Key Aspects of Consumer Behaviour in Vietnam - Coursework Example

Consumer Behaviour in Vietnam: Criteria for Selecting Concert and Movie Venues BY YOU YOUR ACADEMIC ORGANISATION HERE 15 January 2008 Consumer Behaviour in Vietnam Introduction In an effort to understand what drives consumer behaviour for individuals in Vietnam, a series of semi-structured interview questions and questionnaires were targeted at two specific people in this country. Both of the participants were of differing ages and genders in order to contribute to the body of literature regarding consumer behaviour patterns and the motivations which drive decision-making. Specifically, both participants were shown a list of local concerts with a widely-diverse genre and theme whilst also interviewed regarding their preferences for attending a live concert or movie event. This paper describes the responses of the recruited participants and offers a rather detailed analysis of the motivations which drove their decision-making. The Participants’ Responses Participant one was a Vietnamese woman of 48 years who suggested she was a frequent movie-goer. For the sake of anonymity, she will be referred to as “Anna”. Participant two was a Vietnamese male of 23 years who also attended the movie theater on a regular basis, who will be referred to as “Tim”. Anna indicated that the last film she attended was entitled Spider Man 3 which is a foreign film with a science-fiction and action theme. When Anna was asked to offer information as to what motivated her to see this particular film, she indicated two distinct reasonings: It had a great trailer advertisement and she loved action films produced in America. Anna heard about this film from a magazine which spotlighted upcoming American productions for exhibition in Vietnam and further indicated that she had conducted no further searches on Spider Man 3 after reading the magazine article. Anna indicated that she had expressed an interest in the film to several of her other female friends who were clearly disinterested in viewing the film with her. Anna suggested that she almost did not see the film based on their reluctance to attend it with her. Anna suggested that she thoroughly enjoyed the film and would actively seek out similar American films in the near future. She offered that she would be performing online searches for upcoming movies since she did not have much time on her hands to read magazines. Anna specifically highlighted pricing at the theater and whether it was domestic or foreign as her rationale for choosing such films. Tim attended a showing of Transformers, another American film, also with an action and sci-fi theme. Tim suggested that a roadside advertising display first made him want to see the film, making him check online sources for showtimes and for information about the plot. Tim mentioned that many of his friends thought the movie sounded interesting so he was able to get a large group together for the performance; consisting of all males. Tim mentioned that his mother and sister did not want to see the film with him but had no influence on his decision to see the movie. Tim thoroughly enjoyed the movie and indicated he would see this type of film again. Key issues affecting his decision were pricing, its special effects, and the American actors which he preferred over Vietnamese. Tim suggested that he often used the Internet and friends when deciding which future movies to attend. An In-Depth Analysis of Responses During the interview, Anna suggested that the limited availability of recreational activities in Vietnam was the primary motivation for selecting Spider Man 3 as her activity of choice. This participant indicated that her home life often becomes boring and stagnant which drives her to seek out alternative activities to prevent boredom and frustration, which served in her recognising that a problem existed from a personal level. Anna further offered that movies help her to escape into a fantasy environment where she is able to forget the troubles of her day and enjoy the artistic presentation of foreign-made films. One author offers that “the romantic embodiment of imagination and dreams exists through consumer behaviour in contemporary experiences of pleasurable activity” (Sedgwick, 1999: 92). Anna’s apparent desire for escapism and the captivation of her imagination were the most primary elements to understanding that a problem existed in which she needed to correct through recreation and theatre. Tim suggested that living at home with two females tended to make him feel frustrated because the conversation was always centered around situations which appealed to women. Movies such as Transformers appeared to give Tim a sensation of masculinity as he associated his desires with the action on screen. Lewis (1999) offers that many consumers define their own self-image by finding personal similarities to the images of a particular product, which Tim identified Transformers as representing the male persona and the embodiment of an inherent desire for action and adventure. The aforementioned opinion of Lewis would tend to support the notion that self-image and self-concept can be directly tied to the exploration of gathering information regarding the suitability of a particular movie or film. In addition, Tim’s searches for information on Transformers suggested a heavy brand familiarity by the time he had actually seen the film. Tsai, Liang & Liu (2007) suggest that higher brand awareness builds a stronger intention to buy the product. This might indicate that performing motivated searches can ultimately lead to making a final decision to choose the brand they are most aware of over their competing alternative options. Varey (2002) offers that consumer behaviour patterns are often based on past experiences and various cues which are directly stemming from the consumer’s lifestyle, which suggests that during the decision-making process and the weighing of alternatives, the customer directly links their own preferences with that of a problem or gap missing in their own lives. Tim and Anna were no exception to this notion as both were seeking stimulating or self-gratifying events in order to correct a negative problem. Both participants appeared to have a strong dislike for monotony, which initially drove their decision to find an activity which was suited to their unique preferences for action and the stimulation of imagination. In the search for alternative options, both Tim and Anna suggested