OUGD601 - Extended Essay Reading - The Essence of Consumer Behaviour by Jim Blythe

Notes and Quotes

pg 2

- consumers have choice as to where to spend their money

- consumers are more educated, have increased spending power and will shop around to meet their needs

- consumer behaviour is constantly changing in a similar way to transient trends

pg 3

- consumer behaviour considers interactions it looks at the role of cognition, affects, behaviours and environment

- consumer behaviour relies on exchanges

- consumer behaviour varied and individual

- marketing often focusses on the role of the product rather than consumer characteristics

pg 4

- marketers group consumers with similar needs into segments – similar behaviour, location, age etc

- problems understanding consumers:

-        All different

-        Usually act emotionally rather than rationally

-        Act differently at different times and in different environments

-        Their attitudes and behaviour can change, they can be persuaded

pg 6

- mass markets don’t exist

- needs of segments in markets are different and have to be treated differently and react differently to different marketing

- segments are targeted specifically

pg 7

- consumer seen as assets rather than one off buyers

- easy to keep customers than get new ones

pg 10

- emotional and dormant motives rule over rational and conscious motives

- motive is reason for carrying out particular behaviour, not a reaction to a stimulus

pg 11

- consumers motivated to satisfy needs

- different definitions of needs – things needed to live

- human needs more than just physiological

- marketing defines a need as a perceived lack

- consumer realizies they lack something then the need becomes a reality

pg 12

- process of need to action

-        Recognize need

-        Generate drive

-        Motive selected

-        Goal selected

-        Action selected to meet goal

- Two types of need, utilitarian which the consumer considers the functional / objective aspects of the product and hedonic / experiential needs which the consumer considers the subjective, aesthetic and pleasurable aspects

- Considered to be balance between motives

- A want is something that is inessential

- Marketing considers a want as a specific satisfier of a need

- Needs can be satisfied in different ways

- Needs are general, wants are specific

- Marketing encourages consumers to meet needs with specific satisfiers

pg 13

                                     (learning)            (expectancy)

unfilled need – drive       –         motive        –          goal – motivated behaviour

- to create drive in consumers marketing encourages a new desired state, which means making the consumer feel dissatisfied with their current state

- when drive is high consumers are more open to ways of satisfying needs

pg 14

- allowing gaps between desired and actual states creates enjoyment and interest

- reaching a desired state can lead to a higher desire

- people take action because of motives

- motives can be positive or negative, people can be motivated to do something or avoid it

- motives can be internally (hunger) or externally generated (environment)

pg 15

- motivation depends on the desirability of the goal and ease of achieving the goal

- Henry Murrays twenty basic needs

pg 16

- Maslows hierarchy of needs – needs are met in order of importance

Lower needs met for higher needs to be important

Meet immediate physiological needs, then look to maintain them in the future, find a group to belong to, be respected (esteem needs) , time to think (cognitive needs), enjoy artistic endeavour (aesthetic need)

- Self actualisation is achieving self fulfilment in life – achieve capabilities and make a difference

- People with successful careers, financial security and respect from social groups most likely to be at the self actualisation level

pg 17

- People on the self actualisation level get involved in something important to them with usually no financial gain  e.g. charity work

- Not all needs have to be met before higher needs are considered only that there is a focus on lower needs first

- McNulty – large part of population on self actualisation level – will be the majority of people in the next twenty years due to economic security

- Lowest income brackets less likely to be concerned with the arts, have other concerns

pg 18

- VALS structure similar

People are controlled by lower level needs which are needed for survival

Basic needs are met – consumers then diverge with some becoming inner directed and other outer directed – outer directed are concerned with the opinions of others – inner directed are focused on internal drives

pg 19

- Herzbergs research – hygiene factors are basic elements that people would expect from a purchase – motivators are subjective and individual

Hygiene factors are similar within consumers – motivators are specific to consumer types

- Cautionary marketing where negative results from inaction are stressed are less effective and may not motivate consumers

- Rewards only gained by following a described course of action through cautionary marketing – there are ways of avoiding these effects

- Marketing uses modelling to motivate consumers, this shows them the negative effects of an action or behaviour, it can work both as positive and negative reinforcement 

pg 20

- Hedonism is used to describe the pleasure of owning something

pg 21

- hedonism encourages people to buy products

- people have often solved other needs, especially in western countries and rich individuals, so they are willing to pay more for something that gives them pleasure

- hedonism is common within promotion, design and marketing as needs can be met from other brands this is used to make a brand stand out

pg 93

- social class outdated? Class boundaries being broken down with increased use of machines and aristocracy working

pg 94

- social class defined by occupation

- class suggests position in hierarchy with those higher up having more power

- Max Weber – class = life chances

pg 95

- class is determined by opportunities available in earning potential and possession of goods

- consumption patterns factor of class and a result of class

- marketing considers class as a series of subcultures based on education, occupation and economic power

- imagery associated with classes is used by marketers to engage the customer

pg 96

- social mobility and reduced wealth concentration breaking down class boundaries and cultural difference between them