Need Ritual Situations Paper/ English – Article writing
Topic: Ritual situations
Write a 3-5 page research paper on your chosen topic above
APA format of 5 peer reviewed journal articles.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation will be graded.
5 peer-reviewed journal articles required for full credit.
Reflect on the conclusions of the articles and how that knowledge might impact marketing approaches.
Rituals are receiving increasing attention by marketing scholars and practitioners. A ritual situation can be described as a socially defined occasion that triggers a set of interrelated behaviors that occur in a structured format and that have symbolic meaning.65 Ritual situ- ations can range from completely private to completely public. A completely private ritual situation would be an individual’s decision to drink a private toast or say a private prayer on the anniversary of an event with special meaning to the individual. A couple who cel- ebrates their first date by returning to the same restaurant every year is involved in a more public ritual. Weddings tend to be even more public. Finally, national and global holidays present very public ritual situations.
Ritual situations are of major importance to marketers because they often involve pre- scribed consumption behaviors. Every major American holiday (ritual situation) has con- sumption rituals associated with it. For example, more than 60 percent of the toy industry’s sales occur at Christmas.
LO4
486
Part Four
Consumer Decision Process
ILLUSTRATION 13-7
Ritual situations generally have con- sumption patterns associated with them. This brand is tapping into ritual situations.
While there is significant variation across individuals and households, there is enough shared behavior that marketers can develop products and promotions around the com- mon ritual situations that arise each year. For example, candy marketers produce and promote a wide array of candies for Valen- tine’s Day and Halloween. Illustration 13–7 shows how one marketer is capitalizing on consumption rituals.
Marketers also attempt to change or create consumption patterns associated with ritual situations.66 Mother’s Day is a $10 billion occasion in which card giving is largely a rit- ual behavior created by marketers.67 Hallow- een cards are now being promoted as part of the Halloween ritual.68 And many firms seek to make their products and services part of the consumption pattern associated with “coming of age.” These occasions are often marked
with religious ceremonies and after-ceremony parties. Traditionally, these events have tended to focus on religious aspects and responsibility to family and community. For example:
The “after-ceremony” celebrations range from simple and inexpensive to elaborate and costly. However, the trend is definitely toward more elaborate and costly parties with mod- ern themes, expensive catering and entertainment, and interactive activities to entertain hundreds of guests. For example:
One Hispanic family spent $30,000 to celebrate their daughter’s quinceañera with “a horsedrawn, pumpkin-shaped crystal carriage with liveried servants in powdered wigs, a silver tulle gown and a gala at which 260 guests danced until dawn in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland.”70
Ritual situations can also result in injurious consumption. Binge or excessive drinking is a serious health and social problem on many college campuses, though its incidence appears to be on the decline. Recent research suggests that this can be understood as a ritual behavior in that it is triggered by social occasions (e.g., birthdays), involves a set of interrelated behav- iors and routines (e.g., start drinking on game days at a specific time), and results in special meaning and rewards for participants (e.g., fun, acceptance by group). When approached from this perspective, more effective strategies for minimizing such behaviors may result.
MY OUTLINE
What is a ritual situation?
-Socially defined occasion that triggers a set of interrelated behaviors that occur in a structured format and that have symbolic meaning.
-They can be completely private or pubic
-ex: toast or prayer
-Public ritual a couple going to the same place every year for dinner
-Weddings can be most public
-Holiday rituals which include Christmas toys being bought, or even Halloween with costume
-Marketers feed on these common rituals by producing around the common rituals. For example Halloween; Candy corn candies show more, Valentines day; Cards etc.
-Religious ceremonies; coming of age- quinceanera
-on average one family can spend 30,000
Result in injurious consumption:
1. Binge or excessive drinking-college
2. Social occasions as birthdays
