor Notes The Parrot head reference group subsumes members from all age groups, income levels, genders, geographic regions, ethnicities, and lifestyles. The one characteristic they share is that they are fans of all things Buffett; their ideal identity schemas include “resident of Margaritaville” at some real or symbolic level. As is the case at most fan-oriented stores, the majority of products are clothing and accessories with various Parrot head or Margaritaville logos. These items serve very well as reference group emblems. They identify the wearer as a Parrot head to other reference group members and to non-members alike. Margaritaville items also serve the connectedness function for Parrot heads by reminding the wearer of the positive emotions associated with listening to Jimmy Buffett’s music, traveling to and participating in his concerts, and enjoying (or fantasizing about) a casual, laid-back lifestyle. For some, being a Parrot head is an essential element of their self-concept; thus, for these intense fans Margaritaville gear can reinforce their actual and ideal identity schemas. Additional Uses This exercise also relates to concepts in the following chapters: • Chapter 2, Motivation, Ability, and Opportunity (social and symbolic needs as motivators to purchase Margaritaville gear) • Chapter 6, Attitudes Based on Low Effort (role of simple inferences, attractive, likable, and celebrity message sources, pleasant pictures, and music on attitudes toward Margaritaville items) • Chapter 4, Memory and Knowledge (song lyrics as a recall cue) • Chapter 11, Social Influences on Consumer Behavior (characteristics of reference groups with strong influence on brand choices) Discussion Idea Are the products offered for sale through the Margaritaville webpage special possessions? If so, what kind? If not, why not? THE WEDDING CHANNEL One of the most complex role transition rituals in most cultures is the wedding ceremony and its associated activities. Many websites that help to plan, coordinate, and execute the perfect wedding have proliferated during the past few years, much to the relief of future brides and grooms and their families. A particularly comprehensive site is the Wedding Channel (www.weddingchannel.com) Describe the features of this site. To those who are planning a wedding, what are the major benefits and detriments of using a site like this? How can a marketer use the Wedding Channel to better reach its target market? Instructor Notes The Wedding Channel’s home page links to a wedding planning site for those involved with the wedding, and to a guest site for others. Future brides, grooms, and others involved in planning the wedding can find general advice and product information about a wide variety of important products and services from the invitations to the honeymoon. They can arrange or suggest travel plans for out-of-town guests, and can create a gift registry online as well. Through the guest site, those invited to the happy occasion can check out travel suggestions, examine gift suggestions, and purchase gifts. Convenience and time savings are among the most significant benefits of using the Wedding Channel. As is often true of role transitions, an enormous number of activities involve purchase and/or consumption of culturally prescribed products. This website allows the planners to coordinate everything without having to spend precious time running from store to store; with a few clicks, all of the necessary resources are on screen in handy product constellations. The detriments are considerable, however. The site clearly caters to the needs and tastes of consumers from the middle class up, featuring brands that appeal mostly to those social classes. Wedding planners and guests who lack Internet access are left out. Furthermore, the Wedding Channel promotes products marketed by its affiliates. While this is hardly surprising, it could pose a significant limitation to some future brides and grooms, and to their guests. The most effective way for a marketer to use a website like the Wedding Channel is to arrange for the site to sell or feature its products. The required distribution arrangements are an example of evolving e-commerce practices. Another way to reach or to influence its target market is for the marketer to affiliate formally with the Wedding Channel. Under the website’s affiliation terms, any other website with links to the Wedding Channel can earn commissions for referred customers who create a gift registry at the Wedding Channel. Additional Uses This exercise also relates to concepts in the following chapters: • Chapter 3, From Exposure to Comprehension (selective exposure to, attention to, and perception of wedding-related information) • Chapter 4, Memory and Knowledge (creating a new script for wedding planning and shopping) • Chapter 7, Problem Recognition and Information Search (evoked set for wedding information) • Chapter 8, Judgment and Decision Making Based on High Effort (compensatory vs. no compensatory models, brand vs. attribute models, for wedding decision making) • Chapter 12, Consumer Diversity (weddings as both religious ceremonies and social occasions) Discussion Idea Will websites that offer product constellations (such as the Wedding Channel) succeed or fail in the long run? DAN’S CHOCOLATES Any chocoholic can tell you that there’s always an appropriate occasion for giving fine chocolates. Dan’s Chocolates (www.danschocolates.com) provides a simple way to make chocoholics and others ecstatic. Visit Dan’s website, then describe the ways in which the site can help consumers with the gestation and