Abstract Marketers and business researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the way that emotional factors affect and influence consumerbehavior. The paper's author contends that the term 'emotion" brings with it a great degree of ambiguity and misunderstanding that often confuses the way that this aspect is seen to relate to consumerbehavior. The writer discusses some of the aspects of the interaction between emotion and consumerbehavior in both a practical and theoretical sense.
Outline:
Introduction and Overview
Theoretical Perspectives
Practical Aspects
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "The theories of emotional behavior posited by Zajonc and others have very real practical implications for contemporary marketers and for the general understanding of consumer behavior. In essence, the significance of emotions or affective patterns of behavior, according to theorists like Zajonc, are that these feelings or emotional aspects of decision-making are the first and most primary component of consumer behavior. Another essential aspect is that in theory affective behavior takes place before reasoning and cognitive aspects. This has obvious repercussions in terms of understanding and determining consumer behavior patterns."
Abstract In this paper, the writer considers twelve articles focusing on consumerbehavior, primarily in South Africa. The writer discusses factors that affect consumerbehavior (such as, family values, peer pressure, cultural mores and economic trends).
From the Paper "There are many different factors that affect consumer behavior, family values, peer pressure, cultural mores, economic trends among others. Understanding how various factors affect consumer behavior is critical if companies are to be successful in their marketing efforts. These factors become both more complicated and more critical when international marketing is taken into account. This research considers the issues of need and motives values and attitudes and how these factors are both influenced and how they influence consumer behavior particularly with ..."
Abstract This article discusses the meaning of consumerbehavior. The paper illustrates the process that a consumer may follow when deciding to purchase a major item for himself or for his or her family. Furthermore, this paper shows how marketing matters may influence the consumer at each stage of the decision making process.
From the Paper "Consumer spending is the key to any market economy. There is no doubt that consumer spending is the most vital component of any economy. Depending on the economy, consumer spending can range greatly. In the U. S. and in most highly industrialized nations, this percentage is about total spending. The first part of measuring total consumption is measuring consumer sentiment, which is derived completely from a consumer's standpoint. The process of consumption has long been associated with sex and gender. Therefore it ... "
Tags: Buyer behavior, decision making, advertising, luury, major purchases
Abstract This paper examines the differences and similarities of consumerbehavior in Japan and Indonesia in terms of their natural system, political system, economic system, social system, knowledge system, educational system, executive system and marketing system. Marketing implications are also provided.
From the Paper "It can be argued that Indonesia and Japan are two of most attractive markets in Asia. Indonesia has a fast growing population and Japan can be considered as the most developed Asian country. This paper will analyze, evaluate and note differences and similarities of the natural system, political system, economic system, social system, knowledge system, educational system, executive system and marketing system of Indonesia and Japan. Consumer behavior topics and marketing implications relevant to the systems mentioned above will also be discussed in details. It is believed that changes in consumer behavior in both countries over the recent years will help marketers to analyze consumers? increasing influence, to educate and protect consumers, formulate public and personal policy."
Abstract This paper deals with consumerbehavior, dealing specifically with Latinos and marketing the benefits of nutritional bars. The paper looks at the type of marketing techniques used during the initial marketing phase of the introduction of this product group.
From the Paper "Individuals interested in purchasing snack, nutrition, breakfast or any other type of bar are looking to satisfy three things, tastes, nutrition and price. If nutrition were not an important element in the consumer's mind then any quick stop to a McDonald's or Burger King would have sufficed in solving the problem of being hungry. However when nutritional values as well as economics are involved it is easy to see why these products would have high involvement but even though high involvement behaviors are present so are low involvement ones. In addressing the high involvement behaviors it is acceptable to say that the thought processes involved in snack bar purchases are high due to the consumers fear of sacrificing tastes. Consumers want to determine, how many calories the bars contain, what are their ingredients, are they all natural, and do they taste good etc."
This research examines consumerbehavior and demand and considers the ways in which companies can use consumerbehavior theory to increase demand and quantity demanded goods and services.
Abstract This paper discusses how companies need to understand consumerbehavior in order to determine the best way to shift demand in favor of their products. When companies are able to ascertain why consumers purchase particular goods and services, they can tailor their marketing efforts to address the needs of consumers. It explains how this increases sales, and improves the profit performance of the organization. It also discusses how consumerbehavior can also help companies increase demand by helping consumers accept new uses for existing goods and services. It examines the close relationship between consumerbehavior, demand, and marketing.
From the Paper "According to some analysts, American consumers are spending a higher percentage of their incomes than most other industrial nations, and even higher percentages than they have in the past. In 1998, consumer income increased by five percent, but consumer spending increased six percent. Consumer saving was approximately one-half of one percent of income (Walden, 1999, p. 46).
