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Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior CHAPTER OBJECTIVES When you finish reading this chapter, you should be able to: 4-1 Summarize haw the consumptian of goods, 1-3. Explain how consumption both contributes to the services, experiences, and ideas is a major part of world's problems and provides solutions. ourilivess 4-4. Describe the many disciplines and perspectives 1-2 Identify and discuss the technological and that inform our understanding of consumer soclocultural trends that require constant behavior. monitoring to understand consumer behavior. Som do something stupid like that?" Gall is thumbing through 14 D) ownward deg? Why in the world would | ever want to ram fr | some Instagram posts on her smartphone as she waits ) terher accounting professor to show upto class. Her roommates have been on this yoga kick for months now, and they don't show any signs of | stopping, They keep telling her it's great ‘or stress reduction especially with midterms coming up. Gai’s been meaning to do something about that (other than “stress eating” which she's very good at), But t's been hard to motivate hersot to try a class. Sho's oasically an introvert, and she docen't ralish the idea of other poople watching her while sie struggles into awaward ody poses. But on the ether hand, yoga seems to be what anyone whe’s anyone is taking uo and Gail doesn't want to seem “uncool” to her friends anc classmates. And you get to weer some fashionadle athisisure outfts (preferably not produced with child labor!), That settles it—Gail resolves :o make time before her awesome consumer behavior class to stop by Lululemon and check out those leggings everyone is duying, if she's going to make a speatacle of nersetf contorting on the flocr, atleast she'l de it in style. Stil, she craws the line at the salamba shirshasana or yoga headstand. A fashionista has her limits, after all. Source: Fizkes/Stutterstock. Chapter1 © Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior 25 opyective 1-1» Consumer Behavior: Summarize how tneconsumpton People in the Marketplace of goods, services, experiences, and This book is about people like Gail—and you. It concerns ideas is a major the products and services we buy and use and the ways these part of our lives, fit into our lives. This introductory chapter describes some important aspects of the field of consumer behavior and some reasons why it’s essential to understand how people interact with the marketing system. For now, though, let's return to one “typical” consumer: Gail, the business major, The preceding vignette allows us to highlight some aspects of consumer behavior that we will cover in the rest of the book. Gail is a consumer like the rest of us. The information around her, both in the real world and online, contributes to her perceptions of the world. The sensory inputs from looking, hearing, smelling, and maybe vouching help her make sense of what's going on around her. As intriguing as that yoga class seemed, she must reconcile her needs for interaction and belongingness with her introvert self. These feclings and thoughts will ultimately guide her decisions and behaviors. Some of her decisions will be well thought out, while thers may be more impulsive and even self-destructive. Her identity, both self (who she is as a person) and social (the groups that help to define her), is a collection of her motivations, life circumstances, and choices. Of course, Gail’s sociocultural environment has a huge impact—the priorities af the society in which she lives, her ethnicity, her self-definition in terms of gender, her online activities, and other [actors help to drive what is important lo her. Not surprisingly, many of these factors relate directly to Gail’s knowledge of brands and which ones “speak” to her. Our allegiances to sneakers, musicians, and cven soft drinks help us define our place in modern society, and these choices also help each of us to form bonds with others who share similar preferences. So, it’s on to downward dog after all. What Is Consumer Behavior? The field of consumer behavior covers a lol of ground: 1 is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, ar experiences to satisfy needs and desires and to define and express their identities. Consumers take many forms, ranging from @ 10-year-old child who begs their parent for a smartphone to an executive in a large corporation who helps to decide on a multimillion-dollar computer system. The items we consume include anything from canned peas to a massage, democracy, Juicy jeans, a virlual reality experience, K-pop music, or a celebrity like ‘Taylor Swift. The needs and desires we satisfy range from hunger and thirst to love, status, and even spiritual fulfillment. Our consumption choices, the brands we use, the activities in which we engage, and the groups to which we belong are all expressions of our unique identity. Also, as we'll sec thronghout this text, people get passionate ahout a broad range of products. Whether it’s vintage Air Jordans, 121 the study of what and why we buy; it also facuses on haw that perfect yoga mat, or the latest computer tablet, there’s 10 