Transcript Understanding Consumer Experiences with E

Consumer Experiences and
Market Resistance: An Extension of
Resistance Theories
Advances in Consumer Research
September 29, 2006, Orlando, FL
Angeline Close
University of Nevada Las Vegas
George M. Zinkhan
University of Georgia
Introducing “Market
Resistance”


U.S. consumers often
resist not just
promotional
messages, but entire
markets.
Consumers exude
behavioral resistance
from hesitance to
boycotts to an entire
market & it’s related
activities.
2
Resistance & the Marketplace

"I am NOT Drinking
Merlot!!!"
~Wine snob Miles before a
date



Merlot, the U.S. top selling
red wine had been rising
post-Sideways HH
purchases are down 3%
(vs the 12 week period in
04)
Suddenly, America's
favorite red wine is uncool
3
Resistance Defined
In the literature:




Avoidance of unpleasant
or dangerous feelings
(Perls et al. 1951)
Desire to counteract
someone else’s attempt to
limit one’s choices (Brehm
1996)
Non-compliance w/ a
directive (Newman 2002)
Feeling of ambivalence
about change (Arkowitz
2002)
Here, I present it as:
A behavioral
opposition to
stereotyped statusquo behaviors and
rituals
4
Importance of Resistance
Research




Marketing scholars often focus on enhancing
persuasion or communication
Why not also focus more on decreasing
consumer resistance?
Yet to develop an integrated theoretical
perspective of resistance of the marketplace and
its offerings impacts consumer behavior
(Forunier 1998)
Focus on the consumer characteristics that may
contribute to market resistance
5
Objectives




To introduce a definition of market
resistance
To understand and explain consumer
experiences that are associated with
resistance to a market and its related events
To show what consumers are moving
towards via their acts of resistance
To expand resistance theory (i.e., to the
context of a retail holiday promotion)
6
Building Resistance Theory


a)
b)
c)
Past work (e.g., Petty et al.) resistance to a
message or a persuasive attack
New Perspective: resistance to a series of
holiday messages, promotions, marketplace
activities & consumers’ built-up associations:
Affective (e.g., “I hate Valentine’s Day!”)
Cognitive (e.g., “I don’t believe it’s a real
holiday!”)
Behavioral (e.g., “I won’t buy the lovey-dovey
stuff!”)
7
Exemplary Context: Resistance in
the Valentine’s Holiday Market
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Established sociocultural “norms”
Distinct consumer rituals
Latent cultural tension: corporate
objectives & promotions, consumer
culture, consumers’ private intimate
space, P2P relationships
Economic Significance $13 Billion ’05
Some insights generalizable to other
event marketing or “staged events”
8
Contextual Literature Review
Gift Exchange (in Romantic Relationships)
Roles & Meanings are context & occasion bound &
relationship dependent (Huang & Yu 2000; Belk &
Coon 1993)
 Pure Gifts, Altruism & Obligation
(Arnould, Price & Zinkhan 2004; Polonsky et al. 2000;
Otnes, Ruth & Milbourne 1994)
 Planned Purchases & Procrastination
(Netemeyer, Andrews & Durvasula 1993)

