Will the Real Consumer Activist Please Stand up: An Examination of Consumers' Opinions about Marketing Practices

• Published in: Journal of marketing research Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 319 - 324
• Main Authors: Hustad, Thomas P., Pessemier, Edgar A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago American Marketing Association 01-08-1973; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Activists; Advertising; Advertising research; Attitudes; Cluster analysis; Consumer attitudes; Consumer economics; Consumer research; Consumerism; Consumers; Industrial marketing; Marketing; Pharmaceutical industry; Research Notes and Communications; Socioeconomics; Television industry
• ISSN: 0022-2437; 1547-7193
• DOI: 10.1177/002224377301000316

THE TOPIC OF CONSUMERISM, WHILE FREQUENTLY DISCUSSED IN THE MEDIA, HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN ADDRESSED BY FORMAL MARKET RESEARCH. IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF 1970, A LARGE CONSUMER STUDY WAS COMPLETED AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY BY PESSEMIER, DEBRUICKER, AND HUSTAD IN WHICH EXTENSIVE ACTIVITY AND ATTITUDE MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FOR 912 HUSBAND AND WIFE PAIRS. IN ADDITION TO STANDARD SOCIOECONOMIC DATA, PRODUCT USAGE RATE DATA, AND OTHER TRADITIONAL MEASURES, THE SUBJECTS PROVIDED DETAILED RECORDS OF THEIR ATTITUDES AND ACTIVITIES RELATING TO SIX PRODUCT CATEGORIES, AND AN EXTENSIVE SET OF TOPICS WHICH WERE LESS PRODUCT-AND-MEDIA SPECIFIC. A DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE DESIGN, THE INSTRUMENTS EMPLOYED, AND THE RELIABILITY OF THE DATA IS PROVIDED. THE PRINCIPAL FINDINGS OF THIS ANALYSIS OFFER LITTLE COMFORT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. ANTIBUSINESS CONSUMERS CANNOT BE WRITTEN OFF AS A DISSIDENT ELEMENT AMONG LIFES LOSERS. THEY ARE MORE ACCURATELY DESCRIBED AS AN ACTIVIST, AVANT-GARDE SEGMENT OF SOCIETY, WITH BOTH THE MOTIVATION AND THE CAPACITY TO INSTITUTE CHANGE.