presentation stages of the gift-giving process. Instructor Notes Dan’s Chocolates offers far more than just dozens of different assortments of chocolates. It is a gift-giver’s paradise, with something for everyone who likes chocolate and who enjoys giving chocolate. At the gestation stage of the gift-giving process, the giver must first develop motives for giving, then ponder the nature, meaning, and value of the gift, and finally engage in an appropriate amount of searching. Dan’s home page provides vivid visual cues along with suggested gift-giving motives; for example, during September the site features chocolate assortments for Grandparents’ Day and Back to School gifts, as well as seasonless motives such as birthdays. The site’s other links offer products to symbolize relationships with different types of recipients, from significant others to family members to corporate clients or colleagues. Using the site’s suggestions, the giver can confidently select a gift that will carry the right connotation. Although the prices of Dan’s Chocolates are comparable with those for other brands of fine chocolates (e.g., Godiva), assortments range from eight ounces to 2 pounds and are priced accordingly. This allows the giver at least some degree of latitude in selecting a gift of appropriate value. The site minimizes search time in comparison to real-world shopping trips. The website also assists the giver with some elements of the presentation stage of the gift-giving process. Dan’s offers a broad range of gift wraps and special packaging, allowing the giver to tailor the gift to the exact tastes of the recipient. The giver also can include other special touches, such as gift cards, online greetings, and combinations of chocolates and flowers. Dan’s will ship the selected gift at the specified time, to ensure both freshness and appropriate arrival (for example, on an anniversary, not five days afterward). The element of surprise may be reduced somewhat if the gift arrives with a shipping label that reveals its contents. Also, it is difficult or impossible for the giver to provide personal attention to the recipient, and to gauge the recipient’s reaction, unless he has the gift shipped to himself then presents it in person to the recipient. Additional Uses This exercise also relates to concepts in the following chapters: • Chapter 4, Memory and Knowledge (salience and vividness of recall cues) • Chapter 6, Attitudes Based on Low Effort (impact of category- and schema-consistent information at Dan’s website) • Chapter 7, Problem Recognition and Information Search (online gift searching) • Chapter 11, Social Influences on Consumer Behavior (normative influences on gift-giving processes) Discussion Idea What other reasons might consumers have to purchase chocolates from Dan’s, as opposed to chocolates from other retail sources, online or bricks-and-mortar? Possible answers might include: • Dan’s charitable donations • Convenience of shopping for oneself online, not solely for gifts ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS WITH SAMPLE ANSWERS These discussion questions can be used as in-class activities or as thought questions that the students consider while reading the chapter or to test their understanding of the material after the reading and lecture are complete. 1. Imagine that you have graduated and are about to embark on your ideal job (or think about your first important job). What changes in your attire might symbolize the three stages of the role acquisition function in your life? Answer: Student answers will vary. The following is a sample response. My first job will be as an outside sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. I will be calling on doctors’ offices throughout the metropolitan area. I imagine myself separating from some of my old wardrobe items. (Separation from the old role is the first stage of the three-stage process.) I’ll throw away my beat-up college backpack and no longer wear khakis and casual shirts on a daily basis. My Nikes will be pushed to the back of my closet. These changes will physically represent the end of my college days and the start of my career. I imagine that, for a while, I will feel like I’m playing dress up as I put on my slacks, dress shirt, tie, and sport coat and grab my briefcase. The attire of the people at my office will give me a clue to the type of clothes that are acceptable. I bet there are no men wearing an earring—guess I better leave mine at home. This second stage, transition, will take some time. I know I will try different retailers, different styles, and different brands until I develop my own business look. When I do, I will have evolved into the final stage, incorporation. At this point, the ‘new professional me’ will be just as familiar and comfortable as the ‘old college me.’ 1. Pre-Role Stage: Attire: Graduation gown and casual clothes. Symbolism: Represents the transition from student to professional, celebrating academic achievements. 2. Role Acquisition Stage: Attire: Professional workwear (suits, business casual). Symbolism: Reflects the adaptation to a professional identity and readiness for the new job role. 3. Post-Role Stage: Attire: Established professional wardrobe, possibly with personal style added. Symbolism: Shows comfort and confidence in the new role, integrating personal identity with professional expectations. 2. Scan your home environment and name possessions that are special to you. Explain why you regard these items as valuable. Answer: Student answers will vary. The following is a sample response. The three items that are special to me are my cat, my sports pin collection, and my railroad memorabilia. My cat, Poco, is 14 years old. She is both ‘just a pet’ and a ‘special member of the family.’ She is just a pet in that she doesn’t get fancy food, have her teeth brushed like the vet suggested, or own any toys; but she is spoiled. She has her favorite piece of furniture, gets to eat vet-recommended food on demand, and requires a pet sitter when we leave town. My sports pin collection began with give-away pins at our hometown ballpark. Over the years, I started buying a pin here and there and then getting them as gifts. Three years ago, I put up a bulletin board and the collection rapidly grew. When I look at the board, I am reminded of special days, good friends, and great ballplayers. My railroad memorabilia is sentimental too. My dad was a railroad engineer. He gave me his and his dad’s pocket watches. I can still see Dad opening up his watch to make sure he wasn’t going to be late to work. I also have a silver-plated oil can that his peers gave him on his retirement. The oil can represents his decades of hard work, long hours, and his dedication. Special Possessions: 1. Family Photos: Value: Emotional connection and preservation of cherished memories. 2. Personal Diary: Value: Reflects personal growth and important life events. 3. Travel Souvenirs: Value: Represents memorable experiences and adventures. 4. Inherited Jewelry: Value: Connects to family heritage and sentimental value. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS 1. We have considered how in some cases symbolic meaning can be derived from a culture. Develop a list of symbols that have unique meaning among college students. Explain how knowing this might be helpful to marketers. Answer: Symbols Among College Students: • Logo Apparel: School pride • Tech Gadgets: Status and tech-savviness • Fraternity/Sorority Gear: Group identity • Marketing Implication: Target products that reflect student identity and status. 2. Several types of emblems have been discussed: geographic, ethnic, social class, gender, and reference group. Describe three types of emblems in each category that are evident in the student groups on your campus. Answer: Types of Emblems on Campus: • Geographic: Campus landmarks, local sports team apparel • Ethnic: Cultural club symbols, ethnic food • Social Class: Luxury brands, exclusive housing • Gender: Gender-specific group shirts, accessories • Reference Group: Influencer merchandise, trending brands 3. Role acquisition can be instrumental in adding symbolic value to various products. Select a product to consider and discuss how it might be seen differently by consumers during different role phases, role transitions, marital transitions, cultural transitions, or social status transitions. Answer: Product Role Acquisition: Laptop: • Pre-Role: Tool for schoolwork • Role Acquisition: Symbol of productivity • Post-Role: Career and personal achievement 4. Connectedness can have a strong influence on perceptions and behaviors. Explain how marketers can use the connectedness function to alter the role their offering plays in the lives of consumers. Answer: Connectedness Function: • Strategy: Emphasize how products integrate into personal or social contexts to enhance emotional connections. 5. As a group, discuss how the expressiveness function is reflected in the campus environment. Explain how knowing this could be helpful to retailers deciding to enter a college-centered market. Answer: Expressiveness on Campus: • Examples: Customized dorm decor, unique fashion, personal social media. • Marketing Implication: Offer customizable and personal Zable products. 6. Provide an example of how marketers can attempt to match their advertising message with the correct gender and cultural identity concept. Answer: Matching Advertising: • Example: Beauty ads featuring diverse models and addressing specific cultural needs. 7. We have discussed the role of special possessions. Discuss whether it is possible to market products in a way that makes them special. In other words, explain what, if anything, marketers can do to make their offering special. Answer: Marketing Products as Special: • Approach: Use exclusivity, emotional appeal, and customization to enhance specialness. 8. Some possessions may reach the level of sacredness. Explain why understanding the sacred and profane nature of things is important for marketers. Answer: Sacred vs. Profane Nature: • Importance: Helps marketers respect cultural values and enhance emotional significance. 9. Gift giving may arise from various motives. Describe these motives and explain how each can influence a marketer’s efforts at positioning an offering as a gift. Answer: Gift-Giving Motives: • Motives: Personal connection, social expectations, reciprocity. • Marketing Influence: Highlight personalization, occasion relevance, and relationship-building. 10. New media are making it possible to exchange new kinds of gifts with each other. Discuss how the Internet, for instance, can be a source of gift exchanges. Answer: Internet and Gift Exchanges: • Examples: E-gift cards, virtual experiences, customized digital products. • Discussion: The Internet allows for innovative and convenient gift options. EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES AND CLASSROOM EXAMPLES Students who learn more readily through visual and tactile stimuli will benefit from the introduction of physical examples into the classroom. 