Consumerism as a historical phenomenon

The movement of citizens or government organizations to expand consumer rights and increase their impact on sellers and manufacturers, ensuring the quality of consumer goods (services) and honest advertising.

Gradually, appropriate consumer protection laws have been adopted in a large number of countries.

Consumerism as a characteristic of consumption

Criticism of consumerism

Consumerism how the term is now becoming an analogue overconsumption, consumerism... In the modern world, consumption is becoming a kind of harmful addiction, and oniomania is developing. For a person suffering from such addiction, goods lose their own significance and become just a symbol of belonging to a certain social group. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe possibility of achieving social superiority through consumption generates in the mind of the buyer the belief that the very act of buying is capable of delivering more satisfaction than the actual product that is being purchased. Human happiness is made dependent on the level of consumption, consumption becomes the goal and meaning of life.

The main criticism of the ideology of consumerism is developed in a religious environment. From a religious point of view, consumerism ignores spiritual values \u200b\u200bif they are outside the sphere of market relations. Consumerism exploits and encourages passions, emotions, vices, while all major religions call for their curbing, limitation. An example of criticism of consumerism in Christianity is the encyclical of Pope John Paul II "Centesimus Annus" (1991), according to which consumerism is one of the most dangerous consequences of a radical form of capitalism.

Counter-arguments of supporters of consumerism

The processes that are misinterpreted as bad taste, manic shopping and window dressing are not at all reduced to these annoying manifestations. The economist of the beginning of the XXI century Alexander Dolgin writes that “the rejection of cultural trends in consumption is caused by the fact that many, in principle, did not understand the structure of the consumer society ... ... From this arise other realities of life and, to match them, a different morality, about which it is wrong to judge from the previous positions. " Things speak more than wealth, while at the same time they mark taste, mentality, social belonging and other qualities of an individual.

The consumer society provides people with a signaling system and practices that cater to the need for rapprochement and distance. Moreover, the effectiveness of this signaling system depends on the speed, labor intensity and completeness of mutual "transmission". And this, in turn, affects the quality of the environment in which people live, the quality of communications, and ultimately the quality of life.

Demonstrative spending - as a guarantee of predictability and the basis of trust from potential partners

Spending for show has existed from time immemorial, and it is naive to see them as empty fanfare (how, in principle, it is wrong to deny meaningfulness to any stable social practices). Leaders, successful merchants and manufacturers, military men and lawyers all resorted to non-functional waste from time to time. At the same time, they did not indulge their whims, but acted more than sensibly - they created the necessary impression about themselves for the case with the help of entourage, and when required - wide gestures.

Demonstrative spending works as a guarantee of predictability and the basis of trust from potential partners. (By the way, image advertising is also based on the logic of a deposit: those who do not produce guaranteed good products will not spend money on their publicity, because after making a bad product recognizable, it is usually more difficult to sell it. Buyers read this signal at the level subconscious.) This is the fundamental logic of spending as a preventive victim - it only seems unnecessary, in fact it is an investment in information about the future, in trust.

Who is who and is it worth dealing with this person

Status spending is almost an imperative for the vast majority of members of society. It accurately marks who is who and whether it is worth dealing with this person. The logic of statuses was not born yesterday, but earlier it most noticeably affected the top of society. For the middle strata simpler things were intended, and the lower variety was not affordable. Classical diktat in clothing was needed then, which is achieved today without coercion, so that one can immediately see who is who.

Information Society and the Humanism of Consumer Culture

In the information society, the game of ostentatious consumption has become popular among the people. At stake are not only property statuses, but also many personality characteristics. All strata at their level are involved in folding and solving the same ciphers and semiotic crosswords as the wealthy public. Moreover, for any level of demand, its own consumer minimum is provided. So, among the most popular and therefore cheap products, beer plus chips plus football, as well as music, Internet surfing, movies, computer games ... - everything that allows, at least, to fill the time, to escape from its unbearable durability.

All paths are open to those wishing to move to a higher league, progress depends only on the person himself. This is the humanism of consumer culture: equalizing opportunities and meeting all kinds of demand, taste and ambition.

Therefore, blaming someone on his, relatively speaking, popcorn is not to understand that it is thanks to him that you distinguish yours from others (or, on the contrary, flaunt your understanding).

Consumerism as a historical phenomenon

The movement of citizens or government organizations to expand consumer rights and increase their impact on sellers and manufacturers, ensuring the quality of consumer goods (services) and honest advertising.

Gradually, appropriate consumer protection laws have been adopted in a large number of countries.

Consumerism as a characteristic of consumption

Criticism of consumerism

Consumerism how the term is now becoming an analogue overconsumption, consumerism... In the modern world, consumption is becoming a kind of harmful addiction, and oniomania is developing. For a person suffering from such addiction, goods lose their own significance and become just a symbol of belonging to a certain social group. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe possibility of achieving social superiority through consumption generates in the mind of the buyer the belief that the very act of buying is capable of delivering more satisfaction than the actual product that is being purchased. Human happiness is made dependent on the level of consumption, consumption becomes the goal and meaning of life.

