Summary
The sample product survey suggests that consumers’ values, beliefs, and senses should be considered the primary factors in buying behavior. According to the survey results, 44.44% of consumers make sure that the product is aligned with their personal values and beliefs. Furthermore, 50% of respondents considered the personal happiness factor as the most important in making a purchase. In addition, 50% of survey participants agreed that symbols of values and ideas behind the product are the main driver for making a purchase. Moreover, 50% of the customers claimed that they would stop buying a product of a brand engaged in unethical activities. Finally, 55.55% of consumers agreed that one or more of their five senses affect their buying behavior.
Reference group influence was indicated to be the third-most powerful factor in the decision to buy a product. For instance, 44.44% of respondents stated that purchasing particular products determines their social rank within a peer circle. Moreover, 55.56% of the customers were willing to underscore their association with a particular reference group through a purchase. Friends and family were the most influential group in purchasing decisions, as 38.89% of the consumers shared this sentiment. Only 22.22% of respondents based their buying behavior solely on independent personal attitudes.
The survey results allowed us to construct an approximate demographic portrait of the product’s target audience. Males represented 72.22% of respondents; additionally, 50% of customers participating in the survey belonged to a 41-55 age group. In terms of employment status, 61.11% of consumers were employed, and 27.77% worked on self-employment terms. Regarding the income status, 55.56% of respondents reported a combined household income within the $45,000-120,000 range. Other 44.44% of survey participants claimed to have a combined household income of $120,000 or higher.
Analysis
The data gathered by the survey allows the company to create a portrait of the product’s target audience and outline the consumers’ priorities in buying decisions. It is evident from the survey results that customers’ buying behavior is mainly guided by irrational factors, such as values, beliefs, senses, and reference group influence. As a result, the company receives valuable information on how to develop the product in order to satisfy the majority of customers and increase sales.
The survey inquires into consumers’ perception, attitudes, motivation, cultural, and individual factors through a set of questions with multiple answer choices. Most questions require a customer to select one option to complete a buying behavior description. Questions and answer options are related to particular consumer behavior dimensions, allowing a company to pinpoint the rationale behind buying decisions. For instance, Question 1 is dedicated to measuring the importance of personal values and senses. In the end, a combination of answers creates a comprehensive map of primary drivers behind consumer behavior, which may serve as a potent instrument for product development.
Each question category may have been based on theories and concepts related to particular consumer behavior factors. For example, beliefs and attitudes are explained by the theory of planned behavior, in which product selection is based on personal attitudes, social norms, and behavioral control (Moon, 2021). According to Charm et al. (2020), the behavioral theory posits that deeply-rooted beliefs prevent customers from logical analysis and force them to perpetuate existing routines. As such, the evaluation of results produced by behavioral bias seems reasonable from the marketing perspective.
Questions related to perception may have been based on somatosensory theories that link consumer behavior to sensory input. In particular, Motoki et al. (2019) found that crossmodal correspondence between warmth and light increased consumer preference for light-colored goods in comfortably warm conditions. According to Pramudya and Seo (2019), positive hand-feel touch cues can induce positive consumer perceptions. Therefore, assuming that consumers may be swayed by sensory input is reasonable within the marketing context.
Furthermore, a significant share of questions is related to such factors of influence as reference groups, opinion leaders, and culture. This approach aligns with multiple studies that explain buying behavior through opinion leadership, national culture, and peer pressure. Casaló, Flavián, and Ibáñez-Sánchez (2020) found that opinion leadership on Instagram results in consumers’ intention to follow fashion advice. National culture played a significant part in impulsive buying (Peña-García et al., 2020; Auf et al., 2018). Lastly, a sense of belonging to a reference group encouraged buying as a way of connecting with like-minded people (Fischer, 2019). In this regard, questions associated with the concepts of opinion leadership and culture serve as important instruments for benchmarking consumer behavior.
Finally, the last set of questions considers the concepts of age and gender. Several studies attempted to establish the patterns of consumer behavior in various demographics. For instance, Fekete-Farkas et al. (2021) applied the social interaction and social influence theory to confirm that the age group over 50 is more conservative in online shopping. In addition, men preferred website interactivity to the vividness and exhibited riskier consumer behavior (Fekete-Farkas et al., 2021). According to Kim, Cho, and Kim (2019), age and gender significantly moderated customer satisfaction from wine promotion through basic information and customer service. Therefore, assessing consumer demographics was vital for consumer portrait creation and product promotion.
Statement: The Case of A2 Milk Products
Marketing and sales of A2 milk products are likely to be affected by the trends of growing awareness about healthy nutrition and health concerns associated with A1 milk consumption. Most importantly, A2 milk offers substantial health benefits since it does not contain the BCM-7 peptide that may produce stomach discomfort (Metropulos, 2017). Furthermore, excessive A1 milk consumption leads to other health issues, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes (Fortune Business Insights, 2022). Moreover, the demand for A2 milk grows as global consumer health awareness increases (Fortune Business Insights, 2022). Therefore, the company selling the A2 milk products should consider these trends in order to claim the leading position in the market ahead of competitors.
In particular, the company should be concerned with these trends due to the strong influence of consumer beliefs on buying behavior. According to Moon (2021), product selection is based on personal attitudes and social norms. In this regard, one can claim that an increasing belief in the importance of healthy nutrition would serve as a foundation of consumer behavior that favors A2 milk products. Consequently, the company would be able to satisfy the growing demand by offering a healthier replacement to the traditional A1 milk. With time, consumers who prefer A2 milk may form reference groups that would encourage their friends and families to buy A2 milk products. In the end, the trends of increasing health awareness and health concerns related to A1 milk consumption may lead to a significant shift in market structure. A company that respects the trends would be in a prime position to offer value to the consumers and successfully capitalize on changes.
Reference List
Auf, M. A. A. et al. (2018) ‘Consumer buying behaviour: the roles of price, motivation, perceived culture importance, and religious orientation’, Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, 12(4), pp. 177-186.
Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C. and Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2020) ‘Influencers on Instagram: antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership’, Journal of Business Research, 117, pp. 510-519.
Charm, T. et al. Understanding and shaping consumer behavior in the next normal (2020) Web.
Fekete-Farkas, M. et al. (2021) ‘How gender and age can affect consumer purchase behavior? Evidence from a microeconomic perspective from Hungary’, AD-Minister, 39, pp. 25-46.
Fischer, C. Group influence on consumer behavior (2019) Web.
Fortune Business Insights. A2 milk market size, share & COVID-19 impact analysis, by form (liquid and powder), by distribution channels (supermarkets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, online retail, and others), and regional forecast, 2022-2029 (2022) Web.
Kim, W. H., Cho, J. L. and Kim, K. S. (2019) ‘The relationships of wine promotion, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intention: the moderating roles of customers’ gender and age’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 39, pp. 212-218.
Metropolus, M. The benefits and risks of A2 milk (2017) Web.
Moon, S. J. (2021) ‘Investigating beliefs, attitudes, and intentions regarding green restaurant patronage: an application of the extended theory of planned behavior with moderating effects of gender and age’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, 102727.
Motoki, K. et al. (2019) ‘Light colors and comfortable warmth: crossmodal correspondences between thermal sensations and color lightness influence consumer behavior’, Food Quality and Preference, 72, pp. 45-55.
Peña-García, N. et al. (2020) ‘Purchase intention and purchase behavior online: a cross-cultural approach’, Heliyon, 6(6), e04284.
Pramudya, R. C. and Seo, H. S. (2019) ‘Hand-feel touch cues and their influences on consumer perception and behavior with respect to food products: a review’, Foods, 8(7), p. 259.