Today, more and more Websites provide digital music with MP3 formats on the Internet. MP3 is a format that can compress the digital files. Without this format the music program would be overlarge, and the small transmission capacity of the World Wide Web would be insufficient to support such a device. With this technological improvement, the consumers will be benefited from the conveniency of MP3, while the records companies would be threatened by the challenge confronted with the music industry. On the one hand, MP3 may reduce the sales of CDs in the market. On the other hand, it may help bring about various advantages for the record companies in terms of decreasing the marketing cost. This thesis aims to discuss the effect of the use of MP3 on CD consumption behavior by surveying the users of the MP3 Websites. The research is based on a well-designed questionnaire on the Internet. Through the promotion in thirteen days, it is received 1532 reply of the questionnaire, and there are 1293 entities considered to be valid samples for the study. The result shows that the correlation between the MP3 use and the CD consumption behavior is positive. That is to say, the users who spend longer time in MP3 Websites will buy more CDs. The more the use frequency of MP3 Websites is, the more the frequency of CD consumption. By comparing those who bought CDs with those who did not during the past twelve months, we find that the former spend longer time in MP3 Websites. To analyze the consumer's recognition about the influence of MP3 use on CD consumption behavior, our study shows that the consumers think the MP3 Websites use will not effect the CD consumption behavior. It further demonstrates an increasing tendency that the more CDs the consumers purchase, the less influence they think of the MP3 use. Therefore, according to the research, the conclusion of this thesis stands to argue that the use of MP3 Websites will not reduce the CD sales, but rather the records companies may take great advantages of it by promoting the CD market through the performance of MP3 in the Internet.

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Avec le plus grand et le plus diversifié nombre d’immigrants et d’étrangers en Europe, la France représente un segment de marché viable et inexploité. Le marketing ethnique, élaboré par plusieurs acteurs du marché, a pour objectif de développer de nouveaux segments de marché, ou de couvrir l’ensemble du marché en tenant compte de la croissance multi-ethnnique en réalité. L’objectif de notre travail est de mesurer l’identité ethnique de la population ethnique en France, leurs facteurs de socialisation, leur comportement de consommation ethnique en général, et leur consommation d’aliments ethniques en particulier, ainsi que de déterminer les influences de ces facteurs. Cette recherche s’inscrit dans une démarche hypothético-déductive et est structurée en deux parties théorique et empirique pour servir l’objectif visé. La première partie est consacrée à l’analyse du contexte général, à la revue de la littérature et à l’élaboration d’un modèle conceptuel de l’identité ethnique, des facteurs de socialisation et de leurs impacts sur les comportements de consommation ethnique et sur la consommation d’aliments ethniques. Seront analysées la théorie de l’identité sociale [Henry Taifel & John C. Tuner 1970], la théorie du développement de l'identité qui se compose de la théorie de l'ego identité [Erik Erikson 1986] et des recherches empiriques sur l'identité personnelle [Marcia, 1980] et le développement de l'identité ethnique [ Phinney et Ong, 2007] ; la théorie de la culture, sous-culture, contre-culture, acculturation, ainsi qu'une connaissance approfondie de l'ethnicité, l'identité ethnique et le marketing ethnique. La partie empirique sera consacrée à la collecte, le traitement et l’analyse de données, qui serviront à vérifier non seulement les variables du modèle conceptuel, mais aussi les hypothèses des relations entre elles. Les résultats de notre étude sur la population ethnique en France ont confirmé nos hypothèses de manière générale. Ils sont utiles en termes de contribution théorique et managériale car ils aident à mettre en évidence quelques stratégies pour le marketing ethnique associé à l'identité ethnique, les comportements de consommation ethnique et la consommation d'aliments ethniques. / As a country with biggest number of immigrants in Europe, France has been so far known with its multiple ethnic populations, in which the ethnic minority represents a viable and untapped market segment. As a result, ethnic marketing has been developed correspondingly by several market agents who would like either to pursue new market segment or strive to cover the whole market while taking into account of growing multi-ethnic reality in France. The objective of this research is to measure ethnic identity of ethnic population in France, their socialization factors, their ethnic consumption behavior in general and their ethnic food consumption in particular, as well as to determine the influences of these factors. Applying a hypothetico-deductive approach, both theoretical and empirical investigations are conducted to serve the mentioned objective. The first part is a literature review, helpful in developing a conceptual model of ethnic identity, socialization factors and their impacts on ethnic consumption behavior and ethnic food consumption. It includes the social identity theory [Henry Taifel & John C. Tuner, 1970]; identity development theory which consists of theory on ego identity [Erik Erikson, 1986] and empirical researches on personal identity [Marcia, 1980] and ethnic identity development [Phinney & Ong, 2007]; theory on culture, sub-culture, counter-culture, acculturation; as well as in depth knowledge on ethnicity, ethnic identity, and ethnic marketing. Whereas empirical part involves data collection, processing and analysis, which servethe purpose of verifying not only variables of the conceptual model, but also the hypotheses on the relationships between them. The results of the survey on ethnic population in France have confirmed these hypotheses. They are useful in terms of theoretical contribution, as well as from the point of management since they help highlighting some strategies for ethnic marketing in associated with ethnic identity, ethnic consumption behavior and ethnic food consumption.

