CHAPTER 3: THE CHANGING
AMERICAN SOCIETY: VALUES
§ Cultural values is a widely held
beliefs that affirm what is
desirable. Changes in value tend
to occur slowly and unevenly
across individuals and groups.
§ There are three types of values
especially in the American
society such as self-oriented
values, environment-oriented
values, and other-oriented
values.
§ Religious or secular: America is
basically a secular society. A
religious group does not
control the educational system,
government, or political
process and most people daily
behaviour. Many Americans for
whom religion is especially
important are conservative in
their beliefs and quite active
politically. The religious group
attempts to regulate various
marketing activities and their
consumption patterns include
both positive consumption
(purchasing religious object and
books) and negative
consumption (avoiding or
boycotting products and
companies). Advertising to this
certain group requires a
nuanced approach in which
advertisers cannot simply put a
religious symbol on all products
and think that it will have a
positive effect.
§ Sensual gratification or
abstinence: in America, sensual
gratification became more
acceptable and become a trend.
However some brand
remembered as a brand with
sexual appeal ads but their
intention to buy the brand in
the ad does not change. One of
the biggest value shifts in US is
the greater importance placed
on fun and excitement.
§ Postponed or immediate
gratification: Americans seem
unwilling to delay pleasures,
even in the face of discomfort
over spending levels and debt.
§ Material or nonmaterial:
outcome of America focus on
materialism is a consumption-
driven society. Factors found
to influence materialism are
social media and television.
Voluntary simplicity is a
consumers effort to reduce
their reliance on consumption
and material possessions. Minor
life adjustment and reduce
spending to drastic lifestyle
adjustments are the example on
voluntary simplicity. However
this is a conscious and
voluntary decision.
§ Hard work or leisure: avergae
weekly hours worked is around
34 hours, longer than employees
in other Group of Seven (G7)
countries. Americans work long
hours for many reasons such as
their material orientation and
simply because they think that
their work is meaningful and
valuable. This opens up
opportunities for marketers
who can deliver convenience.
§ Active or passive: americans
continue to value an active
approach to life. Most
americans take an active
approach to both leisure and
problem-solving activities.
§ Environment-oriented value
prescribe a society relationship
with its economic,technical, and
physical environments
§ Cleanliness: american have long
valued cleanliness. They may
accept messier homes but they
are not happy about them thus
it presents marketing
opportunities. Personal hygiene
remains very important to
most Americans.
§ Tradition or change: new has
traditionally been taken to
mean improved. However they
are now less receptive to
change for its own shake, the
energy required to keep pace
with rapid technological
changes are some of the
reasons for this shift. Creative
class inclueds those who work in
such professions (architecture,
science, engineering, health
care, etc) which engage in
complex problem solving.
§ Risk taking or security: there
was an increased emphasis on
security during the period from
1930 through the mid 1980s.
the currently seems to be a
greater emphasis on security,
driven at leas in part by the
recent economic recession. The
 short-term focus on security
may give once again to risk
taking as the economy
recovers.
§ Problem solving or fatalistic:
americans believe that virtually
anything can be fixed given
sufficient time and effort.
§ Admire or overcome nature:
traditionally nature was viewed
as an obstacle.
Environmentalism is a concern
for the environment and it
remains strong in the society.
Enviropreneurial marketing is
an environmentally friendly
marketing pratices, strategies,
and tactics initiated by a fim
to achieve a competitive
differenciation.
§ Performance or status:
americans are shifting back to
a focus on performance rather
than status.
§ Other oriented values reflect a
society view of the appropriate
relationship between individuals
and groups within that society.
§ Individual or collective: a
strong emphasis on
individualism is one of the
defining characteristics of
American society. They believe
in doing your own thing.
§ Diversity or uniformity:
american has valued a degree
of uniformity, particularly
with respect to groups. Cultural
creatives are american who are
concern with self-actualisation
spiritually and self-expression
and who like things that are
foreigns and exotic.
§ Limited or extended family:
frequent geographic moves as
well as differential rates of
social mobility mean that few
children grow up in close
interaction with aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces, or nephews.
§ Youth or age: older people were
considered wiser than young
people and therefore were
looked to as models and leaders
in almost all cultures. The value
on youth continued as America
became an industrial nation.
Age potrayal in advertising is a
difficult issue because people
often feel younger than their
actual age. Ads using younger
models might generate a more
positive reactions.
§ Competition or cooperation:
american society, like most
others has reflected a
masculine orientation for a
long time. Although American
society is becoming less
masculine oriented, it still leans
clearly in that direction.