gngumers use products and services. In tis case, a hotel in shortage of brand fans who will do whatever it takes to find Dubai promotes responsible behavior. and buy what they crave. Source: Courtesy of Marca Polo titeVubai; Brandicom Agency ‘The expanded view of consumer behaviar embraces much more Chapter 1 * Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior 27 A Branded World Every day Gail encounters information about many competing products and services. Some of these don’t capture her attention at all, whereas others are just a turnoff because they don’t relate to “looks,” people, or ideas with which she identities. But others are very important to her because they help her to express a part of who she is—a sociable college student, responsible steward of the environment, fashionista, or whatever else matters to her. A brand enables consumers (o identily a particular company, product, or individual. It uses identifying markers to tell potential buyers not only what it does but also what it means and perhaps even the cultural values it stands for. For example, Nike makes shoes and other athletic equipment, but the brand’s role in our culture goes much farther than that. The famous “swoosh” logo is everywhere, and legions of “sneakerhcads” pay impressive sums to collect vintage Nike shoes. The Nike brand also links to controversial social issues, such as child labor (ihe company’s supply chain bas reportedly used child labor in the past) and the Black Lives Matter movement (the company took an carly and vocal stand on behalf of the former quarterback Colin Kaepemick, who People often purchase a product because they like ils image or because they feel its “personality” somehow corresponds to their ‘own. Conversely, they may avoid a brand that clasnes with their identity or beliefs. For example, many Nike supporters decided to boycott the brand after the Kaepeick incident, while other consumars deliberately switched to Nike to show their support. ‘Source: Eric Risbaro/AP images: was fired for showing his support for the cause on the fvotball field). Whether it’s the Super Bowl, Chrisunas shopping, national health care, newspaper recycling, CBD oil, body piercing, vaping, tweeting, or online video games, marketers play a significant role in our view of the world and haw we live in it. And we increasingly live in a branded world, where advertisers promote events and places of all kinds, This cultural impact is hard to overlook, although many people do not seem to realize how much marketers influence their preferences for movic and musical heroes; the latest fashions in clothing, food, and decorating choives; and even the physical features that they find attractive or ugly in people. For example, consider the product icons that companies usc to create an identity for their products. Many imaginary creatures and personalities, from the Pillsbury Doughboy to the Jolly Green Giant, at one time or another were central figures in popular culture. In fact, it is likely that more consumers could recognize such characters than could identify past presidents, business leaders, or artists. Although these figures never really existed, many of us feel as if we “know” them, and they certainly are effective spokescharacters for the products they represent. In addition to visual cues like the famous Nike Swoosh, the taste, texture, or sinell of an item influences our evaluations of it. Similarly, a good website helps people to feel, taste, and smell with their eyes. We may be swayed by the shape and color of a package on the store shelf, as well as by more subtle factors, such as the = = : Rg Consumers form strong loyalties with their favorite brands or stores. If necessary, many are willing to camp out for a new Product intraduction, much like they would for scarce tickets at a big concert. ‘Source: Jeftrey Blackler/Alamy Stock Photo. 28 Section 1 * Foundations of Consumer Behavior BMW anticipates changes in consumer behavior as it develops electric car madels like the ig thet satisfy dual desires for style and environmental responsibility. Source: Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock symbolisin in a brand name, the imagery an ad uses, or even in the choice of a cover model for a magazine. These judgments are affected by—and often reflect— how a society fecls people should define themselves at that point in time. Many product meanings lurk below the surface of packaging and advertising: we'll discuss some of the methods marketers and social scientists use tv discover or apply these meanings. Like Gail, we shape our opinions and desires based on a mix of voices from around the world, which is hecoming a much smaller place because of rapid advancements in communications and transportation systems. In today’s global culture, consumers olien prize produels and services that “transport” them (o dillerent places and allow them to experience the diversity of other cultures—even if only to watch others brush their tecth on YouTube. Understanding Consumers Is Good Business The bottom line for managers, advertisers, and other marketing professionals Understanding consumer behavior is good business. The basic marketing concept that you (hopefully) remember from your basic marketing class states that organizations exist to satisfy needs. Marketers can satisfy these needs only to the extent that they understand the people or organizations that will use the products and services they sell, Voila! That’s why we study consumer behavior. Successful companies understand that needs are a moving target. No organization—no matter haw renowned for its marketing prowess—can afford to rest on its laurels. Everyone needs to keep innovating to stay ahead of changing customers and the marketplace. BMW is a great example. No one (not even rivals like Audi or Mercedes-Benz) would argue that the German automaker knows how to make a good car (althongh they may not agree with the company’s claim to he “the ultimate driving machine”). Still, BMW's engineers and designers know they must understand how drivers’ needs will change in the future—even those loyal owners who love the cars they own today. The company is highly sensitive to such key trends as: © A desire for environmentally friendly products © Increasingly congested roadways and the movement by some cities, such as London and New York, to impose fees on vehicles in ventral areas @ New business models that encourage consumers to rent products only while they need them rather than buying them outright BMW’s response: The company committed more than $1 billion to develop electric RMWi models, such as its new i3 commuter car and i8 sports car. These futuristic-looking vehicles are largely made from lightweight carbon fiber to maximize the distance they can go between battery charges, and 25 percent of the interior plastic comes from recycled or renewable raw materials. In addition, BMW partnered with the Daimler AG group (Mercedes, etc.) to offer the Share Now carsharing service that boasts over four million members worldwide.* That's forward thinking. 30 Section 1 * Foundations of Consumer Behavior Be on the lookout for service robots that perform many functions humans normally carry out—such as waiting on customers. ‘Source: Pack-Shot/Stutterstock Buying, Having, Being : The Digital Native 2 Ifyou're a typical student, you } probably can't recall a time when the internet was just a static, one- way platiorm that transmitted text ! ard a few sketchy images. And believe it or not, in the last century, + even thal crude technicue didn't exist. Pevole nad to handwrite letters to each olner and waited for printed magazines to arrive in the'r mailboxes to learn about current events. The term digital native originated in @ 2001 article to explain & new tyoe of student who 1 was starting to tum up on campus, These people grew uo “wired” ina highly networked, ahweys-on warld {where digital technology had always: existed." Fast forward to today, where &/ percent of American teens own an iPhone and nor- schoo! related screen tine jumped from 3.8 hours per day before the pandemic to /./ hours today. Are you a digital native? ceeeeneee Leeeeeteeee® expand as more and more people around the world log in. Many of us are avid surfers, and it’s hard to imagine a time when texting, tweeting, TikToking, or pinning favorite items on Pinterest weren't a regular part of daily life. Artificial Intelligence and The Metaverse But our lives are about to change even more: We're entering a new era of the Internet of Things (IoT). This term refers lo the growing network of interconnected devices embedded in objects that speak to one another. Analysts estimate that there are 14.4 billion connected devices out there now, with 27 billion expected hy 2025.8 You can sec the impact of the IoT all around you, from the advent of autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars) to the “smart home” products that can automatically adjust your thermostat, control your windows, and even turn on your oven hefare you get home.” Automation creates new ways for consumers to live their lives, from how they connect with other people to how they express themselves and expand their minds.! We are alsa witnessing a revolution in M2M (machine- to-machine communication) that will profoundly change our lives. Self-driving cars are just the tip of the iceberg.'! Artificial intelligence (A) applications that gel beter over time via machine learning already interact with us in the form of voice recognition software in digital assistants like Siri and Alexa; in systems that process insurance claims, trade stocks, and diagnose exotic illnesses; as well as in marketing applications that help advertisers (o improve the precision of their ad placements, help businesses increase the speed with which they can deliver goods to their customers, and even help salespeople to predict which responses to consumers’ queries are more likely to result in a purchase.'? “Big Data” and Data Analytics Walmart stores massive amounts of information on the 100 million people who visit its stores each week, and the company uses these data to fine-lune its offerings. For example, when the company analyzed how shoppers’ buying patterns react when forecasters predict a major hurricane, it discovered that people do a lot more than simply stock up on flashlights. Sales of strawberry Pop-Tarts increased hy ahout 700 percent, and the top-selling product of all was .. . beer. Based on these insights, Walmart loads its trucks wilh Loaster pastries and six-packs to stock local slores when a big storm is approaching.'