The main criticism of the ideology of consumerism is developed in a religious environment. From a religious point of view, consumerism ignores spiritual values \u200b\u200bif they are outside the sphere of market relations. Consumerism exploits and encourages passions, emotions, vices, while all major religions call for their curbing, limitation. An example of criticism of consumerism in Christianity is the encyclical of Pope John Paul II "Centesimus Annus" (1991), according to which consumerism is one of the most dangerous consequences of a radical form of capitalism.

Counter-arguments of supporters of consumerism

The processes that are misinterpreted as bad taste, manic shopping and window dressing are not at all reduced to these annoying manifestations. The economist of the beginning of the XXI century Alexander Dolgin writes that “the rejection of cultural trends in consumption is caused by the fact that many, in principle, did not understand the structure of the consumer society ... ... From this arise other realities of life and, to match them, a different morality, about which it is wrong to judge from the previous positions. " Things speak more than wealth, while at the same time they mark taste, mentality, social belonging and other qualities of an individual.

The consumer society provides people with a signaling system and practices that cater to the need for rapprochement and distance. Moreover, the effectiveness of this signaling system depends on the speed, labor intensity and completeness of mutual "transmission". And this, in turn, affects the quality of the environment in which people live, the quality of communications, and ultimately the quality of life.

Demonstrative spending - as a guarantee of predictability and the basis of trust from potential partners

Spending for show has existed from time immemorial, and it is naive to see them as empty fanfare (how, in principle, it is wrong to deny meaningfulness to any stable social practices). Leaders, successful merchants and manufacturers, military men and lawyers all resorted to non-functional waste from time to time. At the same time, they did not indulge their whims, but acted more than sensibly - they created the necessary impression about themselves for the case with the help of entourage, and when required - wide gestures.

Demonstrative spending works as a guarantee of predictability and the basis of trust from potential partners. (By the way, image advertising is also based on the logic of a deposit: those who do not produce guaranteed good products will not spend money on their publicity, because after making a bad product recognizable, it is usually more difficult to sell it. Buyers read this signal at the level subconscious.) This is the fundamental logic of spending as a preventive victim - it only seems unnecessary, in fact it is an investment in information about the future, in trust.

Who is who and is it worth dealing with this person

Status spending is almost an imperative for the vast majority of members of society. It accurately marks who is who and whether it is worth dealing with this person. The logic of statuses was not born yesterday, but earlier it most noticeably affected the top of society. For the middle strata simpler things were intended, and the lower variety was not affordable. Classical diktat in clothing was needed then, which is achieved today without coercion, so that one can immediately see who is who.

Information Society and the Humanism of Consumer Culture

In the information society, the game of ostentatious consumption has become popular among the people. At stake are not only property statuses, but also many personality characteristics. All strata at their level are involved in folding and solving the same ciphers and semiotic crosswords as the wealthy public. Moreover, for any level of demand, its own consumer minimum is provided. So, among the most popular and therefore cheap products, beer plus chips plus football, as well as music, Internet surfing, movies, computer games ... - everything that allows, at least, to fill the time, to escape from its unbearable durability.

All paths are open to those wishing to move to a higher league, progress depends only on the person himself. This is the humanism of consumer culture: equalizing opportunities and meeting all kinds of demand, taste and ambition.

Therefore, blaming someone on his, relatively speaking, popcorn is not to understand that it is thanks to him that you distinguish yours from others (or, on the contrary, flaunt your understanding).

Since then, when the most developed part of the world passed into the post-industrial era, consumerism has undoubtedly become the dominant economic doctrine.

Consumerism is a movement of citizens or government organizations to expand consumer rights and increase their impact on sellers and manufacturers, ensuring the quality of consumer goods (services) and honest advertising.

In the mid-60s. In the United States, President John F. Kennedy introduced the Consumer Bill. This document established that the consumer public has a right to protection, information, choice and, in addition, it has a right to be heard. Gradually, appropriate consumer protection laws have been adopted in most countries.

Currently, the term is acquiring a second meaning - overconsumption. Consumption becomes a kind of addiction. For a person suffering from such an addiction, goods lose their own significance and become only a symbol of belonging to a certain social group. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe possibility of achieving social superiority through consumption generates in the mind of the buyer the belief that the very act of buying is capable of delivering more satisfaction than the actual product that is being purchased.

In a market economy, much attention is paid to the study of consumer behavior, since by buying or not buying certain goods, the consumer thereby influences the amount of profit received by producers and sellers. And profit is the main motive behind any entrepreneurship.

Ultimately, however, the main goal of the functioning of any economic system is to meet the needs of society and individuals.

Two fundamental axioms are associated with the achievement of this goal: first, the needs of society and individuals are unlimited, second, the material resources necessary to satisfy them are limited.

A significant part of the solutions related to this problem can be found in consumerism, among the main functions of which are to ensure freedom of choice, regulate macroeconomic processes, protect consumer interests, inform and educate them. However, in Russia, this problem has become a subject of scientific research relatively recently, and the term "consumerism" itself appeared in Russian dictionaries only in the early 90s.

