Consumerism exists in the everyday life of every person, and every marketer should pay attention to its effect on consumers. There is an indirect pressure of marketing strategies that force people to change their habits while shopping. Those psychological techniques might not always be harmful to ordinary buyers. However, marketers and specialists in the consumer behavior can control customers and adjust new products by analyzing the preferences and needs of buyers. By studying the theories of consumer behavior, I can easily understand the influence of diverse techniques on me and my surroundings. Moreover, this principle can help me to understand why marketing strategies affect people in different ways.
The behavior of the consumer can occur based on geographical positioning, culture, and family habits. Social life can also play a significant role in creating typical and conceptualized consumer behavior. I am constantly trying to adjust gained knowledge to real life and avoid strategic marketing manipulations. Nevertheless, some of the habits created by society are crucial in my daily routine. For instance, before going to the store, I usually make a shopping list to avoid missing anything. Before I started studying consumer behavior, I could not control my purchases, and I used to buy additional products that were not essential, like crisps or sweets. However, I managed to cope with this problem by having a snack before shopping at the grocery store. My spending decreased, and I realized that extra knowledge in consumer behavior discipline had changed my typical idea of shopping.
Consumerism is one of the key economic factors which affects every person and their ability to purchase desired products. According to Gibbons (2000), consumerism creates satisfaction in consumers and affects their passion for buying specific products or services again in the future. When clients are satisfied, more money starts to generate in the economy. Before studying consumer behavior, I did not pay attention to the importance of consumerism as I could not see any significant influence on how marketers create strategies and attract clients. However, I changed my relationship with this concept when I first worked in a marketing department that satisfied customers. The economy starts to grow when people spend more on their needs and wants, and the production level of new goods increases and pushes the economic situation of any country forward.
Many products are marketed to a specific target audience, and every demographic class has different desires concerning groceries or clothes. In his article, Gibbons (2000) states that gender, age, education, and income level are the main demographic divisions. One of the key tasks of every marketer is to correctly advertise a product and make sure that it is oriented toward a specific demographic group. As a young student, I am interested in different types of college activities like traveling. Purchasing behavior is common to many other students as we constantly share our experiences and learn by making mistakes. When I spend time with my family, I can also see several consumer behavior aspects which affect decision-making while shopping at the supermarket. When I am away from my parents, I continue buying the same brands even though they might not be the cheapest.
I believe that gender plays a significant role in consumer behavior, as men and women may have different attitudes toward the shopping process. Crown Speakers Bureau (2013) stated that females are more prone to impulsive purchases, and the influence of advertising is stronger. Nevertheless, women’s approach to shopping is more serious and organized in comparison to men’s strategies. Some marketers decide to advertise products to a specific gender. For instance, cosmetics are more attractive to females, while sports cars fascinate males more. Consequently, it becomes crucial to keep understanding the target audience and check techniques of consumer behavior that affect people the most.
I am usually trying to buy new things and try diverse brands in my everyday life. Campbell (2021) believes that our purchases answer the question “who am I?” as every person has a unique experience with shopping and other spheres of their lives. I am a fan of Nike products, and I feel comfortable wearing clothes from this brand. When I was a child, my family used to buy this brand as it uses good material and the exploitation period is long. Even though the price might be too high, I still buy a specific product from this brand. I believe that I was affected by my parents’ behavior, and my consumer behavior will not change over time. When I stay away from my parents, I keep buying the same brand of bread, butter, and milk. That is usually undertaken by every marketer who orients on consumer behavior.
If psychologists or marketing research teams would see my purchases for the year, they could easily understand what products can be targeted to my demographic status and what could attract me as a consumer. I usually spend money on food and cheap activities like cinema, skating, and traveling as a student. Moreover, I like training and usually attend sports classes at my local gym. My shopping basket does not include fatty and unhealthy products, and I like checking the ingredients of every meal I purchase at any supermarket. Marketers can define me as a health-conscious person who stays active every day and wants to maintain a relatively high level of physical strength. In this case, they put me in a specific group of people with the same interests and started creating effective strategies that may catch the attention of a new product. If their methods fail, they move to another group of people and start adjusting other techniques to promote the product.
I am happy to be a part of consumer culture as my everyday purchases help other specialists to perform better in their work, and I learn how consumer behavior appears in my friends and me. Some knowledge of consumer behavior helps me avoid aggressive advertisements and stay less affected by the psychological techniques marketers use in their strategies. Moreover, I usually try to buy different brands to see why they are marketed differently and what makes them less attractive compared to the most popular ones. This experience helps me in my professional life, and I start paying more attention to people around me to see what forces them to buy specific brands and products.
Consumerism is a crucial part of my professional life as it is responsible for several aspects, like the psychology of consumers and their demographic position in society. As a consumer, I start to mention specific purchasing techniques I use every day while shopping, and analyses of my behavior help me better understand how products are marketed to diverse target audiences. By following other people’s behavior, I can succeed in my chosen career and present unique marketing strategies that attract consumers from different demographics.
References
Campbell, C. (2021). I shop therefore I know that I am: The metaphysical basis of modern consumerism. Consumption and Consumer Society, 121-142.
Crown Speakers Bureau (2013). Bridget Brennan|Marketing to Women [Video file]. Web.
Gibbons, J. (2000). The price is right. Do Americans shop too much? In J. Schor (Eds). Boston Review. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.