Chapter 1 Background to Consumer behaviour
Customer Representative Bodies
Citizens Advice Bureaux - go here for help if you have problems with any organisation; it's free.
Consumer Association (UK) - it's run under the auspices of the 'Which' magazine. They run a daily newspaper update on consumer issues; you can get 30 days free trial access to all their reports by registering!
Consumers International - an international pressure group; has articles and links to many consumer groups across Europe: it's good!
National Viewers and Listeners Association- customer pressure group.
Voice of the Viewer and Listener - another customer pressure group
Customer Complaints - helps you complain to the local trading standards office.
Consumer Gateway - so muchinformation and advice for the consumer from the DTI.
National Consumer Federation - acting for the UK consumer.
Watchdog - the BBC consumer programme
Business Associations
Adam SmithInstitute - UK-based right-wing policy institute dedicated to free market policies.
The Fabian Society - a left-wing policy institute (that to balance the one above).
Demos- another left-wing policy institute.
UK Government websites
AllGovernment web sites UK - amazingly comprehensive including councils, police, commissions, associations etc.
Auditing and control (UK) – protecting the consumer
Go to 'Official' site for ex-public body regulators (e.g. Ofwat) and Ombudsmen; Office of Fair trading; Trading Standards; there to protect the interest of the consumer.
ABC - Audit Bureau of Circulation - official newspaper & mag. circulation figures, stories etc, 3000 UK, and global; If you want credibility your publication must be ABC monitored A MUST!
BARB - Broadcasters' Audience Research Board; independent research body for all TV viewing figures.
IFABC - International Federation of Auditing Bureaux of Circulation - 36 ABCs in 32 countries dedicated to the truth in circulation figures (including web measurement). .
National Readership Survey;- UK newspaper and magazine readership figures; a must!
Officeof Fair Trading - it's here to see the consumer is not exploited by unscrupulous capitalists
Postar Ltd : Poster Research; the official research body of the UK 'outdoor' advertising industry - offers over 50 measurement variables on every major poster site; it’s a 'must' read.
Rajar - Radio Joint Audience Research; independent research body that audits all all radio listening figures; a great site
World Intellectual Property Organisation,WIPO - UN on Intellectual Property Protocols; good information - amongst other things it seems to have taken on responsibility for domain registration disputes - 'give David Beckham back his name'.
Information on world countries
World Factbook - information on all countries of the world in intricate detail, A MUST!
World country information - information on mostcountriesin the world - fairly detailed with historical and political perspectives; some information dated. Ok and worth a look but not as good as Factbook.
World Population Information - for every country in the world to 2050; they have a continuous clock; frightening.
Security, ethics on the Internet
Scambusters - ScamBusters is supposedly a public service dedicated to revealing scams on the net; not bad!
Security and ethical issues on the Internet - some interesting articles but limited; worth a glance.
Corporate Watch - a radical research and publishing group, based in Oxford, UK. It was set up in late 1996 to support activism against large corporations, particularly multinationals. Information on the evil they are doing to the world.
Copyrightissues on the web – as described
The Institutefor Global Ethics – ethical issues around the world
Glossaries
Economic glossary - explanations for all those esoteric economic concepts.
Environmental Glossary - the latest environmental terms; explanations given for such things as 'acid rain', 'indirect discharge' and 'ozone depletion'.
Chapter 2 Consumer research
The Information Commissioner UK - oversees the correct use of all that information that governments and organisations hold on individuals
NationalStatistic- the latest government stats covering areas of policy
TheStatistics Commissioner - about time to! Independent officer put in place to protect the integrity of UK government statistics.
Data Protection UK - all the information about the new Act and how to register.
UK National Digital Archive of Datasets (NDAD) - government information database; very extensive
The Office For National Statistics - the major government statistical service now found on the 'National Statistics' site
Marketing associations
The Advertising Association, AA - UK body for all bodies involved in advertising; member assoc. web-sites; student briefings; stats, but 1995? A MUSTeven if it is just for the names and addresses of member organisations.
American Marketing Association - US site, but it is the home of marketing.
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) - the main UK professional marketing association
Commercial Radio Companies Association, CRCA - represents all UK commercial radio
Direct Marketing Association, DMA - UK representative body.
Direct Selling Association - why this should not be marketing rather than selling I do not know; it's been going a long time.
Institute of British Advertisers, ISBA - represents major advertising co's. Set up to stop exploitation by media owners; set up ABC; members; articles; activities; interesting; A MUST
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising,IPA - represents UK advert. agencies; member and non-member site; addresses, web sites of all UK agencies; stats, stories, job information; A MUST!
Institute of Professional Sales (IOPS) - this is the sales organisation set up by the Chartered Institute of Marketing; another money making machine.
International Advertising Association, IAA. - represents 1000 members in 94 countries, all media; news; why advertise; good site.
Research Associations
Association of European Market Research Institutes, AEMRI - can anybody tell me its value, please!
