Source: Image of woman thinking, add to cart icon, crowd holding placards, range rover, sports car, blackberry phone, iphone, warm shoes, tennis shoes, hiking boots, images by Video Scribe, License held by Jeff Carroll.
Hi, I'm Jeff, and in this lesson, we'll discuss four influences on consumer behavior. So let's get started.
When a business wants to reach a consumer market, they must be aware of all the needs and wants of that consumer. Some of those needs are solely those of a single person, but often the needs and wants of a consumer are driven by the psychological and social influences all around them. This is called consumer behavior, which is the research and understanding of how human beings singularly or as a group consider and accept organizational offerings as well as how these choices impact culture as a whole. Let's discuss a few examples.
There are four major influences on consumer behavior-- psychological influences, which are the influences on consumer opinions that are related to the scientific study of how human beings think and respond to their environment. These can be influences related to satisfying basic needs such as hunger or shelter. The desire to own a home can be based on a psychological influence.
There are personal influences, which are influences on consumer opinions that are related to their interaction and response to the opinions of specific other people. An example would be if a person of similar age or wealth recommended a good or service, then the customer might be more inclined to purchase it.
Social influences, these are influences on consumer opinions that are related to the opinions of groups or societies. These can be based on trends, the opinions a subgroup within a culture has, or from groups the consumer wishes to be a part of. A site such as Rotten Tomatoes, which gives you one rating number for a movie rating, is based on social influence.
And cultural influences, influences on consumer opinions that are related to the broad impact of the society in which they are living or have lived. Clothing and food choices are often based on cultural influence. Also those choices related to the ceremony or religion of a region. Each of these influences can impact our day-to-day choices as a consumer. Let's run through a few examples.
Let's say you're purchasing a car. If you buy a car at all, it is based on whether you need a car to satisfy a basic psychological need such as the need to remain warm in winter while traveling. You might be personally influenced by specific neighbors and their recommendations. Socially, you will be influenced by others who make similar money at your workplace. And culturally, you might purchase an environmentally friendly car because you have been taught to believe it is morally correct.
How about a cell phone? Again, the psychological need will drive whether you need a cell phone to meet your basic needs. Personally there may be an expert on phones that you trust for recommendations. Socially your friends might be fans of Apple, so you may choose an iPhone. And finally culturally, you might choose an expensive or a cheap model based on whether it is in your culture to be frugal.
Finally, what if you were buying shoes? Psychologically you may choose shoes that will keep you warmer to satisfy that need. Personally you might buy the same shoes that a basketball star recommends. Socially you will likely buy what your friends are wearing. And culturally, perhaps you were raised in an area that taught people boots were the proper footwear, so that's what you go with.
And that's how you're influenced when you're making purchases. Excellent. In this lesson, we learned what influences consumer behavior. We talked about four specific influences, and we ran through examples of those influences during purchase. Thanks for your time and have a great day.