Dissertation Proposal Assignment | Essay Help Services

: The effect of generational differences and age on the “culture code” of FMCG products in Russia. A qualitative study The proposal is heavily based on one of my previous assignments with almost the exact same methodology and literature review. Therefore, the main objective is to paraphrase most of the existing assignment and add a few shorter paragraphs that are relevant for this specific topic.Introduction
Fragrance is a massive industry that has experienced rapid growth in recent years
(Weinsig, 2017). Cologne is a very important sector of the fragrance market as it accounts for
approximately 20% of the whole market share and is the segment with the fastest projected
growth in the future (Perfume Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, 2020).
Marketing is essential for fragrance and cologne companies. They spend
approximately 800 million dollars on marketing every year and it is one of their main driving
factors of sales (Bhasin, 2016). Therefore, it is essential for them to have a sound marketing
strategy and to understand how best to reach and influence their consumer. This study
examines how evolutionary psychology can be used in order to understand the primal drives
of the consumer and create more efficient advertisement material based on using the “cultural
code” of any give FMCG product.
This report will attempt to identify the cultural code for cologne in Russia along with
analysing the implications of such research for the field of marketing and the academic field
of evolutionary psychology.
Literature Review
Culture has a very strong influence on people’s perception of the world (McCracken,
1986). Cultural differences and norms can significantly shift consumer perceptions towards a
given product and also are closely linked to the evolutionary meta-drives proposed by (Saad,
2013). Therefore, identifying these cultural affiliations, together with the evolutionary
meta-drives creates an influential insight into consumer behavior and perceptions towards a
certain product (Rapaille, 2007). Having these insights can be extremely useful for marketers
as it allows to most effectively present the value propositions of the product to the consumer.
Theoretical frameworks used in this study
The primary theory that this study is based on is MacLean’s Triune brain model
(MacLean, 1985). In his theory, MacLean states that brain separates its activity based on
three main factors: logic, emotion, and instinct (MacLean, 1985), These factors, in turn, are
responsible for the evolution of three brains presented in the model: “The Triune brain model
proposes the evolution of three separate brains: the neomammalian (neocortex), the
paleomammalian (limbic system) and r- complex (reptilian brains).” ( Barnett, J. 2017, p.43 ).
The neocortex brain is the only one that people are consciously aware of. It is the
most evolved part of the brain as it focuses its activity on intellect, logic and rationality
(MacLean, 1985). The neocortex is also responsible for justifying the subconscious
influences of the other two brains. It provides explanations to the people’s often impulsive
and irrational behavior influenced by the reptilian brain and the evolutionary meta drives
(Wegner, 2002) .
The limbic system brain is responsible for emotions (MacLean, 1973). In this part of
the brain, emotional associations are formed that later influence people’s socially conditioned
responses and behavior ( Barnett, J. 2017).
The last and most primal is the reptilian brain. It controls instincts and primary
survival functions. It is a more influential brain on our behavior as it can trigger immediate
survival responses and primary behavioral meta-drives that can overrule the other two brains
during decision-making (Rapaille, 2007).
These three brains have different functions, however, they all work together to
influence decision making and formulate emotions and associations (Laborit, 1977).
(Rapaille, 2007) suggests that in the hierarchy of influence on human behavior and decision
making, the reptilian brain is the most influential, with the limbic system being second in
command and the neocortex being the least powerful of the three.
Based on this theoretical model, this study has set the following research objectives:
Research objectives:
R.O. 1. To analyse and describe the unconscious cultural influences of male cologne
consumption by unveiling the culture code behind the chosen product
R.O. 2. To show how understanding the culture code of an FMCG product can provide value
to academics and marketers.
Method
Introduction of methods
In order to achieve the stated research objectives, this study will use the LEI (Logic,
Emotion, and Instinct) method (Rapaille, 2007). This is a qualitative method of research,
developed by Clotaire Rapaille (Rapaille, 2007), focused around a group seminar, the
structure and procedures of which are based around MacLean’s triune brain model. There are
seven participants in this seminar, whose input and data will be used in order to identify their
culture’s code of the product chosen. In the case of this study, it will be the Russian culture
code for cologne.
