understanding consumer

2 Consumer Research Methods

Objectives

1. To explore a range of methods of investigating consumers’ cognitions (thoughts), affects (feelings), and behaviors.

2. To clarify what we can and cannot conclude based on different research methods.

3. To describe how to construct a clear and answerable research question.

Introduction

The scene is a busy street in Manhattan. A well-dressed 30-something man is hurrying down the sidewalk, jostling the pedestrians around him. He has a mobile phone—an early, brick-like model—plastered to his ear and wears a smug smile as he shouts into the phone, “You’re fired!” As he is putting the phone away in his coat pocket, an enormous truck grille appears right in front of him. He shouts as the scene fades. The next scene looks like a lot of us would envision heaven: fluffy white clouds drifting around our protagonist, angelic voices singing—and a plate of gigantic cookies. “Mmmm, heaven!” he says, very smugly indeed now that he has, he assumes, been accepted into paradise, where his every want will be anticipated. After eagerly munching a delicious-looking cookie, he opens an enormous refrigerator filled with cartons of milk. Eagerly the thirsty cookie consumer grabs a carton and tilts it toward his mouth, expecting the cold, refreshing milk as a welcome contrast to those rich, sweet chocolate chips. Feeling how light the carton is, he shakes it to make sure it is empty and tosses it aside. He grabs carton after carton, hurling each away as he finds it empty. Very thirsty and frustrated, he shouts, “arghhh!” Then, as the terrible truth dawns on him, “Wait a minute; where am I?” The scene fades into the words “Got Milk?” Flames lick at the letters as a sinister voice asks the question.1

The foregoing describes a television commercial in the long-running “Got Milk?” marketing campaign, which Goodby Silverstein created for the California Milk Fluid Processors’ Board to reverse a decade-long decline in U.S. milk consumption. Throughout the 1980s milk consumption was

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Consumer Research Methods 17

on the decline for several reasons. First, scientists had discovered what they thought was clear evidence of the perils of fat consumption, and many milk drinkers preferred to forgo milk entirely rather than resort to drinking the nonfat version (then called “skim” milk). Second, new beverage brands and flavors of established brands were flooding the marketplace. So-called “New Age” beverages abounded, including ready-to-drink cold teas Snapple and Arizona, and bottled water brands ranging from expensive European imports such as Perrier and Pellegrino to lower-priced American brands like Coca- Cola’s Dasani and PepsiCo’s Aquafina. The third reason for milk’s popularity decline was that as more women entered the workplace, busy dual-income families consumed more meals on the go and menus featured soft drinks more prominently than milk.

In short, Goodby Silverstein faced a daunting task. How could any mar- keting campaign possibly reverse a sales decline driven by such significant social and market trends? The first thing they did was take a look at milk advertising worldwide. They quickly discovered that almost all of these ads focused on the purported health benefits of drinking milk. Since that appeal was clearly no longer effective, the agency needed a new perspective on milk consumption. They sought insights from an innovative research paradigm called “gluttony deprivation.” Focus group participants were recruited from among regular consumers of milk. They were instructed not to have any milk in the refrigerator for one whole week prior to the focus group inter- view, and to keep a journal during that week, recording everything they ate and drank, along with accompanying feelings.

By the time these milk-deprived individuals made it to their research appointments, they were frustrated and ready to talk about the trials of going without milk. Focus group interviews revealed the insight that shaped the “Got Milk?” campaign: We view milk as an accompaniment to the food we choose to eat. We elect to have cereal for breakfast, not cereal and milk. We ask for coffee, not milk and coffee. We cannot resist those fragrant cookies fresh out of the oven, with which we drink milk. We choose the food and assume the milk will be there. Milk, while secondary to the food, com- pletes the consumption experience. During that week without milk, the participants could not enjoy their morning bowl of crunchy cornflakes or Cheerios, or get re-energized by that coffee laced with half and half, or even guiltily guzzle a glass of cold milk to wash down those late-night Oreos.

In addition to finding that consumers choose what to eat and then get milk if it “goes with” the food, Goodby Silverstein’s research revealed that people don’t usually even think about milk until, cereal in the bowl or cookie in hand, they open the refrigerator and find an almost empty carton or none at all.

