Consumer Behavior For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))

387 Pages·2009·4.32 MB·English

by  Laura Lake

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Business/Marketing
Making Everything Easier!™
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the way they do? This practical guide gives you the tools to
identify the influences that affect their purchasing behavior. (cid:127) Tips to help you lead consumers su B e h a v i o r
It also shows you how to apply that knowledge as you from attention to action
develop a marketing strategy that speaks directly to their m
(cid:127) Research techniques and
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(cid:127) H ow self-concepts and lifestyle
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change consumer behavior

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(cid:127) Why do they buy? — understand the decision-making process (cid:127) Methods for cultivating repeat
consumers go through when considering a purchase business and loyalty e
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(cid:127) Apply behavior to marketing — learn the 4Ps of marketing and
(cid:127) Ways to protect against consumer
how consumer behavior plays a role in each misbehavior a
(cid:127) Gain a deeper understanding of the individual consumer — v
(cid:127) Advice on encouraging new
gauge a consumer’s motivation, emotions, perception, and
product adoption i
attitude and use them to predict and change buying intentions o
(cid:127) T en ways to enhance customer
(cid:127) Explore external influences on customers — from cultures to r
satisfaction
family life cycles to household structures and social groups, see
how purchasing patterns are affected
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(cid:127) Implement your plan — create powerful positioning strategies
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(cid:127) Develop more effective marketing
motivates them
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(cid:127) Speak directly to your customers’ needs
(cid:127) Gain customer loyalty in a competitive
$21.99 US / $25.99 CN / £15.99 UK marketplace
ISBN 978-0-470-44983-7
Laura A. Lake has been involved in the marketing industry since 1997.
She has worked with many companies, assisting them in understanding
consumer behavior and the management and implementation of the
findings within. In 2008, Lake founded her own successful marketing
Laura A. Lake
agency and sales training company.
Lake Marketing columnist, About.com
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Consumer
Behavior
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Laura Lake
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Consumer Behavior For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009925034
ISBN: 978-0-470-44983-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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About the Author
Laura A. Lake has been involved in the marketing industry since 1997.
She brings a fresh, easy-to-understand perspective to consumer behavior.
Despite popular belief, the understanding of consumer behavior can even
benefi t small companies, because it enables them to market more effectively
by meeting the needs of the buyers in the marketplace. The end result is a
higher rate of success; this is where Laura fi nds her passion.
Laura has helped many companies understand consumer behavior and the
management and implementation of the fi ndings within. Understanding why
consumers purchase, consume, or dispose of products is invaluable as the
battle for customers intensifi es day by day. Laura consults with companies
to emphasize the importance of investing in research to determine why cus-
tomers think, feel, reason, and ultimately purchase from among alternative
products or services.
Laura serves as the current marketing columnist at About.com, a New York
Times Company. She shares her extensive marketing knowledge in more than
600 articles published on some 4,000 Web sites and in various publications.
She’s also a featured writer in several magazines. As if that weren’t enough
to keep her busy, Laura has served in director and vice president positions
for well-known advertising agencies in previous years. In 2008, she founded
her own successful marketing agency and sales training company. She now
advises companies on how to create and implement effective marketing strat-
egies that help them grow their businesses.
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Dedication
As most authors will tell you, it takes much more than just them to write a
book. It’s a collaborative effort between you and those who encourage you
to do the work it takes to get the book done. I had several people by my side
along the way, and without them the possibility of fi nishing would have been
impossible.
First and foremost I must thank my mom and dad, Jack and Jill Brown, for
pushing me to live my dreams and follow my heart. Even if it seemed at times
I wouldn’t make it, you always believed.
A special thanks goes to my son Taylor. You’ve always believed and stood
by me, even when change was diffi cult. You are my daily inspiration and
the person who creates the drive to keep me moving forward. You never
complain when it comes to the long hours that I work, and throughout the
entire process of writing this book you were patient and understanding.
We’ve come a long way, and your sacrifi ces have not gone unnoticed. Your
patience, your love, your hugs, and your encouragement made the long hours
spent in the offi ce a little easier to bear.
Also, a big thanks goes to Abby. You made me smile when you understood
that the hours locked away in the offi ce would one day produce a book that