Association of Qualitative Research Practitioners, AQRP(UK) - changing its name to Association of Qualitative Research; focus groups, psychological testing etc.
British Market Research Association - coming together of Assoc. British market Research + Assoc. Market Survey Org. 200 corporate members; names and addresses + information
Marketing Research Association – there is a good glossary
SPSS - (Statistical Packages in the Social Sciences, I think!) the main research organisation in computer added research including design surveys, collecting data (Cati and Capi), analyze (data mining) and publishing.
Theories on knowledge attainment (epistemology to the erudite)
Existentialism - essence before experience; we have the power to determine our own morality?
The Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy - information on all the great searchers after truth down through the ages!
Marxism - want to look at behaviour from a Marxist perspective; its here is a good site, with a Marxist encyclopaedia and glossary, that attempts to simplify the great man's philosophy, economics and sociological approach.
Metaphysics - multiple meanings but traditionally, metaphysics refers to the branch of philosophy that attempts to understand the fundamental nature of all reality, whether visible or invisible. It seeks a description so basic, so essentially simple, so all-inclusive that it applies to everything, whether divine or human or anything else.
Phenomenology - another way of understanding the world.
Post Modern thought and Contemporary philosophy - read about all the 'greats' who contributed to the post modern paradigm; only for the really dedicated.
Scientific Method - this is how many argue research on the search for the truth on knowledge, life and the meaning of marketing should be undertaken.
Glossary
Marketing Research Glossary- explanations and diagrams; excellent for those studying or involved in Marketing Research
Chapter 3 Perception and consumer behaviour
Gestalt and Perception - we perceive and organise the world as a whole; we have this ability from birth
Neuromarketing looking at brain reactions to products and services
Chapter 4 Consumer behaviour and Learning
Learning Theories
. Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Adler - the giants of the Behavioural movement. Jean Piaget - childhood intellectual development; a description of the man and his works; he was French you know! Jean Piaget - his 4 intellectual childhood development stages. Human Behaviour - a great site from 'Cultsock'. Put Perception, Attitude, Learning, Personality or Motivation into the searchfunction and be pleasantly rewarded. It has diagrams, references and explanations; a good compliment to the study of buyer behaviour.
Memory
Memory - there can be no learning without it
Creative Memory Techniques and Mnemonics - solve all your business and student problems associated with memory dysfunction.
Chapter 5 Consumer behaviour and Motivation
Motivation Theories; link to customer behaviour
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - the old favourite
Hertzberg's Hygiene and Motivating Factors - originally used for looking at employee motivation but can be easily adapted to customer motivation.
McClelland’s Need for Achievement
Theory x and Theory Y; Equity theory; Expectancy Theory; Hawthorn Affect. Four for the price of one;
Human Behaviour - a great site from 'Cultsock'. Put Perception, Attitude, Learning, Personality or Motivation into the searchfunction and be pleasantly rewarded. It has diagrams, references and explanations; a good complement to the study of buyer behaviour
Chapter 6 Attitude and consumer behaviour
Attitude and attitude measurement
Attitude theory- including attitude measurement tests; the Likert Scale, Fishbein Method, Kelly's Personal Construct Theory, Osgood's Semantic Differential.
Attitudeformation - how and why attitudes are formed.
Attitude consistency - why the need for consistency?
Cognitive Dissonance - the search for mental harmony including Heider's Balance Theory.
Chapter 7 Personality and consumer behaviour
Personality Theories
Personality Theories - from Freud to Eysenck over 20 theories explained; a really great site.
Greek Temperament - genetic based on the classical 4 humours, sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic, choleric.
Hans Eysenck - emotionally stable/unstable - extravert/introvert - with a small personality test.
Sheldon Body Shapes - personality based on body shapes; endomorph, ectomorph ... weird!
Trait Theory - including; Allport, Catell and Eysenck.
Catell 16 Personality Factors - nearer to current use.
The Big 5 - major personality factors - in use now.
Personality glossary - great for those interested in understanding human (employee, customer, etc) behaviour.
Freud and Personality Development - it's all here in graphic detail; not for the faint-hearted.
Eric Erickson'schildhood development stages–social development.
Jean Piaget - childhood intellectual development; a description of the man and his works.
Personality theories - just a simple list and explanation of theories, some I know butmany I don't - interesting and worth a visit.
Consumer Psychology
Freud and the Subconscious - a short but detailed description on the works of Freud and his theory of the mind and personality, ID, Ego and Superego etc.- crucial in understanding consumer behaviour; and it's fascinating!
More onFreud - I can't get enough; a simple explanation of his work.
Freud's childhood development stages - it's oral, anal, genital ....etc. not for the over-sensitive.
A Glossaryof Freudian Terms – ever wanted to know about 'Freudian slips' or 'the Oedipus complex'? Well it's here.
