Consumer Behavior - Consumer Influences.

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Sam Tilston – Consumer Behavior

Consumer Behavior – Consumer Influences

DESCRIBE 3 OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND DISCUSS SITUATIONS IN WHICH YOU FEEL THESE FACTORS MAY HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR OWN BEHAVIOUR.

Consumer behavior is the study of how people behave when purchasing and disposing of products. This essay aims to outline three factors which influence consumer behavior and to give examples of situations in which these factors are at work. The three factors chosen are culture, social class and personality. Culture and social class being environmental influences and personality being an individual influence. These are defined and supported by the following explanations.

Assael (1998, p457) agrees with the change that culture has on consumer behavior by stating;

“The broadest environmental factor affecting consumer behavior is culture, as reflected by the values and the norms society emphasizes”.

Engal et al.(1995) states that cultural factors concern the values, perceptions, wants and behaviors emphasized by society, family and other important institutions. Cultures contain divisions of sub-cultures and social classes. Groups of people with similar values and common life experiences and situations are a sub-culture within a society.

With different cultures emphasizing different aspects of behavior it is crucial for marketers to tailor marketing strategies to different cultures in order to avoid conflicts of cultures and to obtain the best results. Examples of this include global brands such as McDonalds offering beer in Germany, wine in France and a McAussie burger in Australia. McDonalds could certainly not offer beer and wine in Saudi Arabia, Oman or other Muslim countries where alcohol is either banned or not culturally accepted.

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Assael (1998, p.495) supports the importance of culture and social acceptance,

“In many Asian countries it is more important to have social acceptance than individual choice.”

However different the culture may be, certain values may be similar throughout. Values such as desire for beauty, respect from peers, success and nurturing of children allow marketers to homogenize strategies.

The affect of culture on my own consumer behavior may be seen in the clothes I purchase. Being from Australia I purchase items which are generally suitable for warmer climates. The UK has a much colder climate but because ...

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