In terms of the consumer responses we seek to understand, measure, and ultimately influence, the research behind the “Got Milk?” campaign unearthed valuable insights into all three types, i.e., thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to milk. It showed that people don’t usually have

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18 Introduction to Consumer Behavior

any thoughts about milk until they want to eat a food that “requires” it. Not thinking about milk can result in running out of it and not noticing until the food it complements is already on the table. Then, finding no milk in the refrigerator leads to feelings of frustration and disappointment. If there is enough milk to accompany the food in question, the consumer still doesn’t so much think about the milk itself as feel pleasure in the behavior of consuming the food that milk makes even more delicious, or in some instances merely palatable.

The very successful and long-lived “Got Milk?” marketing campaign arose from this innovative research. The campaign objective was to change consumers’ behavior, i.e., to motivate them to buy more milk, in part by increasing consumption of foods that need milk, and in part by reminding people to pick up some milk while they were out doing other things. The agency developed a series of television commercials (including “Heaven” described above) using humor to show the frustration consumers experi- ence when they are deprived of milk and have just eaten—or are about to eat—something that requires it. To jog memory at the point of purchase, the agency developed in-store deals offering discounts on milk purchased along with well-known brands of dry cereal, peanut butter, cookies, and other foods that “need” milk. As added reminders to pick up milk on the way home from work, billboards showing delicious cupcakes and cookies, thirsty children and eager kittens clamoring for milk, were placed near access roads to supermarkets.

The result? The “Got Milk?” campaign was the first in many years to do more than enhance consumers’ attitudes toward milk; it dramatically increased sales as well. We’ll return to Goodby Silverstein’s landmark research later in the chapter, when we discuss qualitative methods.

Methods of Investigating Consumer Cognitions, Affect, and Behavior

There are two broad categories of research methods—qualitative and quantitative—and which one we choose depends on the questions we want to answer. In brief, qualitative research is excellent for delving into the “why’s” of consumer behavior, while quantitative research is well-suited to answering the “who, what, and how much” questions. Below are examples that will further clarify what we can learn using each of these methods.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is so named because it is used to quantify aspects of the object of study; this means it requires data that is either numerical or may be coded as such. Examples include frequencies and rates of occurrence (e.g., numbers of ice cream purchases during summer versus winter), ratings and rankings (e.g., online consumer ratings, top ten lists), magnitudes or counts

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(e.g., sales, number of people who click on an ad), answers to questions with specific alternatives (e.g., yes–no and multiple-choice questions). The fol- lowing list, though not exhaustive, gives an idea how extensively quantitative methods are used, and the kinds of questions they enable us to answer.

Consumer Demographics and Lifestyles

Demographic data such as that collected in the decennial U.S. Census can answer many questions of interest to marketers, public policy makers, and consumer advocates. One of the thousands of questions Census data may be used to answer is: What is the average household size and composition and how will it change over the next two, five, ten years?

The answers are important to marketers of a variety of products ranging from groceries to real estate to lawn care and home repair. The Häagen-Dazs lover who is one of the growing number of consumers who live alone can now enjoy a perfectly sized one-half cup serving of her favorite flavor with- out worry about succumbing to the temptation of finishing the entire carton (Schrager, 2014). The more nutritionally vigilant consumer can now buy a personal-size watermelon or a single gluten- and preservative-free black bean burrito made by Amy’s Kitchen.

While one-person households are on the increase, so are multigenerational ones: our lengthening life expectancy is swelling the numbers of Baby Boomers taking care of elderly parents, and increasing numbers of “boo- merang kids,” underemployed or unemployed 25–34 year olds live with their parents (Fry and Passel, 2014). Homebuilders have seized the opportunity to market houses built with additions or even separate structures for elderly parents, who may wish to retain their privacy and some measure of indepen- dence while enjoying the safety and intimacy close proximity affords them. For their adult children, the close but separate quarters for their parents give them peace of mind, relative convenience should the elders need help, and the tranquility their own privacy provides.2

Compared to our demographic identities, our lifestyles shape many more of our product and brand preferences. For example, Portland, Oregon, with its natural beauty and proximity to the beach, mountains, and even desert is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts who spend much of their free time hiking, running, or rock climbing; skateboarding, skiing, or snowboarding; surfing, kayaking, or rafting; and those who embrace this lifestyle will happily pay premium prices for high-performance sports apparel and equipment. The metro area can thus sustain several topnotch outdoor products brands and retailers, including Columbia Sportswear, North Face, Patagonia, REI, and Nike. Many of these retailers’ customers are not particularly fond of outdoor pursuits, but purchase the apparel because it represents an aspirational life- style of adventure, closeness to nature, and, for some, physical prowess.