Sample characteristics and sampling method.
As the primary objective of this study is to retrieve the earliest memories associated
with a product from people from a specific cultural background, participants for the study are
sampled purposively. This sampling method is efficient when doing qualitative research on
small-sized groups. ( Barnett, J. 2017). The participants in this research were selected based
on their cultural background as the LEI method requires them to be born in and grown up in
Russia up to the age of at least 7 years old.
Construction of research materials
The construction of the research materials such as surveys and the procedures utilised
in each step of the seminar is heavily based on similar academic studies that utilise the same
method. ( Barnett, J. 2017), (Rapaille, 2007), (LaTour et al. 2009).
Procedure
The seminar procedure is split into three stages. The first stage is designed to pull
back the neocortical layer of the brain. The participants ask each other the simplest questions
about cologne that they can think of in order to get rid of all the simple logical associations
and proceed to the next layer of the brain. The second stage focuses on dealing with the
emotional response to the given product that is stored in the limbic system of the brain. The
participants are asked to perform two projective activities. First, they are given random
magazines and are asked to cut out the words that associate the most with cologne from the
said magazine. In the second part, they are asked to formulate a random story with the given
words. ( Barnett, J. 2017) The third and final stage of the seminar is the most important, as it
attempts to retrieve the first memories associated with that product. Participants are asked to
get comfortable and relax. Once they are ready, they are asked to think of their earliest
memory of cologne. They then must formulate it into a story, write it down, and tell it to the
researcher.
Data analysis methods used
During analysis, data is separated based on the three Triune stages. The data from the
first stage of the seminar is analysed by somatic analysis. ( Barnett, J. 2017) After that, by
using qualitative content analysis, words that people most associated with cologne are
extracted from the data gathered during the limbic phase. ( Barnett, J. 2017) (Rapaille, 2007)
The findings from the third (reptilian) section of the seminar are structured and
analysed in a way to find the most common tropes in the earliest memories of the participants
associated with cologne. This data is most important and it is related the most to the primal
meta-drives participants associate with the given product. (Rapaille, 2007)
After that, all data is looked at together in order to form a complete idea of the overall
culture code.
Ethical aspects of the research
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethics and safety research guidelines
of Durham University. Before the seminar, all participants provided informed consent to
participate in research and were given a description of what is the primary objective and the
nature of the research. The participants were also informed that all their data and identities
will be kept anonymous and they can ask to withdraw their data or stop participating in the
seminar at any given moment. For these reasons, all the names given in this study are
pseudonyms. During the seminar, the researcher made sure to avoid any stress, harm,
coercion, or any negative influence on the participants.
Results
Table 1 – Top ten word associations with cologne
Table 2 – Common patterns from the earliest memories associated with cologne
The results are separated into two data sets and organised in two tables according to the
limbic and reptilian part of the Triune brain model:
Table 1 utilises qualitative content analysis to show words that the participants
associated the most with cologne.
Table 2 presents the common patterns shown in the participants’ earliest memories
associated with cologne, that are hidden in the reptilian brain.
Together these findings formulate an overall picture of a culture code associated with cologne
in Russia which is discussed in the next section.
Discussion
In order to identify the cultural code, the main focus was given to the data from the
second and the third stage of the seminar. (Rapaille, 2007) Based on the recorded data and its
analysis two potential culture codes for cologne were formulated – “work” and “father”. The
earliest memories of cologne were mostly associated with the participants’ father either going
to or coming back from work. While the most common association from the limbic phase was
the image of a successful businessman. Therefore, the reptilian brain produced a culture code
of “father” and the limbic stage was leaning more towards “work”. In order to both test which
of the codes is the more prevalent one and to also test the practical applications and success
of the study conducted, the researcher has created “test advertisement materials” that utilize
both of the potential culture codes, and showed them to participants to see which would get a
better response. With an overall 70 to 30 percent, cultural code “work” was the more
successful one in terms of customer perception of and attraction to the advertisement
materials.