9
Multiple Methods
Employed (‘00-05)
Inductive Theory (Building) Approach via:
1. Consumer Survey
2. Consumer Diaries
3. Consumer Group Interviews
4. Internet Diaries & Postings
5. Retail/E-tail Managerial Interviews
6. Retail/E-tail Observations
10
Method
Sample
Focus
-Corporate Marketing & Retail Executives
-Managers of Retail Establishments
-Individual & Chain Stores
-National Sample
In-store aspects, targeting, positioning,
pricing & promotional strategy
-In store/virtual store
-Retail Employees & Shoppers
-Valentine’s Gift Givers
-Males & Females
-Various Ages
-Various Relationship Statuses
Interaction with various managers,
employees, & shoppers on the week
of & on Valentine’s Days
& observatory field notes
[S]
(n=198)
-College students
-Males & Females
-Age 18-28
-Currently in a romantic relationship
Gift expectations, purchase motivations,
timing, actual purchase behavior,
comfort level & spending level,
open-ended comments
Consumer
Diaries
-Males & Females
-Ages 18-47
-Various Relationship Statuses
Cultural rituals, gender roles,
enjoyment factor, marketing & retail
associations,
comparison to other holidays
-Posters to online diaries & boards
-Males & Females
-Various ages
-Various relationship status
Naturalistic consumer thought
-College students
-Females
-Age 18-22
-Currently in a romantic relationship
Rituals, meanings, traditions,
purchases, meanings behind
purchases & us-gifts
Managerial
Interviews
[R]*
(n=18)
Observations/
Fieldwork
[O]
(n=41)
Survey
[D]
(n=149)
Online/
e- Diaries***
[E]
(n=47)
Group
Interviews
[G]
(n=6)
Consumer Characteristics
Unfulfilled
Expectations*
-Childhood Egalitarian Expectations
-Holiday Heroines
-Confusion about Expectations
Exclusion*
- Invitation Only
-A Couples’ Holiday
-Self or Externally Imposed
Materialism & Terminal Gift Syndrome
-Sake of Gift Ritual
-Deeper Meanings of Gift Exchange
Obligations
-Romantic, Familial, & Friendly
-Gender Based
-Obligatory Spending
Role Exhaustion
-Gender Roles
-Multiple Roles
Market Resistance
-Avoidance
-Reactance
-Non-Compliance with Directive
Low Need Perception*
-For Holiday in General
-For Specified Day to Exhibit Love
Marketing Communication Environment
Message Timing & Overflow
-Holiday Creep
-Message Overflow
Commercialization of Intimacy
-Tainted Love
-Holiday Hype
Consumer Creation
- New Traditions
- New Meanings
-New Rituals
-New Trends
Corporate Ownership
-Blaming Marketers & Retailers
-Holiday Ownership
Tradition vs. Technology
-Nostalgia & the Digitization of Tradition
-E-Communities & E-CMC
12
Consumer Level Focus
Environments
Marketing
Communication
Cultural
Social
Economic
Unfulfilled
Expectations
Exclusion
Materialism
Obligations
Role Exhaustion
Non-Belief
Market
Resistance
Consumer
Creation
Facilitating Condition 1
Shattered Expectations





Consumers in new relationship
Females (i.e., “heroines of the holiday)
Gifts, dates, sex & intimacy
Confused about partner’s expectations
Childhood egalitarian expectations
“I think it's up to the individual and if she or he
doesn't like it then let them hate life.” [M]
14
Facilitating Condition 2
Perceived Exclusion
Portrayal as “couples’ holiday” excludes many
 Casual daters, Non-traditional relationships
 Geographically separated loved ones
 Suggested Promotion Strategies:
“Target singles or those who do not like Valentine's
Day in ways to promote self-esteem or recognition of
individualism” [F]

“Make it Singles’ Awareness Day.” [M]
“Create anti-Valentine's day cards or special rewards
for singles (coupons, discounts, etc.).” [M]
15
Perceived Exclusion
“Well it's been almost 2 months since Christmas, & us
single folks are finally recovering from the
psychological damage making it through the holiday
season does to us. So as I am almost fully recuperated
myself, I would like to extend a warm thanks to
Hallmark, the official sponsor of Valentine’s Day, for
reminding me that without a significant other, how truly
worthless my life is.… In my defense, who wants to
celebrate a holiday whose initials are VD anyway? ”
[F, E, 2-14-04]
16
Facilitating Condition 3
Terminal Gift Exchange

Gift Exchange just for the sake of it; devoid of
meaning
“Valentine’s Day is far too materialistically-driven.” [F]
“I think the focus needs to be spending time togethernot money on each other!” [F]
17
Terminal Gift Exchange
Theory in Action
18
Facilitating Condition 4
Perceived Obligations



Gift purchases (often lavish)
Gift(s) unnecessary to continue (LTR)
Relationship investing (STR)
Obligatory spending
“It is a cheesy, overblown, stupid holiday to force you
to spend your money on each other.” [F]

“No! It's a big fake day. It makes you do things
even if you don't want to.” [M]
19
Facilitating Condition 5
Role Exhaustion
“It’s time to show not only love
for my spouse but respect and
admiration for her role as wife,
homemaker and mother.” [M]
Governed by gender roles
“The male is the wooer.The
female is to be wooed.” [F, D]

Heroines of the Holiday
“Marketing prepares us to be
pampered.” [F, G]

20
Facilitating Condition 6
Need Perception
Love should not be “reserved” for this day
 Society interprets it Incorrectly
 Celebrated in the private Sphere
 Marketers abuse “vulnerable” consumers
“Valentine’s Day is a spiteful marketing technique
designed to take advantage of people in love!” [M]

“Push a "do a little something for yourself"
campaign- quit marketing to people in love!” [F]
21
Need Perception
Time Constraints

Hate the constraint, not the concept
“I think it’s a day that forces feelings we should exhibit
everyday. In theory, it’s fine but we should act like this on a
random Tuesday in November instead of just one day. Plus
I hate the whole marketing of gifts & guilt thrown on this
one day.” [M, S]
“I think if you love someone, you don't need a special day
to show it. Every day is suitable for this.” [M, E, 2-15-00]
“I hate this day, b/c there are so many people who
interpret it in a wrong way. If we love someone we'll always22
love forever & ever. No matter what day it is.” [M, E, 2-0600]
Findings in line with
Resistance Theory





