Personal Value Influences on Consumer Product Class and Brand PReferences

Abstract

Summary Four hypotheses were tested which relate to values as basic criterion variables for market segmentation, and a fifth hypothesis was tested regarding the usefulness of values in enriching market segmentation. The research investigated market segmentation procedures at two levels—product class preference and brand preference within a class—for three products: automobiles, underarm deodorants, and weekend recreation activities. The Rokeach value scale was sent to 830 consumer panel members. Several months later each third of the panel received a one-product survey concerning class and brand choice criteria, beliefs, preferences, intentions, and past behavior. Consumer value structures were found to be linked to the importance of choice criteria for product classes and brands. Value structures were not found to relate to product class and brand preferences or intentions. The preference and intention variables may be too far removed cognitively from values for segmentation based on them to be effective.