Beyond the Purchase: Inside the Mind of the Consumer

This week in Consumer Behavior class we covered the topic of perception and how as humans, we react to exposure, attention, and interpretation of marketing messages. Exposure occurs when a stimulus such as light, color, or an ad comes in contact with our senses. Attention occurs when the stimulus is passed on to our brain through our senses. Lastly, interpretation is assigned meaning of the experienced sensations. These three stages represent the process of perception for humans. Why Does Perception Matter In Marketing? Perception in the mind of the consumer influences customer awareness about a product or service, or an organization or brand. This perceived awareness comes from our memory, and thoughts and emotions evoked when we see, hear, touch, smell, or taste a product or marketing message from a company. Since customer perceptions are intangible, meaning they are a figment of abstract concepts, they may be very hard to understand a grasp from a companies point of view. P...

This week in Consumer Behavior we covered the ever increasingly influential topic of reference groups, and how they influence people purchasing behavior. Specifically, the subsets of consumption subcultures who are people attracted to an activity, product category, or even a brand that unites them together. A feeling of Community: Lululemon A brand community, which is a non-geographic bound community based on the relationships they have with fellow owners of the brand, the products they sell, and the brand itself that I want to explore is the Lululemon community. One of my favorite brands, Lululemon has grown an all encompassing culture around an active lifestyle which I believe is tailored to the changing American values nowadays. Although they have come under flack lately in the media for certain obtrusive comments, I believe they are a standout example of a successful brand and inviting brand community. When you buy Lululemon, the high-end athletic and yoga wear company, you...

This week in Consumer behavior we discussed the changing American demographic, which pertains to our society’s population, distribution, and structure. To break this down even further, we talked about social stratification within the American demographic, and the socio-economic factors that affect our fairly malleable class system.   Although recalling a time without computers and technology might be hard, it is still relatively new. The world is now constantly seeing rapid transitions and increases in the computing power of technology. Not only are we right in the middle of this this digital age, our largest generation in the US, the millennials, are at the forefront of technological development. We are relied upon to create and develop new technologies, as well as refine and master old ones for generations to come. But with this obligation comes a price. The 21st century is experiencing a growing divide between the digital “haves” that have access to technology, and the digi...

In our third week in consumer behavior, we covered cause-related marketing. Cause marketing is the application of various marketing principles and tactics in a campaign to support a philanthropic cause in the world to gain sales, while providing benefits to the cause. In today's society, cause marketing cannot be an afterthought. It paramount for brands to be successful and competitive on a global scale to link their business to a selfless cause. By demonstrating that their organizations actions, intentions, and processes will contribute positively to society in some form, brands can establish themselves as frontrunners in their product categories. Ultimately creating, what companies focus on in regards to consumer behavior, a positive brand image in the mind of the consumer, and longer lasting relationships with their customers. What Effect does Cause Marketing Have? Before taking Consumer Behavior, I had a limited knowledge of cause-related Marketing, and how much of...