The Role of Consumer Behaviour in Present Marketing Management Scenario
The Role of Consumer Behaviour in Present Marketing Management Scenario
The Role of Consumer Behaviour in Present Marketing Management Scenario
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and consumption of products and services by individual. The American Marketing Association
(AMA) defines consumer behaviour as the dynamic interaction of cognition, behaviour &
environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspect of their lives with
various social and psychological variables at play.
The global marketplace is a study in diversity, diversity among consumers, producers,
marketers, retailers, advertising media, cultures, and customs and of course the individual or
psychological behaviour. However, despite prevailing diversity, there also are many similarities.
The object of the study of consumer behaviour is to provide conceptual and technical tools to
enable the marketer to apply them to marketing practice, both profit & non-profit. The study of
consumer behaviour (CB) is very important to the marketers because it enables them to
understand and predict buying behaviour of consumers in the marketplace; it is concerned not
only with what consumers buy, but also with why they buy it, when and where and how they buy
it, and how often they buy it, and also how they consume it & dispose it. Consumer research is
the methodology used to study consumer behaviour; it takes place at every phase of the
consumption process: before the purchase, during the purchase, and after the purchase. Research
shows that two different buyers buying the same product may have done it for different reasons,
paid different prices, used in different ways, have different emotional attachments towards the
things and so on. According to Professor Theodore Levitt of the Harvard Business School, the
study of Consumer Behaviour is one of the most important in business education, because the
purpose of a business is to create and keep customers. Customers are created and maintained
through marketing strategies. And the quality of marketing strategies depends on knowing,
serving, and influencing consumers. In other words, the success of a business is to achieve
organisational objectives, which can be done by the above two methods. This suggests that the
knowledge & information about consumers is critical for developing successful marketing
strategies because it challenges the marketers to think about and analyse the relationship between
the consumers & marketers, and the consumer behaviour & the marketing strategy.
Consumer behaviour is interdisciplinary; that it is based on concepts and theories about
people that have been developed by scientists, philosophers & researchers in such diverse
disciplines as psychology, sociology, social psychology, cultural anthropology, and economics.
The main objective of the study of consumer behaviour is to provide marketers with the
knowledge and skills, that are necessary to carry out detailed consumer analyses which could be
used for understanding markets and developing marketing strategies. Thus, consumer behaviour
researchers with their skills for the naturalistic settings of the market are trying to make a major
contribution to our understanding of human thinking in general. The study of consumer
behaviour helps management understand consumers’ needs so as to recognise the potential for
the trend of development of change in consumer requirements and new technology. And also to
articulate the new thing in terms of the consumers’ needs so that it will be accepted in the market
well. The following are a few examples of the benefits of the study of consumer behaviour
derived by the different categories of people :
A marketing manager would like to know how consumer behaviour will help him to
design better marketing plans to get those plans accepted within the company. In a non-profit
service organisation, such as a hospital, an individual in the marketing department would like to
know the patients’ needs and how best to serve those needs. Universities & Colleges now
recognise that they need to know about consumer behaviour to aid in recruiting students.
Marketing Admissions has become an accepted term to mean marketing to potential students.
Consumer behaviour has become an integral part of strategic market planning. It is also the basis
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of the approach to the concept of Holistic Marketing. The belief that ethics and social
responsibility should also be integral components of every marketing decision is embodied in a
revised marketing concept – the societal marketing concept – which calls on marketers to fulfil
the needs of their target markets in ways that improve society as a whole. The study of
consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding
issues such as the psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different
alternatives (e.g., brands, products); The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or
her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media). The behavior of consumers while shopping
or making other marketing decisions. Limitations in consumer knowledge or information
processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome. How consumer motivation and
decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that
they entail for the consumer; and How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing
campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. One "official"
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."
Although it is not necessary to memorize this definition, it brings up some useful points:
Behavior occurs either for the individual, or in the context of a group (e.g., friends influence
what kinds of clothes a person wears) or an organization (people on the job make decisions as to
which products the firm should use).
Consumer behavior involves the use and disposal of products as well as the study of how
they are purchased. Product use is often of great interest to the marketer, because this may
influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage increased consumption.
Since many environmental problems result from product disposal (e.g., motor oil being sent into
sewage systems to save the recycling fee, or garbage piling up at landfills) this is also an area of
interest. Consumer behavior involves services and ideas as well as tangible products. The impact
of consumer behavior on society is also of relevance. For example, aggressive marketing of high
fat foods, or aggressive marketing of easy credit, may have serious repercussions for the national
health and economy.
