Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategies

This document discusses consumer behaviour and its influence on marketing strategies. It explores the stages of consumer behaviour and how marketers can formulate strategies to influence buying behaviour. It also discusses the role of marketing research, marketing strategy, and basic research in marketing. The document evaluates a marketing campaign and its implementation and strategy.

Consumer Behaviour
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
People's consumption-related behaviours and strategies that are intended to influence the same
................................................................................................................................................3
Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills and how marketing research, marketing
strategy, and basic research are useful in intra- and interpersonal processes and play different
roles in marketing...................................................................................................................5
Evaluation of the marketing campaign and critical evaluation of its implementation and
strategy...................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION
Consumer Behaviour can be defined as the study of how customers or organisations
select, purchase, use and dispose off goods and services in order to satisfy their needs
(CalderIsaac and Malthouse, 2016). Consumers can exhibit different kinds of behaviours like
habitual buying behaviour, impulsive buying behaviour, purchases made on personal or group
preferences etc. The study of consumer behaviour helps the marketers of different organisations
in understanding ways in which they should present their products in the market which in turn
help them in attracting more number of customers. Consumer Behaviour is influenced by a lot of
different factors which makes it important for the brands to understand the purchasing behaviour
of their customers. Marks and Spencer is a leading multinational fashion brand that founded by
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in the year 1884. The report gives an understanding of
customer's behaviours relating to consumption and developing appropriate marketing strategies.
It also critically evaluates a marketing campaign that was conducted by the same along with its
implementation, strategy and the channels that were chosen.
MAIN BODY
People's consumption-related behaviours and strategies that are intended to influence the same
The consumption behaviour varies from customer to customer and is also influenced by
various factors like personal preference, impulsive factors, income levels, time etc. Marketers at
Marks and Spencer study the behaviour of their customers which helps them in getting an
understanding of the same from start to finish and thus formulate strategies regarding the same. It
can be explained through Engel, Blackwell and Kollat model of consumer behaviour which was
developed in the year 1968 and comprises of five distinct stages and serves to be an important
model for marketers. The model is explained below -
 Problem Recognition – This is the first step wherein a consumer identifies a problem
which needs to be solved. In simpler words, consumers look out for solutions to their
specific problems and thus satisfy the same (Claiborne and Sirgy, 2015). Brand
awareness can be counted as an important aspect during this stage like Marks and
Spencer has a strong image in the market thus customers think of it whenever there is a
need.
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 Information Search – In this stage, the consumer gathers information that is available
around him relating to that specific problem. If the purchase decision of the consumer is
large, it will take him longer to search for the information as he will want to have
complete information about the available solutions in the market (Couture and et. al.,
2015). At this stage, the brands should have a strong marketing strategy through which
the customers can educate themselves while they search for the information.
 Evaluation of Alternatives – Most consumers often have their own set criteria that the
solution is supposed to meet. During this stage, the marketers should know what is the
criteria that is set by the customer so that they present their products based on the same.
 Purchase – In this stage, the customer finally makes up his mind and knows the
products of which brand will solve his problem. He then purchases the products in order
to use them and examine if they solve his problem.
 Post-Purchase Behaviour – This stage includes the customers using the products and
reviewing them if the products were useful and valuable in fulfilling their needs. The
marketers should evaluate the same in order to get a better understanding of how can
they modify and enhance their products.
The model is still relevant as it helps knowledge about consumer behaviour to brands
which is helpful for them and the information which is received helps in the decision making
process. For example- when Marks and Spencer launched the most digital campaign where it
shared all the “Must-Have” wardrobe essentials for men, women as well as kids, it made use of
various digital channels in order to achieve the goals and objectives (M&S LAUNCHES MOST
DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO DATE: “MUST-HAVES”, 2020). Televisions were
used to flash advertisements regarding the same. The company also made use of various social
media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with special filters etc. The channels and
implementation strategy were appropriate as they helped it in attracting new customers, engaging
existing customers and the company also got a better understanding of customer expectations as
well as need.