(Consumers) will actively counteract (marketers)
attempts to limit choices (Brehm 1996)
(Consumers) will not be likely to comply w/
specific or prescribed behaviors
A motivation to oppose (retailer) suggestions
sparks others to be “non-participators”
Some persuade others to be “non-participants”
There are different levels of resistance, each
needing their own study and definition
23
Theoretical
Domain
Contribution
Definitions Proposing Here
Change-oriented process following
Resistance stereotyped sequences of status quo
behaviors (e.g., holiday activities)
Resistance
Theory
Psychology,
Mass-Com,
Sociology:
(e.g.,
McGuire 1964,
Brehm 1996,
Newman 2002,
Petty et al. 2004)
Consumer opposition to traditions in
the marketplace, with the purpose of
creating new behaviors
Market
Resistance* (e.g., hesitates to participate in market
activities, does not participate, actively
boycotts an entire market)
Shopper hesitates to visit, avoids, &/or
Retail
encourages others to avoid specific
Resistance
retailers related to the market
Gift
Resistance
Consumer sets price limits to gift
exchanges, does not give gifts at all, &
/or encourages others not to engage in
gift exchange
Implications
For Consumers:
Remember key meanings (i.e., love) behind
purchases
 Include “excluded” segments (e.g., w/ singles’ gift
registries, singles events, e-dating sites)
Consumer creation via acts of Voluntary Simplicity
Create new traditions with new meanings during
market “staged” events
25
Next Steps




Consumer-level facilitators are just one
component of the integrated theoretical
perspective.
Work needed on the marketing
communication-level facilitators
Work needed on the socio-cultural
facilitators
Work needed on degrees of resistance of
the marketplace
26
Shopper Characteristics
-Unfulfilled Expectations
-Perceived Exclusion
-Lack of Perceived Meaning
-Perceived Obligations
-Role Exhaustion
-Non-Belief
-Values
Communication Environment
-Information Overload
-Corporate “Ownership”
-Marketers’ Misinterpretation
-Technology Glitches
Market Resistance
-Passive Resistance
-Active Resistance*
Socio-Cultural Environment
-Reference Group
-Gender Roles
-Individualistic Culture
1. Hesitation
-Shopping
Procrastination
-Purposeful Delay
-Voluntary
Simplicity
2. Restriction
-Price Ceilings
-Self Gifts
-Retail Resistance
- Gift Resistance
3.Non-Participation
-Non-Recognition
-Non-Searching
-Non-Browsing
-Non-Shopping
-Non-Buying
4. Activism*
- WOM(-)
-Resistance ecommunities
-Mobilization
-Demobilization
RESERVE SLIDES
28
Unfulfilled
Expectations
+
Perceived
Exclusion
+
Terminal Gift
Exchange
+
Perceived
Obligations
+
Role Exhaustion
+
Holiday
Non-Belief
+
Shopping
Procrastination
Market Resistance*
+
++
+
+
++
Retailers’ Holiday
“Ownership”
New Technology to
Old Tradition
-
-
+
Message Overflow
OverCommercialization
Shoppers’ Heightened
Opportunities
(Holiday Excitement)
+ +
Price Sensitivity/
Self-Imposed Ceilings
-
+
Self
Gift Giving
Retail/E-tail
Activity
Facilitating Conditions:
Communication Environment
Message
Overflow
OverCommercialization
Corporate
Holiday
“Ownership”
New Technology
to Old Tradition
Retail Outcomes
Selected Predictor
+
+
+
+
Market
Resistance
-
Retail/E-tail
Activity
-Searching
-Browsing
-Shopping
-Buying
-Positive
WOM
Focused Research Stream:
Marketplace Activities & IT
Study 1:
The Evolution of Technology
& Consumer Dating Behaviors
Study 2:
e-Dating:
A Social Exchange Theory Perspective
Study 3:
A Holiday Loved & Loathed:
Consumer Rituals for Valentine’s Day
Study 4:
A Retail & e-tail Perspective
of Valentine’s Day Activities
Today’s Focus:
Study 5*
Market Resistance
Building Theory
(Resistance to
Marketplace
Activities)
31
Multi-Method Data Analysis






Survey data- correlations, cross tabs
Qualitative data-iterative analysis via RQs &
extant themes
Axial, open, & selective coding
Reveal emergent patterns & themes (Wolcott
1990)
Focus on themes of retail importance or theory
advancement
Use suggested approaches (Spiggle 1994) to
increase validity & reliability
32