Lifestyle research involves compiling data from a variety of sources, including consumer surveys, ad networks, and traditional media companies

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20 Introduction to Consumer Behavior

that track, respectively, consumers’ online and offline media usage, loyalty cards, and public records. All this data is combined in statistical analyses to create categories or segments of consumers based on their geographical loca- tions; demographics such as age, income, education, and occupation; their leisure activities and interests, media choices, and purchase patterns. Nielsen, a leading lifestyle research provider market, has identified more than 60 dis- tinct lifestyle segments in the U.S.,3 enabling its client companies to identify, describe, locate, and communicate with current and potential customers. It also has a “zip code look-up” which offers “snapshot” profiles of the top five segments on a given zip code. Clients can obtain custom reports; Nielsen explains: “We might not have ready-made data on motorcycle moms from Georgia who jet ski, but if that’s who you need to reach, we’ll find the best way.”

Consumers’ Self-Reported Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors

Large-scale regularly occurring surveys track a wide variety of trends (social, economic, technology, etc.), many of interest to marketers and consumer advocates and policy makers. For example, those who market to children would find it useful to know how much money their young consumers get to decide how to spend. Harris Interactive’s 2014 survey on the weekly allowances parents give their children provides a partial answer to this ques- tion.4 Six in ten parents report that they give an allowance. On the whole, parents believe that older children should get a larger one; on average, they report, children in three age ranges—4–9, 10–13, and 14–17—should receive respective weekly allowances of $4.10, $8.70, and $16.00. Parental age and gender also correlate with amounts considered appropriate: The older the parents, the lower the allowances, and men report larger amounts than women. Most parents believe that children should earn their allowances by doing extra chores.

Advocates against marketing to children, such as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, could use this information about parents’ attitudes toward allowances to encourage family discussions and activities focused on teaching children the value and meaning of money, and the anticipation and ultimate satisfaction that comes from saving for something chosen with care and forethought, rather than acquiescing unquestioningly to marketing messages and peer pressure to own the latest, most popular sneakers or video game.

Surveys may also address topics of interest to specific industries or orga- nizations; an example is the annual J. D. Power survey of customer satis- faction and its determinants across many industries and brands. Marketers need to track not only overall satisfaction with their industry and brands, but also customers’ ratings of their performance on factors that determine satisfaction. For example, the 2015 survey revealed that despite increases in airfare and added fees, airline industry customer satisfaction ratings are at an

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Consumer Research Methods 21

all-time high.5 The seven factors that drive satisfaction with airlines are, in order of importance to customers: cost and fees, in-flight services, boarding/ deplaning/baggage, flight crew, aircraft, check-in, and reservation process. It may be that travelers have become inured to rising costs and fees, and that many appreciate not being charged for optional services they do not use, e.g., checked baggage, preferred seating, and expedited security clearance. Airline satisfaction still trails behind many industries including hotels, rental cars, and mortgage lenders.

Alaska Airlines and JetBlue ranked highest in their respective segments of traditional and low-cost carriers. Southwest Airlines, which yielded the top spot to JetBlue nine years ago, shows a need for improvement in its check-in and boarding/deplaning/baggage processes. JetBlue passengers show espe- cially high satisfaction with the carrier’s in-flight services and aircraft.

Consumer Behaviors Directly Measured

We want to measure actual behavior like purchases and media usage because self-reports of some behaviors may not be accurate. Can you list the items you bought on your most recent trip to the grocery store, or recite the list of websites you visited in the past seven days? Your lists might be mostly accurate if you just write down your habitual purchases or favorite websites. But could you recall package sizes and prices, or the pages you explored on a website? While tracking actual behavior may be more expensive or time-consuming than having consumers complete a retrospective survey, the added knowledge and tactical improvements it leads to may be well worth the investment.