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influenced by the above set of external factors and in turn influence the way consumers proceed
through a decision making process regarding products & services. They are : Personality & Self-
concept, Motivation & Involvement, Perception & Information Processing, Learning & Memory,
Attitudes.
3.The Consumer Decision Making Process :
The buying decision comes as a product of the complex interaction of the external factors
and the personal attributes. The inner most circle denotes the consumer decision making process
regarding products & services, whose major steps are : Problem Recognition, Information
Search, Evaluation of Application, Purchase Decision, Post-Purchase behaviour. Once we are
aware about the factors which directly or indirectly influence the shopping behaviour of any
consumer then it is better to know about marketing and its related activities. Next heading which
we are going to discuss is introduction of marketing and marketing management.
MARKETING:
Marketing is the process associated with promoting for sale goods or services. It is considered a
social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want
through creating and exchanging products and values with others. It is an integrated process
through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in
marketing is used to create the customer, to keep the customer and to satisfy the customer. With
the customer as the focus of its activities.
Marketing management is important in all businesses. It is the highly specialised study of
business management, business administration or just management today, marketing
management function plays a very critical role. This is because this functional area of
management earns the revenue, & works in the close proximity with the public or persons
outside the organisation. Controlling these two attributes to have the desired benefits are the
most difficult part of the management, because none of these two are within the direct control of
the marketers. This doesn’t mean that the other functional areas are not useful, but they are not
directly involved in the activities mentioned above. Similarly, within the study of Marketing
Management, the Consumers or the Customers play a very critical role as these are the people
who finally buy the goods & services of the organisation, and the firm is always on the move to
make them buy so as to earn revenue. It’s crucial from both the points of view as given below :
1. From The Customers’ Point Of View : Customers today are in a tough spot. Today, in the
highly developed & technologically advanced society, the customers have a great deal of choices
& options (and often very close & competing) to decide on. They have the products of an
extreme range of attributes (the 1st P - Product), they have a wide range of cost and payment
choices (the 2nd P - Price), they can order them to be supplied to their door step or anywhere else
(the 3rd P - Place), and finally they are bombarded with more communications from more
channels than ever before (the 4th P - Promotion). How can they possibly decide where to spend
their time and money, and where they should give their loyalty ?
2. From The Marketers’ Point Of View : The purpose of marketing is to sell more stuff to
more people more often for more money in order to make more profit. This is the basic principle
of requirement for the marketers in earlier days where aggressive selling was the aim. Now it
can’t be achieved by force, aggression or plain alluring. For the customers are today more
informed, more knowledgeable, more demanding, more discerning. And above all there is no
dearth of marketers to buy from. The marketers have to earn them or win them over.
Marketing management, according to the marketing guru Phillip Kotler, a human need is
defined as a state of felt deprivation. A human want on the other hand is a need shaped by the
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individuals culture and society. Understanding what consumers need and how these needs can be
made into wants is what effective marketing is all about. For instance a customer need may be
thirst, and any drink such as a bottle of water could satisfy this need. However at the point of
purchase effective marketing determines what the customer will want to purchase in order to
quench their thirst. For example a good advertisement for coke could steer the customer away
from the bottled water section and towards the fizzy drinks. On the other hand an effective ad for
ice lollies, an indirect competitor, could steer the consumer away from the fizzy drinks.
Therefore the more effective the marketing, the easier it will be to get the cash out of the
customers hand. It is then obvious that Marketing is all about understanding consumer needs and
steering the customer toward Your product by creating certain wants in the minds of the
customer. To do this marketers should be aware of the consumer buying behavior process.
THE CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR PROCESS:
1. Buyer Recognition: the consumer has to realize there is a problem or need that needs to be
fulfilled. The effective marketer will identify there is a difference between the actual state of the
consumer and the desired state, and try to fulfill this state of deprivation.
2. Information Search: in this stage the buyer considers all the alternatives present. For
instance, according to the example above, the customer would look at all thirst quenchers such as
fizzy drinks, bottled water, juices and ice lollies. The most information a customer gains about
alternatives is through commercial sources, such as advertisements and campaigns. However
information about intangible products in the service industry would mostly come from personal
experience or experience from others.
3. Evaluation Of Alternatives: this is where all the information is gathered and evaluated to
help make the purchasing decision. These three stages are important, for marketers to understand
consumer behavior and what influences purchasing of a certain product category and brand.
