The discussions that I have been able to complete this semester in my consumer behavior course have been quite thought provoking. The discussions have allotted for peer and mentor review which are great ways to further enhance topic knowledge and also learn from constructive criticism. Being that I am a marketing major I have very much enjoyed learning and uncovering new aspects of consumer behavior since it is a major part of marketing. In the future I see myself working in a company that allows me to generate advertisement campaigns for them. Being that most companies are international this course is a great base on consumer behavior.
One of my favorite parts has been learning how different groups of people behave and how products have been marketed to them due to their circumstances whether it is race, color or gender. Seeing my peers feedback is a great feature of these discussions, as it provides varied perspective. These new ways of seeing certain groups of people really gets your mind working in a multitude of ways. Seeing how consumers behave and how as a marketer I could use that information for my future career has tremendous value. The first discussion that peaked my interest was discussion 3. This discussion allowed the class to introduce their topics for the semester and it was not only a great way to learn about my topic (Generation X) but to also gain insights into other groups of consumer.
For example I learned that to successfully market to African Americans, “a brand must capture several audiences because of the various segments within African Americans based upon age group.” Discussion 3 was also great to tap into more knowledge regarding marketing efforts that are booming now a days such as the go green initiative. Before taking the course I was aware of this consumer group but thanks for Carolina Acosta Garcia posting on VARIATIONS IN CULTURAL VALUES: Environment-Oriented Values: Nature I was a able to receive more information on the subject. For example she spoke of companies that are using non wood bases for their furniture in order to create more sustainable furniture.
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Everyone’s interest in each other topics made for a great networking community during this discussion. In the future I not only see myself working for a company but also working in a team atmosphere. One that allows me and others to bounce ideas and thoughts of each other in order to create the best possible results. The discussions in the course set the class up in a very similar environment where we were allowed to pitch ideas of each other but also criticize in a constructive manner. My favorite discussion post to create was discussion post 4.
In discussion 4 I was able to gather all that I had learned in the course thus far as well as prior knowledge and tie it in with something I personally am very passionate about, fashion. We had to post one ad that uses reference groups in an attempt to gain patronage. Immediately my minds rushed to celebrities and their endorsement deals, most specifically Selena Gomez with Coach. “Coach has historically catered to the high- cost, high-fashion industry. With Selena Gomez, Coach is branching into lower cost items, and is using Gomez’s name to test items at a lower price point” This was such a prime example of a brand attempting to gain patronage, I had a very interesting time researching and learning about coach and all their marketing efforts to several consumer groups. This discussion post received a plethora of responses which I enjoyed reviewing.
Seeing how I introduced my peers to new concepts felt great, and their responses made it even better. A peer commented “I’ve heard about Selena Gomez’s collaboration with Coach all over the radio, but being that I’m not a huge fan of hers I didn’t care too much about it. You’re absolutely right that Coach is investing in Gomez so that they can reach a younger audience, and they’re successful in doing so as I’ve already heard people freaking out about it on the radio and seen the advertisements all over Instagram as well. I think this ad is a great example of a brand using reference groups to gain patronage.”
This discussion post also allowed me to meet people who shared the same interest as I did who did their discussion on celebrities endorsing fashion brands or campaigns. Discussion 5 was an all-encompassing discussion it put into play the topics that were chosen for the final. The discussion asked the following “Choose a celebrity endorser for your Video Presentation topic. Use at least one term from Chapter 10 to explain why your celebrity will represent your topic well.” I wanted to choose someone who was an ideal brand personality for Generation X, one that encompassed most of the characteristics of this generation. I choose Jennifer Aniston because she embodied the characteristic of generation X so well. “Generation X include balancing family, life, and work which Jennifer executes flawlessly.”
My peers comments were positive they had seen me develop my topics for a few weeks now and they agreed with my selection. “love how you tied in the characteristics of Generation X with her characteristics as well. Overall a very well written post! Excellent job. Since the end goal in my career is to generate advertisements in order to market to different types of consumer this discussion really encompassed all that research. Seeing how my peers interpreted the information was interesting. Many made selections I agree with and others surprised me with their answers. One of the most insightful post in my opinion was the post of Beyoncé on other-oriented value- Masculine/Feminine. “Through her career as an artist and business women, Beyoncé has awakened emotions in men and women alike through strong female empowerment messages in videos and performances and new business ventures such as a record label that only signs women.
Beyoncé is a perfect example of the changing roles of women in today’s society and she inspires women and men alike to support a society where power is equally dispersed between women and men.” Like Mayara there were other great and analytical post for discussion 5. From each discussion post I interacted with I was able to learn new ideas and facts that will aid me in my career present and future. These insights I have gained regarding consumer groups will help with my career development. Now a days within the globalization era, business have drifted towards the trend of e-marketing. Through these techniques, it has become simpler for the consumers to index products and brands in their minds.
