Values Associated with Purchase of Cars for Youth in Ceará: A Study From the Perspective of Means-End Chain

Abstract

The automotive sector is a competitive environment and therefore needs implementation of strategies of differentiation to gain consumer preference. To achieve their goals, organizations must develop strategies, including segregating the target market. An important segment to be serviced is the youth segment, which has needs and desires to be met, and who are major influencers at home and whose dream of consumption is the automobile. To capture this audience, we should try to understand what motivates them to buy a vehicle, what values drive the purchase of a particular car, and then we should offer the product that the customer demands. This is the goal of this research. This research is analyzed from the perspective of the Means-End Chain Theory to identify attributes, consequences, and values involved in the relationship between youth and automobiles. To achieve the objectives of this study, we used the method of in-depth interviews through the laddering technique. The survey was conducted on a sample of 30 young people, between ages 18 and 24, in Ceará who have their own cars and who chose their vehicle at the time of purchase. The results indicate the predominance of an individualistic field from the perspective of Schwartz, where the core values highlighted were: well-being (feeling well), safety, enjoyment, planning for the future, and quality of life.