Consumer Behavior and Marketing Concepts

The study of how and why individuals or groups acquire, consume, and dispose of products.

A set of beliefs that guide our understanding of the world.

When a new set of beliefs challenges and replaces the currently dominant paradigm.

Focuses on objective truth and the consumer as a rational decision-maker.

Emphasizes subjective meaning and multiple interpretations of consumer behavior.

A type of interpretivist approach to consumer behavior that views consumption as a social and cultural practice.

A mixture of images and ideas, often creating a sense of fragmentation and uncertainty.

Underlying values that drive consumers toward certain products and services.

Unconscious psychological processes that influence consumer decisions.

The default option that is selected unless the consumer actively chooses something else.

The mental energy required to resist impulses and make choices.

The process by which consumers identify a need, make a purchase, and dispose of products.

The process of gathering information about consumers to understand their needs and behavior.

Identifying the target audience for a product or service based on their needs and preferences.

The impact of consumers on marketing strategies and business decisions.

The idea that companies exist to satisfy needs and that understanding consumer preferences is crucial for marketing success.

Dividing consumers into groups based on shared characteristics, enabling targeted marketing efforts.

A principle that highlights that a small percentage of customers generate a significant portion of a business's revenue.

The tendency to prefer products from our own culture or country, often believing they are superior to others.

Observable characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, income, and location, which can influence consumer behavior.

The tendency to continue with a course of action, even if it's not beneficial, because we've already invested time, money, or effort.

Psychological and lifestyle characteristics that influence consumer choices and preferences.

Building long-term relationships with customers, promoting brand loyalty and repeat business.

A subtle change in how information is presented that influences someone's choice, even if the underlying options stay the same.

A cue or stimulus that makes us more likely to react in a certain way, even if we're unaware of its influence.

A personal connection with a product, where the product reflects the user's identity.

A deliberate design change that influences behavior by making the desired option the easiest or default choice.

A product that triggers nostalgic feelings and links a consumer to a past version of themselves.

A product that's integrated into a consumer's daily routine, becoming essential for their activities.

A deep emotional bond with a product, based on love, passion, or other strong feelings.

Using customer data to personalize marketing messages and product offerings to meet individual needs.

The collection and analysis of massive amounts of data, allowing for insights and predictions.

The evolution of the internet from one-way information transmission to a social and interactive platform.

Content created by users, such as reviews, blogs, and social media posts, impacting consumer decisions.

A network of interconnected devices that communicate with each other, often used in smart homes and autonomous vehicles.

This used to focus on the interaction between consumers and sellers only at the time of purchase.

This considers the entire consumption experience, including what happens before, during, and after a purchase.

The person who identifies a need, buys the product, and eventually gets rid of it. Different people can play different roles in this process.

Groups (like companies) or individuals making choices that impact many people. For example, designers choosing office supplies or a purchasing agent.

The process by which shoppers are observed to understand their needs, desires, and points of friction in the shopping process.

Stores designed to provide a user-friendly, enjoyable, and efficient shopping experience that caters to both explicit and hidden consumer needs.

A type of decision-making characterized by frequent, low-involvement purchases of everyday items that don't require extensive consideration.

A type of decision-making involving moderate effort and consideration for products purchased occasionally.

A type of decision-making that involves high involvement, extensive research, and careful consideration for expensive or infrequent purchases.

The tendency to make more purchases after an initial impulse purchase, potentially leading to excessive spending.

The overwhelming feeling of having too many choices, which can lead to decision fatigue and difficulty making informed decisions.

A deliberate, rational, and sequential approach to decision-making where information is carefully weighed and analyzed.

An automated, unconscious approach to decision-making based on familiar habits rather than conscious consideration.

An emotional and spontaneous approach to decision-making based on gut feelings and immediate reactions.

The process of estimating the mental effort required for a decision and adjusting the level of cognitive effort accordingly.

A mental framework for estimating future consumption based on previous experiences, used to regulate current behavior.

The process of deliberately planning and taking action to change or maintain a specific behavior.

Pre-planned responses to specific situations, often expressed as

Exaggerating the negative aspects of behaviors that interfere with a goal to make them less appealing.

Scanning one's own memory for information about product alternatives based on past experience and knowledge.

Obtaining product information from the environment, such as advertisements, friends, or consumer reports.

Knowledge gained through deliberate learning, like researching the best birthday cake after buying one last month.

Information acquired passively through exposure to advertisements, packaging, or sales promotions, which can create associations with products.

Changing brands even if the current brand satisfies the consumer's needs, often happening when in a good mood or lacking other stimulation.

The desire to choose new alternatives over familiar ones.

A cause of variety seeking where there is low environmental stimulation, making consumers desire new alternatives over familiar ones. Think of getting tired of the same taste.

The tendency for search to reinforce existing beliefs, where consumers only seek information confirming their pre-existing opinions, creating echo chambers.

The set of brands consumers are aware of and might consider purchasing - all the brands you know.

The selection of products seriously considered for purchase, a subset of the evoked set.

A situation where a product has an increasing number of complex features, making it difficult to use or manage.

The process of experiencing a purchased product or service and evaluating if it meets, exceeds, or fails expectations.

The feeling of unease or regret after making a choice between two products with both good and bad qualities.

Websites or apps that filter and organize online market information to make it easier for customers to find and evaluate alternatives.

Sophisticated software programs that learn from past user behavior to recommend new purchases.

A marketing strategy where a brand attempts to place its product within a particular category in the consumer's mind. The goal is to convince consumers that the product should be considered alongside other similar products.

The process of identifying competitors by creating an overlapping category that includes both products and allows for comparison on a shared set of criteria.

A product that is a highly representative and well-known example of a category. It sets the standards and expectations consumers use when evaluating other products within that category.

The dimensions or characteristics used by consumers to judge the merits of different options when making a decision.

The specific attributes that consumers use to differentiate between choices, leading to their final decision.

A determinant attribute that reflects a consumer's perception of a product's heritage, genuineness, and commitment to quality.

A decision-making rule that allows a product to compensate for weaknesses in one area by excelling in another.

A compensatory rule where the product with the most positive attributes wins, even if many are not particularly important.

A compensatory rule where consumers assign weights to different attributes to reflect their relative importance.

A decision-making rule that rejects a product outright if it fails to meet a minimum standard on any given dimension, regardless of its strength on other features.

A noncompensatory rule where the brand with the best score on the most important attribute is chosen. If ties occur, the process continues to the next most important attribute.

A noncompensatory rule similar to the lexicographic rule but with specific cutoffs for each attribute. A product must meet these minimum thresholds to be considered.

A noncompensatory rule where consumers choose a brand if it meets all their desired criteria, but reject it if it fails to meet even one.

A mental shortcut or rule of thumb used to simplify decision-making processes. Heuristics can be general or specific.