Showing papers on "Psychographic published in 2013"

Generation Y values and lifestyle segments

Abstract: Purpose – Although Generation Y has been extensively examined in the popular and academic literature, there have not been any studies to date that have identified the psychographic profile of this market segment using the VALS scale. The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to provide a segment characterization of Generation Y using the VALS typology and provide insights into the media habits of this population. Design/methodology/approach – The research sample consisted of subjects from Generation Y that were drawn from a population of college students. To determine the VALS types, participants completed the VALS survey in addition to responding to questions related to demographics and media habits. Originality/value – The results contribute to the literature by providing for the first time a segmented characterization of Generation Y consumers. The research provides a detailed perspective of this important market segment and provides marketers with insights on their values, attitudes, and ...

Investigating the Types of Value and Cost of Green Brands: Proposition of a Conceptual Framework

Abstract: This conceptual article applies the customer value (CV) concept in the context of green marketing aiming to provide insights on the factors that motivate and/or hinder the development of consumer–green brand relationships. The article draws upon existing literature on the streams of CV, relationship marketing and environmental behaviour and synthesises relevant findings to propose an integrated conceptual framework entailing all identified types of value and cost, psychographic characteristics, as well as dimensions of relationship quality (RQ) and loyalty. Furthermore, it addresses existing questions on the links among constructs and proposes several relationships that may lead to a better understanding of consumer behaviour towards green brands. Through the here-proposed conceptual model, the article initiates the process of empirically examining the consumer adoption of and relationship development with green brands. The CV framework adopted here may provide practitioners with knowledge on the value and sacrifice factors, as well as the dimensions of RQ that are the most important in targeting green consumers and designing relationship marketing strategies. The article also fulfils an identified gap in the literature, as it is the first that brings together and applies research findings from CV and relationship marketing fields in the green marketing context and proposes an integrated approach to understanding consumer–green brands relationships.

Giving behaviors in Indonesia: motives and marketing implications for Islamic charities

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the motives and giving behaviours of donors towards Islamic charities in Indonesia by using various demographic, socio-economic, psychographic and motivational/situational characteristics. Based on these analyses, relevant marketing implications are also discussed. The study hopes to enrich Islamic marketing literature and contribute further to the understanding of marketing within the context of the Islamic voluntary sector. Design/methodology/approach – This empirical paper primarily employs a quantitative approach in analysing the giving behaviours. The primary data is gathered through a survey conducted in January 2011 involving 300 Indonesian Muslim donors. The results are analysed with descriptive and correlation statistics. Findings – First, the analysis highlights that the main causes for charitable giving are to help the poor/needy and support religious causes. Second, most of the donors provide funds through “informal” Islamic charities. Third, m...

Toward Consumption Reduction: An Environmentally Motivated Perspective

Abstract: Faced with the threat of climate change, there is a challenge to promote more environmentally friendly consumption patterns. This work seeks to unearth psychographic and socio-demographic factors that could trigger environmentally motivated reductions in consumption. The context of empirical investigation is the European Union (i.e., a large-scale sample of European citizens), with a focus on two key types of environmentally motivated consumption reduction: domestic and “out-of-home” (purchasing) activities. The findings show the interrelated effects of environmental knowledge and ecological motivations (in both aggregated and disaggregated forms) on positive and negative environmental attitudes, which in turn influence consumption reduction. There is also evidence of significant moderating influences of perceived environmental threat, gender, age, education, and country value orientation—particularly on “environmental knowledge” links. The findings reported here contribute to theory and practice toward environmental sustainability.

Effects of consumer psychographics and store characteristics in influencing shopping value and store switching

Abstract: The research examines the impact of psychographic variables and store characteristics on utilitarian and hedonic shopping value. The findings demonstrate the direct influence of deal proneness and normative interpersonal influences on personal shopping value. Moreover, the study also captures the influence of several store characteristics, such as assortment, after sales service and ambience. The significant influence of shopping value in reducing store switching is also noteworthy. This study also provides evidence relating to how retailer-controlled variables can influence consumer-derived shopping value. Results show how each store environment factor influences consumers' overall shopping value and thereby provide an avenue to make strategic adjustments, which in turn can generate a better consumer experience and increased value. The study builds on and extends the previous work carried out relating to antecedents of shopping value by looking at the simultaneous influence of consumer-level factors as well as retailer-managed factors. Moreover, the study provides further evidence regarding how shopping value can lessen the dire impact of consumer defection at retail store level. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The moderating influence of socio‐demographic factors on the relationship between consumer psychographics and the attitude towards private label brands