Implications for marketers
These findings suggest that cologne companies in Russia should focus on aligning
their marketing strategy and advertising materials with the “work” culture code. This is a
significant discovery because currently, a large percent of cologne advertisement is focused
on sexiness and attraction in an attempt to fuel the reproductive meta-drive. This supports the
claim that (Rapaille, 2007) made, that too much attention is given to the neocortex function in
marketing while the focus should be on the reptilian and the limbic system’s brains as they
influence decision making the most. Therefore, this study suggests that marketers should use
more work-related images such as suits, business-man, working environment, with
potentially adding in the images of getting ready for work and leaving the house as people
have a much closer association with cologne being something that helps people get ready for
work and to look and feel confident and professional.
Limitations
While following previously tested procedures and achieving its research objective this study
still had the following limitations.
1. Globalisation and the influence of foreign culture have diluted the boundaries
between the cultures making the “cultural codes” not as specific and sound
2. In order to truly test if the findings are representative of the entire Russian population,
a random representative sample would be required ( Barnett, J. 2017).
3. The LEI method does not account external factors such as level of income, product
availability, and occupation, that can influence consumer decision about cologne
Conclusion
This study has been successful in identifying the Russian cultural code for cologne
which is “work”. These findings allow marketers to evaluate their approach to marketing
cologne products in Russia and perhaps change and tune their advertisement material to align
the cultural code in order to achieve better results. However, this study had its limitations,
which in turn, open up opportunities for further research. This study identifies two main areas
for future research to consider. First , research should examine the effects of external factors
such as level of income, or occupation on the culture codes. Second, long-term studies should
be conducted to see if the culture code is changed over time or is affected by life stages or
current events. ( Barnett, J. 2017).
These research areas are extremely important as it has been scientifically proven that
unconscious drivers have a very strong influence on consumer behavior and decision making
(Rapaille, 2007). More research in those areas will help practitioners understand their
consumers better and allow scientists to get a deeper understand of the human brain and
decision-making processes.
References
1. Barnett, J. (2017). Beyond Reason: Uncovering the Collective Unconscious’ Code’for
Instinctive Breakfast Consumption (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of
Technology).
2. Bhasin, K., 2016. Perfume Makers Spend $800 Million On Ads That Apparently Stink .
[online] Bloomberg.com. Available at:
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-20/perfume-makers-spend-800-
million-on-ads-that-apparently-stink> [Accessed 14 May 2020].
3. Perfume Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, 2020. Perfume Market Size
Forecast 2026 | Fortune Business Insights™ . [online] Fortunebusinessinsights.com.
Available at: <https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/perfume-market-102273>
[Accessed 14 May 2020].
4. Saad, G. (2013). Evolutionary consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology , 23 (3),
351-371.
5. Saad, G. (2013). The consuming instinct: What Darwinian consumption reveals about
human nature. Politics and the Life Sciences , 32 (1), 58-72
6. Weinswig, D., 2017. Reviewing Trends In The Global Fragrance Market . [online]
Deborahweinswig.com. Available at:
<https://deborahweinswig.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Reviewing-Trends-in-the
-Global-Fragrance-Market-August-4-2017.pdf> [Accessed 14 May 2020].
7. Rapaille, G. C. (2001). 7 secrets of marketing in a multi-cultural world. Provo, UT:
Executive Excellence Pub.
8. Rapaille, G. C. (2007). The culture code: An ingenious way to understand why people
around the world buy and live as they do. New York, NY: Broadway Books.
9. Rapaille, G. C. (2015). The global code: How a new culture of universal values is
reshaping business and marketing. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
10. Rapaille, G. C., & Roemer, A. (2013). Move up: Why some cultures advance and
others don’t. London, England: Penguin Books.
11. McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and consumption: A theoretical account of the
structure and movement of the cultural meaning of consumer goods. Journal of
Consumer Research, 13(1), 71-84.
12. MacLean, P. D. (1973). A triune concept of the brain and behaviour. In T. J. Boag, D.
Campbell (Eds), The Hincks Memorial Lectures (pp. 6-66), Toronto, Canada
University of Toronto Press.
13. MacLean, P. D. (1985). Evolutionary psychiatry and the triune brain. Psychological
Medicine, 15(2), 219-221.
14. MacLean, P. D. (1990). The triune brain in evolution: Role in paleocerebral functions.
Springer Science & Business Media.
15. Wegner, D. M. (2002). The Illusion of Conscious Will. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
16. Laborit, H. (1977). Decoding the human message (S. Bodington & A. Wilson,
Trans.). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
17. LaTour, K. A., Sarrazit, F., Hendler, R., & LaTour, M. S. (2009). Cracking the
cultural code of gambling. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 50(4), 475-497.

Introduction
Culture greatly impacts consumers’ perceptions and behavior (McCracken, 1986)
(probably a couple more citations). Marketers must be always aware of how culture affects
their consumer’s view of the product in order to create an effective marketing strategy. One
way to understand how does culture forms perceptions and associations of products in the
mind of the consumer is through identifying the cultural code of a product. The cultural code
framework proposed by (Rapaille, 2007) gives insights to the culture’s effect on any FMCG
product’s perception within a culture by identifying the cultural code of the said product. The
cultural code is ….
At the moment, there is an increase in the amount of academic literature on the culture
codes framework, as it is getting used more regularly in business practice and showing
successful results. (cite) However, there is a complete lack of literature on how do external
factors such as age influence the culture code. Seeing if there is a difference and
understanding what it is can be extremely useful for marketers. Having an understanding of
these differences would allow marketers to align their strategy with the target audience
needed and improve more sales by including the culture code in their materials (Rapaille,
2007)
Fast-food is a vibrant and rapidly growing market in Russia. (need a statistic here) It is a
product consumed by everyone and that also heavily relies on marketing. This study has
selected to use Fast-food foods and services due to its scale and universal appeal. This study
will attempt to identify the Russian cultural code for Fast-food for two different generations
and see if there are any significant differences.
The objectives of the research are:
R.O. 3 – Identify the cultural codes for 2 generations for FMCG products
R.O. 2 – Analyse if generational differences have an impact on the culture code of a given
FMCG product
R.O. 3 – based on the findings analyse the current marketing strategy of these brands and give
recommendations
Literature review
Short intro
Culture has a very strong influence on people’s perception of the world (McCracken, 1986).
Cultural differences and norms can significantly shift consumer perceptions towards a given
product. Therefore, identifying these cultural affiliations gives both marketers and researchers
influential insight into consumer behavior and perceptions towards a certain product
(Rapaille, 2007). Having these insights can be extremely useful for marketers as it allows to
most effectively present the value propositions of the product to the consumer.
Theoretical frameworks used in this study
Triune brain model
The primary theory that this study is based on is MacLean’s Triune brain model (MacLean,
1985). In his theory, MacLean states that brain separates its activity based on three main
factors: logic, emotion, and instinct (MacLean, 1985), These factors, in turn, are responsible
for the evolution of three brains presented in the model: “The Triune brain model proposes
the evolution of three separate brains: the neomammalian (neocortex), the paleomammalian
(limbic system) and r- complex (reptilian brains).” (Barnett, J. 2017, p.43 ).
The neocortex brain is the only one that people are consciously aware of. It is the most
evolved part of the brain as it focuses its activity on intellect, logic and rationality (MacLean,
1985). The neocortex is also responsible for justifying the subconscious influences of the
other two brains. It provides explanations to the people’s often impulsive and irrational
behavior influenced by the reptilian brain and the evolutionary meta drives (Wegner, 2002).
