consumer research essay

CONSUMER RESEARCHCONSUMER RESEARCH

Seminar Week 1 Seminar Week 1

Module Leader :Amanda EarleySeminar Tutor : Hidayet KislaliE-Mail : hk142@le.ac.uk

Today’s AgendaToday’s AgendaIntroductionEssay QuestionsThree PerspectivesDiscussionsSummary

Essay Guidelines, pt. 1Essay Guidelines, pt. 1Imagine you are a consumer researcher.

Explain how 2 of the 3 perspectives on consumption could be used to study one of the following broad consumption contexts: -Food-Media (television, film)-Fashion-Art-Sport-Home décor-Advertising (from consumer perspective)Then briefly explain a more specific context, and how you would study it

Essay Guidelines, pt. 2Essay Guidelines, pt. 2

Examples: -a study of consumer perceptions of ads on

YouTube and Facebook-studies of how people consume their favourite

team’s brand (e.g. Arsenal fans’ encounters with branded merchandise)

-gendered ideologies in romantic comedies-subcultures of consumption around a fashion

brand like Vivienne Westwood-how people “consume” a particular art

gallery, or art museums more generally -the growing concern with refined design in

the home

Essay Guidelines, pt. 3Essay Guidelines, pt. 3Structure of Essay: I. Explain first perspective on consumption

(900 words)II. Explain second perspective on consumption

(900 words)III. Compare the two perspectives in the broad

context (500 words)IV. Propose how you would study a specific

context (700 words)Last but not least: Have Fun!!!

FOR THE PERSPECTIVES YOU USELook at past work in the research tradition on the GENERAL CONTEXT.

COMPARE PAST WORK from the two perspectives.

Then formulate a MORE SPECIFIC research question, and describe how you would use one (1) perspective to study it

IF LOSTConsider the LEVEL OF ANALYSIS of the studies you are looking at. Is it at the level of the individual? Of culture? Of the market? That tells you what perspective the researcher is from.

ALTERNATIVELY: Check the literature review and look into the researcher’s background, to determine which perspective it falls under.

THE ‘GENERAL’ CONTEXTFor the two perspectives, you will start by looking at a GENERAL context (such as food or fashion) because there is rarely a lot of research on a specific topic (e.g. punk fashion).

THE ‘SPECIFIC’ RESEARCH QUESTIONAfter becoming familiar with the research in these traditions, you will soon understand what a good ‘research question’ looks like in each field. For example, after reading numerous studies of fashion from psychological and cultural perspectives, you will see what a ‘good study’ in each perspective looks like.

Figuring this out is part of the assignment! But never fear, your GTAs will help guide you here.

RECAPRECAP THE PERSPECTIVES THE PERSPECTIVES

The Method of Consumer The Method of Consumer ResearchResearch3 Key Perspectives3 Key PerspectivesI. The Classical (Cognitive) Perspective

‘Consumer Behaviour’II. The Cultural Perspective

‘Consumer Culture Theory’III. The Political/Systemic Perspective

‘Market System Dynamics’

Which lectures go with which perspective?

Consult the module outline.

Perspective 1:Perspective 1: The Classical Perspective ‘Consumer Behaviour’

Perspective 1:Consumer Perspective 1:Consumer BehaviourBehaviourLevel of Analysis:

‘The Consumer’ Or ‘The Individual’

Perspective 1: Consumer Perspective 1: Consumer BehaviourBehaviourCentral QuestionsI.How do consumers make

decisions about what to buy?II.How can marketers aid and/or

influence these decisions?III.What surrounding factors

influence choice?IV.How has technology changed

consumer decision-making?

Perspective 1: Consumer Perspective 1: Consumer BehaviourBehaviourKey Concepts:I.BuyingII.Decision-makingIII.EvaluationIV.Information seeking, searchV.CommunicationVI.InfluenceVII.AttitudesVIII.Behaviour

Perspective 1: Consumer Perspective 1: Consumer BehaviourBehaviourTheoretical Bases:I. PSYCHOLOGY!

I. BehaviourismII.Cognitive psychologyIII.Economic psychologyIV.PsychoanalysisV.Social psychologyVI.Clinical psychology

II.Basically just psychology… III.Aaand… communication studies. As it

relates to psychology

Perspective 2:Perspective 2:

The Cultural Perspective ‘Consumer Culture Theory’

Perspective 2: Consumer Perspective 2: Consumer Culture TheoryCulture Theory

Level of Analysis : ‘CULTURE’

Perspective 2: Consumer Perspective 2: Consumer Culture Theory Culture Theory Central QuestionsI. How do social groupings such as culture

structure consumption?II. How does this inform the ways in which

consumers see the world and themselves?III. In what ways does the market and

consumption mediate cultural practices? IV. How do marketers create, co-opt, and

otherwise work with cultural meaning?V. How do consumers communicate aspects

of themselves to others?VI. How has technology changed these

communities?

Perspective 2: Consumer Perspective 2: Consumer Culture TheoryCulture TheoryKey Concepts:I. CultureII. SubcultureIII.CommunityIV.TribesV. Online community

Perspective 2: Consumer Perspective 2: Consumer Culture TheoryCulture TheoryTheoretical Bases:I. AnthropologyII. SociologyIII.Cultural studiesIV.Literary studies, media studies, film

studiesV. Cultural/social theory and philosophyVI.Poetry and literary representationVII.Psychology and psychoanalysis

Perspective 3:Perspective 3:

The Political/Systemic Perspective ‘Market System Dynamics’

Perspective 3: Market System Perspective 3: Market System DynamicsDynamics Level of Analysis:

‘THE MARKET’

Perspective 3: Market System Perspective 3: Market System DynamicsDynamicsCentral Questions

I. How do markets shape consumption?

II. How do consumers and market actors influence each other?

III.How are consumption and work/production related?

IV.How do technological developments affect these market and power structures?

Perspective 3: Market System Perspective 3: Market System DynamicsDynamicsKey Concepts:

I. The marketII. The network (and the actor)III.PowerIV.ValueV. ExchangeVI.FlowsVII.Benefit

Perspective 3: Market System Perspective 3: Market System DynamicsDynamicsTheoretical Bases:

I. SociologyII. Political philosophyIII.Political scienceIV.Historical methods

SummarySummary Assignment Three perspectives :I. The Classical (Cognitive) Perspective ‘Consumer

Behaviour’II. The Cultural Perspective ‘Consumer Culture

Theory’

III.The Political/Systemic Perspective ‘Market System Dynamics’

Any Questions ?Any Questions ?

Group WorkGroup WorkGroup 1: Consumer Behaviour- Consumer Culture Theory

Group2: Consumer Behaviour-Market System Dynamics

Group 3 : Consumer Culture Theory-Market System Dynamics

Group WorkGroup WorkFashion

How 2 Perspectives analyse Fashion?What kinds of differences you expect?If possible, try to come up with specific research questions?

Please Introduce Yourself Please Introduce Yourself your namewhat interests you about consumer research? or What are you thinking of doing your final project on?)

Some Thoughts???Some Thoughts???What do you think about possessions and the extended self?

Do you believe we express ourselves through what we have?