Leon G. Schiffman

Consumption values and relationships: segmenting the market for frequency programs

Because consumers can vary greatly in the nature of their relationship with a service provider, it is reasonable to expect that a wide range of different values may influence consumption behavior. Additionally, consumers’ values composition may predispose them to interpret their relationships with service providers differently and those service providers’ marketing communications. The present study explores the range of values which motivate business consumers’ reactions to service providers, specifically airlines’ frequent flyer programs. As part of this process, consumers are segmented in terms of their values and relationships with airlines in order to better understand the motives and behavior that drive choice of service providers. Based on the results, specific communications strategies are offered for each of the identified segments that address the desired benefits sought by each value segment.

Opportunities for marketing travel services to new‐age elderly

Based on Schiffman and Sherman’s conceptual model of the new‐age elderly this article constructs a measure that identifies this segment of elderly in terms of their value orientation. The findings show that older consumers’ value orientations are an effective segmentation approach; one that is superior for partitioning the market for services like leisure travel than the traditional age‐based segmentation approach. Marketing strategy implications of the findings are also discussed.

Risk perception as a determinant of in-home consumption

Groups of consumers who were exposed to equal opportunities to purchase from a catalog but exhibited contrasting purchase behaviors were compared in terms of their risk perception. The findings substantiate the importance of perceived risk and inclusive vs. exclusive perceived error tolerance strategies as factors influencing in-home consumption behavior.

Quality-of-life (QOL) assessment of older consumers: A retrospective review

This article provides a series of historical reflections (for a period corresponding roughly to the past 20 or 30 years) on the evolving QOL status of older consumers. It uses a two-category QOL framework consisting ofobjective components (e.g., socioeconomic indicators, health and longevity, housing and family living arrangements, and gender differences) andsubjective components (e.g., life satisfaction and cognitive age) to explore the QOL of older consumers. It then examines the strategic reality of “diversity” and speculates on strategic implications of these QOL observations.

An Application of a Segmentation Design Based on a Hybrid of Canonical Correlation and Simple Crosstabulation

This research illustrates a practical application of a segmentation scheme based on a combination of canonical correlation and crosstabulation. A sample of readers of a popular genre of novels is segmented on the basis of psychographic, demographic, and activity measures. Four distinct consumer segments are postulated-movers and shakers, isolated readers, young swingers, and laggards. The characteristics that differentiate each of these segments are also presented.

High Tech Versus Human Touch: An Exploration of the Perceptions of High Technology users of the Internet

For high technology users, the opportunity to personally and directly secure services on the Internet should be a welcomed option to the variability of services delivered by humans. Yet our research indicates, to the contrary, that high technology users prefer the human touch in the services that they seek.