Theories of Consumer Behaviour Research Assignment (Term Paper Sample)

Theories of Consumer behavior
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1. Perception. This involves how the buyer, after seeing the product or service being offered by the seller, he/she identifies and interprets it into a pictorial presentation that makes sense. The manner in which the buyer perceives the product will greatly determine whether the seller will sell it or not (Solomon, 2014). It is therefore, upon the seller to ensure that he/she presents the products in the best way that can attract buyers.
Application: In the video, the actors and actresses are dressed in appealing clothes which are likely to attract the attention of the viewer. Viewers, upon watching the video, will perceive the dress code as appealing and they will go out to find the same type of clothes so as to appear as the video players. The buyers are more interested in seeing than listening because what the eyes see is what the brains perceive. Sellers are advised to advertise mostly using video rather than audio channels because buyers may not be patient enough to listen by they can watch.
2. Memory. This is the extent to which the buyer can remember the product or service that he/she has seen. How the seller presents the product will determine if the buyer will remember in both short term and long term. If the consumers can still remember the product after some time maybe due to its uniqueness, they are likely to go for the same product when they run out of stock.
Application: To increase the sales of a certain product, the seller should incorporate unique features that buyer will always remember and come again. In the video, the motorcade being used by the soldiers has a unique appearance. Many consumers, after watching, will be anxious to find out the features of the motorcade and if they interest them, they are likely to buy. For consumers to remember the product, the seller need not to introduce complexities because some buyers may not cope with complex products and therefore they may not purchase. Product differentiation is one thing that will enable producers attract more consumers upon memorizing their products.
3. Product positioning. This refers to the way producers present product features or attributes to consumers. Some attributes may not be noted by the buyers hence the need to bring these features to their attention. Product positioning is detailed and may call for seminars to create awareness to buyers (Hawkins, Mothersbaugh & Best, 2012)
Application. A product that is well positioned is likely to sell in the market and dominate other products. The setting in the video is very appealing and is likely to attract many actors and musicians who want to compose their songs in an appealing setting. Positioning comes with additional costs but if well managed the costs can be recovered and even profit gained. Positioning also involves extensive research to ensure that the approach selected in positioning works. Product positioning is a tool which earns many sellers competitive advantages over others.
4. Motivation. This is the driving force that makes consumers buy products. They may be motivated by the past performance of the product. Buyers are mostly driven by intrinsic motivation which emanates from their hearts and not outside.
Application. There is a great need for sellers to be smart in presenting their products and services to buyers. Sellers cannot motivate buyers by talking to them but through producing high-quality goods which will attract their attention without force. The video is generally appealing and viewers are likely to be motivated to watch other performances by the same actors and actresses. The quality of the product is what basically motivates buyers. The producers of low-quality products are not likely to survive in a competitive market.
5. Consumers culture. This refers to the cultural beliefs of any group of people living in a society or any setting like their religion, mode of dressing etc. (Claiborne & Sirgy 2015).The culture of consumers is what dictates the products and services to be offered in that particular society. For instance, pork cannot be sold in a Muslim society.
Application: It is rational for any seller to carry out research in any societal setting before introducing a product. Anybody who watches the video is likely to tell that the players in the video are Christians because of how they dress. It can also be noted that they come from a society where ladies are allowed to wear short dresses. It can also be noted that they come from a society where men and women are allowed to intermingle freely. The consumers’ culture should, therefore, inform the sellers on what to sell and what to avoid.
6. Consumers lifestyle. This basically describes the social status of individuals or rather their classes. Consumers will require different types and qualities of goods depending on their classes in the society. Consumers’ social classes are defined majorly by their levels of income.
Application. There is need for consumers to research on incomes levels of their target customers. The same video can be sold to different people at different prices depending on their income levels. The players can be said to have a high lifestyle level by observing their mode of dressing and their environment of acting. Discrimination in terms of prices is likely to arise where a seller offers goods to different classes of consumers. The income distribution level in different parts of the economy can aid the sellers in their research on consumers’ lifestyle.
7. Consumer decision process. This involves the stages that a buyer undergoes when he/she gains interest in a product or service (Reny, 2015). They include recognition of a problem, collection of relevant information, looking for alternatives, decision to buy and finally the consumer’s behavior after buying the product. It is a very critical process that involves critical thinking and keen analysis by the buyer.
Application: Any buyer who wants to buy the best product that can suit his/her needs must adopt this process. It helps the buyer to get the best of all the products after getting a chance to evaluate alternative products. The post-purchase behavior of the buyer will determine if he/she will buy the same product next time. The seller has very little influence in this process because it is buyer-based. A person who watches the video may be interested in watching more videos from different actors just to compare and identify the best depending on his/her interests.
8. Consumer’s personality. It is a psychological feature inside the consumer which determines how he/she reacts to the environment around. Several theories have been advanced to give details on the concept of personality like the trait theory, Neo-Freudian theory and the Freudian theory. A consumer is likely to purchase a service or product depending on his/her feeling towards the service or product.
Application: To increase sales, sellers are encouraged to be very keen with the consumers’ personalities which differ with consumers. Different consumers will purchase different goods which are inclined to their personalities. This implies that sellers should emphasize on variety in provision of goods to satisfy and fully meet the needs all consumers. Different viewers are likely to interpret the video differently because they have varied expectations from the actors which are fixed by their personalities. Sellers should be in a position to separate consumers’ perceptions from their personalities so as to address these concepts appropriately.
9. Consumers’ emotions. They have a close connection to the consumers’ personality, needs and motivation. If a consumer’s needs are not met satisfactorily, he/she is likely to develop negative emotions while positive emotions are likely to develop where these needs are met. Products that meets the needs of consumers are likely to create a feeling of satisfaction and win customer loyalty (Ajzen, 2015).
Application: Sellers should identify the products which satisfy consumers’ needs and increase their supply to elicit positive emotions among these consumers. It should be noted that emotions can develop some kind of behavior or attitude among consumers making them to either like or dislike certain products. In the video, some viewers may get emotional and frightened after watching the fainting lady. That incidence alone may make them develop a positive attitude towards the video and never watch it again. The resulting impact will be a reduction in the sales of the video.
10. The four Ps of marketing. They include place, product, price and promotion. They are the basic elements of which also fall under consumer behavior. They describe the whole idea of marketing from the point of advertising to distribution.
Application: Playing the video to the public is one way that the actors and actresses use to market themselves. The consumers will be willing to buy the video at a price which they believe is best according the quality. The marketers may be forced to tighten their contacts with consumers so as to market and sell more copies. Buyers may still be willing to buy it at high prices because its quality is high. It is essential for sellers to advertise their products so as to sell more.
11. Learning. It is way through which consumers are introduced to new goods and products. They learn about new arrivals from friends, relatives and advertisements. Some consumers will like a product because it serves their friends well.
Application: To enable consumers learn about new arrivals, sellers must carry out advertisement. This can be achieved well through radios, televisions and social media sites like Facebook, twitter...