that they put a great deal of effort into potential activities other than their original movie of choice. As previously indicated, Anna experienced a great deal of negative commentaries stemming from her close associates who believed that Spider Man 3 was not a worthwhile activity to attend, nearly foregoing the experience based on social expectations. This is supported by New Media Age (2007) which offers that recommendations from other consumers makes up approximately 78% of the influence in whether to choose one option or to reject it. This statistic is a somewhat overwhelming and surprising number which suggests that the majority of consumers actively gauge the advices of others as being both relevant and worthy of scrutiny. Though Anna ultimately rejected their advice and subsequently sought the movie as a worthwhile event, it does tend to illustrate that marketers should be actively aware of the impact of social forces when attempting to market various products to customers, even movies or concert events. Two marketing professionals offer that during the evaluation process in pursuit of alternative products many consumers look toward reference groups, including various celebrities or social acquaintances which drive consumer behaviour patterns (Boone & Kurtz, 2006; Boone & Kurtz, 2007). These authors support the opinion of New Media Age in relation to the dramatic influence of the social environment. Tim showed an extremely high preference for American-made films because of their high-profile celebrity attributes. Tim offered that an alternative selection he had considered was Mr. Bean’s Holiday, a movie about a rather obscure British actor in slapstick situations. During the non-structured portion of the interview, Tim specifically highlighted that the actor in that film was not as interesting as those in Transformers which would tend to support the position of Boone & Kurtz in the high significance of reference groups. This may be attributable to why American actors are so heavily publicised in Vietnam as many production firms are likely aware that American actors hold a significant meaning for this nation’s citizens. In fact, many foreign, high-profile actors are given even more promotion than local actors and actresses, lending further observational support to this assessment about consumer behaviour patterns and reference group consideration. Another interesting element of this study revolved around Tim’s apparent ease in recruiting other men to see Transformers. During the non-structured portion of the interview, Tim suggested that another movie he had seen recently had a trailer for the action movie that had caught the attention of himself and his friends (the same group as in this study). Hixson (2006) offers that moviegoers who share the same preference for similar genres have very similar reactions to different movie trailers over that of those who do not share a desire for the same theme. This suggestion may be attributable to Tim’s continuing reliance on social reference groups, using movies and movie trailers as a means to secure a connection with his other male acquaintances. This may tend to suggest that for males, the social forces which drive decision-making are just as strong as with women, making it potentially easier for movie marketers to use behaviour segmentation strategies as a means to drive revenue based on movie trailers, as was suggested by Hixson. After completing the ranking questionnaire in regards to preferred concert-types, the responses were radically different based on gender. Anna indicated a strong desire for the classical concerts over that of ethnically-motivated venues, ranking the Violin Live concert, the Symphony Live concert and the Piano Live concert the highest, proportionately. Tim indicated exactly the opposite, ranking Norway Live, Russia Live, and Young Talent Live as his proportionate first selections over that of classical concert venues. A recent study utilising a random sample of over 300 different university consumer demographics indicated that females attend classical concerts in an overwhelming proportion than males (Chen & Hu, 2006). Though this particular study involved individuals between the ages of 18 and 25, it does tend to illustrate that gender demographics play a significant role when determining what types of concerts to patronise. Post-questionnaire discussion indicated that Tim found all classical music to sound the same and that he found it difficult to pay high prices for concerts that had no coordinated dancing or other visual special effects such as lighting or pyrotechnics. In opposite accord, Anna found classical music to be calming and soothing, allowing her to indulge in her personality-related desire for escapism, again suggesting that lifestyle elements (or lack thereof) were the primary driver for desiring classical music venues over that of vibrant multi-faceted performances provided by shows such as Young Talent. Additional post-discussion results indicated that Tim felt that talent concerts were much cheaper in Vietnam that that of classical music, which Anna supported as well. Personal observation and experience from this researcher would suggest this as well. Boyle (2007) offered statistics from a recent study targeted at symphony orchestra concert-goers citing that those targeted over the age of 45 believed that pricing was a major consideration in the evaluation process. Fear of being unable to afford regular tickets to these events often drove consumers to reject classical venues in favour of less-expensive ones. Anna further offered support to this notion by stating that she had often skipped a desired concert because her budget could not sustain the luxury price and she did not prefer to sit far from the stage in a cheaper set of seats. This would all tend to suggest that in terms of concert attendance, pricing is a primary issue in whether to finally accept the product or search for a more viable alternative. Both Tim and Anna appear to rely on their social influences and reference groups, however Tim is much more focused on considering associate commentaries or suggestions than that of Anna. From a subjective viewpoint, this may have to do with lifestyle and the experience levels stemming from age demographic differences. Anna may have developed her own unique sense of personal satisfaction and self-image which relies less on reference groups than a more impressionable and younger Tim. Observation, subjectively, would seem to