Consumer Behaviour

Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics.

Cultural factors
Have the deepest influence on consumers behaviour, the marketeers need to understand the role played by the buyers culture, subculture and social class.

_____________________________________________________________________

Culture is the most basic cause of person's want and behaviour , human behaviour is largely learned. Growing up in a society, a child learns basic values, perceptions want and behaviours from the family.

Sub culture is based on common life experiences and situations, sub culture include nationalities, religions, racial groups etc.

Social classes are society's relatively permanent and ordered divisions whose members share similar values, interest and behaviours.

Social factors
A consumer's behaviour is also influenced by social factors, such as family , friends, reference groups, roles and status.

_____________________________________________________________________

Some are primary groups with whom there is regular but informal interaction, such as family, friends neighbours and fellow workers.

Reference groups are groups that serve direct or indirect points of comparison or reference in forming a person's attitudes or behaviour.

For example aspirational group, in one which the individual wishes to belong , as when some one idolises a famous person.

A person belongs to many groups but the person's position in each group can be defined in terms of both role and status.

A role consists of the activities that people are expected to perform according to the persons around them. Each role carries a status reflecting the general esteem given by the society.

Personal factors
A buyers decisions are also influenced by such as the buyer's age ,life-cycle stage, occupation, lifestyle and personal characteristics.

____________________________________________________________________

Family life cycle divine the stages which family's pass though a period of time, based on model life ( love, marriage and then children)
Life style is a person's pattern of living as expressed in his or her activities, interest and opinions. The techniques of measuring lifestyles is known as psychographics, divided in three dimensions, known as AIO ( activities, interests and opinions)

1. Activities: stand for work, hobbies, vacation, entertainment, shopping, sports, etc.
   
2. Interests: Family, home, Job, community, fashion, food, etc.
   
3. Opinions: stand for politics, business, economics, education, , future, culture, etc.

Next week.............

Psychological factors, with the theory off Abraham Maslow( hierarchy of needs)