1. Chapter 6 The American Society: Families and Households

2. The Household Influences Most Consumption Decisions
Household purchases and consumption behavior
Marketing strategy
Structure of household unit
Stage of the household life cycle
Household decision process
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998

3. Types of Households
Family household is a household unit that consists of two or more related persons.
Nuclear family consists of a married couple with their own or adopted children.
Extended family household includes the nuclear family plus additional relatives.
Nonfamily households are made up of persons living alone or with other non-relatives.
Blended family consists of a couple living with children from a previous marriage.

4. Family and Nonfamily Households: 2000-2010
Percent
Number Percent Number Percent Change
(000) (000)
All Households
Families
Married couples
Children under 18 at home
Children over 18 at home
No children under 18 at home
Single fathers
Single mothers
Other families
Nonfamilies
Men living alone
Women living alone
Other nonfamilies
110,140
77,705
60,969
24,286
5,318
31,365
1,523
7,473
7,741
32,434
10,898
16,278
5,258
100.0%
70.6
55.4
22.1
4.8
28.5
1.4
6.8
7.0
29.4
9.9
14.8
117,696
80,193
61,266
23,433
6,884
30,950
1,660
7,779
9,488
37,503
12,577
18,578
6,347
6.9%
3.2
0.5
(3.5)
(1.3)
9.0
4.1
22.6
18.0
15.4
14.1
20.7
68.1
52.1
19.9
5.8
26.3
6.6
8.1
31.9
10.7
15.8
5.4
Source: Adapted from “The Future of Households,” American Demographics,
December 1993, p. 29.

5. Average Size of American Household
Source: D. Crispell, “How Small a Household?,” American Demographics, August 1994, p. 59.

6. Stages of the Household Life Cycle
Stage Marital Status Children at Home Single Married None < 6 years > 6 years
Younger(<35)
Single I
Young married
Full nest I
Single parent I
Middle-aged (35-64)
Single II
Delayed full nest I
Full nest II
Single parent II
Empty nest I
Older (>64)
Empty nest II
Single III
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998

7. Household Life Cycle/Social Stratification Matrix
Stage of House-
hold Life Cycle Social Class
Lower- Upper- Lower- Upper-
Lower Lower Working Middle Upper Upper
Single I
Young married
Full nest I
Single parent I
Single II
Delayed full nest I
Full nest II
Single parent II
Empty nest I
Single III
Empty nest II
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998

8. The Household Decision-Making Process for Children’s Products
6-7
Influencers
(children)
Communications
targeted at children
(taste, image)
Initiators (parents,
(children)
Decision makers (parents, children)
Purchasers
(parents)
User
(children)
Communications
targeted at parents
(nutrition)
Information
gatherers
(parents)
Copyright © 2001 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. Joint Decision Making Buyer User Decision Maker Influencer Gatekeeper
One Either Both
Dominant Autonomic Syncratic

10. Husband/Wife Decision Roles for Services
6-8
Vacation Insurance Child’s School Made the purchase
Husband
Husband and Wife
Wife
Decided when to buy
Choice
Initiated the idea 24 46 29 20 63 14 23 48 27 25 50 22 39 44 17 42 45 12 34 2 41 3 54 4 35 51 42 42 15
Source: M. R. Stafford, G. K. Ganesh, and B. C. Garland, “Marital Influence in the Decision-Making Process for Services,” Journal of Services Marketing 10, no. 1 (1996), p. 15.

11. Family Decision Making
Determinants of Family Purchase Roles:
Culture and Subculture
Role Specialization
Involvement
Personal Characteristics
Conflict Resolution within Family Decision Making:
Bargaining
Impression Management
Use of Authority
Reasoning
Playing on Emotion
Providing Additional Information

12. Marketing Strategy Based on the Family Decision-Making Process
Segment:_______________________
Family Marketing
Family Members’ Strategy
Stage in the Members Motivation and
Decision Process Involved and Interests Tactics
Problem recognition
Information search
Alternative evaluation
Purchase
Use/Consumption
Disposition
Evaluation
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998

13. Consumer Socialization
Consumer socialization is the process by which people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes relevant to their functioning as consumers in the marketplace.
Instrumental training occurs when a parent or sibling specifically and directly attempts to bring about certain responses through reasoning or reinforcement.
Modeling occurs when a child learns appropriate consumption behaviors by observing others.
Mediation occurs when a parent alters a child’s initial interpretation of, or response to, a marketing stimuli.