The adoption in 1992 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" can be regarded as the fact of Russia's entry into the world system of consumerism, and, consequently, its recognition of the "Guidelines for the Protection of Consumer Interests" adopted by the UN. Therefore, it is necessary to study the theoretical and practical experience of the development of consumerism in different countries.

This is especially important at the present time, when there are integration processes aimed at the interaction and interdependence of national economies.

The possibilities of consumerism, considered on an international scale, are reduced to solving the problems of the preservation of non-renewable resources, their effective use, as well as economic growth, the genesis of global ownership, unification and differentiation of global production and consumption.

It should be noted, however, that the legislative framework for consumer protection in Russia is based mainly on foreign experience; However, for all its significance, it is very important to take into account the country characteristics of a particular economic system, since consumerism is able to solve not so much global problems of mankind as national tasks, which was taken into account in this study.

The urgency of solving the problems of consumerism is increasing, as the tendency to an increase in the intensity of the rhythm of life, to a reduction in free time is increasing.

In this regard, the role of trade and services is growing. Not only the organization of the process itself is radically changing, but also the system of "buyer - seller" relationships. How to build this relationship, respecting the interests of both parties - one of the main issues solved within the framework of consumerism.

The aim of the study is to study the economic mechanism of the formation of consumerism in the conditions of the transitional economy of Russia on the basis of a comprehensive study of its theoretical and methodological foundations, essence and problems.

To achieve the goal, the following tasks have been set:

- To study the theoretical and methodological foundations of consumerism in Russia, taking into account national characteristics.

- Theoretically substantiate the socio-economic prerequisites for the emergence of consumerism, analyze the external and interval factors that influence its development.

- Conduct an analysis of consumerism and, on this basis, formulate its main functions.

- Determine the place and role of the consumer movement in the system of radical economic reforms carried out in Russia.

- Describe the features of the development of consumerism in Russia.

The subject of this course project is a set of theoretical and practical issues related to the emergence and development of consumerism in a transitional economy.

The object of the research is the practice of developing the consumer movement.

1. The consumer and his role in the marketing concept

1.1 The consumer in enterprise marketing

The ever-increasing onslaught of a highly developed marketing environment obliges firms wishing to achieve a competitive advantage to take into account the psychology of the consumer, and in particular, to understand the reasons for the consumer's decision.

In a competitive economic system, for the survival and growth of a firm, its management requires an accurate description of consumer behavior: how he buys, why he buys, where he buys and, of course, what exactly he buys.

Therefore, modern managers need to know who their customers are, and why these people choose their products, and not those of competitors. Marketing is not about persuading anyone to buy whatever the firm has produced.

Successful management today more than ever depends on how well each stage of the business - product, advertising, after-sales service, etc. - satisfies the needs of the buyer. This is the essence of customer orientation as a general approach to business management.

Customer focus is a consequence of the firm's adoption of the marketing concept, which is the philosophy of the business company and is built on four main premises:

- The success of any company depends primarily on the consumer, on whether he wants to buy something and pay for the purchase.

- The firm must be aware of the needs of the buyers, preferably long before production starts, and in the case of high-tech industries, well before production planning.

- The needs of buyers should be constantly monitored and analyzed in such a way that in terms of “product” and “market development” the firm is always ahead of its competitors.

- Senior managers should seek to integrate all components of the marketing strategy (i.e. the four factors of the marketing mix: product improvement, pricing, product placement and promotion) into a single strategic plan based on an understanding of consumer behavior.

In a word, “you need to start with understanding what is of value to the buyer, what he buys, what his realities and needs are - this is what marketing is about!”.

This understanding in business management is not based on altruism. It leads to an increase in the firm's income, since profitability is a consequence of satisfying customer demand.

Consumer-centric marketing is not optional or optional, it is an important corporate position in wealthy, competitive societies where consumers have incomes that are well above their subsistence level and have a choice. We can argue about whether customer orientation is ultimately a cause or a consequence of effective marketing. What is indisputable is that the desire for a clear understanding of the present and future behavior of consumers and the willingness to respond positively to this is the hallmark of a successful business venture.

Admittedly, there are relatively few such firms. P.F. Drucker expresses his surprise and concern that so few executives have adopted this philosophy:

“I can't explain why, after forty years of marketing preaching, marketing training, marketing practice, so few suppliers are willing to follow this concept. In fact, anyone willing to use marketing as the backbone of their strategy is likely to achieve leadership in their industry or market, quickly and with little or no risk.

Management style has a profound effect on a firm's bottom line, and this will become apparent when we look at specific business examples.

For example, the C5 was marketed as an electric car, but to many people it resembled a tricycle because it was equipped with pedals for uphill driving. The C5 was first introduced to the UK car market in 1985 and was advertised a year later as a “working collector's model”. The creator of the C5, Sir Clive Sinclair, clearly distrusted market research and was guided by the belief that the market must be created after invention (A.P. Marks, 1989), so all attention was focused only on the technical characteristics of the electric vehicle. Marketing research shows that such a market can be very narrow anyway. In this case, trial marketing was not carried out at all, although it could be of great benefit, for example, in the issue of product placement, problems with which arose immediately after the launch of the car on the national market (A.R. Marks, 1989). This invention is an example of a product-only approach and not supported by knowledge of the mindset and needs of those who were supposed to buy the product.

