Mkt 441

Mkt 435

Consumer Behavior Paper

MKT 435

February 24, 2012

Consumer behavior is dynamic because the thinking, feelings, and actions of individual consumers, targeted consumer groups, and society at large are constantly changing (Hawkins & Best, 2007). An example of this is when leading up to purchases, a long line a restaurant is a positive factor in evaluating that restaurant. Long lines imply that everyone wants to go there, and the restaurant is probably a high caliber restaurant. But, after you have gotten in, that long line is no longer a desirable factor, as you impatiently wait to get in. Also, once you make it to the door, that long line ahead of you now means that the restaurant is very much crowded, and alas, a lot less appealing. So, for this example, categorizing activities by whether they occur prior to purchase versus during use shows how consumer responses can change significantly within a situation.

Marketing can affect us in many ways and it can play an important role for the consumer all around. Marketing helps create a decision for a consumer to buy or not to buy the item or services you want. It allows you to bring for clarity and product knowledge in the purchasing the right item. In many occasions, people will do their own research to find the best deal in what they want to buy and can save money in the process. A company that knows or understand how the consumer behaves, have a greater success rate then others because they know how to reach their target market. The companies that will come out in the top are companies that know how to market and feed on the public by what is popular and current.

My recent purchase I made was an item on clearances at Ross. Ross is a discount store with a good variety of in-season, name-brand apparel, accessories, footwear, household goods, and kitchen products for the entire family. These products are normally taken from huge department stores that could not sell and given to Ross to sell. Ross sells...