Marketers formulate different strategies that are intended towards influencing the buying
behaviour of the customers, some of which that are used by Marks and Spencer are explained
below -
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 Engaging customers – The respective company has a vast presence both offline as well
as online. Customers today have access to both smartphones as well as internet (De
Mooij, 2019). Thus, Marks and Spencer engages its customers online by posting regular
updates on its social media pages wherein it communicates with the customers informing
them about the latest products that it launches.
 Being available 24/7 – Marks and Spencer pays primary focus on its customers and
constantly opts for strategies as well as ways in order to connect with them emotionally.
This affects the buying behaviour of the customers either directly or indirectly. Since, the
world today has become digital, more importance should be given to formulating online
marketing strategies in order to attract more customers and raise profitability.
Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills and how marketing research, marketing
strategy, and basic research are useful in intra- and interpersonal processes and play
different roles in marketing
Marketing research - This is a systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data
that pertain the market situation. This is used to get the knowledge about market which helps to
know what people wants and how it can be satisfied. This is first step of knowing about its
customers that helps to make further plans which helps to increase the organisational
productivity and profitability. For instance, Mark and Spencer is a British retailer company that
provides products and services at retail prices after conducting the market research. Management
of such organisation analysis the market and get information about people's choice and desires
regarding products then provide goods and services accordingly which attracts customers and
increase organisational productivity.
To conduct the market research there is require intellectual and affective skills which
helps to connect with people effectively and get their needs and wants. Intellectual skills means
abilities like application, analysis and synthesis to build a basic knowledge. This skill helps Mark
and Spencer to analysis the needs of products and prices then introduce products accordingly.
Whereas affective skills is relating to attitude and behaviour of people that helps to learn to be
effective in their personal and professional lives (Godey and et. al., 2016). Both skills are using
by chosen organisation to know the desire regarding products and services which helps to
increase the business sale. Marketing research is playing an important role in marketing as it
provide management with relevant, accurate, valid, up to date and reliable market information.
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This helps to maintain the relationship with marketing and consumers which provide information
regarding new products and services in order to increase sale and profitability.
Marketing strategy - This is a long term and forward looking approach which is used by
business organisation to make the strategic plans in order to achieve business goals. If
organisation is having effective marketing strategy then it can take competitive advantages by
running its business effectively. This is important for business organisation to understand the
goals of company and make strategy to attain such goals and objectives (Hofacker, Malthouse
and Sultan, 2016). For instance, Mark and Spencer wants to increase its sale and profitability by
selling wide range of products. For this, management and superiors need to make solid marketing
strategy that can help to complete the task and achieve business goals. Marketing strategy is
wider term to understand which covers product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence,
process and people.
This is important for organisation because it provides an edge over its competitors,
develop goods and services, discover the area which are affected by organisational growth,
fixing the accurate cost for products and services based on information and maintaining
coordination in order to complete the task and increase organisational profitability. For making
marketing strategy, managers are required to have intellectual, learning and transferable skills
which can help to increase the sale of business organisation by attracting customers (Zhang and
Benyoucef, 2016). In context to Mark and Spencer, manager are having transferable skills and
intellectual skills which helps to make future plans for organisation and increase profitability.
Herein, manager make strategy which is used to attract people and encourage them to buy
products and services effectively. Marketing strategy in relation to Mark and Spencer is playing
an important role in marketing as it give historical information that how the competition has
advertised products in earlier, states target market, competition and product features which
influence customers and make decision to buy products. Such as the manager of chosen
organisation make marketing strategy by evaluating past strategy that give idea and information
what should be use in present time and how it will be effective in order to increase the
organisational effectiveness (JainKhan and Mishra, 2017). There are different types of marketing
strategy such as cause marketing, relationship marketing, diversity marketing, transaction
marketing and internet marketing which influence people and increase the organisation
productivity. With the help of appropriate marketing strategy organisation is sustaining in to
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competitive market by increasing production and profit level. Mark and Spencer is adopting
relationship and internet marketing which is used to provide information to people and influence
then to buy products. This is suitable strategy as by creating relationship with customers it get
information about individual and provide products and services accordingly.