Product and brand purchases may be tracked using retail scanner data. Nielsen and SymphonyIRI are market research firms that provide their mar- keter clients such “store data,” which includes store-level brand and prod- uct sales volume, pricing, promotions at the point of sale, and distribution across individual store locations. These data enable a marketer to determine whether price changes, special promotions, and/or locations of stores carry- ing their brands are correlated with changes in sales volume. SymphonyIRI and Nielsen obtain longitudinal household-level sales data by incentivizing participants in an ongoing National Consumer Panel to use a handheld in-home scanner to track all of their purchases that are identified with a Universal Product Code. This type of data is especially useful for tracking brand loyalty and switching in response to the client’s own and competitors’ promotions (e.g., coupons, contests, special end-of-aisle displays), packaging or product modifications, price changes, and other marketing tactics. For example, when the price of sugar rises a candy bar marketer has two choices for keeping its costs constant: pass the price increase on to consumers or sell a smaller bar for the same price. The only way to determine which strategy works better is to try both and track sales or units (bars) sold. An ongoing consumer panel enables the sugary treat seller to do just that. Note, however,

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that these portable scanners do not work for unpackaged fresh produce or bulk items.

In addition to tracking purchases, marketers must stay current with con- sumers’ media choices and habits because they need to know where to place their advertising and other communications so as to reach those most likely to purchase their products, i.e., their target market. Two major trends make ad placement decisions especially challenging: first, our media choices are growing exponentially, and second, we are adept at and able to avoid market- ing messages. Google Analytics makes it easy for marketers large and small to track online consumer behaviors including product, brand, and other key- word searches; visits to company sites; and clicks on ads. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites enable marketers to target and track responses of specific consumer groups defined by demographics, interests, and online presence. Thanks to these tracking capabilities and automated marketer responses, you may feel at times as if someone is looking over your shoulder, either a virtual nosy neighbor or a helpful friend, depending on your per- spective on privacy. If you shop on one site for a baby car seat, your screen will immediately and for some time thereafter carry ads for car seats, cribs and bassinets, and other baby paraphernalia, all a click away.

A marketer like iTunes or Amazon compiles data over time and many con- sumer searches and purchases to arrive at recommended lists of songs, movies, books, and other products for you based on your searches and purchases. The algorithms used are complex and proprietary, but the basic idea is that these marketers can use data amassed from millions of consumers to estimate how likely you are to buy, say, the Twilight or Harry Potter series, given your book purchases and searches up to now. The algorithms developed recognize pat- terns of purchases and searches, and make predictions about yours by find- ing other consumers with the same patterns and identifying their additional purchases as the ones most likely to interest you. Hence the Amazon rec- ommendations: People who browsed (purchased) these books also browsed (purchased) the following titles. With every bit of new data, the algorithm learns to make more accurate predictions.

Finely honed online marketing research and consumer message targeting are exciting new business capabilities, but make many consumers uncomfort- able with this new world in which every keystroke and click communicates an aspect of identity. What causes more consternation among consumers and privacy advocates is that large data brokers like Acxiom regularly collect and sell every morsel of data they can find, without consumers’ knowledge or permission. The Federal Trade Commission’s May, 2014, investigative report reveals the magnitude of this “big data” brokering and its potential impact on consumers.6

Among the report’s findings:

• Data brokers collect consumer data from extensive online and offline sources, largely without consumers’ knowledge, including consumer

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Consumer Research Methods 23

purchase data, social media activity, warranty registrations, magazine subscriptions, religious and political affiliations, and other details of con- sumers’ everyday lives.

• Consumer data often pass through multiple layers of data brokers sharing data with each other. In fact, seven of the nine data brokers in the FTC study had shared information with another data broker in the study.

• Data brokers combine online and offline data to market to consumers online.

• Data brokers combine and analyze data about consumers to make infer- ences about them, including potentially sensitive inferences such as those related to ethnicity, income, religion, political leanings, age, and health conditions. Potentially sensitive categories from the study are “Urban Scramble” and “Mobile Mixers,” both of which include a high con- centration of Latinos and African-Americans with low incomes. The category “Rural Everlasting” includes single men and women over age 66 with “low educational attainment and low net worths.” Other poten- tially sensitive categories include health-related topics or conditions, such as pregnancy, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

• Many of the purposes for which data brokers collect and use data pose risks to consumers, such as unanticipated uses of the data. For example, a category like “Biker Enthusiasts” could be used to offer discounts on motorcycles to a consumer, but could also be used by an insurance pro- vider as a sign of risky behavior.