The limbic system brain is responsible for emotions (MacLean, 1973). In this part of the
brain, emotional associations are formed that later influence people’s socially conditioned
responses and behavior (Barnett, J. 2017).
The last and most primal is the reptilian brain. It controls instincts and primary survival
functions. It is a more influential brain on our behavior as it can trigger immediate survival
responses and primary behavioral meta-drives that can overrule the other two brains during
decision-making (Rapaille, 2007).
These three brains have different functions, however, they all work together to
influence decision making and formulate emotions and associations (Laborit, 1977).
(Rapaille, 2007) suggests that in the hierarchy of influence on human behavior and decision
making, the reptilian brain is the most influential, with the limbic system being second in
command and the neocortex being the least powerful of the three.
Based on this theoretical model, this study has set the following research objectives:
1-2 Research questions/propositions
Therefore, the main research question that this study will attempt to answer is:
Does generational and age difference affect the culture code of an FMCG product?
Methodology –
Introduction of methods
In order to achieve the stated research objectives, this study will use the LEI (Logic,
Emotion, and Instinct) method (Rapaille, 2007). This is a qualitative method of research,
developed by Clotaire Rapaille (Rapaille, 2007), focused around a group seminar, the
structure and procedures of which are based around MacLean’s triune brain model. In this
case, there will be two seminars with 6-8 participants in each, whose input and data will be
used in order to identify their culture’s code of the product chosen. In the case of this study, it
will be the Russian culture code for fastfoode.
Sample characteristics and sampling method.
The primary objective of this study is to retrieve the earliest memories associated with
a product from people from a specific cultural background, through an interview and
activity-based seminar. Therefore, participants for the study are sampled purposively, as this
sampling method is efficient for qualitative research on small-sized groups. ( Barnett, J.
2017). The participants in this research were selected based on their cultural background as
the LEI method requires them to be born in and grown up in Russia up to the age of at least 7
years old.
Construction of research materials
The construction of the research materials such as surveys and the procedures utilised
in each step of the seminar is heavily based on similar academic studies that utilise the same
method. ( Barnett, J. 2017), (Rapaille, 2007), (LaTour et al. 2009).
Procedure
The seminar procedure is split into three stages. The first stage is designed to pull
back the neocortical layer of the brain. The participants ask each other the simplest questions
about fastfood that they can think of in order to get rid of all the simple logical associations
and proceed to the next layer of the brain. The second stage focuses on dealing with the
emotional response to the given product that is stored in the limbic system of the brain. The
participants are asked to perform two projective activities. First, they are given random
magazines and are asked to cut out the words that associate the most with fastfood from the
said magazine. In the second part, they are asked to formulate a random story with the given
words. ( Barnett, J. 2017) The third and final stage of the seminar is the most important, as it
attempts to retrieve the first memories associated with that product. Participants are asked to
get comfortable and relax. Once they are ready, they are asked to think of their earliest
memory of fast food. They then must formulate it into a story, write it down, and tell it to the
researcher.
Data analysis methods used
During analysis, data is separated based on the three Triune stages. The data from the
first stage of the seminar is analysed by somatic analysis. ( Barnett, J. 2017) After that, by
using qualitative content analysis, words that people most associated with fast food are
extracted from the data gathered during the limbic phase. ( Barnett, J. 2017) (Rapaille, 2007)
The findings from the third (reptilian) section of the seminar are structured and
analysed in a way to find the most common tropes in the earliest memories of the participants
associated with fast food. This data is most important and it is related the most to the primal
meta-drives participants associate with the given product. (Rapaille, 2007)
After that, all data is looked at together in order to form a complete idea of the overall
culture code.