No description available.

This bachelor is a qualitative study about the social phenomena social media and how it affects young women’s consumption behavior and self-identity. The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how young women experience that social media affects their consumption behavior and self-identity. Hence the research questions will be the following: In what way do young women experience that their consumption patterns are influenced by social media? Do young women experience that social media, in a positive or negative sense, influences their attitudes and attitudes towards their identity and body? The study is based on six semi-structured interviews with women in the ages of 18-30. The theories being used are Erving Goffman's dramaturgical perspective, Anthony Giddens modernity and self-identity, Uses and Gratification Theory and previous research, using a thematic approach. The results show that women experience that social media influences their consumption behavior, there are also both positive and negative impacts about how it affects their self-identity.

Sport team fans identify with a team and continually internalize their favorite team as part of their self-concept (Wann, Melnick, Russel, & Pease, 2001). However, individuals simultaneously act different from the group to fulfill a psychological need to be distinct and unique (e.g., Brewer, 1991). The majority of prior studies in sport consumption behavior have emphasized that the sense of belonging to a sport team significantly influences a fan’s attitude toward the team and consequent sport consumption behaviors. Beyond the fan-team relationship, there has been limited research on why an individual fan behaves differently from others in the group, specifically why and how sport fans assert their personal and collective selves while in groups. Furthermore, fans attach not only to their favorite sport teams, but also to a fan community which support the team. Under the optimal distinctiveness framework, group dynamics are conceptualized as perceived interchangeability of group inclusion to the same group and interindividual differences (Simon & Kampmeier, 2001). This notion highlights the opposing forces or needs between fan distinctiveness (FD), to be distinct from other group members, and fan inclusiveness (FI), to be similar to other group members, as mutual determinants of the interpersonal self. Thus, the purpose of this research is to explore the psychological mechanism through which sport fans in a fan group balance two conflicting needs of group dynamics to make a decision on team apparel consumption. This was accomplished through two studies. Study 1 employed a survey design to confirm the established evidence on the effects of team identification on team merchandise consumption behaviors in prior sport management studies. It also uncovered the role of group dynamics in sport fans’ team apparel consumption behavior. Findings of Study 1 showed that the mechanism of group dynamics was induced by a level of FI, FD, or both. With a sequential association from university identification (UID) to team identification (TID), the group dynamics were shown to significantly influence team apparel consumption behavior. Study 2 replicated the findings of Study 1 with undergraduate students and National Football League (NFL) fans across group contexts. Study 2 was implemented with the same measurement items to investigate whether the effect of group dynamics on team apparel consumption are moderated by social visibility as a situational cue as well as a boundary condition. Study 2 provided additional evidence of the mechanism underlying the impact of group dynamics on team apparel consumption across two different research contexts. The overarching theoretical implication is that the mediator (group dynamics) and moderators (social visibility and context) influence sport fans’ team apparel consumption behaviors. The pendulum effect between the opposing forces of FI and FD in terms of group dynamics provide an insightful idea to extend optimal distinctiveness theory (ODT) framework and advance the theory. FD and FI play a key role in predicting fan unique team apparel consumption behavior. Moreover, if one of the needs, either FD or FI, are too dominate, the pendulum effect will help balance the needs out. The existing concept of group dynamics explains why sport fans seek unique team products, but cannot account for the traditional perspective of TID to consumption behavior models. Therefore, the current findings further understanding of why and how individuals within a group of fans consume team products based on their unique balance between group inclusiveness and personal distinctiveness. The findings will provide practical guidelines for both teams and sports brand marketers to understand the desire of sophisticated consumers to signal their individuality and what products and services should be offered according to the context-specific need. / Tourism and Sport

