How do consumer characteristics influence buying behaviour?

Study of how individuals, groups and organisations select, buy, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants

There are various influences on consumer purchase behaviour

• CULTURAL

• SOCIAL

• PERSONAL

INFLUENCES

People from different nationalities, religions, racial groups and geographic regions have different value systems

CULTURAL

Marketers must tailor their products to reach out to different cultural segments

McDonald’s introduces country specific burgers to reach out to customers

• CULTURAL

• SOCIAL

• PERSONAL

INFLUENCES

Reference groups

Direct influence

Indirect influence

Primary groupsOpinion shaped due to continuous informal interaction with family, friends, neighbours and coworkers

Secondary groupsOpinion shaped by formal interaction with religious, Professional and trade union groups

Aspirational groupsOne that a person hopes to join

Dissociative groupsOne whose values a person rejects

Reference Groups

Reference groups influence people in three ways

• Expose the individual to new behaviour and lifestyle

• Influence attitudes and self-concept

• Create pressures for conformity

Where reference group influence is strong, marketers must determine how to reach the opinion leaders

FAMILY

Family of OrientationParents and siblings

Family of ProcreationSpouse, Children

Family

Roles and Status

People choose products that reflect their actual or desired status

• CULTURAL

• SOCIAL

• PERSONAL

INFLUENCES

Personal factors

Age and Stage

Family Life Cycle

Psychological Life CycleInfluenced by critical life events such as marriage, childbirth, first job, retirement

Occupation and Economic Circumstances

• Occupation influences consumption patterns

• Economic circumstances influence product

and brand choice

Personality and Self-Concept

Consumers choose brands whose personalities match their own

Lifestyle and Values

Lifestyle shaped by whether

Money ConstrainedCreate lower-cost products and services

Time ConstrainedOutsource services to others in order to save time

These slides were created by Anju Joseph, MEC Kochi during a Marketing internship by Prof. Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow

(See www.IIMInternship.com)