Measuring Consumer Behavior is Important
Introduction
Insight into consumer decision-making and buyer behavior is at the heart of the marketing concept (Arndt 1968). To date, researchers in the field have had little success in developing substantial scientific theory to describe stable laws in marketing. Most of the progress over the past few centuries has focused on understanding and identifying observable similarities consumers share. Michael H. Halbert (1964) said: “From the viewpoint of the established sciences, marketing has no theory that is defensible on the grounds of its logical consistency, philosophic adequacy, or experimental foundation.” Developing a theory in this field has been a grueling process, and no consistent law has yet been discovered. The research and measurement of buyer behavior is vitally important to the field of marketing because it can provide insight into a possible future scientific law in this field.
Before the question “Why measure buyer behavior?” can be addressed, the applicable terms, “buyer behavior” and “measurement” should be identified. The American marketing Association defines buyer behavior (AMA refers to this as “consumer behavior”) as: “The dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and the environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives” (http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-dictionary.php?Searched=1&SearchFor=consumer%20behavior). To understand the importance of the application of this term, marketers ask questions such as; “Why do consumers make certain purchases?”, “What factors are involved in the influence of these purchases?”, and “Do changes in society have an effect on these decisions?” Marketers value the knowledge gained by examining buyer behavior because a consumer’s needs cannot be met unless they have been identified clearly.
No two people have exactly identical preferences, beliefs, and behaviors. Ideally, a marketer would like to understand each person as thoroughly as possible. Traveling door to door, speaking to each member of the household and spending the time to learn about their likes and dislikes would be impossible. Fortunately, buyers tend to have consistent behavior patterns and habits in the market place. This consistency provides marketers with the opportunity to measure similarities among buyers, predict their futur...
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...his customer.
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Consumer behavior is the ways that consumers exhibit in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of, products and services. The study of consumer behavior as a separate marketing discipline all started when marketers realized that consumers did not always react as marketing theory suggested they would (Ekström, 2003). Many consumers rebel at using the identical products that everyone else used, instead they prefer differentiated products that they feel reflect their own special needs, personality and lifestyles.
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A consumer’s buying behavior is influenced by four major factors; cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors. These factors cause consumers such as myself to develop product and brand preferences. Although many of these factors cannot be directly controlled by advertisements and marketers, understanding of the impact they have on me and my purchasing behavior helps a me recognize my brand loyalty.
...ement purchase behaviour. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 31 (7), 732-745. [Online] Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy4.lib.le.ac.uk/journals.htm?articleid=17099905 (Accessed: 15/03/2014).
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An understanding of the target audience’s influences, psychological process, and the stages of a consumer’s purchase decision process are critical to achieving organizational sales and marketing objectives translating to success. (Zoeller 's, 2016)
Aaker, D. A., Kumar, V., & Day, G. S. (2007). Marketing research (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John
To effectively sell a product or service, organizations have to really know how customers behave, regarding to what they buy. The study
Grover, R & Vriens, M 2006, The handbook of marketing research: Uses, misuses, and future
This paper will outline the importance of marketing research and apply that importance to a communication to the management team at Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer Products group. The discussion with management will include the use of current marketing research tools by the company today and the application of each.