MKT301 Consumer Behavior: Analyzing Social Media's Role in Purchasing

This essay examines the significant impact of social media on consumer behavior, focusing on purchasing decisions and the rise of consumer activism. It analyzes how social media platforms influence pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase behaviors, highlighting the role of online information and consumer movements. The essay delves into the consumer buying process, the influence of branding, and the effects of consumer activism on product perception. It also explores the ethical considerations of marketing and advertising, emphasizing the importance of aligning product ethics with consumer values. The analysis draws upon various studies and examples to illustrate how social media shapes consumer choices and brand awareness. The essay concludes that social media is a crucial factor in the consumer purchasing process, driving both product promotion and demotion based on customer reviews and ethical considerations.

Reference head: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Introduction
The process of consumer purchase defines the attitude, preferences, intentions, and the
decision making of the consumer. This is the process that consumer defines consumer behaviour
and the product choice is depending on that process. There are basically four types of consumer
buying behaviour and each of them has two segmentations also. Complex buying behaviour
signifies high involvement like the in case of buying a motorbike some of the experts' decisions
need to be taken. On the other hand, low involvement persists in the variety-seeking behaviour
where people have low involvement with the brand and they can change the brand any situation,
where they find a better brand from this (Rezaei, Chandran and Oh 2018). The high behavioural
decision making in dissonance buying behaviour is also a high involvement decision as making
like floor tiles buying the case, where people have to decide the colour, texture of the legibility
of the tile before buying. This is the major aspect of decision making where the high
involvement is related to the situation. The habitual buying decision is the last section of
consumer buying decision, which is a used to process for the customers (Forbes.com 2017).
The thesis statement of the essay lies in the decision-making process where the
significance of consumers' buying is influenced by the social media. The paper has also shed
light on the consumer activism and impact of activism over the products. In most of the cases,
product culture and process demonstration are not perfect and this is the situation where brand
awareness is needed. This is one of the main aspects that create movement in the marketplace
and process the active decision making for the development of the social media effectiveness.
Research and analysis

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The analysis of the product is the key matter that consumer has to select before taking the
right decision. The involvement with products is the key process and that is the reason the pre-
purchasing process is the most important aspect for consumers. They have to check the product
quality and alternatives of that product so that decision-making sense will be applicable in that
case. The branding of the product is one of the key aspect and customers' decision making
depending on this. As opined by Lin et al. (2018) the variation of the products sometimes
changes in mind and people want to try with the new products also. This mental changes and
behavioural change mainly initiated by social media. Television, newspaper promotion, radio,
social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest promotes some brands.
Consumer activism is the range of activities that have initiated by the customers,
organisations or different NGO's. This is a directly or indirectly related to the company and their
promotional product. There are some extreme cases, where people push the product and boycott.
This is the situation when some violations through the product have come up. In case of social,
political, and environmental aspect may get affected. Even commercials are shown in front of
family and children. The violation of that fact and implement change in commercials help to
promote the brand (Forbes.com 2017). There are safeties and security issues for the children and
looking undesired things is a kind of violence and the same situation are formulated by the
company in some cases.
The reason behind the boycott for any product largely depends on the abuse things are
given and promoted by the organisation. The boycott has come from students, teachers,
employees, businessman, or any other individual or group people. The boycott may be the reason
for ethical discrepancies. Product ethics is being violated in some cases and the reason behind the
activity and not maintained the ethics is the crucial reason. Some of the trolls have that hint of

3CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
political or human satire, these are the things are good when they showcase caricature in the
work or product and effective outcome through the effective use of the product. But if not, then
product innovativeness and ethical consideration hurt and the will affect the marketing position
of the company and customer preference or choice of the product. In any case of attacking other
brand is another ethical violation or the alignment of product. The situation may have the
engagement of sexual infringement or have the photos or clippings that may create the problem
for children or even students. The issue of the ethical process of affecting nature and not
following the Green Marketing process or have the alignment of mixing unhygienic products are
the key matter that creates consumer activism.
The policy of the 1960s and 1970s in worldwide boost customer and provide them with
an option to have taken charge of any product or services if they have violated something, that
affects the human rights. The issues of labour relation in Nike, the issues of veg burger in
McDonalds, the issues of Chipotle restaurant in New York, or against the whole entire place of
Alaska for wolf hunting and Chevron for toxic dumping are the issues that affect the business of
services or the even the life or entire country (Song and Yoo 2016). The commercial in that sense
needs an extra bit of activities like promoting driving while drinking in a film needs to be
stopped as this is a wrong statement that student and children gather and that affects their future
as well. In case of the big brand, the CSR team has taken care of this and the advertising will off
in that case and a new one will be on the market. The process of McGurk effect is crucial in that
case as the process signifies what customers hear is the most important thing rather than depends
on what they have seen (Zhang, and Benyoucef 2016). In that case, 73% of brands are recalled
their speculated advertisement two weeks later.