1. “Celebrity-Product Matching” Exercise Present students with a list of current celebrities and products and have them match the celebrities to the product commercials they have been paid to be part of. After giving students time to do so, discuss which match-ups were easy to remember and/or seemed to be the best fit based on brand image congruence between the celebrities and products. Here is a brief list of celebrities and the products that have advertised: Star Jones: Payless Shoes; Little Richard: Sprint PCS; John Leguizamo: Skyy Vodka; Christina Aguilera: Versace; Serena Williams: Close-Up toothpaste; Ray Charles: Got Milk?; Tony Hawk: Bagel Bites from Heinz; Kristie Alley: Pier 1 Imports; Barry Bonds: KFC; Morgan Fairchild: Old Navy; Michael Jordan: Hanes; Penelope Cruz: Coca-Cola CLASSROOM GROUP ACTIVITY Exploring Emblematic Meaning: 20 Minutes I. Start Up A. Purpose of the activity 1. This activity will give students an opportunity to consider how the emblematic role of one’s product can be systematically considered. B. What the instructor will do 1. The instructor will divide people into small groups and be available to coach and help the groups as needed. 2. Optionally, groups may be provided with clear overhead acetates and markers so they can summarize their discussions and make presentations after their analysis and discussion. C. What the participants will do 1. The participants will work in small groups to develop a set of guidelines to help marketers consider the emblematic nature of their offering for different groups. After a period of small-group discussion, they will make reports to the large group. D. Rules for this experience 1. Groups are to work separately from each other. Individuals should rely on their knowledge from the book and may refer to their notes and the book as necessary. II. Experience A. Group up. 1. Have students form groups of no more than five. This exercise will work in groups of any size; however, room restrictions that do not allow for moving furniture may make group work more difficult. B. Specific actions for groups 1. The groups are responsible for developing a list of questions marketers can ask to uncover the emblematic nature of their offerings. Sources of emblematic meanings include geographic, ethnic, social class, gender, and reference group. Students should be guided to state how each question they propose is designed to generate useful information for marketing managers. 2. Optionally, groups can summarize their discussions on clear overhead acetates to facilitate presentations after their analysis and discussion. 3. Questions to be answered by small groups a) Consider the following sources of emblematic meaning: geographic, ethnic, social class, gender, and reference group. Develop a set of questions to help marketers uncover the potential emblematic meaning for their offering in each of these sources. Be sure to explain how the questions you propose will generate answers that are useful to marketers. 4. Large-group discussions a) Have each group present its ideas to the class in a round-robin format. III. Debrief and Unveil Concepts. A. Discuss the activity itself. 1. The purpose of this discussion is to allow students to express what they felt about the experience itself. 2. Ask students to describe their experiences of doing the activity. a) Likes and dislikes about what just happened b) How they felt during the experience c) What is realistic, unrealistic about the exercise d) What will be different when they do this for their own brand B. Discuss the content of the experience. 1. The purpose of this discussion is to ensure that students “take away” important learning points. 2. Ask students to describe the important points the experience teaches. a) The importance of considering the emblematic nature of their offering 3. Use the chalkboard to record student responses. a) Write down their ideas as they are presented. b) Concentrate on the principles being discussed rather than the examples being used. c) Help them to see the interrelationships among their responses. IV. Execute A. Apply what has been learned. 1. Lead a discussion on how the concepts can be applied in organizations. a) What barriers may be faced in applying the concepts from the exercise? b) What can be done to help others understand the concepts when you use them at work? B. Transfer and use the knowledge. 1. Encourage students to make a record in their notes about how they will use the ideas in the workplace. 2. Even if they don’t have a specific job, how will they remember to use what they have learned? Tony C. Dreibus and Danielle Rossingh, “British Women’s Triathlon Domination Boosts Sport’s Image, Equipment Sales,” Bloomberg News, December 19, 2011, www.bloomberg.com; Robert E. Kleine III, Susan Schultz-Kleine, and Jerone B. Kernan, “Mundane Everyday Consumption and the Self: A Conceptual Orientation and Prospects for Consumer Research,” Advances in Consumer Research, eds John F. Sherry Jr. and Brian Sternthal (Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 1992), pp. 411-5; Simon Usborne, “Wheels, Etc.: Porsche Bike RS,” The Independent (UK), December 8, 2011, www.independent.co.uk; Noel Achariam, “Folding Bikes Welcome on LRT,” New Straits Times (Malaysia), December 19, 2011, www.nst.com; Susan Monroe, “Cycling Activists Peddle Through Patagonia,” Santiago Times (Chile), December 12, 2011, www.santiagotimes.cl; Sam McManis, “15-year-old Hopes ‘Scraper Bikes’ Hold Key to His Creative Future,” Sacramento Bee, December 18, 2011, www.sacbee.com; and Nicole Formosa, “Red Tape Slows Entry into Latin America,” Bicycle Retailer, December 2, 2011, www.bicycleretailer.com. Solution Manual for Consumer Behavior Wayne D. Hoyer, Deborah J. MacInnis, Rik Pieters 9780357721292, 9781305507272, 9781133435211