At the same time, consumers are taking on additional debt, also for purchases. American consumers spend an average of 18 percent of income on non-home loans, a record level of indebtedness (Walden, 1999, p. 46). This causes some economists to be concerned about the possible ramifications of a downturn in the economy. The concern is that consumers lacking sufficient savings to withstand a downturn will slow or even halt spending, and some consumers may be forced into bankruptcy in this situation because they lack appropriate financial resources."
Abstract This paper examines the different aspects of consumerbehavior in relation to the marketing strategies adopted by companies in the context of the present-day society in order to get a better perspective of the new-age customer. It examines issues such as consumer motivation, personality and consumerbehavior, decision making processes, purchase behavior, post purchase behavior, customer loyalty, negative post purchase behavior, emerging trends and segmentation, and multiple sub-cultural consumers.
From the Paper "Consumer needs constitute the basis of all marketing strategies and hence the success and the profitability of a marketing concern largely depend on understanding and fulfilling the needs of the consumers. Motivation is the major driving force that impels consumers to act and so from the marketers viewpoint it is the starting point of understanding the consuming behavior. All consuming behavior can be categorized as falling into one of the following motives, as buying for "optimizing satisfaction", "preventing possible future problems", "escape from a problem", as a means of "resolving conflict" or simply to "maintain satisfaction". Needs are never fully satiated as once a want is fulfilled it is immediately replaced by another leading to a vicious cycle. Motivational research is aimed at understanding the consumer consciousness, which can be used as input in designing new and appealing forms of marketing strategies, which directly address the consumer motives. The underlying idea is that the marketing strategy should be viewed from the perspective of satisfying consumer needs rather than on the idea of selling the product. [Leon G Schiffman, 113] "
Abstract These are two papers on consumerbehavior. The first discusses consumerbehavior and e-commerce, and the second paper discusses globalization and consumerbehavior, looking at the importance to a business of understanding consumerbehavior and security concerns when shopping online.
From the Paper "The Internet and its myriad e-commerce or marketing sites represents what researchers believe to be a new medium for reaching consumers that continues to favor traditional marketing advertising and customer relationship ..."
Tags: e-commerce, globalization, consumerbehavior, Internet marketing
Abstract This paper aims to analyze consumerbehavior patterns in the United Kingdom, since consumerbehavior plays such a large role in the success of all fast food restaurants around the world. The paper begins by looking at the importance of the study, in general, and why understanding consumerbehavior is relevant. This is followed by a close analysis of the consumerbehavior involved in making fast food decisions, health and environmental issues, social and economic impacts.
From the Paper "In addition to subcultures, every society has some type of social class structure. Social classes are mostly permanent divisions in a society whose members share similar values, interests, and behaviors. Social class is not determined by a single factor such as income but is measured as a combination of occupation, income, education, wealth, and other factors. Marketers must pay attention to social class because people within a given social class often demonstrate similar behaviors, including buying behavior. Social classes show distinct product and brand preferences in many areas, including clothing, home furnishings, food choices, and more."
Abstract This paper discusses how the study of consumerbehavior helps organizations improve marketing strategies by understanding how certain issues such as buyer psychology and behavior affect purchasing decisions. By understanding the consumer, organizations will be able to make more informed decisions as to which strategy to employ and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. This paper defines consumerbehavior and provides an example of a consumer purchase demonstrating how each of the 4 Ps (product, price, promotion, and place) of marketing impacted the purchase.
Outline:
Abstract
Definition
The 4 P's of Marketing
Conclusion
From the Paper "One definition of consumer behavior is "The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society" (Hawkins, 2004). Another definition according to the American Marketing Association is that consumer behavior is "the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives." More generally, consumer behavior is the psychology behind marketing and the behavior of consumers in the marketing environment (American Marketing Association, 2006)."
Abstract The paper discusses how the growth in Web 2.0 technologies and social networking are making consumerbehavior more measurable by a more accurate mass customization, product selection, personal search and taxonomy development, in addition to more accurate analytics. The paper explains that this allows marketers to finally get beyond being purely transaction-focused to concentrate more on customer relationships.
Outline:
Introduction
Online ConsumerBehavior Integration to E-Commerce Strategies
From the Paper "There is a revolution taking place in the area of online consumer behavior today. Transitioning from passive and often static approaches to highly interactive ones, the growth of Web 2.0 technologies (O'Reilly, 2005) is making the capturing, verification, analysis and use of online consumer behavior more agile and responsive to e-commerce strategies than has ever been the case in the past. The rise of social networking (Bernoff, Li, 2008) and the granularity it provides marketers in tracking consumer behavior is evident in the many technologies that have been created in response to Web 2.0 broader collaborative trends (Hedgebeth, 2007) in general and social networking specifically. See Table 1 for an overview of social networking technologies. Social networking is fostering a much higher level of collaboration (McAfee, 2006) enterprise-wide, making the capturing of consumer behavior more accurate than has ever been the case previously."