you would see in the stores. Here it is! Thank you to my business partner
Jamie Verkamp as well. You held down the fort and made things happen
when my attention was elsewhere. You kept our business going and growing
without skipping a beat. You were always encouraging during sharp dead-
lines, and you never complained when you had to pick up the slack. I couldn’t
have picked a better partner. To you I am grateful, and I couldn’t think of a
better person to share success with.
Last, but not least, thank you to my circle of friends: Hilda, Lori, Vicky,
Kay, Rhonda, and Angel. You have pushed me through the trying times and
encouraged me to keep moving forward. Your words of encouragement,
e-mails, and telephone calls always came at the right times. Thank you for
sharing your knowledge, your experiences, and your lives with me over the
years.
To those who were affected by my crankiness, absenteeism, and requests for
silence: I fi nally did it! Thank you all. You will never know the impact you had
and the important roles that you played in the completion of this project. Not
even words could express my gratitude.
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Author’s Acknowledgments
I must acknowledge the people who made this book possible and who made
writing easier. Of course, no one ever said this would be easy.
Huge thanks goes to my project editor, Kristin DeMint, from Wiley Publishing.
Thank you for the support, encouragement, guidance, and patience during
the course of this project. Just the mere fact that you had to read every
page of this book and make sense of it in its initial draft form means that you
deserve a Medal of Honor!
And to my literary agent, Barbara Doyen, thank you for keeping me on track,
answering my questions, and guiding me through the process of writing this
book. I couldn’t have done it without you!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registra-
tion form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our
Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax
317-572-4002.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Composition Services
Media Development
Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees
Project Editor: Kristin DeMint
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis,
Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker Stephanie D. Jumper, Melissa K. Smith,
Christine Williams
Copy Editor: Jessica Smith
Proofreaders: Bonnie Mikkelson,
Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney
Dwight Ramsey
Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen
Indexer: Sherry Massey
Technical Editor: Russell G. Wahlers, DBA
Special Help
Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker
Elizabeth Rea, Victoria M. Adang
Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar
Cover Photo:
© artpartner-images.com / Alamy
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Introduction to Consumer Behavior ..................... 7
Chapter 1: Consumer Behavior: The Basics ...................................................................9
Chapter 2: Understanding How Consumers Make Purchase Decisions....................27
Chapter 3: Applying Consumer Behavior to Marketing Strategy...............................43
Part II: Delving Into the Psychology
of the Individual Consumer ......................................... 69
Chapter 4: Recognizing Need and Desire: Motivation and Emotion .........................71
Chapter 5: Supplying Information and Infl uencing Perception ..................................85
Chapter 6: Uncovering Attitudes: General and Lasting Evaluations .........................99
Chapter 7: Defi ning the Role of Identity: Self-Concepts and Lifestyle .....................113
Part III: Consumers in Their Social
and Cultural Settings ............................................... 133
Chapter 8: Cultural Infl uences ......................................................................................135
Chapter 9: The Infl uences of Household Structure and Role ...................................149
Chapter 10: The Power of the Masses: Group Infl uences .........................................167
Chapter 11: Defying Legislated or Moral Laws: Consumer Misbehavior ................183
Part IV: Crafting Your Marketing Strategy ................. 197
Chapter 12: Conducting Market Research ..................................................................199
Chapter 13: Identifying Target Markets through Segmentation ..............................223
Chapter 14: Unearthing New Market Opportunities ..................................................245
Part V: Implementing Your Strategy
with a Marketing Plan ............................................. 257
Chapter 15: Understanding Marketing Ethics ............................................................259
Chapter 16: Evoking Awareness through Positioning ...............................................271
Chapter 17: Leading Customers from Attention to Action .......................................287
Chapter 18: Convincing Consumers to Adopt New Products
or Changes in Terms ...................................................................................................301
Chapter 19: Cultivating Customer Loyalty .................................................................315
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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 325
Chapter 20: Ten Easy Ways to Enhance Customer Satisfaction ..............................327
Chapter 21: Ten Special Considerations for Business-to-Business Marketing.......331
Appendix: Glossary .................................................. 337
Index ...................................................................... 345
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