Chapter 15
Household and Family Influences
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Chapter Spotlights
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The household consumption unit
Family lifecycle influences
Roles of family members
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
The Household Consumption
Unit
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The changing face of the family as an
institution.
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Is there a “typical” family today?
Regardless of its structure, the family remains
the single most significant and enduring
influence on consumer behavior
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The family is one of the key forces of socialization
and individual personality development
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Types of Families
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The “consanguine family” or “family of
orientation” refers to the family into
which we are born or adopted.
The “conjugal family” or “family of
procreation” refers to the family formed
by marriage
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Composition of Households
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Household – any group of individuals living in
a dwelling, no matter what the relationships
are among them (U.S. Census Bureau)
Changing household demographics (trends)
influence consumption patterns:
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Lower birth rates have led to smaller families
People are marrying later or are not marrying at
all
High first marriage and even higher second
marriage divorce rates
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Economic Impact on
Households
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Two-income families
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In 1999, 65 million women were in the
work force
Career women and just-a-job women
Single women heading families
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In 1998, 13 million single-parent families in
the US headed by women (14% of white
families, 24% of Latino, 42% of AfricanAmerican)
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Gender Role Impact
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Is there a blurring of gender roles
(androgyny) in today’s society?
Gender roles are those acted out by a person
regardless of their biological gender.
In reality, gender roles have been slow to
change.
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Women are still expected to perform tasks
traditionally associated with them: housework,
child-rearing, etc.
Men still spend 15 hours more per week on leisure
activities than their wives.
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Family and Household
Consumption Patterns
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What kinds of benefits are sought and hence
products/services purchased and consumed
by what types of families and households?
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It depends on such factors as:
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Family lifecycle position
Reference group
Social class
Subculture
Culture
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Family Lifecycle and
Consumption Patterns
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Young singles, Newlyweds, Young
couples without children, Married
couples with children, Households
with teenagers, Mature couples
Determinants of lifecycle position:
marital status (single, married,
widowed) age, presence of children,
age of children, employment status
(working or eligible, retired)
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Purchase Decisions within
Families and Households
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Husband/wife decisions
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Husband-dominant
Wife-dominant
Autonomic – husband and wife
independently make the same decision at
different times, each doing it about half of
the time
Syncratic – both husband and wife share
in the decision
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Sources of Power in Household
Marketplace Decisions
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The power to make decisions in a household may
come in a number of ways:
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Power may be earned
A person may take the power
Power is simply given to one of the members
“Society say’s”
“Marketplace value” where the person who has highest
income and/or the greatest wealth has right of first refusal
on all decisions.
Other factors:
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Product type
Gender-role orientation
Type of decision
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Decisions Influenced by
Children
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Children influence family decisions to a
significant degree (begins at birth).
Children between the ages of 4 and 12
influence buying decisions to the tune
of $70 billion a year ($6 billion in
allowances per year)
Children plead, whine, and bargain with
their parents to get what they want
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Strategies Used by Adolescents to
Influence Decisions
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Bargain
Persuade
Use emotion-laden
tactics
Directly ask
Use the “expert”
strategy
How do parents respond? Use a “legitimate” strategy
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Factors that Help Predict the
Influence of Children
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Product type
Children’s personal resources (income,
employment status, grades, birth order,
siblings, parents’ love and confidence)
Children’s age
Mother’s child-centeredness and attitude
toward television or advertising
Family communication environment
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Socio-oriented vs. concept-oriented
Parental style
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Authoritarian, authoritative or permissive
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Roles of Family Members in
Decision making
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Family members often assume varying
roles across the five stages of the
“consumer decision process”
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Problem recognition
Information search
Alternative evaluation
Choice
Post-purchase evaluation
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002