Abstract This essay discusses the consumer decision making process with reference to psychological factors (consumer's needs, values, motives and perceptions). The author describes high and low involvement decision making, emphasizing their role in consumerbehavior. The author goes further and provides marketing strategies and examples to illustrate the influence of high and low involvement decision-making.
From the Paper ? Consumer decision making consists of numerous interrelated decisions that are made on a daily basis, and thus requires a certain level of involvement, theorized as either high involvement or low involvement (Walters & Bergiel, 1989). This essay discusses their role in consumer behavior, referring to factors, consequences and strategies. Decision making is a psychological process that involves evaluating alternatives and then choosing a particular one. An important material of decision making is information, which must be procured, sensed and conveyed to those who need it (Cooper, 1964). Many decisions are concerned with choices about preferences, which can be made using a variety of strategies (Weiten, 1995). An additive strategy is the list of attributes that influence decision, rated according to desirability. For example, buying a small car because of its lower cost and better mileage, even though a larger car is safer, thus one compensates safety ratings. Another strategy called elimination-by "aspects, involves eliminating less attractive choices. Thus one would eliminate all cars that cost more than $50 00 and continue to reject choices that don"t satisfy minimum criterion on selected attributes, until a single alternative remains (Weiten, 1995). These psychological strategies will be elaborated on at a later point in the essay."
Tags: buyer, buying, purchase, product, decide, thought
Abstract Consumerbehavior is influenced by many factors: cultural heritage, perceived value of goods or services, economics, and interpersonal issues. In the current global economy, it is inevitable that East and West meet in the arena of consumer goods and services. Because of the size of their populations, the United States and the two Chinas, the People's Republic and Taiwan, could easily emerge as major markets for each other's goods and services. For any company to be successful in a cross-cultural marketing effort, however, it is essential to pay attention not only to similarities, but to differences, and then to market accordingly. In order to develop a few marketing precepts for creating goods, perhaps with variations in the goods themselves or in the marketing material, this paper looks, in depth, at the cultures of all three nations. The paper then examines what various researchers, experts, and government/trade officials have been saying about markets in the China and Taiwan.
From the Paper "In China, where incomes have been rising, it is necessary to price items so they are affordable to enough people to become popular; in Taiwan, there would be less price sensitivity and, in fact, the Taiwanese are used to paying heftily for many necessities, such as living space, and would be far less price sensitive than the Chinese. In fact, because they have had a growing market economy for some time, they are very likely susceptible to the same upscale, higher-priced marketing concepts as Americans."
Abstract Affirmative action programs have been in existence since the term 'equal employment opportunity' came about. The purpose of such programs is to ensure equal employment practices that are nondiscriminatory and to ensure that organizations do everything possible to ensure equal representation among minority and female candidates within an organization. This paper shows that the manner in which an affirmative action program is structured may influence the public's perception of an organization's effectiveness and culture as well, thus it is vital that top level managers work directly with employees to encourage a program that is fair and well understood. The paper shows that there are numerous factors that might impact consumerbehavior, with affirmative action being one of them. Consumers are interested, by and large, in working with organizations that provide an equal and fair employment environment where all employees are afforded the opportunity to excel within a corporation.
From the Paper "In fact the issue of affirmative action is often considered a highly controversial one. There are those within the field that consider affirmative action programs a means of establishing quotas within an organization and preventing qualified non-minorities from advancing to the highest ranks of an organization. There are still others that feel that affirmative action programs are still not doing enough, which is easy to argue given that women and minorities are still not equally represented in the highest ranks of a majority of organizations across several different industries."
Abstract The paper analyzes consumerbehavior when buying major home appliances, focusing on the "Maytag" brand. The paper discusses how the decision-making process affects product pricing and product positioning in the market. The writer discusses how, because this is a need-driven rather than a purely want-driven product, and requires planning rather than impulse buying, demand will be less elastic in terms of price, and more dependant on other factors such as changes in life circumstances, such as home buying, marriage, or relocation from one area to another.
Table of Contents:
Customer Description at Industry Level
Describes which Variables are Relevant to Describe Segments
Explain why those Variables are the Relevant Ones
Segments are Defined
Needs and Wants are Identified
Is Decision High or Low Involvement?
Describe Decision Process
If Joint Decision, Describes Roles Consumers Play in the Decision
Demand Forecast
From the Paper "The fact that durable goods purchases are not yearly purchases, and are usually made by individuals who have made a commitment to saving for a home and who are older and more highly educated than the average consumer, means that customers are seeking a high level of quality, not simply just the cheapest good possible, which means that low pricing is not enough. Maytag's reputation is for quality of service as well as low pricing also confirms that a discount is not enough to create demand for an item."