4. Purchase Decision: this is the stage where purchasing of the most preferred alternative takes
place. However the product category, brand, reseller, timing and quantity all play a role in the
purchase decision.
5. Post Purchase Decision: Good marketers maintain a good relationship with the customer
even after the purchase has been made. This is to reduce any chance of cognitive dissonance that
the customer may experience with the product. To reduce the negative effects of customer
cognitive dissonance, good after sales services could be provided along with effective
advertising. This will attract more customers via word of mouth and generate repeat purchases.
To be cost effective marketers should remember to target the potential customers of the
company's marketing mix. There is no point in wasting time targeting those who will never
purchase your product. Therefore effective market segmentation is extremely crucial.
Market segmenting involves dividing the market into groups that share similar needs and
wants. This can be done through market segmenting variables such as, geographic, demographic,
psycho-graphic and behavioral groups. For instance the main market segment, based on these
main variables, for a fizzy drink such as coke would be those mainly in dry and hot climate
regions, within the age group 12 to 21, those who are relatively social and can afford a drink
such as coke, and those who are aware a drink such as coke exists and are aware of its image
around the world. The buying behavior of consumers and identifying the segments to which they
belong are two critical elements for effective and efficient marketing.
Marketing management is one of the major components of business management. The
evolution of marketing was caused due to mature markets and overcapacities in the last decades.
Companies then shifted the focus from order to capture value from customers in return and to
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stay profitable. The term marketing concept holds that achieving organisational goals depends on
knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions. It
proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate
the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors. Now next
question arises that how can we study the market. There are following methods which are
illustrated in brief may help us.
CONSUMER RESEARCH METHODS:
Market research is often needed to ensure that we produce what customers really want and not
what we think they want. There are two main approaches to marketing.
1. Primary Research: is research that you design and conduct yourself. For example, you may
need to find out whether consumers would prefer that your soft drinks be sweeter or tarter.
Research will often help us reduce risks associated with a new product, but it cannot take the risk
away entirely. It is also important to ascertain whether the research has been complete. For
example, Coca Cola did a great deal of research prior to releasing the New Coke, and consumers
seemed to prefer the taste. However, consumers were not prepared to have this drink replace
traditional Coke.
2. Secondary Research: involves using information that others have already put together. For
example, if you are thinking about starting a business making clothes for tall people, you don’t
need to question people about how tall they are to find out how many tall people exist—that
information has already been published by the U.S.
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN APPLICATIONS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
2. Public Policy: In the 1980s, Accutane, a near miracle cure for acne, was introduced.
Unfortunately, Accutane resulted in severe birth defects if taken by pregnant women. Although
physicians were instructed to warn their female patients of this, a number still became pregnant
while taking the drug. To get consumers’ attention, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) took
the step of requiring that very graphic pictures of deformed babies be shown on the medicine
containers.
3. Social Marketing: It involves getting ideas across to consumers rather than selling something.
Marty Fishbein, a marketing professor, went on sabbatical to work for the Centers for Disease
Control trying to reduce the incidence of transmission of diseases through illegal drug use. The
best solution, obviously, would be if we could get illegal drug users to stop. This, however, was
deemed to be infeasible. It was also determined that the practice of sharing needles was too
ingrained in the drug culture to be stopped. As a result, using knowledge of consumer attitudes,
Dr. Fishbein created a campaign that encouraged the cleaning of needles in bleach before sharing
them, a goal that was believed to be more realistic.
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4. Studying Consumer Behavior Make Us Better Consumers: Common sense suggests, for
example, that if you buy a 64 liquid ounce bottle of laundry detergent, you should pay less per
ounce than if you bought two 32 ounce bottles. In practice, however, you often pay a size
premium by buying the larger quantity. In other words, in this case, knowing this fact will
sensitize you to the need to check the unit cost labels to determine if you are really getting a
bargain.
Kapoor and Kulshrestha (2004), studied the effect of perception on Indian urban female
consumer buying behaviour introduction products convey different meanings to different people,
consumers form differing attachments to them. The study was conducted with an objective to
address the role of the fashion involvement of affluent female consumers and their apparel
purchase behavior, retailers and marketers will be able to accurately target this market segment.
Additionally, the research will broaden our understanding of consumer behavior. It can thus
definitely contribute to larger studies concerned with the enhancement of the domestic market
for exotic apparel and accessories.
