Chapter 2 Consumer Behavior

Overt behavior

Another word for behavior to distinguish it from mental activities, such as thinking, that cannot be observed directly.

Reciprocal System

Any of the elements could be either a cause or an effect of a change at any particular time (Affect & Cognition can change consumer behavior & environments, behavior can change consumers' affect, cognition, and environments. Environments can change consumers' affect, cognition, & behavior...)

Wheel of Consumer Analysis

Consumer Affect & Cognition Consumer Behavior Consumer Environment Constantly rotating with changes in consumers and in marketing strategy. Marketing strategy is the hub of the wheel because it's a central marketing activity and is designed by marketing organizations to influence consumers. Flexible tool that can aid in understanding different societies, industries, market segments, or individual consumers.

Consumer enviroment

Everything external to consumers that influences what they think, feel, and do. Includes social stimuli (actions of others in cultures, subcultures, social classes, reference groups, families) Includes physical stimuli (stores, products, ads, signs)

Consumer Behavior

Physical actions of consumers that can be directly observed and measured by others

Examples of behavior:

Shopping at stores, buying products, using credit cards

Should marketing strategies change in response to changes in consumers' affect, cognitions, behaviors, and environment?

Yes

Marketing strategy

a set of stimuli placed in consumer's environments designed to influence their affect, cognition, and behavior (stimuli include products, brands, packaging, ads, coupons, stores, credit cards, price tags)

Affective responses

can be favorable/unfavorable and vary in intensity. ex: affect includes relatively intense emotions (love or anger), less strong feeling states (satisfaction or frustration), moods (boredom or relation) and milder overall attitudes (liking mcdonald's french fries or not liking bic pens)

Consumer Affect

consumers' feelings about stimuli and events, such as whether they like/dislike a product (includes like/dislike, love/anger, satisfaction/frustration, boredom/relaxation)

Cognition also includes...

knowledge, meanings, and beliefs that consumers develop from experiences and memories. also includes processes associated with paying attention to and understanding stimuli and events, remembering past events, forming evaluations, and making purchasing decisions

Cognition

refers to all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating (not just the thinking, but also the mental structures and processes involved in thinking, understanding, and interpreting stimuli and events)

Market segments

to identify the best markets for various products and brands ex: Reebok's Blacktop shoes, blockbuster and households with children

Societies

to understand changes in people in general and to find marketing opportunities in these changes ex: greater concern with health/fitness, or rapid growth of two-income households

Industries

to understand relationships between industry competitors and consumers ex: lite beer, or SUVS

Individual consumers

to understand some aspect of a consumer's pre-purchase, purchase, consumption, and disposal activities Ex: Lands' End and special offers. A salesperon's careful analysis of a consumer's reactions to various selling tactics.