Abstract: This study examines the moderating influence of socio-demographic variables (gender, age, education, income and family size) on the relationship between psychographic measures (general deal proneness, price-related deal proneness, end-of-aisle display proneness, impulsiveness, smart-shopper self-perceptions and brand loyalty) and consumers' attitude towards private label brands. The proposed hypotheses are tested by collecting data at three different British supermarkets and assessed using structural equation modelling. The study reveals findings contrary to the prevailing views about consumer psychographics and socio-demographics, including the following: (i) the significance of deal proneness among high-income consumers; (ii) the end-of-aisle display proneness among older, high-income and highly educated consumers; and (c) the relationship between impulsiveness and brand attitude among low-income and less-educated consumers. The study also provides multiple insights relating to psycho-demographic targeting and display strategies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact of Social Media on the Fashion Industry

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to address social media as a marketing strategy to manage market shrinkage in fashion and luxury markets. During the financial crisis of 2008, retailers faced a dilemma relating to both the economic environment and psychographic issues: how to convince consumers of fashion and luxury goods to purchase when even the wealthy cut back, and how to plan for spring when sales are declining at retail stores. To understand further social media, as a marketing strategy for managing marketing shrinkage for an upscale segment, a study was conducted on attendees of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York to examine the relationship between social media and fashion and its relationship to fashion week. The author synthesizes extant knowledge on the subject, and provides recommendations for future research.

Examining the Role Of Multidimensional Value In Convention Attendee Behavior

Abstract: This study delves into what causes convention attendees to perceive low or high multidimensional value (MDV) by examining the psychographic and demographic profiles of different tiers of MDV conven...

An empirical investigation of the impact of behavioural and psychographic consumer characteristics on car preferences: An integrated model of car type choice

Abstract: Based on the data collected from a large-scale survey research of 1622 consumers, the present paper develops a disaggregate, compensatory choice model to collectively examine the impact of under-examined factors on consumer car type choice behaviour. All existing econometric forecasting models of vehicle type choice in the literature have so far considered objective measures as determinants of vehicle type choice. The proposed choice model considers 12 car-type alternatives and is successively extended to allow for choice probability distortions resulting from individual heterogeneity across a set of 30 variables, related to objective, behavioural and psychographic consumer characteristics. The results provide clear evidence that variables such as purpose of car use, prepurchase information source used, consumer’s proneness towards buying an ecological car, consumer’s involvement with cars, and consumer’s attachment to cars, significantly affect car type choice. The results yield important implications for manufacturers, transportation planners and researchers.

Adventure versus gratification: emotional shopping in online auctions

Abstract: Purpose – Online auctions have attracted emotional shoppers through exciting shopping processes such as searching and bidding. The recreational and emotional worth of online auction shopping forces auction retailers to develop tailored strategies for their consumers. To this end, this study aimed to classify online auction shoppers based on their emotional shopping motivations and examine the relations of demographics (i.e. age, gender, income, and education) and psychographics (i.e. impulsiveness, variety‐seeking tendency, price sensitivity, and risk‐consciousness) to online auction shopper groups.Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected via an online questionnaire utilizing a pre‐recruited consumer panel that had experience of online auction shopping during the past 12 months. Existing measurement scales were adopted and tested for validity and reliability in the processes of academic expert review, expert debriefing, the pretest, and the main study. The measures consisted of consumer psych...

Who are the culinary tourists? An observation at a food and wine festival

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide psychographic and demographic profiles of people interested in culinary tourism.Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the First Lubbock Wine Festival in Texas, incorporating Values and Lifestyles (VALS‐2). A questionnaire was designed to investigate the classification of culinary tourists' lifestyles and values in terms of three primary motivations such as ideals, achievement, and self‐expression including culinary tourists' activities and demographic characteristics. Factor and reliability analyses were used.Findings – A five‐factor solution resulted in idealist, achiever, explorer, belonger and innovator. Ideals‐motivated groups were identified by idealist and belonger. Self‐expression‐motivated groups were identified by explorer and innovator. Achievement‐motivated group was identified by achiever.Research limitations/implications – The study offers new insights and conceptualizations relevant to the analysis of culinary tourism marke...