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Shahina (2004), has studied a cross-cultural comparative study of female consumer behaviour
with regards to the purchase of cosmetics by females in the UK and Bangladesh. Understanding
consumer behaviour in a cross-cultural environment is an essential part of marketing activities in
a world that is becoming more consumer-centric. This paper attempts to explain how consumer
behaviour is influenced by cultural factors in Bangladesh. It is conceptual in nature and attempts
to uncover the key facets of culture involved in shaping decisions on cosmetics purchase by
female consumers in the Bangladeshi cross-cultural environment
Dennis, Merrilees , Chanaka and Tiuwright (2007), have asserted the e-consumer behaviou
purpose – the primary purpose of this article is to bring together apparently disparate and yet
interconnected strands of research and present an integrated model of e-consumer behaviour. It
has a secondary objective of stimulating more research in areas identified as still being
underexplored.
Newman & Chansarkar (2006), examined the consumer behaviour of luxury Aautomobiles: A
comparative study between Thai and UK Customers’ Perceptions : The luxury car market overall
is currently undertaking a social change with luxury brands seeming less remote, less different,
and less exclusive with the quality of life improving. As a result, increasing competition between
makes has intensified the importance of brand identity. As product standards continue to rise, the
perceived image of a car make plays a key role in the buying decision. The premium marques
such as BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz must develop attributes and values that reflect
changing social values which influence buyers emotionally.
Harris (2009), studied the survey of GB online consumer behaviour: The 3rd annual survey of
online consumer behaviour, highlights the importance of online customer experience. The survey
sheds light on forces driving this accelerated online customer experience focus, including
increased consumer power due to experience-sharing via social media. It also examines
consumer behaviour when transacting online, call centre behaviour related to online issues and
mobile commerce. Verticals represented in the findings include retail, insurance, travel and
financial services.
Andersson , Arvidsson and Lindstrom (2006), have examined the Coca-Cola or Pepsi; that is
the question – A study about different factors affecting consumer preferences: The overall
purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of different international and local factors
affecting consumer preferences on a local market. International advertising and international
sponsorship respectively influence the local target group in different ways, but they also affect
international brand.
Ali , Tirmizi and Saif (2006), studied an empirical study of consumer impulse buying behavior
in local markets: The major findings of the study demonstrated an overall weak association of
the set of independent variables with the dependent variable but, the in-depth analysis found that
pre-decision stage of consumer purchase behavior is the only variable that resulted into strong
association with the impulse buying behavior. It’s true that young people more often get attracted
to products displayed on store shelves and has greater tendency of impulse buying behavior but
results of this paper showed no association of impulse buying in higher income group of young
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people having prevalent impulse buying tendencies. This study reported new evidences in the
field of impulse buying behavior of consumers pertaining to the local markets of the twin cities
Magid (2008), asserted the study reveals consumer behavior and preferences in online video:
This research is part of the Magid Media Futures TM Practice, which surveys consumers
annually to identify trends and help clients implement product and marketing strategies that
address them. The online video portion of this year’s study was sponsored by Metacafe. “Short-
form video is an emerging entertainment genre – distinct from online TV – that consistently
proves popular with people of widely varying backgrounds and tastes, as demonstrated “Online
TV, or traditional networks distributing their shows on the Internet, is really just the same long-
form programs, with the same audience, supported by the same advertisements – only the
delivery platform is different.
Munich (2008), has studied a new study on German consumer behavior: The study's findings
indicate a long-term shift in consumer behavior rather than a short-term trend. In some
traditionally firmly brand-based sectors – women's cosmetics, automobiles or soft drinks, for
example – consumer preferences show a complete turnabout. In the past, it was the brand that
clinched the deal; nowadays, more often than not, it's price. But that doesn't mean that brands
have had their day and products will only be sold on the basis of price in future.
CONCLUSIONS:
Present study concludes as what are the factors related to consumer’s behaviour which
play significant role in marketing management. The various researches which are discussed
above give us result that to all business institution should not take consumer behavior in a light
way. All marketing management team must give importance to consumer behavior and its related
research for their better marketing strategy and to be successful in theirs management. There are
several units in the market that can be analyzed. Our main thrust in this paper is the consumer.
However, we will also need to analyze our own firm’s strengths and weaknesses and those of
competing firms. Suppose, for example, that we make a product aimed at older consumers, a
growing segment. A competing firm that targets babies, a shrinking market, is likely to consider
repositioning toward our market. To assess a competing firm’s potential threat, we need to
examine its assets (e.g., technology, patents, market knowledge, awareness of its brands) against
pressures it faces from the market. Finally, we need to assess conditions (the marketing
environment). For example, although we may have developed a product that offers great appeal
for consumers, a recession may cut demand dramatically.
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