* At this very moment (and every moment thereafter until we croak), we arc all generating massive amounts of information that hold tremendous value for marketers. You may not see it, bul we are practically buried by data that come from many sources—sensors that collect climate information, the comments you and your friends make on your favorite social media sites, the credit card transactions we authorize, and even the GPS signals in our smartphones that let organizations know where most of us are pretty much anylime day or night. This incredible amount of information has created a new field that causes tremendous excitement among marketing analysts (and other math geeks). The collection and analysis of extremely large datasets is called Big Data, and you'll he hearing a lot more about it in the next few ycars. Hint: Tf you have aptitude or interest in quantitative topics, this will be a desirable career path for you. Chapter1 © In addition to the huge volume of information marketers now mus| play with, its velocity (speed) also enables companies to make decisions in real time that used to take months or years. For example, one graup of rescarchers used the GPS phone signals that were coming from Macy’s parking lots on Black Friday to estimate whether the department store was going lo meet or exceed ils sales projections lor the biggest shopping day of the year—before the stores even reported their sales. This kind of intelligence allows financial analysts and marketing managers to move quickly as they buy and sell stocks or make merchandising decisions. I's safe to say this data explosion is profoundly changing the way we think about consumer behavior. Companies, nonprolils, political parties, and even governments sill through massive quantities of information that enable them to make precise predictions ahout what products we will buy, what charities we will donate to, what candidates we will vote for, and what levers they need to push to make this even more likely to happen. Walmart alone collects more than 2.5 pelabyles of data every hour [rom its customer transactions (the equivalent of about 20 million filing cabinets’ worth of text).!> Welcome to the Metaverse! It’s hard to ignore all the talk about the Metaverse over the past few years—especially sinec Facchook rebranded itsclf as Meta, and CEO Mark Zuckerherg announced the company’s goal to “help bring the metaverse to life There’s been a lot of hype, but what exactly is the metaverse? Most definitions center on these elements:'* © Itexisis in the physical world, but it also involves immersive environments, often (but not always) using virtual- or augmented-reality technology. Inhabitants of a “virtual world” often create a unique identity in the form of an avatar, and this character may not be at all like the person’s IRI. (in-real-life) identity. © It’s “always on” and operates in real time. © It’s built on a virtual economy—most likely based upon cryptocurrency and digi- tal goods and assets, including nonfungible tokens (NFTs). which are digital asscts with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from one another. Unlike cryptocurrencies (fungible tokens), each NFT is completely unique and only one person can own il. This makes these assets very attractive Lo people who buy and sell artwork, sports memorabilia, and other physical objects that otherwise have the potential to be duplicated.!7 © Itallows people to possess virtual identities that don’t necessarily correspond to who they are IRL. They can interact with peers, create content, and at times build their own (virtual) worlds. Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior 31 To pay homage to its founder's 200th birthday, Louis Vuitton released a mobile game on the Roblox platform. It follows a game character through six worlds as it collects 200 candles. Of course, you start by adorning your character in Louis Vuitton threads. To add (o the excitement, the designers placed 30 NFTs created by the artist Beeple for players to find." If you think that name is weird, for what it's worth, Mike Winkelmann (the artist's real name) earned notoriety (and perhaps envy) when he sold an NFT of a JPG file composed of 5,000 indivicual images for the highest price recorded—$69.3 milion (yes, million). That's more than masterpieces by many famous artists.'? ‘Scuree: Supamatior’Shuttarstock Chapter 1 * Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior 33 of media from Uaditional media platforms, like magazines and television, to more novel and emergent ones, like digital media, videogames, and the metaverse. Transmedia challenges traditional views of popular culture—the music, movies, sports, books, celebrities, and other forms of entertainment that the mass market produces and consumes—hceause we can acecss these forms of entertainment in so many ways and in so many forms Marketing messages are communicated synchronously through transmedia in the [orm of transmedia storytelling, which refers to telling a story across multiple platforms and formats. In turn, consumers access brand and marketing messages synchronously across transmedia, and this variety of contact points allows them (o engage with cunient in a such a variety of ways that it amounts to a make-your-own-journey.”