§ Green marketing generally
involve developing products
whose producton, use, or
disposal is less harmful to the
environment than the
traditional versions of the
product; developing products
that have a positive impact on
the environment; and trying
the purchase of product to an
environmental ogranisatin or
event. Environmental concern
do not guarantee purchase of
green products. Green
consumers can be detrimental
to the purchase of these
products, as users are often
seen-negatively-as greenies or
tree huggers. The FTC shares
consumer skepticism about
green claims.
§ Eco-friendly appear to be
misleading to consumers who
believe that such products have
far-reaching benefits in almost
all environmental areas without
having any substantial
drawbacks. Greenwashing
whereby a firm promotoes
environmental benefits that
are unsubstaintiated and on
which they do not delover.
Green guides are a focus on
qualifying claims so that it is
clear in what way the product
is environmentally friendly and
a crack down on third-party
certification and seals.
§ Caused related marketing (CRM)
is marketing that ties a
company and products to an
issue or cause with the goal of
improving sales or corporate
image while providing benefits
to the cause. Social marketing
promotes a benefit to the
world community without
sdvancing the profits or image
a commercial firm. Cause
related marketing attempts to
benefit a cause and to enhance
the image and sales of a
commercial firm. The
 foundation of CRM is
marketing to consumers value
and it can be very effective.
§ Consumer skepticism and apathy
remain a challenge. Skeptic
means doubt sincerity or
effectiveness of CRM. Balancer
is when they believe CRM but
generally does not act
accordingly. Attribution
oriented is when they concerned
about motives behind CRM. And
socially concerned is when they
driven by desire to help. CRM
result can be improved if
consumers see a fit between
the company and the cause.
§ It is important to emphasise
that gay consumers, like
heterosexuals, vary in terms of
ethnicity, geographic, region,
occupation, and age. The size
of the LGBTQ market is
estimated to be about 4
percent in US population. A
recent survey found that 82
percent of gay consumers are
more likely to buy from
companies they know are gay
friendly.
§ The product issue in marketing
towards LGBTQ customers are
the lifestyle of gay consumers
which do not differ
sufficiently from those of
other consumers to require
product modifications. In the
communication issues a large
and increasing number of
fortune 500 companies now
advertise in gay media. Gay
consumers tend to be more tech
savvy and more likely to search
online for information. Because
most product do not require
alteration for the gay market,
firms may decide to approach
the market by placing one of
their standard ads in gay-
oriented media. It has been
estimated that roughlt half of
the gay community rarely or
never read gay-oriented
publications and spend
considerable time using
standard media. The study
found that gays and
heterosexual equality liked the
mainstream ads. Using symbolic
gay icons appear to be an
effective tactics. Support of
gay community event such as
gay pride week is another
important avenue firms use in
approaching this market.
§ Gender based marketing:
changes in gender roles for
women have been dramatic,
with increased participation in
the workforce, increased
wealth and purchasing power,
and increased participation in
active lifestyle, to name just a
few. Sex and gender are use
interchangeably to refer to
whether a person is biologically
a male or a female. Gender
identity refers to the traits of
feminity (expressive traits such
as tenderness and compassion)
and masculinity (instrumental
traits such as agressiveness and
dominance). Gender roles are
the behaviours considered
appropriate for males and
females in a green society.
§ Ascribed role is based on an
attribute over which the
individual has little or no
control. Achievement role which
is based on performance,
criteria over which the
individual has some degree of
control. Traditional orientation
is when husband assumes the
responsibility for providing the
family and the wife rusn the
house and takes care of the
children. Modern orientation is
when husband and wife share
responsibilities.
§ The market segmentation on
this group of marketing target
are: traditional housewives
(usually they feels supported
by family and is generally
content with their role);
trapped housewife (has mixed
feeling about current status
and is concered about lost
opportunities); trapped working
(would prefer to stay at home
but works because of economic
necessity or social or family
pressure); career working
woman (views gome
maintenance as a necessary evil
and feel pressed). Modern men
are more focused on such
factors as fashion, shopping,
and cooking.
§ Males and females process and
respond differently to various
communication elements
including sexual appeals, music,
verbal style, and so forth.
Females respond more
favorably to a help-ithers type
of appeal for a charity whereas
males respond best to a self-
help appeal. Because women are
quite diverse as a group,
marketers also must consider,
such factors as ethnicity, age,
life stage, and employment
status differences when
designing marketing
communication. Being able to
have a vouce in the resulution
process is more important for
women than man.