Understanding Consumer Chapter 1 Behavioracconsumer.weebly.com/uploads/5/8/9/7/5897532/hoyer__macinnis... · After studying this chapter, you will be able to 1. Defi ne consumer
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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to 1. Define consumer behavior and explain the components that make up the definition. 2. Identify the four domains of consumer behavior shown in Exhibit 1.6 that affect acquisition, usage, and disposition decisions. 3. Discuss the benefits of studying consumer behavior. 4. Explain how companies apply consumer behavior concepts when making marketing decisions. Understanding Consumer Behavior Chapter 1 2 INTRODUCTION Land of the Rising Trends W hen Google wants to learn how cell phone users search the Internet, it looks at Japan, where 100 million consumers use phones to search online for train timetables, videos of pop stars, and more. Google’s marketers watch and listen while cell phone users conduct searches, narrow down results, and react to website layouts. After users complained that maps loaded slowly and were difficult to navigate, Google sped up the process and added arrows to facilitate faster navigation. “People’s expectations are very high here compared [with those of people in] other regions,” explains a manager. “That’s why we get good feedback.” With good feedback, Google can make changes to meet consumers’ expectations and maintain its position in the global search-engine market. Japan is the land of rising trends in fashion as well as in high-tech services. The Swedish retail chain H&M has opened its doors in Tokyo to keep an eye on what local high school girls wear, as have Abercrombie & Fitch and other clothing retailers. LeSportsac’s designers seek inspiration for new handbags by observing the preferences of trend-setting Tokyo teens. “I can see something happen in Tokyo and watch the ripple effect across the Pacific to New York and then watch as it goes back to L.A.,” says a LeSportsac executive who visits Japan regularly in search of new product ideas. 1
