1. What Role Should Consumerism Play in our Economy? Chapter 7

2. Consumerism Consumerism is an economic theory that links prosperity (wealth) to consumer demand for goods and services, and that makes consumer behavior central to economic decision making. – HUH?!

3. Consumerism Basically the more people buy, the better it is for the economy. OR IS IT? When you buy good and services you become a consumer. Can you tell how much money someone has from what they buy/their lifestyle?

4. – Have you ever thought about what influences you as a consumer? – Quality, price, brand name, laws, health and safety. – Is consumerism a good thing or a bad thing? Is consumerism a good thing or a bad thing?

5. Consumer Choices Why would you choose a Aquafina bottle over a refillable bottle? Why would you buy Nalgene bottle and not a “no name” brand? What impact does your choice have on the environment?

6. Consumerism…

7. More Powerful… Than any cause. Than any religion. Has created unsustainable inequalities.

8. Lets Think…. What challenges and opportunities can consumerism create? To what extent does consumer behavior affect jobs and products available to people? Why might understanding the role of marketing be important to you as the consumer? How can consumers act together to bring about change?

9. How does Consumer Behavior Affect Quality of Life for Individual and Groups in Canada and in the U.S.? Why do we buy the things we do? What is the connection between the consumer and the economy? What techniques do marketers use to influence the consumer? How does the government influence consumers?

10. What Guides Your Behavior as a Consumer? Its Saturday afternoon and your going to WEM. By some miracle, you have money to spend! Why will you spend the money on the products you buy? What will influence you? – How will your identity (who you are, what you believe in, the groups you belong to) come into play? – How much will you consider your health? – How does choosing a product affect the jobs people have? – How does choosing a product affect the environment? – How will marketing affect what you buy? – Do you really NEED to buy anything at all?

11. How does milk affect our quality of life?

12. Factor 1, Identity

16. Factor 2- Health and Safety How much will you consider your health, safety, and security when buying products?

17. Health & Safety: Labeling Best before Refrigeration Ingredients Pasteurization

18. Good for you… 16 essential nutrients Calcium

20. Hormones? Antibiotics?

22. Should HUMANS drink the milk of other animals?

23. Is milk racist? Milk’s “privileged” dietary position reflects cultural privilege- a “white” imperialism. Majority of Asian, African, Mexican and Aboriginal people are lactose intolerant.

24. Is milk racist? 2005 study 61% of people lactose intolerant. 2015 study, 2% in Denmark, 100% in Africa.

26. Lactase An enzyme required to digest lactose that many humans stop producing after being weaned.

27. Calcium Paradox Recognized by the World Health Organization that nations with the highest dairy consumption have the highest rates of bone fractures. Scientific Fact: More calcium in vegetables than milk.

28. Negatives? International correlational studies have linked higher milk consumption with cancers, including breast and prostate cancers.

31. How does legislation affect consumer behavior? Many consumers make bad decisions that can negatively impact the quality of life of society. In such cases, it is necessary to have consumer safety legislation in place to protect citizens. Governments in CAN and USA support consumers by: (examples ?) – Encouraging a healthy economy – so consumers can afford quality-made goods. – Assist consumers in making informed decisions – product labeling and safety standards laws – Ensure consumer protection – environmental standards, fraud and counterfeit laws

32. Factor 3- Jobs How does choosing a product affect the jobs people have?

33. What if people stopped drinking cow milk? Dairy farmers would lose their jobs. Factories which process and package the milk would close. Milk lobby?

34. What if people stopped drinking cow milk? Possible increase in soy milk/almond milk, etc. production jobs.

35. Consumer choices affect the job market Consumer spending dictates which sectors of the economy and types of industries will experience growth. Industries in which many jobs are available (labor shortage) will usually be producing a good or service in high demand. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of economic activity in the USA and 60% in Canada. Both governments watch consumer spending closely to judge economic growth (degree to which a country’s wealth increases over time).

36. Government Subsidies Dairy is a supply -managed commodity in Canada, excluded from NAFTA

37. Government Subsidies Imports are limited and domestic marked is fiercely protected by Canadian dairy conglomerates.

38. Factor 4-The Environment How important to you are the environmental impacts of products and services?

39. 1 gallon of milk 1000 gallons of water. Feeding cows- more resources than feeding humans? The poop (polluting water supply) and farts (methane) Transport?

