MN5006QA Case Study: Unilever's Application of Consumer Behavior

This case study examines Unilever's success in understanding and applying consumer behavior principles to market its products. It discusses Shiffman's Framework of Consumer Behaviour, which analyzes factors influencing consumer decision-making. The study highlights psychological factors (motivation, perception, learning, attitude), cultural factors (culture, subculture, social class), and personal factors (age, income, occupation, lifestyle) as key influencers. Unilever's 'Campaign for Real Beauty' is presented as an example of effective marketing that resonates with consumers by addressing their attitudes and emotions. The assessment concludes that Unilever is successful in understanding consumer behavior and adapting its strategies accordingly to serve diverse consumer needs.

Consumer Behaviour

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
How successful is Unilever in applying its understanding of factors that influence..............3
consumer behaviour to market its products?..........................................................................3
Factors influencing Consumer Behaviour..............................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Consumer Behaviour is meant by aggregate of emotions, attitude, preferences, actions,
etc. associated with buying and selling products and services. For instance, it is considered by
business organisations in order to develop and implement suitable and appropriate strategies.
Moreover, business organisations consider consumer behaviour towards acquisition,
consumption, disposal of goods and services, etc. Unilever Plc is a leading business organisation
engaged in manufacturing and supplying consumer products into global market (De Mooij,
2019). This report assessment will be comprised of essential knowledge of factors influencing
consumer behaviour.
MAIN BODY
How successful is Unilever in applying its understanding of factors that influence consumer
behaviour to market its products?
Shiffman's Framework of Consumer Behaviour
This framework analyses and determines factors that affects and influences decision-
making of consumers with reference to purchasing of products and services. For instance, it
facilitates in designing and developing efficient strategies in order to carry out efficient
marketing operations and activities. Moreover, it suggests consumer undergoes highly rationale
and systematic decision-making process. Furthermore, it also determines a specific consumer
decision-making with various stages which are as follows:
 Input: It includes messages and information shared by companies and acquired by
consumers in society for efficient decision-making.
 Perceptual and learning constructs: It includes needs, preferences, and personal goals
of individual which facilitates in change in consumer behaviour.
 Output: This stage is further result of previous steps taken into consideration. For
instance, it results in consumer’s initiative or action towards purchase of products and
services in consumer market.
Factors influencing Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Behaviour is influenced through various sources and aspects which determines
decision-making in terms of purchasing and consuming products and services offered by various
business organisations into consumer market. Therefore, major of these factors are as follows:

Psychological Factors
Psychological Factors are determined as personality of an individual that limits or
strengthens thinking ability or manner. For instance, it is comprised of factors and aspects that
are related to mental ability of an individual including motivation, perception, beliefs and
attitude, etc. which results in influencing decision-making of consumer (Mou and Benyoucef,
2021). Important and major psychological factors are:
 Motivation: This aspect of individuals majorly influences in decision-making of
consumer. Unilever have been initiating immense efforts towards motivating consumers
towards their products and services with improvising and enhancing quality of products
offered into consumer market. Moreover, with efficient marketing practices and
contributing efforts towards betterment of quality results in consumer satisfaction.
 Perception: Customer perception plays a major role in influencing consumer behaviour.
For instance, consumers in market collects information and knowledge about the products
and services in the market which results in develops a meaningful image of brand or
products offered by brand into consumer market. Furthermore, efficient marketing
practices is recommended to business organisation in order to ensure a positive consumer
perception.
 Learning: This aspect is determined as a process taken into account by customers in
order to acquire information and knowledge regarding future purchase of products and
services. Therefore, it plays a major role in influencing consumer behaviour towards
purchase of goods and services.
 Attitude and Beliefs: Consumers in society are oriented with different attitude and belief
towards different products and services offered in the market. For instance, it facilitates
in development of a image in consumers mind regarding the same.
Cultural Factors
Cultural differences around different geographical locations determine various changes in
buying behaviour of consumers for same product or service offered in another geographical
locations. Moreover, these could be defined as values and ideologies of a group or community of
individuals (Haugtvedt, Herr and Kardes, 2018). There are various factors and aspects of cultural
that facilitates change in consumer behaviour which are as follows:

 Culture: It is majorly comprised of various cultural factors which influences consumer
behaviour in purchase of a product or service. For instance, it includes needs,
preferences, perception, values, etc. which results in change in culture in people of
different geographical location. Therefore, these differences in culture among people in
society results in change in buying behaviour of consumers.
 Subculture: This could be defined as a element of culture which makes up a culture in
society. For instance, these subcultures are comprised of people residing in society with
different caste, religion, beliefs, etc. The buying behaviour of these customer segment
often influenced with consideration of various concepts and aspects.
 Social Class: It is determined as segmentation of consumers in society on the basis
various classified social class. For instance, every society is comprised of people living in
different social classes which majorly influences buying behaviour of consumers towards
products and services. Furthermore, people in different social class are oriented with
approaches with reference to purchasing of offering from businesses in consumer market.
Personal Factors
These factors are determined as individual characteristics that leads to change in buying
behaviour of a consumer. Moreover, these factors often vary for different individuals according
to their personal preferences and perception towards goods and services offered in the market
(Mothersbaugh, and et. al., 2020). Major of personal factors are as follows:
 Age: Buying or purchasing preferences is different among people of different
demographics which results in change in consumer behaviour.
 Income: It is referred to pocket allowance of a consumer in buying certain products and
services. For instance, people with low income faces problem of affordability in
purchasing goods and services.
 Occupation: Profession or occupation contributes in change in buying behaviour of
consumer. In addition to that, people purchase products and services according or
relevant to their profession or occupation.
 Lifestyle: It refers to way of individual carrying out his daily routine life. For instance,
consumers with different lifestyle often observed with different buying behaviour.
The respective organisation is efficiently successful in understanding of factors and aspects
that influences customer behaviour towards purchasing various products and services into

consumer market. Unilever is one of the leading companies all around the globe which deals in
manufacturing of food as well as necessary consumers products. In order to serve people with
different buying behaviour, company has introduced enormous number of products into
consumer market.
CONCLUSION
From the above assessment it could be concluded that, respective organisation is
successful in understanding of factors and aspects that consumer behaviour towards purchasing
and sales of goods and services. Moreover, psychological factors, cultural factors, and social
factors are determined as major factors influencing consumer behaviour.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
De Mooij, M., 2019. Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and
advertising. Sage.
Haugtvedt, C. P., Herr, P. M. and Kardes, F. R. eds., 2018. Handbook of consumer psychology.
Routledge.
Mothersbaugh, and et. al., 2020. Consumer behavior: Building marketing strategy. New York,
NY, USA: McGraw-Hill Education.
Mou, J. and Benyoucef, M., 2021. Consumer behavior in social commerce: Results from a meta-
analysis. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 167, p.120734.