By comparison, targeted market research commissioned by sponsors of an electric vehicle project in South Australia showed in advance what the payload, horsepower and performance of a vehicle should be, and how potential consumers perceive electric vehicles in comparison to existing vehicles.

A decrease in the perceived difference between consumer properties of products leads to a decrease in loyalty to individual brands. Due to the large selection of products and the increased “market literacy” of consumers, there is a more conscious attitude towards price and value.

As a result of increased competition and increased market offerings, there is a higher expectation of service and product quality.

Reducing differences in attitudes towards buying only expensive or only cheap goods: the rich buy something in cheap stores, while the less well-off buy something in expensive ones for pleasure. From this point of view, pricing based on average prices may not be justifiable, and segmentation by income may be misleading.

Underestimation by the buyer of his age level - the purchase of goods designed for younger people.

Due to the leveling of the properties of many products, the significance of their emotional impact increases. Many products do not fall into the category of "exciting", they are chosen without much emotion. Therefore, more expensive versions of products are created that have not only high technical and operational characteristics, but also have an emotional appeal.

There is a qualitative change in the product content of the market.

It is more and more difficult to achieve product differentiation (new washing powders from Procter & Gamble do not wash better, electronic products of well-known manufacturers differ little from each other in their consumer properties). More and more similar products are being released. More and more products are becoming undifferentiated. Simulation products are increasingly being produced. These circumstances shorten the life cycle of products.

In this regard, some traditional approaches to the selection of market strategies are undergoing changes. Here, first of all, we mean the strategies for differentiating products according to the criteria of the degree of their adaptation to the needs of individual groups of consumers and prices. Until recently, it was generally believed that an increase in the degree of adaptation of product attributes to sufficiently individualized consumer needs leads to an increase in the price of a given product, and vice versa. Therefore, when positioning products according to these criteria, strategies or orientations were chosen for individual consumer requests or for the release of products of the same type, but sold at low prices. It was believed that these two strategies are mutually contradictory and cannot be implemented simultaneously. However, the marketing practice of recent years has shown that success in modern conditions is more likely to be achieved by an organization that sells products that simultaneously have high quality of one or more attributes, a recognized image, have reasonable prices and a fairly high level of service.

The weakening of brand differentiation can lead to the setting of unrealistic market goals and, accordingly, to overproduction, a decrease in the level of income, the allocation of less funds to the development of new products, hence the incomplete utilization of production capacities, a reduction in income, and less investment in brand differentiation. The circle is closed; in this case, the development spiral is directed downward.

1.2 The role of the consumer in modern marketing

In consumer-driven marketing, product characteristics are determined based on their requirements, a business model is built, a business strategy is chosen, then a policy is developed for individual tools of the marketing mix.

The above means a decrease in the role of mass marketing and an increase in the importance of "point" marketing.

Another consequence of using this type of marketing is also increased product differentiation depending on its application. For example, Timex has created watches aimed at different consumer groups: teenagers, skiers, fishermen, Muslims (showing the direction to the east), etc.

Focusing on more and more individual consumer needs, many companies are moving to work in market niches. To ensure sales volume and reduce risk, it is recommended to simultaneously work in several niches and strive to be a leader in each of them, which allows you to achieve profitability in each of the niches. For example, Johnson & Johnson is a leader in certain niches of drugs - in particular, a set of drugs has been created for everything that a person has located "above the tie."

The focus is on the long-term value of the product. General Electric once fired a manager who achieved a 20% increase in sales of vacuum tubes. The reason for the dismissal was that competitors were switching to the production of transistors. John Welch, CEO of General Electric, was shutting down strategic business units that did not rank # 1 or # 2 in the market. He said, "Let sales only expand 10%, but I want you to redefine the market." (Based on the nomination at the end of the last century, John Welch was named the best US manager of the 20th century.)

In consumer-driven marketing, the importance of analyzing the customer value of the products sold is increasing. Consumer value is understood as the consumer's benefit minus the cost of purchasing and using a specific product. The added value must exceed the additional cost. Cost-value analysis (CVA - Cost Value Analysis), aimed at correlating value and all costs. For example, you can buy a more expensive truck that breaks down less often.

Consumers expect the manufacturer to continuously improve product quality, increase productivity, innovate continuously, and reduce prices over time. This gives them the opportunity to lower their prices.

We must strive to create additional value for the consumer, strive to improve his business. From this point of view, manufacturers (sellers) are consultants for their consumers. It is necessary to share with the consumer not only profit, but also risks.

1.3 Understanding the consumer in marketing

Usually, when buying, the consumer takes into account the factors listed in Fig. 1.