indicate that this is a valid assessment as Anna was much more relaxed and non-chalant about the entire interview and questionnaire session whilst Tim was less focused and more noticeably agitated. Hence, future researchers might wish to consider focusing questions toward how age demographics impact the inclusion of reference group opinions or expectations when making a selection as to whether or not to attend theatre or concerts in Vietnam. As this researcher is closely connected with the Vietnamese environment, it is more apparent that foreign filmmakers are using this country as a viable marketing opportunity which such studies could contribute to the body of literature on Vietnamese consumer behaviour patterns. Conclusion It is clear that demographics, personal lifestyle issues, reference groups, and more tangible elements of marketing directly impacted the buying behaviours of Tim and Anna in relation to movie and concert attendance. Tim much preferred movies with an action-oriented theme and utilised his positive connection with reference groups as a means to bolster support for seeing the film. This may suggest that young males of this demographic can be easily swayed by associate opinion and creating connection through movie trailers and other advertisements which may assist marketers in raising revenues by appealing to the mass mentality in young, male Taiwan. Though Tim is only a miniscule percentage of the total mentality of young men of this demographic in the country, it is a worthy objective for future study. Anna appeared less motivated by reference group opinions, but was highly driven by the need to make changes to boost satisfaction and imagination through movie-going. This, too, may be attributed to her unique gender and age demographic who are likely settled in their lifestyles (perhaps as in Anna’s case with a husband and a teen-aged child) who consider theatre as a means to distance themselves from a less-stimulating environment. Much like Tim, future studies for individuals of Anna’s demographic profile could potentially assist marketers in creating a series of advertisements which would assist in developing a stronger market opportunity in Vietnam. This study uncovered that the participants’ personalities were directly tied to their desire to attend a more illustrative concert performance or whether to select a more docile and classical venue. For future researchers, determining whether personality can be competently linked to preference would involve a higher sample population of diverse age groups and a quantitative approach to determining whether a correlation existed between concert choice and the degree to which a person is either more docile or aggressive in regards to entertainment choice. It is clear that American-made movies are the primary choice for this particular small sample which further creates an interesting opportunity for future research to determine whether this can be attributed to the majority of opinion in Vietnam. Such a study could be performed using a relatively simple survey targeted at a wide demographic, in a sample size of approximately 1,000 Vietnamese citizens. For other foreign companies looking to understand what drives consumer behaviour in this nation, such studies could be invaluable for exploring new market opportunities in Southeast Asia and in surrounding regional territories. Bibliography Boone, L. & Kurtz, D. (2006). Contemporary Marketing. 12th ed. United Kingdom, Thomson South-Western. Boone, L. & Kurtz, D. (2007). Contemporary Marketing. 13th ed. United Kingdom, Thomson South-Western. Boyle, Stephen. (2007). ‘Single serve or package deal? A study of regular attendees to symphony orchestra concerts’. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing. London. 12(2): 127-135. Chen, C. & Hu, H. (2006). ‘The attitudes of university students to classical music concerts: A study in consumer behaviour’. International Journal of Management. Poole. 23(2): 366-375. Hixson, Thomas Kim. (2006). ‘Mission possible: Targeting trailers to movie audiences’. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing. 14(3): 210-225. Lewis, Barbara R. (1999). The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Marketing. Oxford, UK, Blackwell Publishers: 205. New Media Age. (2006). ‘Analyst Speak: Consumers trust others’ opinions more than ads’. London, 6 Dec 2007: 10. Sedgwick, P.H. (1999). The Market Economy and Christian Ethics. New Studies in Christian Ethics. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press: 92. Tsai, M., Liang, W. & Liu, M. (2007). ‘The Effects of Subliminal Advertising on Consumer Attitudes and Buying Intentions’. International Journal of Management. Poole. 24(1): 3-15. Varey, Richard J. (2002). Marketing Communication: Principles and Practice. London, New York Routledge. Appendices A: Semi-Structured Portion of Interview Template: Questions Asked 1. What was the most recent concert or movie that you attended? 2. What was the genre/theme of the film? 3. What made you want to see this particular concert or film? 4. How did you hear about this concert or film? 5. What other movies or concerts might you have chosen instead? And why? 6. Did you search for any information about this movie or film which you chose? 7. If so, how did you go about looking for information? 8. Was there anybody that you know who did not want to see this concert or film? If so, what were their reasonings for not wanting to see it? 9. If applicable, did their opinion impact your final decision in any way? If so, how? 10. Having seen this concert or film, did you enjoy it? 11. If you did not enjoy the concert/film, why not? 12. In the future, would you go and see a concert/film of this type again? 13. If yes, how would you go about finding out more information? 14. What are key issues that make you want to attend a certain concert or movie? Appendices B: Questionnaire Template for Study The following is a list of concerts in Vietnam, including both foreign and domestic performers. Please determine the concerts which most appeal to you in terms of numerical rating: 1. Norway Live Concert 2. Russia Live Concert 3. Violin Live Concert 4. Young Talent Live Concert 5. Symphony Live Concert of Paris 6. The Piano Live Concert by Thu Tra. Each of the aforementioned concerts are performed based on the ethic/demographic characteristic of each nation or genre. For instance, Norway Live consists of various Norwegian performers using songs from their own national heritage. Read More