Predicting Consumer Behavior and Media Preferences: The Comparative Validity of Personality Traits and Demographic Variables

Abstract: It is common practice for organizations selling a product to divide potential consumers into segments to allow them to target those most likely to buy their products. Two broad approaches to market segmentation can be delineated. The most common approach relies on segmenting by demographic variables (e.g., age, gender). The second approach (known as “psychographics”) identifies market divisions in terms of psychological variables such as values, attitudes, and personality traits. There has been little research comparing the efficacy of the two approaches. Based on analyses of over 45,000 participants, the present research empirically compares the effectiveness of the two approaches among segmentation variables ranging from cell phones and lottery tickets to newspapers and television shows. Overall, both approaches explained surprisingly small amounts of variance in consumer behavior. Nonetheless, for the variance that was predictive, the relative contribution of demographics and psychographics varied dramatically across consumer behaviors; for some behaviors (e.g., electronic purchases), demographics had superior predictive potential but for others (e.g., television shows) psychographics were more useful. Therefore, an approach that integrates both methods is recommended. C

Online depression communities: members' interests and perceived benefits.

Abstract: Most previous studies on online communities (peer-to-peer support groups) dedicated to people with depression related to members as a homogeneous group, and none examined differences between segments based on psychographic measures. Such segmentation may be most helpful in understanding members' participation patterns and explaining the benefits members gain from participation. This study aimed to explore whether members of online depression communities vary in their interests in issues discussed in the communities, and if so, whether groups with different interests also differ with regard to the benefits gained from participation. The study was based on an online survey of 793 members of 16 online depression communities. Results identified four member groups: concerned about daily living, information seekers, interested in all topics, and relatively less involved. There were very few differences between the groups in background characteristics, participation patterns, and level of depression. However, re...

Nutritional labelling information: Utilisation of new technologies

Abstract: The increase in food-related diseases in society has led to a variety of public policy and private sector initiatives, such as the use of nutritional labels. Although nutritional labels have been shown to be broadly effective in terms of informing food choice, their influence is moderated by a variety of factors, such as how information is conveyed and processed by consumers. Recent advances in technology might overcome these limitations. Using a choice experiment, this paper examines consumer preferences for alternative technological devices that may aid consumer processing of nutritional information on food packaging. The results show which attributes of the technology consumers prefer, and identifies three distinct segments of consumers (‘information hungry innovators’, ‘active label readers’, and ‘onlookers’), and differences between them in relation to their preferences, demographics, and psychographic characteristics. The identification of segments is a novel aspect of this research, and hig...

Experimental approach to assessing actual wine purchase behavior

Abstract: Purpose – The use of intentions to forecast behavior follows from the assumption that intentions are a strong indicator of an individual's actual purchase behavior. Yet most studies found the relationship between intent and actual behavior varies considerably. The purpose of this study was to explore how marketers should combine expressed measures of intention with other available data to forecast the probability of purchase and thus to set pricing decisions.Design/methodology/approach – Through a two‐stage approach, this study measured consumer psychographics and expressed purchase intention to predict actual purchase behavior using an online survey, the Vickrey auction method, and logistic regression.Findings – The results found that individuals' attitudes and intentions are strong predictors of actual behavior. However, of particular interest are lower‐purchase‐intention individuals, who acted in line with their expressed willingness to pay more than individuals with higher purchase intentions.Research...

Visitors’ acceptance of negative ecological impacts in national parks: comparing the explanatory power of psychographic scales in a Norwegian mountain setting

Abstract: Even in protected areas, it is inevitable that any human use will produce some impact on natural resources. This study identifies visitors’ tolerance of potential negative ecological impacts from tourism activities and facilities in a Norwegian national park context, based on park visitors’ expressed degree of acceptance of negative effects on particular species of wildlife (wild reindeer and raptors) and on vegetation. Attitudes were analysed using psychographic scales, reflecting respondents’ nature orientations, their specific facility desires, their preferences in a wilderness setting and their concerns about human interaction with the natural environment. Fourteen research hypotheses were tested. Findings demonstrated that the psychographic scales explained more variation in attitudes than most social background and trip characteristics. Higher levels of education among visitors were strongly associated with increased ecological concern; age and gender were not. There was generally strong ecological ...

The Emergence of Diverse Organic Consumers: Does a Mature Market Undermine the Search for Alternative Products?