Figure: 1. Factors considered by the buyer

The buyer, based on experience, searches through the purchase options. Experience is the most difficult factor to assess. The buyer first of all uses experience when making a decision. If this experience is negative, then no progress will help.

If the product is physically available, the prospective buyer assesses its compliance with their own lifestyle.

Price is usually less important than one might expect, even in industrial marketing.

The balance of these factors depends on the individual abilities of the buyers.

With repeat purchases, the process goes through three stages:

In general terms, the purchasing decision process can be represented by a five-step model:

There are two main groups of consumers:

- end consumers;

- enterprise consumers (industrial marketing).

The list of factors that determine the behavior of a consumer goods buyer is diverse. Naturally, all these factors act simultaneously, integrally, and therefore, particular importance should be given to the factors that are of such an integral character. These include:

The need to correlate your behavior with a specific social group, where the buyer belongs, and, consequently, with the corresponding reference group;

- the lifestyle of the buyer.

The assignment or non-assignment of a potential buyer to specific groups can be used with great effect by sellers. If they accurately assess the opinions of the leaders in the reference group, they will "capture" the entire group. An example of membership and reference groups of potential buyers is shown in Fig. 2.

Figure: 2. Membership and Reference Groups in a Hypothetical College

One of the life style classifications establishes four main categories, subdividing them into nine specific life styles:

1. Groups driven by need: "surviving", "eating".

2. Outwardly directed groups: “related to”, “competing”, “achieved”.

3. Internally controlled groups ("I-am-me"): "experienced", "socially conscious".

4. Combination of 2 and 3: "integration".

The double hierarchy of lifestyles can be displayed in Fig. 3.

Figure: 3. The hierarchy of life styles

In fig. 4 shows a schematic model of end-customer behavior.

It contains four main sections:

1. Inputs (incentives) - what the consumer receives from the external environment:

Entity - the real physical aspects of a product or service (what the consumer will use);

Symbols - ideas or imagery presented by the supplier (for example, advertising);

Social significance - ideas or images that accompany a product or service from the side of society (for example, reference groups).

2. Outputs - actions of the consumer as an observed result of input stimuli.

Figure: 4. Model of behavior of end customers

Between 1 and 2 - construction - a process that the consumer must go through before deciding on their actions.

3. Reception - receiving and fixing information about a product or service.

4. Learning - that leads to a solution.

Solid lines show information flows, dashed lines show feedback effect.

The model of customer behavior in industrial marketing is illustrated in Fig. five.

Figure: 5. Buyer behavior in industrial marketing

So, when carrying out marketing activities, companies must take into account the rights of consumers and be responsible for their implementation.

Basic consumer rights:

1) The right to choose a product to satisfy basic needs in conditions of a sufficient variety of offers at competitive prices and with limitation of any monopoly influence on consumers.

2) The right to the safety of the goods and their functioning in accordance with the proposal of the seller.

3) The right to be informed about the most important properties of goods, methods of sale, guarantees.

4) The right to protection against defective goods and compensation for damage associated with their use.

5) The right to be heard and to receive support in protecting their interests from state and public authorities.

6) The right to receive consumer education, the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge and skills that facilitate the consumer's decision-making.

7) The right to a healthy environment that does not pose a threat to a dignified and healthy life for current and future generations.

The most important postulate of consumerism is that in the process of economic activity, the rights of consumers are absolute, inviolable and cannot be violated.

2. Consumerism, government regulation and business

2.1 Essence and characteristic manifestations of consumerism

The object of legal relations for the protection of consumer rights is a product - a finished product that is sold to a consumer-citizen by a seller under a sales contract to meet his personal household needs. In addition, raw materials, materials, components, semi-finished products, etc. are considered goods in accordance with the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights" in the case when they are sold to a consumer citizen by a seller under a sale and purchase agreement to satisfy personal household needs as an independent commodity unit.

Works - the activity of the performer, the material results of which are transferred to consumers to meet their personal household needs. Services are the activities of the performer that do not create a material result, the beneficial effect of which is used by consumers to meet their personal household needs.

The development of consumerism in Russia will continue along with the growth of the level of economic development and the level of consumption within the framework of the development of the concept of social and ethical marketing.

One of the goals of consumerism is to regulate the activities of manufacturers and sellers of goods, as well as other participants in the business infrastructure, in particular advertising agencies. Therefore, consumerism is associated with limiting the influence of marketers on consumer behavior.

Consumerism as a social movement consists of three main groups:

1) consumer-oriented groups, predominantly puzzled by the growth of consumer consciousness and providing consumers with information for a more informed choice. These are consumer unions and confederations, Greenpeace.

2) the state acting through legislation and regulation

3) a business acting through competition and
self-regulation in the interests of consumers.

2.2 The main types and history of the development of consumerism in marketing

The consumer movement emerged in the late 1920s in the United States. In 1927, a book by S. Chase and F.J. Shlinka "What's Your Money Worth", which became a bestseller. In 1928, one of the authors founded the First Consumer Research Expert Organization, which tested the quality of consumer goods in independent laboratories and reported the results to the general public. In 1936, the Consumer Union of the United States emerged from it, which is the largest organization of the so-called "old" consumerism. Together with other organizations in this area, the US Consumer Union pursues the goal of educating a literate consumer. Their main focus is on expert and educational activities.