The first objective of this research was to identify whether Asian-Americans having higher than average levels of income and education represent an appropriate target market for four food product categories. Second, the impact of national origin membership, demographic variables, and level of acculturation on food consumption was determined. In addition, perceptions related to sensory and nutritional factors and the cultural acceptability of the products were identified and interpreted to determine if the variables differed among specific groups of Asian-American consumers.

<p>I present a framework that describes how perceived discrepancies from an ideal, or hoped-for, self influence how people view and behave with products associated with identity attainment (i.e., "symbolic props"). In the first half of this framework, I demonstrate that individuals who perceive that they are more discrepant from their aspired identity (i.e., more aspirationally discrepant individuals) view symbolic props as more "instrumental," or useful, in helping them achieve identity goals. I demonstrate that this effect is egocentric, mediated by motivation, and only occurs when the perceived rate of progress toward one's aspirational goals is high enough to merit engagement toward the goal. In the second half of the framework, I show that for more aspirationally discrepant individuals, the use of symbolic props may actually limit effort on goal-relevant tasks. These studies suggest an ironic effect whereby aspirational discrepancy may lead to acquisition of goal-relevant props to the detriment of performance-relevant effort.</p> / Dissertation

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between American students and Asian international students' frequency of sport spectating, motivation, team identification, future behavior and perceived barriers to attending intercollegiate sporting events. This study designed to provide sport marketers and athletic directors within intercollegiate programs a more comprehensive understanding of Asian international students and American students' characteristics by comparing the differences of spectating behavior, team identification, motivation and potential barriers between the groups. The results of this study show that there were significant differences on the variables between groups. Two groups differed on frequency of attending, frequency of watching, education, income, and marital status. Moreover, American students scored significantly higher on the motivation, team identification and future behavior than Asian international students. On the other hand, Asian international students scored significantly higher on the barrier factor than American students.

