Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Solomon Consumer Behavior ch16
Solomon Consumer Behavior ch16
Chapter 16
Understanding Culture
Culture = societys personality
The accumulation of shared meanings, rituals, norms, and traditions among members Discussion: If your culture were a person, how would you describe its personality traits?
16-4
Discussion
When you go out on a first date, identify the set of crescive norms that are operating
Describe specific behaviors each person performs that make it clear he or she is on a first date What products and services are affected by these norms?
16-6
LUCKYSURF.COM
16-7
Myths
A story containing symbolic elements that represent the shared emotions/ideals of a culture
Conflict between opposing forces Outcome serves as moral guide for people Reduces anxiety
Myths (Contd)
Marketers often pattern messages along a mythic structure
McDonalds golden arches, Ronald McDonald vs. the Hamburglar, and Hamburger University
Myths/legends of corporations
Nike: corporate storytellers
16-9
Rituals
Sets of multiple, symbolic behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence and that tend to be repeated periodically Many consumer activities are ritualistic
Trips to Starbucks Pulling the perfect pint of Guinness
Rituals (Contd)
Many businesses supply ritual artifacts to consumers
Wedding rice, birthday candles, diplomas, etc. Online gift registries
Grooming Rituals
Virtually all consumers have private grooming rituals
Sequences of behaviors that aid transition from private to public self (or back again) Inspires confidence, cleanses body of dirt Before-and-after phenomenon
16-15
Gift-Giving Rituals
Consumers procure the perfect object, meticulously remove price tag, carefully wrap it, then deliver it to recipient
Store-bought objects, homemade items, or services
16-16
Presentation Reformulation
Appropriateness of gift and reciprocity norm
16-17
Self-gifts
Socially acceptable way to reward ourselves Discussion: Have you ever given yourself a gift?
If so, why did you do it and how did you decide what to get?
16-18
Holiday Rituals
Most holidays are based on a myth with a character at center of story
Consumers perform ritualistic behaviors unique to those occasions to appeal to their deep-seated needs Ritual artifacts and scripts
Marketers find ways to encourage gift giving Businesses invent new occasions to capitalize on need for cards/ritual artifacts
Secretaries Day and Grandparents Day
Christmas
Myths/rituals: Santas adventures and mistletoe Began as a publicly rowdy celebration Santa = champion of materialism
Appears in stores and shopping malls Socializes children to expect a reward when they are good (we get what we deserve)
Discussion: Christmas has become just another opportunity to exchange gifts and stimulate the economy. Do you agree? Why or why not?
16-20
Halloween
Its rituals are unusual
Primarily involves nonfamily members Celebrates evil and death Encourages threats of tricks for treats
Rites of Passage
Special times marked by a change in social status
Every society sets aside times at which such changes occur
Puberty, death, divorce, dating, bar/bat mitzvah
Three phases:
Separation Liminality Aggregation
Discussion
Describe the three stages of the rite of passage associated with graduating from college Fraternity hazing is just a natural rite of passage that should not be prohibited by universities. Do you agree?
16-23
Sacred events
Public events Sports Tourism (at home vs. away)
Souvenirs
Local products, pictorial images, piece of the rock, literal representations of the site, markers
16-25
Desacralization
When a sacred item/symbol is removed from its special place or is duplicated in mass quantities (becomes profane)
Souvenir reproductions
Sacralization
When ordinary objects, events, and people take on sacred meaning
Super Bowl, Elvis Presley, Dallas Cowboys