Wildcard SSL Certificates Introduction to Consumer Behavior

CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR

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Lars Perner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Marketing
Department of Marketing
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1424, USA
(213) 740-7127
Cell: (213) 304-1726

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Introduction

The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how

  • The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products);
  • The 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.

Consumer behavior involves the study of how people--either individually or in groups--acquire, use, experience, discard, and make decisions about goods, serivces, or even lifestyle practices such as socially responsible and healthy eating. As an evolving phenomenon, one should not be overly dogmatic about this defintion. Numerous alternatives, each taking a slighly different angle and emphasizing different aspects. However, the scope presented here suggests that:

There are four main applications of consumer behavior:

There are several units in the market that can be analyzed. Our main thrust in this course 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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