Basic research - This is also called as fundamental research which aims to improve
scientific theories for improving understanding and prediction of natural and other phenomena.
This is used to increase the knowledge and experience of people in marketing that helps to attain
the business goals effectively (Lantos, 2015). This research generates new ideas, theories,
principle which helps to make increase the organisational performance by increasing
productivity. In context to Mark and Spencer managers are required fundamental knowledge,
descriptive knowledge and transferable skills that appreciate marketing and increase the sale of
products and services. This research is important for organisation as it covers all basis
information regarding product and services which customers wants along with this it get
information about price of products. Basic research is playing important role in marketing as it
coordinate with customers and employees and develop the market which helps to improve the
organisational productivity and profitability.
Intra personal process – This is the process which states the relationship with oneself or
internally that helps to increase the organisational sale. This is used by managers of organisation
in order to develop a strategic plan in order to get help of incremental organisational sale. In
Market and Spencer managers are having intra personal process in which they build ideas to
generate the organisational sale and profitability. This is important because with the help to get
knowledge and skills which is used to improve the productivity of business. This involves basic
research, marketing research and marketing strategy which are playing important role in
marketing as manager develop ideas by themselves in order to increase the sale of products and
services effectively.
Herein, manager sale their products by using different strategy that attracts customers and
increase business performance (Mandel and et. al., 2017). The role of intra personal process in
discipline of marketing is to get needs of customers and think positively which can help to meet
with desires by providing suitable products. In other words, intra personal process conversation
is done by one person that covers emotions, feelings, perception and attitude that is used to think
differently and make clear judgement. In this, manager have authority and power to think
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individually for individual's welfare and make efforts to satisfy the needs of customers
effectively and increases organisational performance.
Interpersonal process – This refers as individual's ability to communicate and sharing
the ideas with other people. It is used by business organisation in order to improve their sale and
profitability by selling products in wider range. In other words, interpersonal communication is
required to speaking and listening another person which helps to get knowledge and improving
skills for the purpose of increasing business performance (Palihawadana, Oghazi and Liu, 2016) .
For instance, the manager of Mark and Spencer uses their intellectual and transferable skills in
order to sharing or transferring ideas which helps to get information about people choice and
then introduce that kind of products and services effectively. This is important for organisation to
use interpersonal process for the purpose of increasing sale and organisational profitability.
Herein, marketing research and marketing strategy is playing multiple role as by using
this manager get information about choice of people and knows their paying capacity which
helps to introduce products accordingly and make efforts to increase the profit margin. In this
process, researcher and marketing manager communicate with other people and maintain good
relationship which helps to improve the sale. With the help of this, customer get information
about new products and services which are bring by companies that encourages customers and
make buying decisions. This helps to make a successful business by evaluating individual needs
and wants then provide better quality of products and services at retailing prices. In marketing
strategy Mark and Spencer has adopted relationship marketing, word of mouth and transactional
marketing which helps to increase the company sale and profitability.
Evaluation of the marketing campaign and critical evaluation of its implementation and strategy
A marketing campaign helps in promoting the products of the company by making use of
different types of media like radio, magazines, television and other online platforms. A
marketing campaign is a great way for an organisation to reach out to its customers and explain
them about the products and services. It can be evaluated by checking for any changes in the sale
of the company because the en goal of the same is to either generate sale or to increase the same
(Rana and Paul, 2017). A questionnaire can be used to evaluate the same or a comparison to the
competitors can also be done. Evaluating the overall return on investment is also an effective
way of doing so. Consumer decision making process is very useful for today's marketing
managers as it helps them in understanding their purchase behaviour when a new product is
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developed or launched in the market. It also helps them in increasing their knowledge about
factors that influence the process.