At the end of the 60s, a "new" consumerism emerged in the United States, using methods of political struggle and protecting public interests. Organizations in this area support congressional and local government candidates, push for laws in favor of consumers, publish exposures in the press, organize demonstrations and pickets, boycotts of goods, sue monopolies in courts, and provide legal aid to consumers.

In the postwar years, consumer organizations began to emerge in Europe: Great Britain, France, West Germany, Scandinavian countries, Japan and a number of developing countries.

Since 1960, the consumer movement has taken on an international character - the International Organization of Consumer Unions was created with headquarters in The Hague.

The consumer movement today is a powerful factor in regulating the quality of goods and services, which is considered by both production and trade, and government agencies. This movement is sponsored by the UN. She has developed "Guidelines for the protection of consumer interests."

The conformity of the product to quality (certification) is determined by the requirements for the standard. Today, national standards organizations are part of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In May 1978, the first meeting of the ISO Committee on Consumption Policies (COPOLCO) took place in Geneva. In 1979, the first ISO seminar on the safety of consumer goods (household appliances, toys, stairs, electrical appliances, etc.) was held. In 1986 in Gothenburg (Sweden) COPOLCO held a seminar “Automobile and consumer. The Role of Standards ”, which for the first time covered the problems of road transport safety, environmental protection from pollution by exhaust gases, issues of car quality.

In 1993, on the initiative of the State Antimonopoly Committee of the Russian Federation (now the Ministry for Antimonopoly Policy and Business Support), the National Consumer Protection Fund was created. Among the founders of the fund: the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Committee of the Russian Federation for Standardization, Metrology and Certification, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange, the Moscow Commodity Exchange, Dialog-Bank, the State Inspectorate for Trade, Quality of Goods and protection of consumer rights Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of Russia, Insurance Joint Stock Company "Energogarant" and others.

The main task of the Fund is to unite the financial and intellectual potential of enterprises, organizations, scientific institutions, structures of all forms of ownership to participate in practical work on the implementation of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" and related legislative acts.

To implement the tasks facing the fund, 21 structures have been organized and operate. Non-profit organizations: "Independent Center for Environmental Safety of Consumers", National Ecological Fund, "Independent International Center for Radiation and Biological Safety of Consumers", Center for Examination of the Service Life (Expiration) of Goods and Services, Kostroma Institute of Economic and Consumer Education, University Center for Applied Biotechnology and Safety food products of animal origin, "Independent Center for Technical Expertise and Certification of Electrical and Radio Products", "Independent Center for Technical Expertise and Certification of Automotive and Tractor Engineering Products" and others. A number of other independent centers are planned to be created.

2.3 The main critical arguments of consumerism and its mechanism of action

According to Drucker (1973, p. 83), "consumerism is a marketing shame." The main criticisms of consumerists are as follows.

- Marketing attempts to meet the short-term needs of customers at the expense of their long-term welfare.

- Products are developed with the aim of achieving the company's profit, but not with the aim of satisfying needs.

- Marketing emphasizes the symbolic value of goods (emotional and subjective value) to the detriment of their functional value.

- There is a fundamental discrepancy between the legal rights of buyers and sellers.

It is important to emphasize that consumerism does not question the concept of marketing, but rather requires its full implementation. In fact, this movement, like the labor movement at the beginning of the century, marks the "socialization" of demand. As a result, the firm is dealing with a more cohesive consumer who responds in an organized manner and, thanks to consumer associations, has independent sources of information in addition to the data provided by the firm (see Box 1).

· The graph 1 below shows the marginal utility of the consumer's search for information, in the form of a decreasing function of the required level of knowledge of the most important characteristics of the product of interest (curve R).

· There is also a function of the marginal costs of this search, which is taken proportional to the required level of knowledge (curve C).

· Point A corresponds to the optimal moment of stopping the search by the consumer: if it continues, the costs will exceed the benefits.

Graph 1. The marginal utility of consumer search for information

Economic development leads to the following changes:

- the cost of personal time spent on searching has increased;

- the number of products with poorly comparable properties has increased;

- the number of poorly differentiated brands has also increased.

· These changes entail, on the one hand, an increase in search costs (curve C has moved to C "). On the other hand, the complexity of choice has increased, which has reduced the marginal usefulness of information retrieval (curve R has moved to R").

Chart 2. Economic analysis of the consumer movement

· The consumer's stopping point shifts from A to A ", which means a lower level of requirements compared to the previous one.

· Consequently, economic growth leads to some loss of consumer sovereignty, making him a prisoner of the commercial information provided by the manufacturer.

· Therefore, consumers have an interest in combining and supplementing manufacturer data with data supplied by consumer organizations at a low cost.

Thanks to this, the consumer can again return to a heightened level of awareness.

Consumerism has undoubtedly increased the level of ethics in marketing practice.

