SHAF2103
CONUSMER BEHAVIOR
CHAPETER 10: REFERENCE
GROUPS & FAMILY INFLUENCES
SOCIALIZATION OF FAMILY
MEMBERS
Prepared by: Nurul Tasneem Binti D.M. Premnajeeb
Matrix No: SX142736HAFF04
01 JUNE 2015
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1. Definition:
Socialization of Family Members
Family would generally be defined
as a group of two or more people related in many ways. Either via matrimonial,
biological or adoption and are residing together.
Households are a key importance
when it comes to a family, whereby the people residing in the same house and
consuming food from a common kitchen at least once a day.
This process includes imparting to
their children the basic principles and methods of behavior consistent with the
ethnicity, which generally are moral and religious principles, interpersonal
skills, dress and grooming standards. Also included are, appropriate etiquettes
and speech and the selection of suitable learning and profession goals.
2 2. How
Family Members influence each other
A family consists of Parents,
Siblings, Spouse, Grandparents and Relatives.
Therefore, what ever and individual imbibes from his/her family becomes
a culture towards them individually. In other words, what he/she witnesses (good
or bad) during her childhood up to adulthood, would turn into a habit or a lifestyle.
This proves to us, that family is
by far the most important influential group and thus, the most basic
consumption unit for most consumer goods and services.
2 3. Functions
of Family
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Case
Study: How do family members influence and purchasing power meet
Ever wondered why we always end up
having the same items and use the same service providers, same brands etc.
within our family circle? Ever walked into your parents home, aunt’s homes and
even cousins homes and mention “hey! I too use the same”?
I have come to realize that this
factor is very common in my family. And not only amongst my parents, my
siblings and me, but also amongst my aunties and cousins.
Therefore I dug a little deeper and
did a full on research on this case study. Why do we all have the same goods
and use the same services? Co-incidence? I think not. And I have proven myself
to be utterly true on my hypothesis.
During my research, I came to
realize that Women have THE purchasing power in all households compared to the
breadwinners, Men. Thus, not being a sexist, men too, have the upper hand on
purchasing power. However, men are more into home appliances example, which
television set is better, or which car drives further.
Women on the other hand, we have a
wide range of purchasing power. Household goods, service providers, clothes
wear, children activities enrolment, shoes, electrical appliances, linens,
towels, personal hygiene brands, wall paint colors, and the list goes on. Call
me crazy, but majority of women also decided on men’s underclothing brands.
Need not to agree with me, as I am pretty sure the fat lady in the room is
laughing.
Back to my research, and proving
that women has the higher influence and purchasing power decision making, I
shall walk you through on a very small sub category of goods purchased by woman
to prove that family is the
key influence in purchasing decisions worldwide.
How you may ask? Let me walk you
through what I have experienced first handedly after I got married.
As newlyweds, my husband and I
(more like I) stocked up our household goods from food brands, to plate wear,
even to linens and dishwashing detergents and surprisingly even up to
electronic gadgets and service providers which were all identical as my mothers
collections etc. As we walked the isles of the grocery store especially,
everything I touched or chose or even looked at, all reasons were “because
mommy uses it” or “found it! Just like mom’s”.
There are moments when my husband and I would bicker in the isle for a certain brand that he picked and he used the same sentence as me. “Mak uses this. We should too” or “This is what Mak has been using and it works”. But I came to realize that I always won weather to choose my mom’s loyal brands vs his mom’s loyal brands. And the women win. Don’t get me wrong, most men who are reading this would jump in and say, “Oh, your husband is being nice and letting you win.”
No! The fact here proves indeed that we, (Point1) women have the purchasing power in decision-making. Now, why do I end up picking the exact same things my mother own? It is due to brand loyalty. As my facts above: what ever and individual imbibes from his/her family becomes a culture towards them individually. In other words, what he/she witnesses (good or bad) during her childhood up to adulthood, would turn into a habit or a lifestyle.
I’m pretty sure I just managed to
switch on many light bulbs after coming to realize that yes it does indeed
happen in our everyday lives. So how does this affect the consumer
behavior? Every household, from their
mothers, to their sisters, to their cousins would all be using the same
familiar things they were brought up with. In other words we could break it
down to brand loyalty.
In proving my research correct, I
took the liberty to head out to my mother’s sister’s home, my cousins from my mother’s
side even my own elder sister. And yes!! We ALL do own the same food brands
(Heinz, Mc Cormick, Bertolli,Naturel, San Remo) the same plates (Corelle, Pyrex,
Luminarc, Vision) up to the same electrical goods brand which we only trust
Kenwood & Kitchen-Aid.
I then gathered all these ladies in
my life and asked them one simple question. Why did you choose these brands
instead of trying something new? And all of them turned to their respective
mothers and said, (Point 2) “Cause
mom uses it and that’s all I know off”. And the multi million dollar question
was to the mom’s and they pointed at my grandmother who is aged 84 years old,
who also added that her mother (my great grandmother) influenced her in her
buying decision and purchasing decision too.
With this theory, I can proudly say that Heinz,
Mc Cromick, Luminarc and Kenwood and more
has been serving us, more than three generations with their goods and we have ever been loyal to them. And it will carry on up till to my children and grand children and so on (unless we are jinxed with all son’s in our generation)
has been serving us, more than three generations with their goods and we have ever been loyal to them. And it will carry on up till to my children and grand children and so on (unless we are jinxed with all son’s in our generation)
Intergenerational Socialization:
Quite common for certain product loyalties or brand preferences to be
transferred from one generation to another
– Intergenerational brand transfer - maybe for even three or four generations
within the same family.
With this, I rest my case and urge
each and every one of you who HAS the purchasing power to look and see all the
familiar items in your house and link them to someone close to you in your
family.
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References
1.
Consumer
Behavior (ninth edition) by Leon G. Schiffman & Leslie Lazar Kanuk –
Pearson
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