Marketing Consumer Behaviour (PDF)

Marketing consumer behaviour1
MARKETING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
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Marketing consumer behaviour2
Marketing consumer behaviour
Introduction
Country Road is a well-established and highly growing fashion brand in Australia. It was
established in 1974 by Stephen Bennett as an outlet specializing in women shirts only (Country
Road 2017). However, the company has grown to be one of the leading retail outlets dealing with
products ranging from apparel to homeware accessories all in one single integrated outlet.
Currently, it is the leading company whose accessories and clothing are sold at a high price in the
Australian market (Country Road 2017)
Despite its tremendous growth to be a top trend company dealing with stylish products
matching the true Australian culture and lifestyle, the company is facing stiff competition from a
pool of other companies offering the same products market (Baker and Saren 2016, pp. 10). With
the high competition threat posed by the flooded fashion market in Australia, the need for a
strong marketing campaign for their brand cannot be underestimated. Country Road must
improve the marketing strategies for their brand in order to counter competition in the market
(Madsen and Walker 2015, pp. 108).
In the current Australian market, a company like Country Road has established ideal and
comprehensive marketing strategies that appeal to their target audience (Proctor 2014, pp. 43).
Hence, the factor of brand marketing is an indisputable element that can dictate the failure or
success of Country Road as a brand due to high competition in the Australian market. Therefore,
the company is supposed to look at their target audience keenly and analyze them using the
consumer behaviour theories and concepts to enable it to come up with strategies that are ideal to
win the loyalty of the target market segment (Blanshard 2014, pp. 160).
Target Market
Country Road started as a small company that produced women clothes only. However,
with time, it has seen the need to diversify their services to serve a wide range of consumers. The
company saw the necessity of diversifying their products to cut across the market without being
specific to gender or age (Country Road 2017).

Marketing consumer behaviour3
Despite dealing with women clothing at first, in 1984, the company diversified to
Menswear. Between the year 2000 and 2001, the company jumped into the production of
childrenswear and eyewear. Country Road has seen the need to diversify their services to serve a
wide range of target audience (Country Road 2017). By doing so, the company is keen to counter
competition and maintain a competitive edge and increase the market share.
In February 2009, the company announced the plans to launch a fashion label called
Trenery (Country Road 2017). At this time, the company started being keen on a specific target
group and design proposition. According to the Government Information Services Department,
the majority of the country’s population age group is between the age of 45 and 54 years forming
approximately 18.3% of the total population (Australian Government 2017).
However, it is important to note that the target age group is dominated by women who
mostly do shopping for their families. Hence, Country Road’s strategic marketing process is
targeting women aged forty years and above through their brand label Trenery. In all its
advertisements such as Summer Wonder, Life Through Wool and Simple Things, the company
has mostly used women and children in their ads (Country Road 2017). Therefore, in its brand
marketing process, the company is targeting the women aged forty years and above simply
because women are the key group that makes a lot of shopping for their families (Chernev 2018,
pp. 94).
Identification and Major Impacts of Relevant Theories/Concepts
As the company struggles to reach its target audience, it has embarked on several
strategic marketing techniques involving heavy television, newspaper and website adverts.
Before embarking on the process of producing advertisements as part of the whole process of
strategic brand marketing, the company should seek to explore various models that enable a
company to analyze its clients and connect with them (Foxall 2014, pp.74). Thus, once they
follow the models and theories, they can be able to tap into the customer’s desires, need and
wants thus influencing consumers to brand preference and purchasing power. Therefore, this
section will explore various theories and models used by Country Road to influence consumer
behaviour, their usability as well as benefits the company will derive from the application of
such theories and concepts to steer its brand marketing campaign (Heding, Knudtzen and Bjerre
2015, pp. 52).

Marketing consumer behaviour4
Relevant Theories and Concepts Used by Country Road in the Brand Marketing Process
For a long time, Country road has strived to make its way into the market and remain the
leading company in fashion clothing (Country Road 2017). The company has struggled to serve
a wide range of target audience cutting across demographics starting from children to adult men
and women. However, with increased competition, the company is striving to identify their
specific target audience where they can put more effort with an aim of influencing their
purchasing behaviour and power (Madsen and Walker 2015, pp. 106).
With new population statistics showing that majority of the country’s population is aged
between 45-54 years, the company is paying attention to women within this age bracket to serve
as their target audience. Hence, the company has embarked on analyzing their target customers
in the market and applying various theories and concepts to influence consumers’ buying
behaviour and brand loyalty (Foxall 2014, pp. 98). Such models include the consumer
personality and self- concept, emotional appeals and involvement theory, and Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs.
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
The theory was conceived by Maslow to address the human needs and how they are
motivated or demotivated by the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of their needs. The theory puts
across five levels of needs whose fulfilment can motivate one to act. These needs include
physiological like food, safety like family, love and belonging like family, esteem such as
respect and achievement, and finally, the self-actualization level where such needs are fulfilled
prompting a person to act (Nijssen and Frambach 2013, pp. 63).
Women are well known to be selective and their family value is placed high. Thus,
Country Road is aiming at winning women’s loyalty and influence them to purchase the
company’s products. With family and confidence topping the list of women’s needs to be
fulfilled in order for them to buy the products, the company has factored in all that its brand
marketing advertisements and campaign (Gunter and Furnham 2014, pp. 128).
According to the model, people have the capacity to shape and change their decisions
once they feel that a certain situation is addressing their desired needs. Women will show their
loyalty to the product or brand which addresses their needs and those of the family in terms of