Society for Consumer Psychology
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Personality Test
Personalitytests - an explanation ofthe Myers-Briggs Personality Test; used all around the world it seeks to put you into one of 4 personality types; based on Jung's theory.
Personalitytest based on the Myers-Briggs - try it! it will give you your personality type on line.
VALS (Values, Attitudes, Lifestyles) personality test - find out which of the 8 lifestyle groups you belong to; fill in 42 questions, email and the answer comes back within 10 seconds.
Chapter 8 Social influences and consumer behaviour
Social behaviour
Belbin andgroup behaviour - he identifies the roles we might play whilst interacting within the group.
Margerison and McCann Team Roles - more on the different roles we act out in teams; with diagrams.
Groups - what is a group? etc. the behaviour and influence of groups.
Group-think - read how the power of group dynamics often forces unexpected results.
Communications andInterpersonal Skills - go for it! Another site from Chris Jarvis.
Group Conformity - Solomon Asch's classic studies that demonstrated how susceptible we all are to the pressure of group conformity. It predated Milgram's work.
Obedience toAuthority - read the classic study by Stanley Milgram; he has students giving death level electric shocks to others in frightening experiments and wants to argue that we would all do the same if instructed by an authority figure; it goes some way to explaining conformity under Nazism - wow!
Transactional Analysis, Game Theory etc - Parent, Adult, Child interaction and Ego states; a great site from Cultsock
Theories on Society (Sociology)
The Dead Sociologists Society - great site - the works of 16 of the greats in Sociology including: Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Spencer, Comte etc.Much of this work is still very relevant in the modern world of business.
Max Weber - more on the great man including theories on: Leadership, Bureaucracy, Leadership, Power, Ideal Type,etc.
SELF concept
SELF - what is the SELF?
The Presentation of 'Self' - Goffman's concept of 'Self ' and Role playing, we discover our 'Self' in interacting with others; a simple explanation and well worth reading..
Symbolic Interactionism -more on Goffman but more complex.
Social marketing
Social Marketing - all you might want to know about social marketing.
Cause Related Marketing- its an active site that explains and explores cause related marketing.
Glossary
Sociology glossary - understand the importance of people and society in business and marketing.
The Internet Encyclopaediaof Philosophy - A to Z of philosophy terms; good.
Consumer Behaviour Chapter 9 Psychographics and life-style
Consumer Segmentation
The Arcadia Group - Burtons, Principles, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Topshop, Racing Green etc.Under 'franchising and partnership opportunities' look for store segmentation and customer profiles.
Perceptual Mapping and Scaling - more explanation and diagrams.
VALS - Values and Lifestyles - behavioural segmentation; it's the company that invented the methods; aspirant marketers must examine.
VALS personality test - find out which of the 8 lifestyle groups you belong to; fill in 42 questions, email and the answer comes back within 10 seconds
Relationship marketing
Relationship Marketing - CRM forum; academic papers, articles, case studies; go to document library; great site!
Customer Relationship Management - emerging tools and applications; a good article from Poolonline.
AARM - Association for the Advancement of Relationship Marketing; a commercial site but worth a visit
Chapter 10 The marketing mix, consumer behaviour and organisational buying behaviour
Communications theory
Hovland's theory - discusses the communicator, the message, the channel and the receiver; good site!
The Johari Window - a conceptual model for describing, evaluating and predicting aspects of interpersonal communication (Chris Jarvis, Brunel).
Non-Verbal Communications- facial expressions, body language.
Introductionto Semiotics - excellent site with detailed, simple discussion on semiology and its meanings; crucial for aspiring advertising workers
Word-of-Mouth - can we really use and measure this?
Products and brands
Interbrand - corporate and product brand consultants and valuers.
Promotions organisations
International Advertising Association (
Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (
Institute of Public Relations (IPR)
Institute of Sales Promotions can be contacted on (
Direct Marketing Association can be contacted on (
Direct Selling Association (
General Buyer Behaviour
Human Behaviour - a great site from 'Cultsock'. Put Perception, Attitude, Learning, Personality, Motivation into the searchfunction and be pleasantly rewarded. It has diagrams, references and explanations; a good compliment to the study of buyer behaviour.
Alvin Toffler - read how people will behave in Toffler's view on the movement of markets and the future of the world (he wrote 'Future Shock' a classic in it's time). That's heavy man!
Foreign Etiquette and Culture - an interesting site identifying business culture around the world.
Consumer Journals
Advances in Consumer Research - articles available on line.
Ethical Consumer Magazine - The UK's only alternative consumer organisation looking at the social and environmental records of the companies behind the brand names (that's what they say!).
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Journal of Consumer Research
Psychology and Marketing - article abstracts available on line going back 4 years
Glossary
Raynet Business & Marketing Glossary - Thousands of business and marketing terms explained and continually updated - why remain in ignorance!
Roget’s The New Thesaurus, Third Edition.- invaluable when writing.
Dictionary - English; enough said.