3. Development of an advertising product for Chibo coffee and consumer rights

3.1 Advertising campaign for Chibo coffee

The Chibo Exclusive Company set the task to advertise its own products on the streets of the city, namely Chibo coffee.

At the meeting, during which the project and advertising plan were discussed, a list of goals for the created advertising product was drawn up.

In today's mobile society, outdoor advertising is the majority of the population. Due to the fact that outdoor advertising in most cases is perceived at a considerable distance and on the move, it should be short and expressive messages. In this example, you can see that the main elements of the branding are prominently distinguished in the decoration: the brand name and the slogan.

In principle, we can say that this example of advertising meets the most important requirements: it attracts attention, is easily read on the go, the text message is short and clear. We also carried out studies of the reaction, reflected in Section 3.2 of this work.

3.2 Course and main results of the study

Here are some of the results of a study on testing an advertising poster “Chibo. Give the very best ”after a month of advertising on posters.

We asked the question - how many times have you seen the poster?

1 time …………………………………… ..8%

2-3 times ……………………………… 23%

4–5 times ………………………………. eleven%

6-10 times ………………………………… 7%

more than 10 times ………………………… 2%

The effectiveness of the poster also depends on how often it is seen. If an advertising campaign uses several versions of a poster, the respondent answers how many times he has seen each version.

Will the respondent use the product / service next time?

yes ………………………………………………… 5%

more likely yes than no ………………………. 39%

rather no than yes ……………………… ..25%

no ……………………………………………… 30%

did not answer …………………………………… 1%

This data shows the proportion of respondents who, next time to buy coffee, will consider buying a Chibo coffee. Is the poster ad for the respondent?

The data show that 41% of respondents among those assigned to the target group identify with the target group.

Chibo coffee ………………… 92%

No answer ……………………… ..5%

Good coffee taste ………… 4%

This question allows you to determine how effective the creative solution inherent in the poster is.

Overall rating of the poster:

Respondents rate the entire poster on a five-point scale. A score of 5 means that the respondent fully agrees with the statement and 1 - completely disagrees. The assessment is carried out on a number of indicators.
For the Chibo poster, the following scores were obtained among the target group:

interesting ……………………………………… ..30%

contains new information …………… ..20%

draws attention to itself ………………… .46%

colors correspond to “Chibo” ……………… ..53%

inspires confidence ………………………………. 36%

would like to take another look ………………… 22%

increased interest in “Chibo” ………………… 36%

In addition, we received the assessments of respondents with a positive attitude (among “interested” and “with motivation”) - they are significantly higher. You can test advertising products both before the start of an advertising campaign, and after its end.

The greatest effect of research can be obtained if the results of the evaluation of advertising materials "Before" are compared with the results of "After".

Although, oddly enough, paragraph 15 of Article 7 ("Inaccurate advertising") of the Law "On Advertising" states: "Advertising is unreliable if it contains ... the use of terms in a superlative degree, including ..." most "," only ", "Best", "absolute", "unique" and the like, if they cannot be documented. "

When reading this norm, other familiar slogans involuntarily come to mind: "Pampers are the kids' best friend", "EL GUSTO is the hottest coffee", and the considered " Chibo - giving the best "And hundreds of others.

Surely, it is impossible to get a certificate issued by the competent authority about the achievement of the EL GUSTO coffee brand in absolute temperature record.

A sociological survey of babies to identify their best friend can also give unpredictable results.

That is, in the considered slogan there is a share of incorrectness, and from the point of view of consumerism it is logical to change the slogan in favor of a more correct one.

Conclusion

So, consumerism is widespread in almost all economically developed countries and has a particularly strong position in Scandinavia, the USA, and the states of Western Europe.

Consumer unions, on behalf of individual consumers, act as plaintiffs in lawsuits against unscrupulous advertisers. They order expensive research on the quality of goods (services) and carry out their publication, which also pushes other participants in the advertising process to increase the volume of consumer research for their fullest satisfaction. In the course of research, it is important to find out how the consumer understands what products he needs, and why exactly she meets his needs in the best way. Today's consumers (based on research) want the following:

calmness and safety;

from communication producers. For example, in the United States, the Federation of American Consumers, the National Council of Senior Citizens, and the National Consumer League provide an opportunity for consumers to express their views on advertising abuse; organize a massive exchange of consumer information;

quality;

become your partners;

be able to return goods that they do not like;

to be pleased with them;

to make it easy for them to communicate with you.

They are very grateful to someone who can take care of problems that are difficult for them to cope with.

Consumer protection organizations focus on issues that affect both advertising and the interests of advertisers.

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Among the strategic problems of contemporary socio-economic development of Russia, the problem of ensuring the rights of the population to ensure the consumption of high-quality living goods is one of the main and acute ones. Its practical solution largely determines the growth of the quality of life, the level of real well-being of citizens and directly affects the provision of social stability and national security of the state.

The problem of protecting the rights of citizens by the state, including their rights as consumers, has a long history. The consumer is a very important link in the system of economic and market relations. There have always been contradictions between the commodity producer (supplier, seller) and the consumer; a third party, the state, tried to settle them. These attempts consisted of regulating the quality and safety of goods and services through the development of laws.

