Consumer involvement and values...

During Friday’s lecture we talked about many topics. One of them is consumer involvement, especially our buying habits. Solomon’s (2006) claims that involvement is: a person’s perceived relevance of the object based on their inherent needs, values and interests. Once again we invoked to Buyer Decision Process which seem to be the most important theory our studies.

We got to know that there are two basic types of product: low and high involvement. The best example for high involvement product is a house because it takes a lot of time to make a decision of a purchase, it is really irregular purchase, which can emphasise social status and decision is very stressful. In opposite to that are low involvement products such as milk. Brand, price and quality are usually not as important as when we buy a house. Decision is made in a few seconds.

Laurent & Kapferer (1985) claim that a consumer’s level of involvement will be affected by four components:

1. importance and risks

• Finance
• Time
• Performance
• Ego
• Physical
• Social

2. probability of making a bad purchase

3. pleasure value of product category

4. sign value of product category (symbolism)

We have done a very useful exercise. Our aim was to prove that one product might be high and low involvement at the same time. I think that the best example of such product is underwear. We have done a FTPEPS analysis for that product (considering the likely level of involvement of 21 year old and 46 year old). Young women does not have any problems with choosing underwear for herself (so it becomes low involvement product), but when her boyfriend wants to do the same, it is a huge challenge for him (high involvement). The same situation is with age. Older lady is not as impulsive as young girl, so it may take a lot of time to make a decision, because she needs to take into consideration aspects such as: price, comfort and quality. When we are going to decide what is the level of involvement related to a product, we should ask questions:

• who is going to buy a product?

• how old is he/she?

• what is his/her gender?

• what is the price?

Values

Quoting Solomon’s (2006) value can be defined as a belief about some desirable end-state that transcends specific situations and guides selection of behaviour. As it is said in Chapter 4 of his book. Our value systems depend on our nationality. These are different in America, Europe, Asia etc. For exaple: value of sense of belonging is very important for people from Germany and Norway, less for Americans.

Basic values for most people all around the world are (according to Kahles, 1983):

1. Self Respect

2. Excitement

3. Being Well Respected

4. Self-fulfilment

5. Sense of accomplishment

6. Warm relationship with others

7. Security

8. Fun & enjoyment

9. Sense of belonging

During our lecture small poll has been made. Results was surprising for me. British students answered for the question “Which value is most important for you?” in a completely different way than Polish students. Safety and sense of belonging is the most important for us, but they answered “fun and enjoyment”. Ruth suggested that it might be a result of difficult polish history (wars, communism etc.) that we want to feel safe. I mostly agree with this because the memory of that events is still in our minds.

Time Line

What is also surprising, our value system is usually determined by our family, country traditions and past. Everyone of us is able to indicate a few events which were very important for us and as a consequence had a big impact on our life. I decided to create my own TimeLine. First one is related to world’s events which could (and most probably did) have determined my life, second one is my personal list of important events.

World’s events (since 1989):

1989 - Berlin’s wall falling

1989 – first democratic voting in Poland

1990 – Lech Wałęsa become a president of independent Poland

1990 – Gulf War (between Iraq and USA)

1990 – Nelson Mandela imprisoned

1992 – USSR falling

1992 - Treaty on European Union signed in Maastricht

1999 – Poland in NATO

2001 – George W. Bush become a president of USA

2001 – WTC attacks

2003 – beginning of war in Iraq

2004-2005 - London and Madrid attacks

2007 - Poland in Schengen (European border disappeared for us)

2008 – War in Georgia

2009 – Barack Obama become a president of USA

My own list (since 1989):

1989 - I was born :)

1991 – accident when I almost died

1995 – my sister’s birth

2001 – government election’s in Poland (my father’s started to work in politics)

2003 – loosing 30 kilos

2005 – Junior High School graduation

2007 – first holiday work

2007 – 18^th birthday

2008 – passing my driving license exam

2008 – High School Graduation

2008 – Matura Exams

2008 – Becoming a student of Bucks

Reflection on Harvard Project test

There were also another interesting part of our lectures. We had to do a test called Harvard Project test. After entering the https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ website we could choose a test bound up with gender, race, nationality, religion, etc. I have chosen the one about race. I was curious if I am a racist or not. My result: “ weak automatic preference for whites in comparison with blacks.”. It was a surprise for me because I know my convictions. I have never thought that one race is better then another. I suppose that that result may be affected by my race. I am white so my preferences are automatically directed towards whites.

Reflection on VALS test

Another test which we have done is called VALS. It shows our approach to life. Possible results are shown at the picture:

My results:

Your primary VALS type is Experiencer, and your secondary type is Striver.
The primary VALS type represents your dominant approach to life. The secondary classification represents a particular emphasis you give to your dominant approach.

I don’t know how it is possible but majority of test which I have done are close to the truth. I know that I am a person who loves new challenges I agree with an opinion that experience is a key thing to understand the world around us. I need to try something before saying that I like or don’t like it.