Family Influences

Introduction:

A family is a social group in which all members influence and are influenced by one another. Family relationships are more robust than those of any other group. When it comes to purchasing things and services for common use, all members of the family act as a single decision unit. Depending on his or her position, life cycle stage, and relationship dynamics in the family, each family member influences and is influenced by others. As a result, the family effect on consumer behaviour may be explored by looking at a family member’s purchasing roles, family dynamics, and life cycle stage. By far, the most crucial reference group is the family. For most consumer items, it is also the most basic consumption unit. Individual family members’ consumption patterns are rarely independent of other family or household members.

The family has a significant impact on its members’ purchasing habits. Numerous examples of how its members influence a family’s eating habits. A child learns how to enjoy candy by watching and listening to his or her elder brother or sister; a child learns how to use and value money by watching and listening to his or her parents. Consumption decisions such as buying a new car, going on a vacation, or deciding whether to attend a local or out-of-town college are typically made in the context of a family. The family frequently provides opportunities for product testing and exposure and instils consumption values in its members. The family is a primary target for marketing many products and services since it is a key consumer unit. A marketer needs to understand the family structure and consumption patterns. He should comprehend the concept of a family, which is a subset of the home. A household comprises folks who live and occupy a housing unit. Both nuclear and extended families are included. For most consumable commodities, a household is the basic consumption unit. Households use more than people, such as homes, automobiles, electrical appliances, washing machines, and so on. Many objects can be shared and owned in a house, whereas people may not own many of these goods separately.

Types of Families:

• A nuclear family consists of a husband, a wife, and their children. It is made up of two individuals of the opposite sex who live with their children in a socially acceptable sex relationship.
• A joint family consists of a nuclear family and other relatives such as the husband’s or wife’s parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Family Decision-making and Consumption-related Roles:

To segment the market, marketers must understand the notion of the household or family life cycle. Wells and Gubar developed eight stages to explain the life cycle of a family in 1966. Families go through the following stages of the life cycle.

Researchers have proposed more modernised family life cycle categories due to changes in demography after 1980. In India, these trends are noticeable among urban-educated families. Some households, such as unmarried couples living together, are typically frowned upon, whereas married couples who choose not to have children make up a small portion of the population.

Non-traditional Household Lifecycle

Nature of Family Purchases and Decision-making:

Much depends on financial constraints and family obligations, influencing many families’ purchasing decisions. As previously stated, young bachelors and newly married young couples (if both are employed) are likely to have sizeable discretionary cash.

Family decision-making occurs when two or more family members directly or indirectly participate in the decision-making process. In many ways, such family decisions differ from individual decisions. Consider the following scenario: When purchasing a bicycle for a youngster, some essential factors include: who recognises the need for a bicycle? How is a brand chosen?

Some family purchases are intrinsically emotional and impact family ties. Purchasing new clothing or a bicycle for your child is more than a usual purchase. It is frequently a show of affection and dedication to the child. The decision to purchase a new audio system or television set affects others in the household. The core cause of many marital squabbles is frequently tied to money. The decision-making process for children’s items is depicted in the diagram.

Family Decision–Making for Children’s Products

When both partners are relatively inexperienced, joint decisions are more likely to be made in the early phases of the family life cycle. After gaining experience, they frequently delegate duties for purchasing decisions to one another. When children enter the picture, both husband and wife take on new responsibilities. In the early life cycle phases, the husband is more influential; however, after a long time, the wife is more likely to become increasingly important, mainly if she is employed and has some financial control over family purchasing decisions.

Husband-wife Influences:

Gender role preferences show attitudes on the roles of husband/wife and father/mother in the home that are culturally established. According to

(1) the nature of the product,

(2) the nature of purchase influence and

(3) family characteristics, the relative effect of husband/wife or father/mother is likely to differ.

1. Nature of Product:

Harry L Davis and Benny P. Rigaux undertook a detailed study of husband/wife influences by product category and classified products into four categories:

1. These are products for which the husband’s influence tends to dominate the decision-making. Such products include hardware, sports equipment, men’s shaving products etc.
2. Products for which the influence of the wife tends to dominate the decision-making process. Examples of such products are women’s clothing, kitchenware, child clothing, etc.
3. Products for which decisions are made by either the husband or the wife (autonomous decisions). These products may include women’s jewellery, cameras, men’s clothing etc.
4. These are the products for which the husband and wife make joint decisions. Examples include refrigerators, financial planning, and family cars.

2. Nature of Purchasing Influence:

The differentiation of roles is believed to result from small group interaction. Emerging leaders take up either instrumental or expressive roles. Leaders taking up instrumental roles are concerned with tasks that help the group decide its primary purpose or goal (also called functional or task leaders).

3. Family Characteristics:

The third reason for variation in the relative influence of husband and wife relates to family characteristics. Though husband and wife tend to dominate decisions for certain product categories, the degree of their dominance may vary within different families. In patriarchal families (the father is the dominant member), the husband dominates decisions irrespective of the product category under purchase consideration. In matriarchal families (the mother is the dominant member), the wife plays the dominant role and tends to make most of the decisions.

Parent-child Influences:

Children are said to rely more on their parents for standards and values when they are younger than on their peer group as they age.

• Children’s Influence on the Purchasing Process

The influence of children on the purchasing process varies considerably based on their age and the product category under consideration.

Children, for example, are more inclined to purchase soft beverages, apparel, music recordings, and other similar products, and they may exert influence over their parents’ purchasing of these products. Compared to youngsters aged 11 or 12, the influence of youngsters aged 5 or 7 is likely less on the purchasing process.

Mothers are more likely to comply with requests from older children, but older children make fewer requests because they are more independent. Older youngsters rely on their peers for information rather than their parents.

Due to an increase in working parents, much of the shopping obligation has been pushed to teens. Teenage females not only assist with shopping, but they also spend time preparing meals for the family at home. Teenagers have a say in family decisions about automobiles, television sets, computers, and family trips.

Many businesses try to influence children’s consumer socialisation so that they recognise brand names and businesses at a young age. Children’s marketing is based on pleasant themes.

Children of various ages account for a sizable industry. Many critics argue that young children’s ability to digest information and make intelligent purchasing decisions is restricted.

Consumer Socialisation of Children:

Consumer socialisation is the process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes relevant to their functioning as consumers in the marketplace.

Ø  Parents’ Role in Consumer Socialisation

 Carlson and Grossbart have identified four types of parents in their study of parents’ role in children’s socialisation.

1. Authoritarian Parents: Such parents tend to exercise a high degree of control over their children and expect total obedience from them. They attempt to protect children from outside
2. Neglecting Parents: These parents do not show much concern for their children and neglect them. They show little concern for controlling the children or encouraging their capabilities.
3. Democratic Parents: Parents who take this approach encourage a balance between their own and their children’s rights and encourage children’s self-expression.
4. Permissive Parents: Such parents believe in as much freedom as possible for children without putting their safety in

Ø  Methods of Socialisation:

As their children progress through consumer socialisation, parents teach them both directly and indirectly relevant consumption behaviour, consciously and unconsciously. Professor James U. McNeal and his colleagues devised a five-stage procedure, as depicted in Table.