Marketing Oriented Approach for Girlguiding Organisation - Essay Example

GIRLGUIDING ORGANISATION In the paper, consumer behaviour principles from various sources is analysed to formulate marketing strategies to retain members of the Girlguiding Organisation. We suggest changes in marketing through analysis of consumer behaviour to figure out why members are lost after the age of 14. We also evaluate how to retain members to decrease the quantity of members that leave. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 4 Marketing Oriented Approach 4 The Three Dichotomies Model 5 Behavioural Perspective Model 6 Significance of Studying Consumer Behaviour 6 Motivation and Development of Self Image 7 Utilizing the Concept of Social Marketing 8 Tools to Shape Consumer Behaviour 8 Qualitative Measures 8 Quantitative Measures 9 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction Consumer behaviour analysis has an agenda which can be applied to basic behavioural laws and principles of the real life consumers. It should be rendered most accurately to predict, describe and affect consumers. Consumer behaviour is applied for searching goods, purchasing, evaluation, and disposing of products and services; which can satisfy the consumers. It also focuses on individual decision taking abilities to spend their valuable resources (time, money and effort). Sometimes, the peculiar characteristics of consumer behaviour is reinforced or punished. It can reinforce benefits obtained from products and services, or by social approval. It is also simultaneously punished because consumers have to surrender generalized conditions, reinforce entities such as money and rights, and spend time and effort in the purchasing process (Alhadeff, 1982). It also includes concepts of ‘they buy’, ‘why they buy’, ‘when they buy’, ‘where they buy’, ‘how often they buy’, ‘how they use’ and it evaluates the impact on future purchases and how they dispose it. Marketing criticism is applicable to the entire discipline of marketing, which is used for evaluation. It identifies shortages and surpluses, and understands the critical dimensions - focus, process and purpose (Seth, 1982). Today, the consumer’s needs and wants are the primary focus, and this consumer oriented marketing philosophy is known as the marketing concept. Marketing Oriented Approach for Girlguiding Organisation Non-profit social organizations use three forms of communication - management communication, marketing communication and organisational communication. Corporate communication encompasses marketing communication, organization communication and management communication. As per the reference to marketing function in the development sector (NPOs), social marketing seeks to influence social behaviour not to benefit the marketer but to benefit the target audience and the general society. In the context of social marketing, it is stated that a strong image building programme increases the visibility of NPOs. The World Association of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) is one of the largest women’s organizations aiming for the growth of girls and young women as responsible citizens (Girl Guides Association of South Africa, 2002). The mission of the World Association of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) is to develop the full potential of girls and women. It incorporates a clearly defined value system. Girl Guides Association of South Africa (GGASA) is the organization which recognises the need to develop young women to meet their ideals and develop a progressively dynamic programme. Additionally, Girl Guides Association of South Africa attempts to link opportunities to particular responsibilities. However, this capacity building needs to be financed. The marketing oriented approach for designing strategy and evaluation comes with limitations such as fixation with the brand of units as analysis, failure to examine synergy in the marketing programs, the interdisciplinary isolation of marketing, lack of competitive analysis and lack of integrated planning. Social marketing programs have been critiqued for not utilizing the integrated marketing mix and relying on disproportionate extent on social advertising. The Three Dichotomies Model The marketing proposed by Hunt (1983) offers a general paradigm which is used to design the framework in comprehending the evolution of marketing. It impacts the direction of future research, where the process of marketing is mainly categorised into the following: Profit and Non- Profit Micro and Macro Positive and Normative The first dichotomy contrasts the presence and absence of gains as the objective. The third shows the ideal market condition. While consumer behaviour is significantly processional, experimental and communicative, behaviour was excluded from mainstream consumer research with certain exceptions. Situational analysis was designed for the purpose which constituted of layers and systems which can be unfolded to suit and explore consumer research related issues. The most significant of consumer behaviour involves designing of marketing strategies having information exchange, diffusion of innovation, socio-cultural interaction and changes, gender roles, symbolizing behaviour, role of goods, social stratification and needs. The study in regard of cross cultural consumer behaviour has been made, which is becoming more significant due to the development and adaptation of globalization. Behavioural Perspective Model The behavioural perspective model is an operational framework, which interprets consumer behaviour and takes into account the peculiarity by describing consumer behaviour as a function of consequence. The model proposes that consumer behaviour is jointly determined by consumer behaviour-setting and individual learning history of consumption. The setting contains events in the consumption environment, which signals different consequences for different consumer responses and these events can be physical, social, temporal, and regulatory. The important dimension of consumer behaviour-seeking