Abstract: This study uses qualitative and quantitative data as well as household panel data regarding actual purchases of organic food in order to make a psychographic profiling of organic consumers and examine recent developments of organic demand in Denmark. It is shown that contemporary organic consumers have become a heterogeneous group, since three distinct positively minded segments are identified. These positively minded segments hold a very high share of all organic food sales on the Danish market and are also driving demand forward. The Danish organic market can be said to have matured insofar as positively oriented segments that differ in their food involvement, shopping behaviour and levels of ethical concern have appeared, while marketing and distribution strategies have co-developed with these trends. We discuss our findings in the light of the attitude-behaviour gap that is said to exist in regard to organic consumption and the consequences that are thought to follow from the detachment of consumers from organic producers according to the much debated conventionalisation thesis.

Segmenting recreational tennis players according to their involvement level: a psychographic profile based on constraints and motivation

Abstract: The present study uses involvement as a segmentation variable for recreational tennis players, and further profiles the involvement groups with demographic (gender, age, family status, type of job, perceived economic status and education) and psychographic (perceived constraints and motivation) variables. Two hundred recreational tennis players (N = 200), who were members of a private tennis club participated in the study, and filled the Leisure Involvement Scale, the Leisure Constraints Scale and the Sport Motivation Scale. The results of the cluster analysis revealed a high and a low involved group, who significantly differed in all the involvement facets. The demographic variables were not found to be useful in further profiling the two involvement groups, since no statistically significant differences were found between the two involvement groups in the demographic variables. In contrast, the two involvement groups were found to have statistically significant differences in three of the constraints sc...

Insights into mature consumers of financial services

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate psychographic, demographic and situational characteristics of Baby Boomer generation consumers, specifically in relation to their consumption of financial services.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was pre‐tested and 776 responses (77.6 per cent response rate) were subjected to correlation and ANOVA analysis. The survey covered a wide range of variables for decision making for financial services, including situational, demographic, and psychographic.Findings – Consumers who scored higher on scales for competitiveness and need for material resources tended to have higher incomes. Mature consumers were likely to face major life events involving their children and parents, but these events were least likely to prompt the use of a financial service adviser. However, some respondents showed a propensity for seeking financial advice in relation to many types of life events. There were also relationships between seeking financial information from certain...

Psychographic Segments of College Females and Males in Relation to Substance Use Behaviors.

Abstract: ObjectivesA common commercial marketing segmentation technique is to divide a population into groups based on psychographic characteristics (i.e., attitudes and interests). We used this approach to...

Segmenting luxe-bargain shoppers using a fuzzy clustering method

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to identify consumer segments among luxe-bargain shoppers using a fuzzy clustering method based on psychographic variables related to both luxury consumption and bargain processes and profiles the identified segments in behavioral tendencies. Design/methodology/approach – The sample consists of 500 consumers who purchased a luxury brand at a bargain. The analyses involve running a confirmatory factor analysis, a fuzzy clustering analysis based on psychographic variables, and ANOVA for profiling the segments. Findings – A fuzzy clustering analysis identifies four distinct segments: deal hunters, sale-prone shoppers, active luxe-bargain shoppers, and royal shoppers. Each consumer segment exhibits differences in consumer characteristics, demographics, and behavioral tendencies. The study provides insight into varied luxury consumers. Research limitations/implications – In an effort to fill the gap between traditional framework in luxury research and today ' s luxury market that prov...

Personality and psychographics of three types of gamblers in the United States

Abstract: Using the results of the Experian Marketing Services' Simmons® National Consumer Study (NCS) (N0 = 24,581), this paper studies the characteristics of three types of US. gamblers: regular lottery players (N1 = 1100), heavy casino gamblers (N2 = 636) and online gamblers (N3 = 291). We explore each type of gambler using measures of several personality and psychographic variables: impulsiveness, desire for control, materialism, risk taking, self-centredness, introversion, sensation seeking and financial prudence. We find that while all three groups have elevated levels of impulsiveness and materialism relative to non-gamblers (p < 0.01), most noteworthy are the online gamblers, who have higher levels of risk taking, desire for control, self-centredness and sensation seeking compared to casino gamblers, lottery players and non-gamblers (p < 0.01). This study additionally emphasizes the importance of considering demographics when investigating psychographics, as some of the psychographics related to gambling ar...

