Body Art: Prevalence, Search and Evaluation Among University Business Students

ABSTRACT Although adorning the body by means of tattoos and body piercings is an ancient practice, it has become increasing popular as of late in Western cultures including the United States (U.S.A.). The increasing popularity of body art has been most apparent among young adults and has given rise to a growth industry catering to these consumers. Little attention has been paid to the increasing popularity of body art from the marketing perspective. The purposes of this study were to explore the prevalence of body art among college students and to gain an appreciation of the nature of the consumer decision-making process with respect to body art. Data were collected by means of a survey from 496 respondents at 14 geographically diverse colleges and universities in the U.S.A. The results include overall prevalence rates for tattoos and body piercings as well as relationships between prevalence of both forms of body art and key demographic variables including gender. Also included are results concerning the nature of the product search and provider selection process utilized by those respondents with body art. Data concerning pre-purchase thought and post purchase evaluation are also included. Implications for marketing strategy are explored.