Consumer protection aims, firstly, to inform consumers about the goods and services available on the consumer market, and secondly, to protect the consumer if his rights are limited.

The modern concept of "consumerism" means a worldwide movement of the public and government agencies in support of the rights and opportunities of consumers in their relations with manufacturers and suppliers of goods, works, services. Consumer protection is an integral part of human rights protection.

Consumerism - activities of end consumers aimed at protecting their rights. This concept appeared in the mid-60s, replacing another - “consumer sovereignty”. Consumerism can be called a kind of transition from a producer economy to a consumer economy.

Consumerismhow a social movement can be divided into 3 groups:

1. Groups that are primarily focused on consumers, interested in the growth of consumer consciousness and delivering information to them, allowing them to make a more informed choice;
2. State and local authorities governed by legislation;
3. Business focused on customer satisfaction, in a competitive and self-regulatory environment.

Today, the consumer movement in defense of their rights has been widely developed. Under pressure from social movements, a law on consumer protection was adopted in Russia.

In the Russian Federation, the main law in the field of consumer protection is the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights". It defends the rights of consumers to quality products and quality performance of work (services). These consumer rights are also enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, etc.

The priorities of consumerism policy are to meet the basic needs of people, in particular, a fair distribution of natural resources among the population, public access to information and participation in the decision-making process, reducing product prices to an acceptable level, creating a socially responsible business, developing a common European and global energy conservation strategy etc.

A multi-level system of consumer protection has been created in the Russian Federation. This system includes control bodies:

State regulatory authorities (Rospotrebnadzor, state supervision, etc.);

Departments and departments for quality and consumer protection at the regional regional republican governments and local administrations;

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;

Law enforcement agencies;

Public associations of citizens for the protection of consumer rights, created on a voluntary basis.

According to experts, the basis of an effective business ideology of modern enterprises should be formed in the field of ethics, high moral standards and ideals of good.

Consumerism originated and formed in the USA, and then spread around the world.

It began with the fight against poor-quality products and anti-monopoly policy, and then it grew into a fight for the quality of all goods in general, including food and medicine. Later, consumerism spread to unfair advertising, inaccurate information and labeling.

Consumerism is an integral part of marketing. The marketing activities of any company must take into account the rights of consumers and be responsible in case of violation of these rights. The consumer has the right to safety, information, choice and the right to be heard. These rights are recognized internationally.

Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous manufacturers who indicate false or incomplete information about their products. Food composition is a prime example. Some companies go to all sorts of tricks, not indicating harmful preservatives, dyes and other additives included in the composition, and also mask harmful additives in every possible way, calling them "identical to natural". But the most dangerous is the unfair activities of pharmaceutical companies, which are capable of causing the greatest harm in some cases, compared to other products. Incomplete composition of drugs, or replacing expensive components with more budgetary ones, can cause the greatest harm to the consumer, aggravating the disease, or causing negative consequences of taking the drug.

In the modern world, more and more people are monitoring the implementation of their consumer rights. People began to wonder about the quality of the purchased products, as well as the degree of their harmlessness to health. In Russia, there have recently appeared many programs dedicated to educating the population in the field of checking the quality of purchased products. Experts in this field actively provide information on how a consumer can protect and defend his rights, as well as punish dishonest manufacturers.

The more educated our society becomes, the more important is consumerism. I believe that a high level of marketing can protect a company from the influence of consumerism, because an honest and high level marketing concept can satisfy the needs of buyers without infringing on their rights. To do this, absolutely all companies must comply with the following rules:

1. Customer service should be at the highest level, achieving maximum satisfaction of their needs;
2. The manufacturer must be aware that a high level of service is able to bring a decent reward, expressed in the growth of the number of consumers, as well as the income and image of the company;
3. The qualifications of the company must be constantly improved to realize worthy competition.

Consumerism - Benefits for Consumers and Sellers

The main positive aspects associated with the influence of consumerism on the activities of modern enterprises include the following:

Producers of goods and services have a constant incentive to improve and modernize their products, improve their quality;

The efforts of the companies are directed at the development of more and more new and modern products, expanding its assortment and nomenclature;

Active consumption and expansion of sales markets stimulate manufacturers to develop new approaches to advertising campaigns, take into account national and religious characteristics, etc.

The problems generated by the production activities of modern enterprises cause certain actions of individual citizens and society as a whole, aimed at regulating some of its moral and ethical aspects. The influence of social movements pushes business entities to take greater care of the environment, as well as to organize their marketing activities more carefully and thoughtfully around the consumer.

As a conclusion, we can say that consumerism is a kind of protective barrier between consumers and unscrupulous manufacturers. This concept can only exist in a highly educated society, where people are interested in what they buy and seek to protect themselves from the negative consequences of consuming poor quality products. Impact and significance every year consumerism growing, which, of course, is a good indicator of the level of public concern for their health and rights. I believe that in the end consumerism will oust substandard products from the market, and with it their manufacturers.