It has become more than just signs, terms, names and symbols for consumers and businesses. A brand has become a business’s pledge to obstinately dispense quality features, benefits, and services to consumers and to make them more acquainted with a certain brand over others. When a company is able to create a solid brand in a buyer’s mind through the appropriate marketing strategies, that company will be able to craft its brand and protect the purchase its products and services through the buyer. Certain consumers acquire a product because it is a necessity to them and some others purchase a product impulsively or without any deliberation when choosing to make the purchase. Before the sales conversation can even begin, one must first comprehend what the client’s needs are. But not just their external needs, but also their inner wants as well.
Once it is abundantly clear what your prospective consumer may want, one must then discover exactly how they make purchase choices and what prerequisites need to occur for them to feel satisfied with the decision making. Shoppers follow a similar progressions, but consumers no matter how alike they are, make distinctive purchasing choices. Culture is a key influence that affects a buyer’s buying decisions. These factors indicate the group of ethics, preferences, views and beliefs of a particular niche. During their early stages of life, consumers begin to recognize adequate behavior and actions when purchasing products. Social status, which involves the crowds to which the consumer belongs, and his or her social status in their society, impact purchase evaluations.
Human are instinctively social. They require people to engage with, and make choices. Personal characteristics such as the age, profession, economic standing, way of life, and personality have a tremendous weight on the buying decisions and consumer behavior. Personality, which incorporates distinctive psychological characteristics, is an fundamental constituent in the consumer decision making process. Culture indicates the shared principles, traditions, activities, and mindsets that distinguish a society. Culture is a handed down through generations and is frequently considered to be the widest influence in consumer’s behavior.
A consumers culture suggests the manner in which they should live and has vast effects on the products and services these individuals purchase. It is culture that instills in consumer, what they demand to make investments and honor contracts, pay in a timely manner, obey rules, and adopt accountability. Occasionally ‘cultural shifts’, due to the influence of various cultures suggest the need to present new products. Each culture is additionally distributed into different subcultures based on age, location, religious practices, sex etc.
One can see the power of culture in the increasing number of Hispanics households how businesses are beginning to adapt to appeal to these consumers to transform them into buyers. Take for example Publix, which has implemented Publix Sabor in predominately Hispanic cities. This is because companies like Publix understand the value of culture in the decision making process. A main influence of a consumers purchase decisions and consumer behavior is the social status in which shoppers are located. Social status is an external stimulus on customers decisions because it is not a basis of emotion or awareness.
Social status can have a overwhelming effect on consumer purchase decision. Feasibly the most evident effect is the amount of disposable income available. Normally, the rich have the power to purchase a large amount of consumer goods in contrast to those with smaller incomes, and those goods tend to be of a higher standard. There is also a discrepancy in the form of merchandise and services purchased. For example, upper classes are inclined to be the chief consumers of fine jewelry and habitually shop at elite shops.
The lower classes, in disparity, are much more troubled with merely getting by; they concentrate their means on necessities. Social statuses have definite characteristics and methodologies to consumer behavior. However we can’t presume a consumer is in a particular social status because they either acquire or don’t acquire certain products or brands. Personality is defined by a consumers nature, it aids in depicting why and how consumers are distinctive, and incorporates the consumer unique persona. Each and every consumer is taken into consideration when products are marketed to specific groups. Consumers purchase behavior is significantly influenced by their personality characteristics.
Personality can also be defined as consumers unswerving pattern of reactions. It is an internal makeup where experience and conduct are united as one. One consumer is different from others not only in the outer features, but also in personalities. It is a major element that encourages that persons behavior when it comes to purchase decisions. What a buyers acquire, when and they make these purchases are directly impacted by his personality. Marketers understand this, which is why they do interviews and focus groups to uncover personality traits and feature. As well as how it relates to the purchase of certain products proving the importance of personality in the decision making process.
Consumer behavior is largely more than the physical acquisition of products and services but adequately covers a wide scope of activities from the problem consciousness phase through post purchase stage, idea generation, or occurrences that quench the needs and desires of consumers. It demands the analysis of customer needs, stimuli, and mind processes used in selecting one product or service over another which includes the patterns of securing different products and services.
At its core, it is invested in how people and groups choose, purchase, use, and discard of goods. The battle between firms producing similar products and services has deepened and the customer, who is supposed to be the main focal point in a modern business plan, turns out to be more vital than ever. Because marketing begins with the demands of the consumer and concludes with need satisfaction, it all orbits around the consumer and consequently the analysis of consumer behavior becomes a requirement for anyone attempting to influence consumer purchase decisions.