40. The environmental impact of consumerism The production, packaging and sale of all products you buy have an impact on the environment Legislation in both Canada and the USA has been passed to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices – Ex) Energuide labels on appliances Many companies have shifted toward environmentally friendly products due to consumer demand – Ex) organic food

41. Factor 5-Marketing How will marketing affect what you buy? Do you really need to buy anything at all?

46. Why is milk its own food group? High in calcium, but pumkin seeds are high in magnesium, and they’re not their own food group. Should milk just be part of protein group?

47. Is milk essential? Contains “16 essential” nutrients Leafy greens, nuts, dried basil- higher in the nutrients, healthier & more easily absorbed.

48. What happens when sales drop? Sales of milk have been declining. Rebrand!!

49. The new Gatorade?

51. Premium “super-milk” Selling a life-style 50% more protein 30% more calcium 50% less sugar 100% the price

52. School milk programs- “Dairy Goodness”

53. Who is really making our consumer decisions? Marketing – the way in which companies convey knowledge about their product to the masses (with the goal of influencing consumer choices). Marketing (also known as advertising) has become a huge industry in itself – employing millions of people working to attract your $$$. These people work to manipulate consumer behavior.

54. Cartoons about Consumerism Examine the cartoons presented on p. 256 of your textbook. What issues about consumer behavior do they raise? Consumerism and Identity computer assignment

55. Boycott Milk? to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a way of protesting : to stop using the goods or services of (a company, country, etc.) until changes are made.

57. GDP

59. Is it time to change our buying habits? Think back to a recent purchase. Lets Create a chart that shows: – The materials used from start to finish – Where these materials come from – How they are used to create the finished product – Effects these materials have on environment after disposal

60. Marketing Analysis Identify which advertising techniques you see in each of the following ads: – Quaker Oats Quaker Oats – Sprite Sprite – McCain McCain – Slap Chop Slap Chop

61. Ad Analysis Assignment Find TWO ads in a magazine or newspaper Outline what each ad is selling and what specifically is being highlighted about the product or service. Identify the marketing techniques used in each advertisement Who is the ad aimed at? Why might this ad help sell the product?

62. Factor 1- Identity The choices we make as consumers affect our identity. Think about the clothing you are wearing today. What do the clothes you are wearing say about beliefs and values, and what you consider to be important to your quality of life? Read the comments made by the grade 9 students on pg 244-245. they each have a different view on how clothing represents their identity – What do these view say about their behavior as consumers? – How do these ideas compare to your own?

63. How do advertisers target teens? Warning : Some Graphic Language and Scenes Merchants of Cool 1/6 Merchants of Cool 2/6 Merchants of Cool 3/6 Merchants of Cool 4/6 Merchants of Cool 5/6 Merchants of Cool 6/6

64. Consumerism and Identity Assignment Research a specific brand/product that you purchase regularly. Find a print ad or use the Internet to obtain an ad for the brand/product that you can include with your product. Use the attached planner to record your ideas and guide your research. Due tomorrow Not used 2016

65. Consumerism and Income Lets the cartoon on p. 258-260 of your textbook. – What influences John’s behaviour as a consumer? – How does his income affect his decisions?

66. What is GDP?? Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a per capita (per person) measure of the wealth a country’s economy produces. For example, GDP in 2007: – Canada: $33 000 – USA: $46 000 – Mexico: $12 500

67. The higher the GDP, the more consumption!

68. Income Disparity Disparity – difference, inequality Not everyone living within the same region experiences the same prosperity. – For example: inner-city Edmonton vs. the suburbs Factors increasing the likelihood of poverty include: – Low education – Single-parent families – Member of at-risk group: elderly, refugees

69. How can consumerism empower groups? Consumers in Canada and the USA have the right to: safe products Ex) regulation of food information about the products Ex) laws against false advertising choice between multiple products Ex) anti-trust laws to prevent monopolies be heard; to voice their concerns Ex) creations of government agencies to voice consumer concerns

70. Protecting the Consumer Consumer advocates fight for more government controls and regulations to ensure consumer safety. Example - Ralph Nadar – Ralph Nader took on General Motors, criticizing automakers’ resistance to update safety features in his book Unsafe at Any Speed

71. Governments respond to consumer pressure because if they do not give them what they want, they face consequences come election time!

72. Therefore, there must be balance! The task of balancing the rights of consumers, the rights of businesses and the involvement of government in an economy is a difficult one! In a market economy, the rights of business and the rights of consumers should naturally come to equilibrium with limited government intervention.

73. Boycotting A boycott is a form of consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country. Ex) PETA encourages people to avoid buying fur Olympic Boycott

74. Other Examples… Read through the case studies on p. 263. To what extent do the boycotts described reflect collective identity?

75. The Story of Stuff Watch the video and make notes about each concept.