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Implementation of market research
A term paper on theories of consumer behavior
Implementation of market research
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Measuring Consumer Behavior is Important
Introduction
Insight into consumer decision-making and buyer behavior is at the heart of the marketing concept (Arndt 1968). To date, researchers in the field have had little success in developing substantial scientific theory to describe stable laws in marketing. Most of the progress over the past few centuries has focused on understanding and identifying observable similarities consumers share. Michael H. Halbert (1964) said: “From the viewpoint of the established sciences, marketing has no theory that is defensible on the grounds of its logical consistency, philosophic adequacy, or experimental foundation.” Developing a theory in this field has been a grueling process, and no consistent law has yet been discovered. The research and measurement of buyer behavior is vitally important to the field of marketing because it can provide insight into a possible future scientific law in this field.
Before the question “Why measure buyer behavior?” can be addressed, the applicable terms, “buyer behavior” and “measurement” should be identified. The American marketing Association defines buyer behavior (AMA refers to this as “consumer behavior”) as: “The dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and the environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives” (http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-dictionary.php?Searched=1&SearchFor=consumer%20behavior). To understand the importance of the application of this term, marketers ask questions such as; “Why do consumers make certain purchases?”, “What factors are involved in the influence of these purchases?”, and “Do changes in society have an effect on these decisions?” Marketers value the knowledge gained by examining buyer behavior because a consumer’s needs cannot be met unless they have been identified clearly.
No two people have exactly identical preferences, beliefs, and behaviors. Ideally, a marketer would like to understand each person as thoroughly as possible. Traveling door to door, speaking to each member of the household and spending the time to learn about their likes and dislikes would be impossible. Fortunately, buyers tend to have consistent behavior patterns and habits in the market place. This consistency provides marketers with the opportunity to measure similarities among buyers, predict their futur...
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...his customer.
References
AMA. Retrieved from http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-dictionary-view1932.php
American Marketing Association. Retrieved from (http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-dictionary.php?Searched=1&SearchFor=consumer%20behavior
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Consumer behavior is the ways that consumers exhibit in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of, products and services. The study of consumer behavior as a separate marketing discipline all started when marketers realized that consumers did not always react as marketing theory suggested they would (Ekström, 2003). Many consumers rebel at using the identical products that everyone else used, instead they prefer differentiated products that they feel reflect their own special needs, personality and lifestyles.
Useem, M. (2008). New Ideas for This Pepsi Generation. (cover story). U.S. News & World Report, 145(12), 49.
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Furthermore, I will explain the application of theory relating to me and my purchase. I will also review the marketing activity of the organization where I purchased from. This is to explain how the two theories have been used in the marketing strategy. In addition, recommendations regarding how the marketing strategy could have been improved by applying the 2 buyer behaviour theories are given.
Mooij, M.de. (2004). Consumer Behavior and Culture, Sage Publications, Page 102, Page 119, Page 274, Page 275
Conclusion Companies are better able to market their products to consumers if they have a good Understanding of the consumers and the basic purchase decision process. By understanding the consumer and the type of purchasing behavior associated with different products, marketers are more likely to create a marketing campaign that positively impacts the consumer’s purchasing decision.
2. Some marketers group consumers according to certain personality traits, and develop marketing approaches to fit each group.
Every company wants to understand why people decide to buy its products or others. Firstly, we have to understand why people buy certain kind of product. People buy products because they need them. A need is activated and felt when there is a sufficient discrepancy between a desired or preferred state of being and the actual state. (Engle£¬Blackwell and Miniard. 1995. p407 ) For example, when you feel hungry, what you needs is some food. It is very important for marketer to understand the needs of consumers. All the consumers may have the same needs, but the ways which they satisfy what they need are different. Here is a example, Chinese people would choose rice when they feel hungry, whilst British people may choose bread to satisfy their needs.
Grover, R & Vriens, M 2006, The handbook of marketing research: Uses, misuses, and future
While researchers can determine consumer behavior quite easily, it is almost impossible to get accurate and reliable data on why people buy what they do. How in the world can we figure out why consumers make the decisions in purchases they make, when we can only predict motives? Well, everything tends to be linked to a psychological trait that can help define the behavior of consumers.
Customer behavior can be defined as the process used by organizations, individuals and groups, to select, buy or use particular products or services to satisfy their needs and the impact it has on the society (Wikipedia, consumer behavior). Every product in the market is given a different value by an individual user based on the need it satisfies and also the level of the want. For example a person may put choosing a car as just for a means of transport from point A to point B but for another individual a car is not only used as a mode of transport but also as a means of his lifestyle. Many marketers use these difference of needs in consumers to create different marketing campaigns to attract consumers that use their products.
The research on consumer behavior assists the organization recognize and forecast the purchase behavior of the consumers while they are purchasing a product. Thus, the study of consumer behavior helps the marketers not only to understand what consumer's purchase, but helps to understand why they purchase it (Kumar, 2004). There are a lot of elements which can influence the purchase decision of consumers such as social influences, cultural influences, psychological factors and personal factors (Super Professeur, 2011). Understanding these factors helps the company to market the product on right time to the right consumers in order to generate more profits. On the other hand, if the marketers fail to understand these components that might influence consumers, they will fail to convince the consumers to purchase that product or will fail to meet the demands of consumers. However, consumer behavior is one of the stimulating and challenging areas in marketing studies being a human activity focused on the products and services. Thus understanding the behavior of the consumers is a great challenge. Moreover, it is not easy to get a full picture of consumer behavior as customers make plenty of different buying decision every day and they usually do not know exactly what influences their purchase. In short, basing on all
To effectively sell a product or service, organizations have to really know how customers behave, regarding to what they buy. The study