[pt] Embora muito se fale hoje a respeito da Geração Y, estudos acadêmicos voltados para esses consumidores ainda são escassos no Brasil. Descritos, em geral, como sendo individualistas, tecnológicos e tolerantes à diversidade, suas características ainda geram controvérsia, desde o período de nascimento – para alguns, a partir de 1977; para outros, a partir de 1985 – até seu comportamento – uns descrevem-nos como bem comportados, trabalhadores em equipe e moralistas (Howe e Strauss, 2000); outros como egocêntricos, superficiais e rebeldes (Twenge, 2006). Por outro lado, a questão do individualismo na sociedade brasileira ainda é cercada de incertezas, uma vez que a maioria dos estudos acadêmicos, voltada predominantemente para a América do Norte, Europa e Ásia (Gouveia, 2002), cria uma quase dicotomia entre sociedades individualistas e coletivistas, a partir de características de americanos/europeus e asiáticos. Esse trabalho, com base em entrevistas qualitativas conduzidas junto a jovens de classe AB residentes em uma grande cidade brasileira e com idades entre 23 e 34 anos, avalia seu comportamento e sua percepção em relação à sociedade na qual estão inseridos. Voltado para a investigação de aspectos do individualismo, tais como relação interpessoal (instabilidade das relações, pequenos e grandes grupos, família), competitividade (formação acadêmica, introdução ao mundo profissional, pressões por sucesso) e hedonismo (imediatismo, preocupação com a beleza, instabilidade nas escolhas) e permeando características como forma de comunicação (redes sociais, celulares, mensagens de texto), diversidade (homossexualismo, internacionalidade, tribos) e consumo (consumismo, status), tem-se um panorama dos valores desses jovens brasileiros, que percebem a invasão do individualismo no seu dia-a-dia e não só se adaptam a ele de formas variadas, mas desenvolvem diferentes níveis de questionamento em relação ao tema. Foram observados no individualismo brasileiro aspectos híbridos que o diferenciam tanto do estilo norte-americano como do asiático, uma vez que, embora a competitividade, a superficialidade nos relacionamentos e a busca por status sejam uma percepção quase unânime, a necessidade de estabelecer laços, o incômodo decorrente da pressão por status e a falta de introspecção geram insatisfação, ansiedade e, muitas vezes, diferentes formas de se relacionar e de definir o que é verdadeiramente sucesso. Do ponto de vista de marketing, como essa investigação não se limita ao estudo da Geração Y, mas inclui a forma como o individualismo é percebido e absorvido por esse grupo, proporciona-se melhor direcionamento para o desenvolvimento de produtos e a elaboração de campanhas. Exemplo disso é o comercial de uma seguradora de saúde: você não precisa ser linda, ter um casamento maravilhoso e uma casa de revista para ser feliz, citado espontaneamente por mais de um entrevistado. Uma vez que, como pontua Triandis (2002), a tendência a sociedades individualistas é inevitável diante da maior complexidade do ambiente, o momento de ascensão do Brasil demanda maior compreensão desses aspectos para que as empresas possam usufruir de uma relação próxima e prazerosa junto a esses consumidores conectados e ansiosos por identidade. / [en] Although much is said today about Generation Y, academic studies aimed at these consumers are still scarce in Brazil. Described generally as being individualistic, technological and opened to diversity, their characteristics are still source of controversy, from the time of birth - for some, 1977; for others, 1985 - until their behavior - some describe them as being well behaved, team workers and moralists (Howe and Strauss, 2000); others as selfish, superficial and rebels (Twenge, 2006). On the other hand, the issue of individualism in Brazilian society is still surrounded by uncertainty, since the majority of academic studies, focused mainly to North America, Europe and Asia (Gouveia, 2002), creates an almost dichotomy between individualistic and collectives societies based on features of American/European and Asian countries. This work, based on qualitative interviews conducted with AB class young people residents in a large Brazilian city, with ages between 23 and 34 years, assesses their behavior and their perception of the society in which they belong. Focusing on research aspects of individualism, interpersonal relationship (relationship instability, in and out-groups, family), competitiveness (academic, professional life beginning, pressures for success) and hedonism (immediacy, worries with beauty, instability of choices) and permeating characteristics such as means of communication (social networking, cell phones, text messaging), diversity (homosexuality, internationality, tribes) and consumption (consumerism, status), this study draws a value landscape of these young Brazilians, who sense the invasion of individualism in their daily life and not just adapt to it in different ways, but develop different levels of questioning the issue. Hybrid aspects perceived in Brazilian individualism differentiate it from both the North American and Asian styles, since, although competitiveness, superficiality in relationships and the quest for status are an almost unanimous perception, the need to establish bonds, the unpleasantness caused by pressure for status and the lack of self-examination generate dissatisfaction, anxiety and, often, diverse ways to relate and define what success truly is. From the standpoint of marketing, as the research is not limited to the study of Generation Y but also includes how individualism is perceived and absorbed by this group, it provides greater guidance to product development and communication campaigns. One example is the advertising of a health insurer: You need not to be beautiful, have a marvelous marriage and a house out from magazine to be happy, mentioned spontaneously by more than one respondent. Since, as points out Triandis (2002), the tendency to individualistic societies is inevitable in complexity increasing environments, Brazilian improving moment demands greater understanding of these issues, so companies can enjoy a close and pleasurable relationship among these connected and eager for identity consumers.