• Some data brokers unnecessarily store data about consumers indefinitely, which may create security risks.

• To the extent data brokers currently offer consumers choices about their data, the choices are largely invisible and incomplete.

Another source of quantitative data is direct observations and videos of consumer behavior in retail, home, and other settings of interest. For exam- ple, retail anthropologist Paco Underhill reports that his firm Envirosell has used over a thousand measures of behavior in studies to enlighten brand cli- ents regarding why their product is not moving off the supermarket shelves, or how to sell more of a successful brand. From observations of millions of shoppers over the years, Underhill learned that when consumers first enter a store, they need a “transition zone”—an uncluttered space in which they can pause and let their eyes adjust to the change in lighting, then do an initial navigational scan. He also found that if a retailer places baskets throughout the store, sales will rise because those who did not snatch one up first thing will no longer be physically limited by what they can carry in their hands. These kinds of research typically take many hours of painstaking coding and analysis of behavior sequences observed on video (see Underhill’s book Why We Buy [1999]).

If a study has a large enough sample to permit proper statistical analysis, the researcher can be comfortable assuming the findings are generalizable to

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the entire population of people similar to the respondents in ways that matter in the research. One long-standing debate in testing of new pharmaceuticals is whether results found in the many all-male samples in clinical trials can be generalized to females, who until very recently were much less frequently included. For marketing research firms like Nielsen and SymphonyIRI, the ability to generalize findings to an entire consumer market segment is essen- tial; hence the large, well-incentivized consumer panels.

Qualitative Research Methods

In contrast to quantitative research, qualitative studies are well-suited to questions when too little is known about the potential answers to construct closed-ended survey questions sporting lists of well-specified alternatives; or when the object of study is not readily quantifiable. Examples include com- plex, emotionally fraught topics such as how we think and feel about the idea of luxury, the nature of our relationships with our animal companions, and how we go about planning a significant cultural rite like a wedding or christening.

Goodby Silverstein researchers gleaned their insights into consumers’ milk-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from qualitative (as opposed to quantitative) self-reported (rather than directly observed) data which they collected from consumers’ journals and subsequent focus group interviews. Unlike quantitative research, which must be designed to meet the stringent requirements for meaningful statistical analysis, qualitative research must meet a different but equally rigorous set of standards for thematic analysis. Other examples of qualitative investigations of consumer behavior include one- on-one in-depth interviews, ethnographic research in which the researcher simultaneously participates in and observes people using brands in their daily lives (recall the Harley Owners Group described in Chapter 1), and “netno- graphy,” which is the study of online consumer communities that have sprung up as people who deeply appreciate and enjoy a particular brand, product, or lifestyle find one another.

Focus Groups

When a marketer needs to find out how target consumers feel about a prod- uct, service, or advertising message, focus groups may be appropriate. These are typically small group sessions lasting one to two hours, during which a moderator hired by the brand client or ad agency facilitates an extended discussion of a topic among a small group (usually about 8–12) of con- sumers recruited based on client-specified characteristics for their demo- graphics, interests, product experiences, etc., and paid for their time. Before ultrabooks were launched in 2012, one maker, seeking ideas for advertising and other marketing messages, recruited early adopters of technology to participate in focus groups in which they discussed why, where, and when

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they used their electronic devices; and the features that they most wanted in their next device purchases. In addition, participants were encouraged to try out and share their initial impressions of ultrabook prototypes provided in the sessions.

In-depth Interviews

If the research topic is sensitive or private, or requires a deep understanding of a personal narrative or account of an experience, one-on-one interviews may be the method of choice. A luxury automaker wanted to gain fresh insights into its customers’ experiences in which the flagship vehicle played a role, for the purpose of creating more compelling advertising messages. To that end, the automaker’s ad agency conducted in-depth interviews with a number of the car owners, each of whom was instructed to create a collage beforehand consisting of anything—pictures from magazines, personal pho- tos, even objects—that reflected his or her feelings about the car. The idea behind having participants make collages is that many people find it difficult to put their feelings into words, but can readily point to pictorial or other concrete metaphors that capture the feelings. The interviewer uses the col- lage to draw out the interviewee; in explaining the collage, s/he expresses and reflects on his/her feelings about the topic of focus. One female participant attached a sparkly, expensive stiletto-heeled shoe to her collage, describing it as representing the freedom and hedonism she felt when driving the car.