Ethical aspects of the research
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethics and safety research guidelines
of Durham University. Before the seminar, all participants provided informed consent to
participate in research and were given a description of what is the primary objective and the
nature of the research. The participants were also informed that all their data and identities
will be kept anonymous and they can ask to withdraw their data or stop participating in the
seminar at any given moment. For these reasons, all the names given in this study are
pseudonyms. During the seminar, the researcher made sure to avoid any stress, harm,
coercion, or any negative influence on the participants.
In terms of ethics, it is key to consider: informed consent, respect for privacy and respect for
confidentiality (Fouka and Mantzorou, 2011). In order to ensure consent for this study, an
electronic consent form will be sent in conjunction with the questionnaire as a first step. The
scope of the research will be described and the participant will choose if they wish to proceed
or not with the questionnaire. For privacy and confidentiality, the participants can choose to
remain anonymous for the questionnaire unless they wish to participate on a prize draw. In
this case a question will ask for emails in order for a winner to be selected. The participants
will be reminded that if they do choose to provide an email, their personal data will be
handled and secured in a confidential manner aligning with the University’s Data Protection
and Information Security policies (Dur.ac.uk, 2020). Physical, psychological and
environmental risks must also be considered (Dur.ac.uk, 2020).
Timeline – a summary timetable showing your ‘action plan’ for the dissertation itself.
You can choose to use something like a Gantt chart, critical path method (CPM) or a
simple table.
Figure 1 shows a timetable including 28 weeks starting from mid-October to March 16th,
2021. This was made on the assumption that the dissertation is usually turned in a few days
before the end of second term. It is important to note that background reading and plan will
be done during the summer for around 2 months as preparation. This timetable considers
“slippage” time by adding an extra week to key important sections such as ‘Writing literature
review’. For presentation purposes, the timetable includes key tasks but throughout the
process these will be broken down further explaining the extra time provided to each task. It
is important to note that this timetable will allow for times to be adjusted accordingly
throughout the process by using the ‘Actual Start’ and ‘Actual Duration’ tabs. This will allow
for better time management and will ease the dissertation process.
Conclusion
References
1. Barnett, J. (2017). Beyond Reason: Uncovering the Collective Unconscious’ Code’for
Instinctive Breakfast Consumption (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of
Technology).
2. Saad, G. (2013). Evolutionary consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology , 23 (3),
351-371.
3. Saad, G. (2013). The consuming instinct: What Darwinian consumption reveals about
human nature. Politics and the Life Sciences , 32 (1), 58-72
4. Rapaille, G. C. (2001). 7 secrets of marketing in a multi-cultural world. Provo, UT:
Executive Excellence Pub.
5. Rapaille, G. C. (2007). The culture code: An ingenious way to understand why people
around the world buy and live as they do. New York, NY: Broadway Books.
6. Rapaille, G. C. (2015). The global code: How a new culture of universal values is
reshaping business and marketing. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
7. Rapaille, G. C., & Roemer, A. (2013). Move up: Why some cultures advance and
others don’t. London, England: Penguin Books.
8. McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and consumption: A theoretical account of the
structure and movement of the cultural meaning of consumer goods. Journal of
Consumer Research, 13(1), 71-84.
9. MacLean, P. D. (1973). A triune concept of the brain and behaviour. In T. J. Boag, D.
Campbell (Eds), The Hincks Memorial Lectures (pp. 6-66), Toronto, Canada
University of Toronto Press.
10. MacLean, P. D. (1985). Evolutionary psychiatry and the triune brain. Psychological
Medicine, 15(2), 219-221.
11. MacLean, P. D. (1990). The triune brain in evolution: Role in paleocerebral functions.
Springer Science & Business Media.
12. Wegner, D. M. (2002). The Illusion of Conscious Will. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
13. Laborit, H. (1977). Decoding the human message (S. Bodington & A. Wilson,
Trans.). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
14. LaTour, K. A., Sarrazit, F., Hendler, R., & LaTour, M. S. (2009). Cracking the
cultural code of gambling. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 50(4), 475-497.