Saturday, 1 November 2014



Research Consumer Behavior
The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how consumers think, how the consumer is influenced by his environment, what is the behavior of consumers while shopping, how consumer motivation and decision differ…

In this article, the writer explains a lot of consumer research methods for a company to understand the consumer behavior. For instance, the market research, primary and secondary research methods, surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, projective techniques, observation of consumers, online research methods, scanner date, and also physiological measures. 

All of these methods seem not very useful for us in our case because we can’t do that, but with this article I learned that the environment of the consumer is very important in his behavior of purchase. When I saw that I tried to find an article more precise on this phenomenon.


How does a consumer? What are the motivations and aspirations that guide? What are the different elements that influence? What will he do choose a product or brand over another?

I found 5 main factors which explain the situation when a consumer will buy a product or not. That is to say, the environment, the timing, the nature of the purchase act, and the mindset of the consumer can influence the consumer. The 5 factors are:
-          - The physical environment: it is apparent characteristics of the situation (the scenery, sound, lighting, furnishings, smells…)
-         -  The social environment refers to the presence or absence of other people with the consumer (family, employee, friends, other buyers…)
-          - The temporal perspective: this is the time of purchase of a product (you are more pressed during your lunch break, or you take the time to stroll when you go shopping on a Saturday afternoon)
-         -  Defining roles: it is the objective of the purchase (if you buy for yourself or someone else)
-          - Specific to the individual’s previous statements: for instance his mood.

I think we can join these characteristics with our groups (under 18years old, elder women, trendy young adults) because some factors are more or less important according to different kind of people. For instance, the presence or absence of other people with the consumer is less important for an elder woman than a teenage. A consumer does not buy the same products or services to 20 or 60 years. His lifestyle, values, environment, business, leisure and consumer habits evolve throughout his life. In another hand a person who doesn’t have a lot of money spend money differently than another who can afford pleasures. 

These information confirm the fact that we have to focus on a group of people with different motivation, or interest, tribes or also way of life and not only on the age. 

When we did the groups and their potential tribes the last time we could find some similarities.
Indeed, social media can be a main element to influence the consumer behavior. For instance, for the group “until 18” it is important to find information like the website of the shop, and also to see the trends of others people on Facebook or other social networks. Concerning the group “trendy young adult”, social media are important to find information about a product on the website of the shop, or to order online.

/ Claire Serris

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