Ethnography

Ethnography is premised on the assumption that in order to access and understand an experience, whether it is a lifestyle or a discrete occurrence, online or offline, the researcher must simultaneously participate in and observe her own and other participants’ responses as the experience unfolds. While ethnographic research is time-consuming, it may yield rich insights into consumer behavior. In one ethnographic study Jennifer Chang Coup- land (2005) wanted to investigate how consumers interact with brands in the supermarket on their regular shopping excursions, and at home, storing, pre- paring, and serving the food. One of her more surprising findings was that some shoppers strip the food of its packaging as they are putting it away in the cupboards and refrigerator, in essence “unbranding” it. While the func- tion of this unpackaging may be to save space, the result is that in a house- hold with children, there are no brands for which they can develop early and strong brand loyalty. This is good or bad depending on whether you are a marketer trying to reach young consumers, a parent who wants to teach his or her offspring to be wise consumers through exposure to and reflection on marketing tactics, or a parent or advocate who believes children should not be targets of marketers’ efforts to persuade and that there is too much branding of children’s products already. However we look at the findings, an

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ethnographic approach is ideal for getting to this level of intimate knowledge of consumer behavior.

Netnography

Netnography is research using participant observation to gain insights into online communities that are formed in the normal course of consumers sharing their interests in specific brands, products, and activities. Brands that have given rise to such communities range from Mini Coopers to Nutella, from Apple’s Newton (a long-defunct early forerunner of the BlackBerry) to Nike+, a very popular system integrating an iPod-type data collection device into Nike running shoes that enables runners to monitor their per- formance over time. To conduct netnographic research, the investigator must become a participant observer in the community, and in offline gatherings or encounters as well. These multiple sources of data deepen and enrich the researcher’s experience and understanding of the brand’s meaning to the community, and inform her perspective on how the community itself func- tions and the value individual members derive from it. A study of a thriving online Mini Cooper community revealed that “newbies,” the proud Mini purchasers who were awaiting production and delivery of their models, are welcomed warmly and their new vehicles anticipated eagerly by established community members. Owners name and customize their vehicles, wave at other Mini drivers they encounter on the road, and take immense pleasure in discussing the car (Schau et al., 2009). The insights netnography can uncover fascinate academic researchers and inform branding and marketing practi- tioners as they create campaigns and sponsored events that will capture the hearts and minds of current and aspiring Mini owners.

In qualitative research, sample sizes tend to be small for two reasons: (a) These methods are costly in time and labor, and (b) the philosophy under- lying them is that when new themes stop emerging with each additional informant, there is no need for further sampling. The themes uncovered are not assumed to be generalizable beyond the sample informants; a follow-up quantitative study with an appropriately large sample would be required to generalize findings.

Should We Use Qualitative or Quantitative Methods?

How do we go about deciding whether to use quantitative or qualitative methods? In general, quantitative methods require that we know precisely the content and order of the questions we want to ask, as well as most if not all possible answers. If we do not have this knowledge, or if we are looking for rich insights that may be difficult to articulate, qualitative research is the better choice.

For example, most of us do not spend much time reflecting on what our pets mean to us and how their presence affects our lives and even our

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relationships with other humans. And depending on our immediate cultural milieu, we may be embarrassed to admit how much—or how little—they mean to us. But how we view our animal companion directly affects the decision we make as their guardians. How much money are we willing to spend on pet food, supplies, and medical care? Do we buy them what we want or what we have reason to believe they want or need? How attuned are we to changes in their physical and emotional well-being? Consumers who regard their animals as “children with fur” will likely spend more on veteri- nary care than owners whose pets are child substitutes or “practice” children, and those who take the position that animals are “just animals” are likely to spend least of all on pet care and supplies. Can’t we just ask pet owners to complete a survey question like the following?