According to the Economic model which is a buying behaviour model, the buyer is a
rational person whose decisions of buying a product are governed by a concept called utility
(Small and Cryder, 2016). If he has a specific amount of purchasing power, a set of needs as well
as products that are to be purchased, he will allocate the amount in all these needs in a very
rational way to gain as much benefit and value from them.
Marks and Spencer launched a digital campaign that shared information with the
customers regarding various “Must-Have” essential a person needs in his wardrobe. The
campaign was launched through various channels both offline as well as online. The campaign
had various positives and negatives like it helped the respective organisation to reach out to a
large number of audience and convey its message (Witt, 2016). Television advertising was one
way in which the company shared the message of the campaign which helped the customers in
getting to know what is available in the stores near to them. The campaign was product centric
and was carried out to present Marks and Spencer as a stylish and affordable brand. Besides
having so many advantages, the major drawback of the campaign was that it involved a lot of
cost as the company had to use various channels like television. Also, the planning process
involved a lot of time and could not focus on its other operations properly (Theotokis and
Manganari, 2015).
In order to attract a lot of customers, the company hired celebrities and bloggers which
also involved huge a cost. The respective organisation also focussed on using Google
Advertising as well as Instagram as its primary channels. Also, the campaign was not only
limited to clothing items but household products as well. The consumer buying behaviour has
changed overtime as it is influenced by various factors that can be finally observed when the
consumer purchases a product. Today, the world is highly connected and reviews of any product
by a consumer can be shared with another person through various channels like social media,
Whatsapp etc. which has made the overall process easier both for the consumers as well as the
marketers as they can get a better understanding of what the customers expect from a certain
brand as well as their needs.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that different customers show different
behaviours while making a purchase and thus marketers of organisations should study the same
to get ideas about how can they promote and sell their products in the markets in different ways.
This is helpful for them as it helps in attracting customers and retaining the ones who already
exist. Thus, it can be said that to have good knowledge and skill in a person organisation can
increase their sale and profitability. Marketing manager of an organisation should have affective,
interpersonal, intellectual and transferable skills which helps to improve the sale of products and
services. Intra personal process is used to talk by one self and make effective planning which can
help to improve sale. Also, interpersonal process is used by many managers in order to share
their ideas and thoughts with customers and provide products accordingly that increases
organisational sale and profitability resulting accomplishment of business goals and objectives.
Thus, the purchasing behaviour of customers should be studied carefully to attain positive results
and increase profitability.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
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across qualitatively different experiences. Journal of Advertising Research. 56(1).
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Claiborne, C. B. and Sirgy, M. J., 2015. Self-image congruence as a model of consumer attitude
formation and behavior: A conceptual review and guide for future research.
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De Mooij, M., 2019. Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and
advertising. SAGE Publications Limited.
Godey, B. and et. al., 2016. Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand
equity and consumer behavior. Journal of business research. 69(12). pp.5833-5841.
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Lantos, G. P., 2015. Consumer behavior in action: Real-life applications for marketing
managers. Routledge.
Mandel, N. and et. al., 2017. The compensatory consumer behavior model: How self-
discrepancies drive consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 27(1).
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Palihawadana, D., Oghazi, P. and Liu, Y., 2016. Effects of ethical ideologies and perceptions of
CSR on consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research. 69(11). pp.4964-4969.
Rana, J. and Paul, J., 2017. Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: A
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Small, D. A. and Cryder, C., 2016. Prosocial consumer behavior. Current Opinion in
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Theotokis, A. and Manganari, E., 2015. The impact of choice architecture on sustainable
consumer behavior: The role of guilt. Journal of Business Ethics. 131(2). pp.423-437.
Witt, U., 2016. The dynamics of consumer behavior and the transition to sustainable
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Zhang, K. Z. and Benyoucef, M., 2016. Consumer behavior in social commerce: A literature
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Online
M&S LAUNCHES MOST DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO DATE: “MUST-HAVES”.
2020. [Online]. Available through: <https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/media/press-
releases/2018/mands-launches-most-digital-marketing-campaign-to-date-must-haves>.
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