+ Consumer Trends: Keeping Up with the Culture That Won’t Stand Still Understanding consumer behavior means staying on top of consumer trends. This term does not just refer to specific brands or styles that may be in vogue today but also to underlying values that drive consumers toward certain products and services and away from others. As we'll sce, these valucs cvolve aver timo. For example, some analysts argue that our focus on acquiring physical DECEMBER 22 objects is shifting toward the consumption of experiences instead. This consumer trend is consistent with research that shows experiential purchases provide greater happiness and satisfaction 7. ssstic was the frst renemedia brand, with the because they allow us to connect with others in an increasingly siruitaneous release of the film, a game, and a website impersonal sociely. Source: @ Warner Bros /Caurtesy Everett Collaction Why is it so important to understand consumer trends? Very simply, a brand that aligns with a dominant valuc stands a much better chance of success. Because companics often need substantial lead time to launch a new product or reposition an existing one, it’s crucial to track not just where consumers are but where they’re going. That way you can be there to greet them when they arrive. Consumer trend forecasting is big business, and many organizations devote huge resources to monitoring the “bleeding edge” of consumer behavior. Companies like Mintel, Euromonitor, and GIK publish consumer trend reports that alect clients to what the companies view as basic changes in customers’ priorities. Tt can sccm at times that there are as many consumer tronds as thero arc trond watchers, and sometimes their predictions create a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, Pantone publishes an influential color forecasting report that many manufacturers use to guide their choices of future color palettes for cars, clothing, house paints, and other products. Since so many companies heed these predictions, perhaps it’s not too surprising to find the very hues Pantone predicted on store shelves (Very Peri, a shade of blue with red and violet undertones, was the Color of the Year for 2022). It’s an amazing time to study consumer behavior. In so many ways, our basic assumptions about how companies and people relate ta one another are heing disrupted. Throughout this text, we're going to learn about the “bleeding edge” of consumer behavior; the many ways that these relationships change on an almost daily basis. Section 1 * Foundations of Consumer Behavior ‘These are some of the important consumer trends that we believe will impact marketing strategies in the near future: © Sharing economy: A continued blurring of the boundary between producers and consumers, as everyday people take on the roles of hoteliers, taxi drivers, and even advertising agencies. We will see a de-emphasis on the value of owning products such as automobiles and power tools as opposed to leasing them on an as-needed basis. Authenticity and personalization: An aversion to corporate “hype,” as consumers place a premium on knowing the lineage of the companies they patronize Consumers also will demand more individualized experiences rather than buying mass-market products and services. There will be an increase in “artisanal” products and continuing growth of the “maker movement,” augmented by wider availability of 3D-printing technologies. Shoppers are willing to pay more for an item when they know exactly where it comes from, and they are assured that “real people” have thoughtfully selected the things from which they choose. © Blurring of gender identity and gender roles: The continuing movement away from “gender binarism” as gender identity becomes more fluid and more people do not idontify themselves as male or female. © Diversity and mutticulturalism: Racial and ethnic divisions will blur as people are exposed to other groups both in person (e.g., at the workplace) and online Intermartiage rates continue to accelerate; a growing number of countries (including the United States) no longer adhere to strict categories when they ask citizens to identify racial and ethnic identity.7 © Social shopping: The traditional lone decision maker will become harder to find, as ready access to product reviews and others’ immediate feedback on potential purchases turns many buying situations into committee decisions. Large numbers of people already say they almost always consult online reviews before they huy something new. We will see continued growth of video as the go-to medium for posting and sharing. © Income inequality: The gap between rich and poor will continue to grow in the United States, which will exacerbate pressure toward a dual society of haves (in gated communitics) and have-nots. © Healthy and ethical living: A continued focus on wellness, physical fitness, and environmental sustainability. This priority is likely to divide along social