Which of the following best describes the role your pet plays in your life?

a. S/he is my child, no different from a human child. b. S/he is giving me experience taking care of someone besides myself. c. S/he is helping teach my children responsibility. d. S/he is just a pet. e. S/he does work for me (please specify)_______________ f. Other (please specify)_____________________

There is nothing wrong with this approach. But we would deepen and enrich our understanding of these different perspectives if we also sat face to face with a few pet owners, one at a time, and asked them some open-ended questions like the following:

1. What motivated you to adopt an animal? 2. How did you go about searching for the animal? 3. What made you choose this animal over the others? 4. How would you describe your pet’s place in the household? 5. How would you describe your relationship with your pet? 6. What does a typical day look like for you and your pet? 7. How, if at all, does your pet affect your relationships with other people?

An interview gives you the flexibility to delve more deeply into any of the areas the questions cover if the interviewee gives an ambiguous or very gen- eral answer that needs clarifying or completing, and affords the interviewee an opportunity to learn and share something new about herself because she is able to reflect and elaborate on her answers. If we interview pet owners with a variety of perspectives on animals, we will come away with a treasure trove of pet-related feelings, thoughts, memories, and associations. How do we make sense of this embarrassment of riches? We can look for themes that emerge as we continue to interview owners. A recent study using in-depth interviews to explore people’s perspectives on their dog companions revealed three distinct views: dominionistic (it’s just an animal), humanistic (the dog is

Stephens, D. L. (2016). Essentials of consumer behavior. Taylor & Francis Group. Created from auckland on 2021-11-22 02:04:28.

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28 Introduction to Consumer Behavior

regarded as a surrogate human), and protectionistic (high regard for all spe- cies, not just companion animals).7 In short, our attachments to our animal companions are complex, and the more completely veterinarians and animal welfare advocates understand them, the greater their capacity to empathize with, and work to help, animals and humans alike.

As we introduce more consumer behavior research with each new chapter, you will get a clearer idea of the vast and fascinating array of questions that quantitative and qualitative research can work in concert to answer.

Notes

1 “Got Milk? ‘Heaven’” commercial, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnijgw5A-ii 2 Susan Bady, “Multigenerational Homes: Multigenerational Living is Back,” New Home

Source, www.newhomesource.com/resourcecenter/articles/multigenerational- living-is-back-with-a-new-twist

3 https://segmentationsolutions.nielsen.com/mybestsegments/Default.jsp?ID=70 4 The Harris Poll, 2014, “What’s the Going Rate for Allowances These Days?” Jan-

uary 15, www.theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/What_s_the_Going_Rate_for_ Allowances_These_Days_.html

5 J. D. Power, 2015 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, www.jdpower.com/ press-releases/2015-north-america-airline-satisfaction-study

6 Federal Trade Commission, 2014, “Data Brokers: A Call for Transparency and Account- ability,” May, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/data-brokers-call- transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014/140527 databrokerreport.pdf

7 Abstract posted on Faunalytics, “Are Dogs Children, Companions, or Just Ani- mals? Understanding Variations in People’s Orientations Toward Animals,” https:// faunalytics.org/feature-article/are-dogs-children-companions-or-just-animals- understanding-variations-in-peoples-orientations-toward-animals/

References

Coupland, Jennifer Chang. 2005. “Invisible Brands: An Ethnography of House- holds and the Brands in Their Kitchen Pantries.” Journal of Consumer Research 32(1): 119–129.

Fry, Richard, and Jeffrey S. Passel. 2014. “In Post-Recession Era, Young Adults Drive Continuing Rise in Multi-Generational Living.” Pew Research Center, July 17. www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/07/17/in-post-recession-era-young-adults-drive- continuing-rise-in-multi-generational-living/

Schau, Hope Jensen, Albert M. Muñiz, and Eric J. Arnould. 2009. “How Brand Community Practices Create Value.” Journal of Marketing 73(5): 30–51.

Schrager, Allison. 2014. “Most Americans Are Single, and They’re Changing the Econ- omy.” Bloomberg, September 15, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-12/ most-americans-are-single-dot-what-does-it-mean-for-the-economy

Underhill, Paco. 1999. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Stephens, D. L. (2016). Essentials of consumer behavior. Taylor & Francis Group. Created from auckland on 2021-11-22 02:04:28.

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