Consumer Market and Buyer Behavior Assignment 2022

Aliyah Amisha Ali
Principles of Marketing
College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago
Chapter 5- Consumer Market and Buyer Behavior
The Harley-Davidson Example shows that factors at many levels affect consumer buying
behavior. Buying behavior is never simple, yet understanding it is an essential task of marketing
management.
Definition- Consumer Buyer Behavior
The buying behavior of final consumers— individuals and households that buy goods and
services for personal consumption.
All of these final consumers combine to make up the consumer market.
Definition- Consumer Market
All the individuals and households that buy or acquire goods and services for personal
consumption.
Model Of Consume Behavior
Consumers make many buying decisions every day, and the buying decision is the focal point of
the marketer’s effort. Most large companies research consumer buying decisions in great detail
to answer questions about what consumers buy, where they buy, how and how much they buy,
when they buy, and why they buy.
Marketers can study actual consumer purchases to find out what they buy, where, and how much.
But learning about the whys behind consumer buying behavior is not so easy—the answers are
often locked deep within the consumer’s mind. Often, consumers themselves don’t know exactly
what influences their purchases. The central question for marketers is this: How do consumers
respond to various marketing efforts the company might use? The starting point is the stimulus-
response model of buyer behavior shown in Figure 5.1.

Aliyah Amisha Ali
Principles of Marketing
College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago
Characteristics Affecting Consumr Behavior
Consumer purchases are influenced strongly by cultural, social, personal, and psychological
characteristics, as shown in Figure 5.2. For the most part, marketers cannot control such factors,
but they must take them into account.
Cultural Factors
Cultural factors exert a broad and deep influence on consumer behavior. Marketers need to
understand the role played by the buyer’s culture, subculture, and social class.
Culture
Definition- Culture
The set of basic values, perceptions, wants, and behaviors learned by a member of society from
family and other important institutions.
Marketers are always trying to spot cultural shifts so as to discover new products that might be
wanted. For example, the cultural shift toward greater concern about health and fitness has
created a huge industry for health-and-fitness services, exercise equipment and clothing, organic
foods, and a variety of diets.
Subculture
Definition- Subculture
A group of people with shared value systems based on common life experiences and situations.

Aliyah Amisha Ali
Principles of Marketing
College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago
Many subcultures make up important market segments, and marketers often design products and
marketing programs tailored to their needs. Examples of three such important subculture groups
are Hispanic American, African American, and Asian American consumers.
Hispanic American Consumers
Hispanics represent a large, fast-growing market. The nation’s more than 55 million Hispanic
consumers (almost one out of every six Americans) have total annual buying power of $1.7
trillion.
Although Hispanic consumers share many characteristics and behaviors with the mainstream
buying public, there are also distinct differences. They tend to be deeply family oriented and
make shopping a family affair—children have a big say in what brands they buy.
African American Consumers
The U.S. African American population is growing in affluence and sophistication. The nation’s
more than 44 million black consumers wield almost $1.3 trillion in annual buying power.
Although more price conscious than other segments, blacks are also strongly motivated by
quality and selection. Brands are important. African American consumers are heavy users of
digital and social media, providing access through a rich variety of marketing channels.
Asian American Consumers
Asian Americans are the most affluent U.S. demographic segment. A relatively well-educated
segment, they now number more than 18.5 million (5 percent of the population), with annual
buying power expected to approach $1 trillion by 2018. Asian Americans are the secondfastest-
growing subsegment after Hispanic Americans. And like Hispanic Americans, they are a diverse
group.
As a group, Asian American consumers shop frequently and are the most brand conscious of all
the ethnic groups. They can be fiercely brand loyal, especially to brands that work to build
relationships with them. As a result, many firms now target the Asian American market.
A Total Marketing Strategy
Beyond targeting segments such as Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans with
specially tailored efforts, many marketers now embrace a total market strategy—the practice of
integrating ethnic themes and cross-cultural perspectives within heir mainstream marketing.

Aliyah Amisha Ali
Principles of Marketing
College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago
Definition- Total Marketing Strategy
Integrating ethnic themes and crosscultural perspectives within a brand’s mainstream marketing,
appealing to consumer similarities across subcultural segments rather than differences.
Social Class
Almost every society has some form of social class structure. Social classes are society’s
relatively permanent and ordered divisions whose members share similar values, interests, and
behaviors. Social scientists have identified seven American social classes: upper upper class,
lower upper class, upper middle class, middle class, working class, upper lower class, and lower
lower class.
Definition- Social Class
Relatively permanent and ordered divisions in a society whose members share similar values,
interests, and behaviors.
Social class is not determined by a single factor, such as income, but is measured as a
combination of occupation, income, education, wealth, and other variables. In some social
systems, members of different classes are reared for certain roles and cannot change their social
positions. In the United States, however, the lines between social classes are not fixed and rigid;
people can move to a higher social class or drop into a lower one.
Social Factors
A consumer’s behavior also is influenced by social factors, such as the consumer’s small groups,
social networks, family, and social roles and status.
Definition- Group
Two or more people who interact to accomplish individual or mutual goals.
Groups and Social Networks
Many small groups influence a person’s behavior. Groups that have a direct influence and to
which a person belongs are called membership groups. In contrast, reference groups serve as
direct (face-to-face interactions) or indirect points of comparison or reference in forming a
person’s attitudes or behavior. People often are influenced by reference groups to which they do
not belong.
Marketers try to identify the reference groups of their target markets. Reference groups expose a
person to new behaviors and lifestyles, influence the person’s attitudes and self-concept, and
create pressures to conform that may affect the person’s product and brand choices. The