class lines, as growing economic inequality makes it difficult for less affluent consumers to afford healthy and sustainahle products © Simplification: A movement away from hyperchoice and toward decluttering one’s life and possessions. There will be more priority on experiences rather than acquir- ing things. © Interconnection and the Internet af Things: The rapid growth of AT will facilitate the popularity of products such as wearable computers that monitor physical activity and offer many other functions. We will see growth in the consumer trend of smart homes. © Anonymity: Data hacking, cyberbullying, and advertising tracking will fuel a desire for “the right to be forgotten.” Consumers will flack to platforms like Snapchat that don’t retain posts or that allow users to create alternative identities. There will be greater emphasis on regulating online businesses as public utilities and on forcing advertisers to reveal when they have paid for online advertising. Consumer trends are a moving target. Keep ahead to keep up! 36 Section 1 * Foundations of Consumer Behavior Patagonia has long been recognized for its’ responsible marketing practices. In ‘one well-known campaign, the company actually urged customers to purchase used garments rather than buying a new one ~ even if it's made by them. Source: © 2011 Palagonia, Inc DON’T BUY THIS JACKET RCMAGINC Chapter1 © Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior For businesses also, responsible marketing is about merging consumer centricity, a focus on meeting consumers’ needs, with making a positive impact on our communitics—both in thc small scnsc (local communitics) and in the broad sense (our planet). ossective1-4 >» Multiple Perspectives on the deka” Study of Consumer Behavior perspectives inform our understanding By now it should be clear that the field of consumer behavior of consumer encompasses many things, from the simple purchase of a perevier) carton of milk to the selection of a complex, networked computer system: from the decision to donate money to a charity to devious plans to rip off a company. And it should be evident that the environment in which consumers live is everchanging. There’s an awful lot to understand, and many ways to go about it. Given the complexity of consumer behavior and the many forms and facets of consumption, itis clear we need multiple perspectives to Lully understand il (or at least, to come close!) What Disciplines Study Consumer Behavior? Many different perspectives shape the field of consumer research. Indeed, it is hard to think of a field that is more interdisciplinary. You can find people with training in a wide range of disciplines—from neuroscience to anthropology—doing consumer research. Universities, manufacturers, museums, advertising agencies, and governments employ consumer researchers. Consumer researchers have formed many academic groups, such as the Association for Consumer Research, the Society for Consumer Psychology, and the Consumer Culture Theory movement. To gain an idea of the diversity of interests of people who do consumer research, consider the list ef professional associations that sponsor the field’s major journal, the Journal of Consumer Research: The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the American Statistical Association, the Association for Consumer Rescarch, the Socicty for Consumer Psychology, the Intemational Communication Association, the American Sociological Association, the Institute of Management Sciences, the American Anthropological Association, the American Marketing Association, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, and the American Economic Association. That's a mixed bag to be sure. Clearly there are a lol of researchers rom diverse backgrounds who are into the study of consumer behavior. So, which is the “correct” discipline to explore these issues? You might remember a children’s story about the blind men and the clephant. The gist of the story is that each man touched a different part of the animal and, as a result, the descriptions euch man gave of the elephant were quite different, This analogy applies to consumer research as well. Depending on the training and interests of the researchers studying it, they will approach the same consumer phenomenon in different ways and at different levels. Table 1.1 illustrates how we can approach a complex and emerging topic such as the mezaverse from a range of perspectives. We'll take a closer look at some of the diverse methods researchers use to sludy consumer behavior in Appendix C 37 Chapter1 © Buying, Having, and Being: An Introduction to Consumer Behavior 39 CITI? (XID CD ax Economics ] Buying, Having, and Being Foundations of Making Sense Buying and Having Choosing _Being: Using Products Consumer Behavior of the World and Using Products lo Create and Communicate Identity Belonging { History Jit Semiotics, Literary Theory) Soo Figure 1.2 The Core Disciplines That Inform Research on Consumer Behavior © Behavioral economies: A branch of economics that extends from classical and neoclassical economics and integrates insights from psychology.*" © Social psychology: This branch of psychology focuses (not surprisingly!) on the social factors that affect individual or group behavior.