📣Honors Marketing Unit 2 – Consumer behavior and psychology

Key Concepts in Consumer Behavior

• Consumer behavior focuses on how individuals, groups, and organizations select, buy, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants
• Involves the study of what, why, when, where, and how often consumers buy products or services
• Encompasses pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase activities and evaluations
• Influenced by various factors such as psychological, social, cultural, and personal characteristics
• Understanding consumer behavior helps marketers develop effective marketing strategies to target specific consumer segments
  • Enables tailoring of products, prices, promotions, and distribution channels to meet consumer needs and preferences
• Requires ongoing research and analysis to keep up with changing consumer trends, preferences, and behaviors
• Draws insights from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics

Psychological Factors Influencing Consumers

• Perception plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior
  • Selective attention determines which stimuli consumers focus on and process
  • Selective distortion leads consumers to interpret information in a way that aligns with their preexisting beliefs and attitudes
  • Selective retention causes consumers to remember information that supports their beliefs and forget information that contradicts them
• Learning through experiences and exposure to marketing messages influences consumer behavior over time
• Memory, both short-term and long-term, affects how consumers process and recall information about products and brands
• Motivation drives consumers to take action to satisfy their needs and desires
  • Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that consumers prioritize different needs at different stages of their lives (physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization)
• Attitudes, which are learned predispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object or class of objects, shape consumer preferences and behaviors
• Personality traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (Big Five), influence consumer choices and decision-making styles

Decision-Making Process

• Problem recognition occurs when a consumer identifies a need or want that requires a purchase decision
• Information search involves gathering data about potential solutions to the recognized problem
  • Internal search relies on memory and prior experiences
  • External search seeks information from outside sources (friends, family, online reviews, advertisements)
• Evaluation of alternatives compares the attributes and benefits of different product or service options
• Purchase decision is made based on the evaluation of alternatives and other factors (price, availability, perceived risk)
• Post-purchase behavior includes product usage, evaluation of the purchase decision, and potential loyalty or dissatisfaction
  • Cognitive dissonance may occur if the consumer experiences doubts or regrets about their purchase decision
• The extent of the decision-making process varies depending on the level of involvement and perceived risk associated with the purchase
  • Routine response behavior for low-involvement, frequently purchased items (snacks, household essentials)
  • Limited decision-making for purchases with moderate involvement and risk (clothing, small appliances)
  • Extensive decision-making for high-involvement, infrequent, and risky purchases (cars, homes, luxury goods)

Consumer Motivation and Needs

• Motivation is the driving force that compels consumers to take action to satisfy their needs and desires
• Needs can be classified as functional (utilitarian) or psychological (hedonic)
  • Functional needs relate to the practical benefits and performance of a product or service
  • Psychological needs encompass emotional, social, and self-expressive desires
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that consumers prioritize different needs at different stages of their lives
  • Physiological needs (food, water, shelter)
  • Safety needs (security, protection)
  • Social needs (belonging, love, affection)
  • Esteem needs (self-esteem, recognition, status)
  • Self-actualization needs (personal growth, fulfillment)
• Herzberg's two-factor theory distinguishes between hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) and motivators (satisfiers) in shaping consumer satisfaction
• McGuire's psychological motives include the need for consistency, attribution, categorization, objectification, autonomy, exploration, matching, utilitarian, tension reduction, and assertion
• Understanding consumer motivation and needs helps marketers develop products, services, and marketing messages that resonate with target audiences

Social and Cultural Influences

• Reference groups, such as family, friends, colleagues, and social media influencers, shape consumer attitudes, values, and behaviors through normative and informational influence
• Opinion leaders, who are trusted and knowledgeable individuals within a reference group, can significantly impact consumer decision-making
• Family influences consumer behavior through socialization, joint decision-making, and the allocation of roles and tasks within the household
• Social class, determined by factors such as income, education, and occupation, affects consumer lifestyles, preferences, and purchasing patterns
• Culture, which encompasses shared values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a society, shapes consumer perceptions, preferences, and decision-making
  • Cultural values (individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance) influence consumer behavior
  • Subcultures (ethnic, religious, geographic) within a larger culture may have distinct consumption patterns and preferences
• Cross-cultural differences in consumer behavior must be considered when marketing products and services internationally
• Societal trends, such as sustainability, health consciousness, and digitalization, impact consumer preferences and expectations over time

Market Segmentation and Target Marketing

• Market segmentation divides a heterogeneous market into smaller, more homogeneous subgroups based on shared characteristics, needs, or behaviors
• Segmentation variables include demographic (age, gender, income), geographic (region, climate, population density), psychographic (personality, values, lifestyle), and behavioral (usage rate, brand loyalty, benefits sought) factors
• Effective segmentation requires segments to be measurable, substantial, accessible, differentiable, and actionable
• Target marketing involves selecting one or more market segments to focus marketing efforts on
  • Undifferentiated (mass) marketing targets the entire market with a single marketing mix
  • Differentiated (segmented) marketing targets multiple segments with tailored marketing mixes
  • Concentrated (niche) marketing focuses on a single, narrow segment with a specialized marketing mix
• Positioning is the process of creating a distinct and valuable place for a product or brand in the minds of target consumers relative to competitors
• Perceptual mapping visualizes consumer perceptions of brands or products along key dimensions (price, quality, style) to inform positioning strategies

Consumer Research Methods

• Surveys collect data from a sample of consumers through questionnaires administered online, by phone, or in-person
  • Advantages include cost-effectiveness, speed, and the ability to reach a large, geographically dispersed sample
  • Disadvantages include potential response bias, low response rates, and limited depth of insights
• Focus groups involve moderated discussions with small groups of consumers to gather qualitative insights on attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors
• In-depth interviews provide detailed, one-on-one conversations with consumers to explore their experiences, motivations, and decision-making processes
• Observational research studies consumers in natural settings to gather insights on actual behaviors and usage patterns
  • Ethnographic research involves immersing researchers in consumers' daily lives to gain a deep understanding of their cultural and social contexts
• Experimental research manipulates one or more variables to measure their impact on consumer behavior in controlled settings
• Online and social media analytics track consumer interactions, sentiment, and trends through digital platforms and tools
• Neuromarketing techniques, such as eye tracking and fMRI, measure consumers' physiological and neurological responses to marketing stimuli

Applying Consumer Insights to Marketing Strategies

• Consumer insights inform the development of marketing strategies across the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place)
• Product strategies leverage consumer insights to design products and services that meet target consumers' needs, preferences, and expectations
  • Insights on desired features, benefits, and packaging inform product development and innovation
  • Brand positioning and identity are crafted to resonate with target consumers' values and aspirations
• Pricing strategies consider consumers' willingness to pay, price sensitivity, and perceived value when setting prices and promotions
  • Value-based pricing aligns prices with the perceived benefits and value delivered to consumers
  • Psychological pricing tactics (odd-even pricing, anchoring, bundling) influence consumer perceptions and purchase decisions
• Promotion strategies use consumer insights to develop effective marketing communications and campaigns
  • Advertising messages and creative executions are tailored to appeal to target consumers' motivations, emotions, and preferences
  • Influencer marketing leverages the power of opinion leaders and social media influencers to shape consumer attitudes and behaviors
• Distribution strategies ensure that products and services are available and accessible to target consumers through their preferred channels and touchpoints
  • Omnichannel marketing provides a seamless and integrated consumer experience across online and offline channels
• Continuously monitoring and adapting to changes in consumer behavior is crucial for maintaining relevant and effective marketing strategies over time