Trends in Consumer Behavior

Goal: To explore a current trend in consumer behavior through secondary scholarly research and current social trends marketing research (e.g., trade journals, Mintel consumer research reports).

Format: Word document, double-spaced. Length: 5-7 pages.  Appendix with tables and graphs. Be sure to include at least 5 citations that provide the background research for your paper.

PICK ONE OF THE TOPICS BELOW

Five Possible topics:

Packaging Design and Perception

Assume that you are a consultant for a marketer who wants to design a package for a new premium chocolate bar targeted to an affluent market. Investigate the latest trends in packaging of consumer goods, especially impulse purchases. Discuss you research findings and provide packaging recommendations for color, symbolism, size, and graphic design elements.  Show (you will not be judged on your graphic design abilities) your final recommendations.

 Nostalgia, Memory and its Impact on Consumption

Even food can facilitate recall: One study looked at how favorite recipes stimulate memories of the past. When the researchers asked informants to list three of their favorite recipes and to talk about these choices, they found that people tended to link them with memories of past events, such as childhood memories, family holidays, milestone events (such as dishes they only make on special holidays, like corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day), heir-looms (recipes handed down across generations), and the passing of time (e.g., only eating blueberry cobbler in the summer). Indeed, one of the most famous literary references is from the classic (3,000-page!) novel Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. The narrator dips a pastry (a “madeleine”) into his tea, and this action unleashes a flood of memories that drive the rest of the book. Based on your research discuss the effect of memory and nostalgic feelings on consumption behavior. Provide examples and examine differences among generations.  

 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – Obsolete?

A group of psychologists argued that we need to revise Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. They propose we should delete “self-actualization” from the pinnacle and replace it with “parenting.” Right below this peak, they added “mate retention” and “mate acquisition.” They claim that too many people see Maslow’s triangle as “aspirational”—a description of what fulfilled individuals “should” do—rather than as an explanation of how human motivation actually works. Their perspective is evolutionary; if the only purpose of art, music, and literature is self-fulfillment, how does that contribute to the survival of the species? One of the proponents of this view observes, “If you are a good poet or a good musician, there is a reproductive payoff: women are attracted to men with these abilities. What a man is saying when he is playing his guitar up there is ‘look at my good genes.’” Research the latest thinking on motivation and how it impacts our consumption behavior. Answer the question: do our motivations to buy, have, and be ultimately come down to survival of our gene pool?

Male Sex Concept and Identity

 One consequence of the continual evolution of sex roles is that men are concerned as never before with their appearance. Men spend $7.7 billion on grooming products globally each year. A wave of male cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, depilatories, and body sprays has washed up on U.S. shores, largely from European marketers. L’Oréal Paris reports that men’s skincare products are now its fastest-growing sector. In Europe, 24 percent of men younger than age 30 use skincare products—and 80 percent of young Korean men do. Even some cosmetics products, like foundation and eyeliner, are catching on in some segments, though men aren’t comfortable owning up to using them. In fact, a British makeup product looks like a ballpoint pen so men can apply it secretly at the office. Over the past decade, the media paid a lot of attention to so-called “metrosexuals”: straight males who are interested in fashion, home design, gourmet cooking, and personal care products. Research the latest findings in male self-concept and the need (on the part of males) to change the way they look through cosmetic products. What is the motivation? How is the practice accepted and do men feel “better” with the use of these products?  How should marketers change how they think of male sex roles today based on your findings?

Social Media and the Future of Privacy

 Facebook data has been illegally used to develop consumer profiles that can help organizations to tailor messages that will appeal to them. Do improper uses of data as well as data breaches that make us vulnerable to hackers merit additional regulation of social media by government agencies (that might themselves make use of these data for “security” purposes)? What is the proper tradeoff between freedom of information and consumers’ privacy? Research and discuss the latest regulatory and social changes as they relate to the consumer and data privacy. Project what the future holds in terms of consumer expectations and the impact on marketing strategy.