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There are six stages of customer buying processes and all these processes highlight the
decision making steps and effective conclusions. The need of product is the key matter in this
process and customer has to make the decision on the basis of social outcomes. The traditional
brands are liked by people and 71% of people purchase online products and that is the key reason
people have to trust on those products (Forbes.com 2017). The influence of those is important as
the through the desire they need to avail the product. The search for information is another step
that needs to make after selecting the item. The purchase decision is the key factor in business
and showing payment options and operation processes are important in that case. This makes
sense in the buying a product. In case of the last stage, customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction
will be evaluated (Forbes.com 2017).
Buyers’ decision making process is somehow depending on the social media process and
that is the major reason Facebook, twitter and other social media platforms are there to evaluate
the product. The product composition, how it becomes good for health and what are the other
composition that needs to make so that better results can be drawn by that process. The medium
are acted like the best place to promotion or demotion. The products will have ethics that come
up at these platform and product highlight sections are evaluating nature of the product. The
same way get back in the reverse way when product is not ranked well by customers (Song and
Yoo 2016). This is the reason where the negative evaluation makes a high impact of product and
consumer stop buying the product and that news will be viral due to the social media process.
The company faced this situation which is crucial and that is the reason better decision making
depends on the other taste and choices (Song and Yoo 2016). The social platforms are liable for
that and that impacted on products to make some native reviews and stop their branding and on
the other hand, influence the market of product to pile up some good reviews and helps in social

5CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
media processes. The promotion rights is there for these companies and no one registered them
for their demotion rather they want support from the people and social media platforms help in
that case.
The strategy of buyers’ decision-making process is the important aspect in this case. The
situation is important for the buyers to respond to the situation. The Buyers' Black Box theory is
the most important theory in case of decision making in consuming the product. The buyers'
response is crucial in that case and the change in environment is the crucial choice that needs to
take for the selected point of view. The marketing stimuli have four aspects like the product,
price, place and promotional aspect and it has the environmental forces like demographic,
economic, socio-cultural, technological, ecological and political changes help in the process of
selecting the consumer product. In the next step, Buyers’ Black Box creates in the reaction on
stimuli and environment for the consumer choice (Shankar et al. 2016).
The investing social media process and customers responses are the key processes to
experience the buying decision making. Advertising in social media is the key process that every
company has done and allows awareness through the phrase (Minazzi 2015). The series of stages
is important and after that people come to know the actual process where they come at the end,
where they find the product X is better than Y. This hypothetical process is the prime process to
elaborate the buying process and this is the reason marketing and awareness stage requires more
intimacy ineffective sales. Social networks have turn out to be one of the most significant tools
to recognize and generate promotion strategies, known that their use has generated large promise
and opportunities to study concerning consumers’ requirements, and accordingly answer
conveniently, proactively and artistically to customers.

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Conclusion
Therefore it can be concluded that the effect of social media on purchasing process is the
key matter of decision making. People thought the process could have been changed by the
effective use of social media. The strategic use of many companies and in the promotional
processes the use of social media is important and that can change product market and potential
consumer approach over the product and this turns out to be the best outcome of this. The entire
situation also supports that consumer activism is liable for change in consumer behaviour and
impact of this in social media is huge and that impacted on the company as well as their
customers.

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References
Forbes.com 2017 4 Ways Social Media Influences Millennials' Purchasing Decisions
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewarnold/2017/12/22/4-ways-social-media-
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Horner, S. and Swarbrooke, J., 2016. Consumer behaviour in tourism. Routledge.
Lin, X., Featherman, M., Brooks, S.L. and Hajli, N., 2018. Exploring Gender Differences in
Online Consumer Purchase Decision Making: An Online Product Presentation
Perspective. Information Systems Frontiers, pp.1-15.
Minazzi, R., 2015. Social media marketing in tourism and hospitality. Heidelberg: Springer.
Rezaei, S., Chandran, R. and Oh, Y.M., 2018. Pre-Purchase User Perceptions of Attributes and
Post-Purchase Attitudes in Building Successful Online Retail Promotional Strategies. In Digital
Marketing and Consumer Engagement: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp.
368-382). IGI Global.
Shankar, V., Kleijnen, M., Ramanathan, S., Rizley, R., Holland, S. and Morrissey, S., 2016.
Mobile shopper marketing: Key issues, current insights, and future research avenues. Journal of
Interactive Marketing, 34, pp.37-48.
Song, S. and Yoo, M., 2016. The role of social media during the pre-purchasing stage. Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 7(1), pp.84-99.
Zhang, K.Z. and Benyoucef, M., 2016. Consumer behaviour in social commerce: A literature
review. Decision Support Systems, 86, pp.95-108.