Consumerism, 4th Ed.

The new edition of this highly acclaimed anthology continues to provide the most comprehensive, rigorously balanced survey available of modern consumerism. Written by a wide range of experts, the 42 articles -- half of them new to this edition -- cover today's most important consumer and public policy issues: advertising and the disclosure of consumer information, selling practices, anti-trust issues and competition, product safety, liability, and consumer satisfaction. As in previous editions, the articles are arranged according to the steps in the purchase process. New to this edition are detailed discussions of such current issues as the costs and benefits of government regulation, advertising to children, consumer information systems, and demarketing (encouraging consumers to use less of such products as tobacco and energy). The final section assesses the response of business and industry to consumer pressures.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS Preface to the Fourth Edition I. INTRODUCTION A Guide to Consumerism DAVID A. AAKER AND GEORGE S. DAY II. PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMERISM A. Historical Perspectives 1. The Consumer Movement in Historical Perspective ROBERT O. HERRMANN 2. The Great American Gyp RALPH NADER B. Current Perspectives 3. The Consumer's Real Needs SIDNEY MARGOLIUS 4. Public Policy and the Marketing Practitioner -- Toward Bridging the Gap STEPHEN A. GREYSER 5. The Theory and Practice of Swedish Consumer Policy J. K. JOHNSSON 6. Axioms for Societal Marketing PHILIP KOTLER 7. Consumerism Lives!...and Grows E. PATRICK MCGUIRE C. Disadvantaged Consumers 8. The Differing Nature of Consumerism in the Ghetto ALAN R. ANDREASEN Discussion Questions III. THE PREPURCHASE PHASE: CONSUMER INFORMATION A. Consumer Information Systems 9. The Future for Consumer Information Systems HANS B. THORELLI 10. A Plan for Consumer Information System Development, Implementation, and Evaluation DONALD A. DUNN AND MICHAEL L. RAY 11. Developing Corporate Consumer Information Programs DAVID A. AAKER B. Information Disclosure Requirements 12. Assessing the Effects of Information Disclosure Requirements GEORGE S. DAY 13. Consumer Protection: More Information or More Regulation? WILLIAM H. CUNNINGHAM AND ISABELLA C. M. CUNNINGHAM 14. Affirmative Disclosure of Nutrition Information and Consumers' Food Preferences: A Review TYZOON T. TYEBJEE Discussion Questions IV. THE PREPURCHASE PHASE: ADVERTISING A. Social Issues in Advertising 15. The Social and Economic Effects of Advertising DAVID A. AAKER 16. The Cultural and Social Impact of Advertising on American Society MARY GARDINER JONES 17. Statement before the Federal Trade Commission DONALD M. KENDALL B. Advertising and Children 18. Researchers Look at the "Kid Vid" Rule SCOTT WARD 19. Can and Should the FTC Restrict Advertising to Children? MICHAEL B. MAZIS C. Deceptive Advertising 20. Deceptive Advertising DAVID A. AAKER 21. Recent FTC Actions: Implications for the Advertising Strategist ROBERT E. WILKES AND JAMES B. WILCOX Discussion Questions V. THE PURCHASE PHASE A. Selling Practices 22. Caveat Emptor WARREN O. MAGNUSON AND JEAN CARPER B. Social Dimensions: Ecology 23. Ecological Marketing: Will the Normative Model Become Descriptive? KARL E. HENION II 24. A New Milk Jug THOMAS C. KINNEAR C. Social Dimensions: Demarketing 25. The Energy Crisis and Consumer Conservation: Current Research and Action Programs R. BRUCE HUTTON 26. Swedish Tobacco Controls -- Precedent Setting "Negative Marketing" Approach GRAHAM T. T. MOLITOR D. Constraints on Choice: Antitrust Issues 27. Advertising and Competition DAVID A. AAKER 28. The Cereal Companies: Monopolists or Super Marketers? PAUL N. BLOOM Discussion Questions VI. THE POSTPURCHASE PHASE A. Warranties and Service 29. New Legislation and the Prospects for Real Warranty Reform LAURENCE P. FELDMAN B. Safety and Liability 30. The Mindless Pursuit of Safety WALTER GUZZARDI, JR. 31. The Devils in the Product Liability Laws BUSINESS WEEK 32. A Marketing Manager's Primer on Products Liability WILLIAM L. TROMBETTA C. Consumer Satisfaction 33. Are Consumers Satisfied? GEORGE S. DAY Discussion Questions VII. RESPONDING TO CONSUMERISM A. Business Responses 34. Industrywide Responses to Consumerism Pressure GEORGE S. DAY AND DAVID A. AAKER 35. Perceptual Differences in Market Transactions: A Source of Consumer Frustration RONALD J. DORNOFF AND CLINT B. TANKERSLEY 36. Business and Society Review Corporate Responsibility Awards BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW 37. The Courage to Work Together C. R. SITTER B. Governmental Regulation 38. Regulation: Asking the Right Questions PETER H. SCHUCK 39. Some Difficulties in Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Regulation RICHARD B. ROSS 40. Measuring the Cost of Regulation R. LEE BRUMMET 41. Crying Wolf JOAN CLAYBROOK Discussion Questions Index