>! A Macro Focus On the macro side, we Lind researchers who regard consumption from a social and cullural point of view. drawing un socivlugy and anthropology. Researchers embrace a variety of topics that range from how the media shapes our conceptions of our bodies or how disadvantaged people cope with poverty to how Harley-Davidson riders participate in an active community of bike lovers.” © Sociology: This discipline focuses on the study of group behavior, including the structures and institutions that govern human behavior.** © Anthropology: This discipline comparatively examines culture, society, and human difference from the perspective of the individual embedded in a collective.* A Diverse Focus A wide array of other disciplines also inform consumer research, such as: ® Semiotics and literary criticism: The humanities can provide rich insights into the meanings inherent in text. Semiotics, the study of meanings and symbols, and literary criticism, the systematic and organized analysis and evaluation of texts, offer vols lo deconstruct and extract the meanings inside ads, social media posts, and even entire marketing campaigns.** © Computer seience: The increasing role of technology in our lives brings the need to integrate knowledge from computer science, the study of computers and computational systems, to understand consumer behavior." ® History: The discipline of history studies the past and critically examines these source materials to assess consumption trends over time and the factors that shape them.>7 For instance, consumer researchers critically analyze historical records to understand how markets change and how cultural trends and practices evolve over lime, logy 40 Section 1 * Foundations of Consumer Behavior Where Do We Find Gonsumer Researchers? Where do we find consumer researchers’ Just about anywhere we find consumers Consumer researchers work for manufacturers, retailers, marketing research firms, governments, and nonprofit arganizations—and of course colleges and universities You'll find them in laboratories, running sophisticated experiments that involve advanced neural imaging machinery, or in malls, interviewing shoppers. They may conduct focus groups or run large-scale polling operations. For example, when an advertising agency began to work an a now campaign for retailer JCPenney, it sent staffers to hang out with more than 50 women for several days. They wanted to really understand (he respondents’ lives, so they helped them to clean their houses, carpool, cook dinner, and shop. As one of the account executives observed, “If you want to understand how a lion hunts, you don’t go to the zoo—you go to the jungle” The Philosophy of This Book This texthook embraces the multidisciplinary nature of the study of consumer behavior. Understanding complex real-world consumption phenomena requires a plurality of methods and theoretical approaches.°? So, in each chapter, we weave in insights from multiple paradigms, which refer to ways of thinking about and studying a phenomenon. For instance, when explaining the processes of attitude change (Chapter 6), we review classic persuasion models from social psychology but also incorporate the sociocultural and narrative (storytelling) processes at play. When we cover the role of social class in consumption (Chapter 13), we review the “pure” sociological perspective an class, which adopts a societal lens and analyzes the symbolic systems that shape class and status groups but also weaves in developments from social psychology on status signaling, which takes a psychological approach to how individuals process and respond to status cues. Multiple flavors? Yes, and you'll taste them all in this course! CHAPTER SUMMARY Now that you have finished reading this chapter, you should Consumption refers to all facets of the consumer behavior he able to: process, which includes how we ahserve and make sense of the world around us, how we choose and purchase things, and how we use consumption Lo communicate our identity and our sense of self in society. 1. Summarize how the consumption of goods, ser- vices, experiences, and ideas is a major part of our lives. One of the fundamental premises of the modern Consumer behavior is the study of the processes involved field of consumer behavior is that people buy when individuals or groups select, purchase, use. or products not for what they do but for what they mean. dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to This principle does not imply that a product’s basic satisfy needs and desires and to define and express their function is unimportant but rather that the roles identities. The items we consume include anything from products (and services) play in our lives cxtend well canned peas toa massage, democracy, Juicy jeans, a virtual beyond the tasks they perform. Our consumption reality experience, K-pop music, or a celebrity like Taylor choices help us define our identity. Identity is a Swift. The neods and desires we satisfy range from hunger multilayered concept that involves our personal self and thirst to love, status, and even spiritual fulfillment. and our social self. 