The Use of Conjoint and Cluster Analysis For Preference-Based Market Segmentation

Abstract: Market segmentation implies dividing the market into smaller segments that are homogenous inside, and heterogenous in relation to one another. Market segmentation is a part of strategic marketing, together with targeting and positioning, preceded by marketing research and followed by creating, implementing and controlling the marketing mix. As well as being an essential field of academic research, market segmentation proved to be a very useful concept for managers. The market segmentation concept dates back almost six decades, but issues raised regarding market segmentation more than three decades ago are still relevant and the number of different approaches in answering these questions is high. Preference-based segmentation can also be viewed in this context. Differences in consumers’ preferences are, in fact, one of the vital causes of market segmentation. Preference-based market segmentation can be conducted by using conjoint analysis in combination with cluster analysis. The benefits of such approach are multiple, as they give rise to opportunities for: formulating the questions in a manner similar to real-life purchasing situations; reducing the number of socially desirable answers; introducing several attributes of a given product thus enabling an insight into the relative importance of the product's attributes, and order of preferences for different levels of these attributes, and, based on this, defining different market segments; testing the significance of various other market segmentation criteria (sociodemographic, psychographic and/or behavioural) for profiling the established segments; increasing the comparability of results of different studies; using this approach in planned new product launches and on emerging and developing markets as well as studying the difference between expressed preferences and purchases, in terms of obstacles preventing preferences to transform into purchase phase. Besides theoretical aspects regarding market segmentation and preference-based market segmentation by using conjoint and cluster analysis, this article demonstrates the use of such approach in researching student population in Vojvodina (the northern province of the Republic of Serbia) and this population’s preferences to yoghurt (250 questionnaires handed out, 123 returned filled in, 98 included in the final analysis). In addition to results at the total sample level, two segments were identified and differences between them were investigated. Implications to the questions raised in the theoretical section of the article were sought on the obtained results. The article also seeks to point to the benefits of using this approach in domestic conditions, where its use is almost negligible. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.24.4.3118

Realizing marketplace opportunity: How research on the black consumer market influenced mainstream marketers, 1920-1970

Abstract: Purpose – The influence of research on decisions concerning black consumers by mainstream marketers between 1920 and 1970 is to be examined. Market opportunity analysis provides a theoretical foundation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on examination of rare books, archival and proprietary documents housed at the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising and Marketing History at Duke University; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library; the Museum of Public Relations and relevant literature concerning research on black consumers. Findings – Mainstream companies were motivated to pursue black consumers on the basis of attractive consumption habits, demographic and psychographic characteristics revealed by informal and formal research available as early as the 1920s. During and after the Second World War, research on black consumers became widely available to corporate executives through the trade press, trade ass...

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Why Do Travellers Unlike Travel-Related Organizations?

Abstract: Previous studies have looked at relationship creation and maintenance between travellers and companies on social networking sites (SNSs), but have neglected relationship termination. This study examined travellers who “unliked” travel-related companies and destinations on facebook and found demographic and psychographic differences, as well as differences in characteristics related to travel planning, travel behaviour, and internet use to those who have never terminated such a relationship. Travellers have different motivations for unliking travel-related companies or destinations. Travellers routinely unlike travel-related companies for perceived faults in their social media presence (end of promotions, posting frequency or relevance), while travellers tend to unlike a destination based on offline experiences.

Personal Values Approach for a Better Understanding of Consumer Behaviour

Abstract: Studies on consumer behaviour aims to gain a deeper understanding of individual consumer and their behaviour patterns to develop an understanding of what motivates and influences their buying behaviour. There is a significant shift in the focus of studies on consumer behaviour - from demographics to psychographics. The common psychographic variables used in studies relate to personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. Studies indicate that personal values may be more useful than the other psychographic variables in understanding human behaviour as they are more central to an individual's cognitive system. Past studies have attempted to establish an association of values with individual buying decision behaviour. This paper substantiates that 'personal values of individuals have significant influence on their behaviour as a consumer' by drawing references to few studies that had used personal values as the independent variable in understanding consumer behaviour. A brief introduction to various values scales used in consumer behaviour studies is also presented here.

System and method for gifting suggestions and psychographic profiling

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for electronic gift giving in which a gift suggestion is made, optionally based in part on a psychographic profile of a recipient. The method may be implemented by a website accessible on the Internet. A computer-implemented method is also described for generating a psychographic profile of an individual.