is its scope which can vary from relatively closed to relatively open. Moreover, it can present several alternatives. The model suggests both utilitarian and informational consequences; it can be reinforcing or punishing. Certain informational consequences are derived through social processes and symbolic actions as well as reactions of other people. It is also determined by feedback on performance of consumer or individual. These are also verbal, since they can be mediated by other people (Skinner, 1957). It may involve communication where the behaviour of entities generate the stimulus, which effects behaviour of another person (Baum, 2005). In the Girlguiding Organisation, these principles accurately determine where members are lost after the age of 14 years. Significance of Studying Consumer Behaviour Modern marketing supports application of marketing mix elements to the area of social and political resources allocation (Bloom & Novelli, 1981; Fox & Kotler, 1980; Kotler & Zaltmn, 1972). Social marketing in isolation is unlikely to provide the desired integrative framework and hence, the knowledge of consumer behaviour is of great significance in determining the marketing strategies of non-profit, social and government institutions such as NGO’s, law enforcement agencies, tax collection and income tax authorities. These government institutions have always been perceived in a negative manner by the common man who fear these institutions and view it in suspicious light. To overcome the image, a combination of TV and radio advertisement, newspaper, magazines and internet based marketing can be used to create a helpful, friendly projection. The management of corporate branding improves communication and relationship with internal and external audiences of NPOs just like the for profit organizations. Additionally, a clear consistent communication path is needed for connecting different pieces such as the strategy that NPO’s need to incorporate to build relationships which can grow and be sustained. Some of the problems encountered by Girlguiding Organisation are as follows: 1. Funding is the main issue and to obtain funds, highly professional and strong accountability principles are needed. 2. NPOs need to think about businesses and have clear defined businesses ideas. 3. The business units should be based on business principles 4. For sustainability, the branding of organizations is imperative; especially the cause related marketing. The subject predicts the consumption patterns and behaviour of the audience. There is a far reaching impact of understanding consumer behaviour, which can influence a large part of work and reinforce future challenges. Motivation and Development of Self Image Motivation is the main determinant in consumers and non profit organization related behaviour, which is essential for policy making as it allows us to define the most effective tools that can influence behaviour. It also allows us to implement the most effective policies. Motivation is the internal force determined by a set of desires and needs. It provides the needed direction towards fulfilment. Motivation can be psychological or nature directed, and it can be utilised to achieve fulfilment. It can also be determined in the direction of seeking status, job, and achievement. non profit organizations work requires motivating young girls to join the organisation and to stay connected. Involvement at a personal level and development of the desired attitude to create individual characteristics and develop consistent behaviour is needed. The group should enhance development of self-concept and self-image, recognized through the work. Utilizing the Concept of Social Marketing Marketing tools, principles and techniques such as the 4 P’s (4 Ps - Product, Price, Place and Promotion) can be used to influence target audience to voluntarily reject, accept, modify and abandon any behaviour for the benefit of individual, society, and group as a whole. Social marketing can be systematically applied in marketing concepts and the techniques help to achieve specific behavioural goals of social and public importance. Social marketing is designed principally to understand customer behaviour and to interpret what actually affects the behaviour to cause development of changes in the behaviour. This is rendered through the process of intervention, programmes and campaigns, which are based on knowledge of consumer behaviour. Social marketing sometimes goes beyond giving information and urges people to act in a specified way. For example - for defining marketing principles for “Smoking”, we try to understand why people have a tendency to smoke. Social marketing also empowers citizens while not just persuading to change by preaching. Hence, the concept of social marketing is studied to evaluate Girlguiding Organisation better. Social marketing is concerned with achieving measurable behavioural goals and targets. It can be used to develop effective behaviour interventions on a range of issues from reduction of alcohol consumption and reduction of obesity to the promotion of specific sustainable behaviours and retention of young girls at the Girlguiding Organisation. Tools to Shape Consumer Behaviour Qualitative Measures Qualitative methods can be used to explore the consumer behaviour and probe the surface for defective drivers and change it at the subconscious motivations. Qualitative methods are a starting point for explaining consumer behaviour. It helps to define the problems, hypothesise, generate ideas, identify determinants and develop quantitative research designs. As the numbers of respondents are less, the exploratory methods are not considered appropriate for gathering representative findings. The qualitative methods are interviews, focus group studies, discussions, case studies and proactive techniques. Quantitative Measures Quantitative tools can be used for identifying consumer behaviour and are based on data which can be obtained through large scale surveys. Quantitative methods such as cross sectional surveys, longitudinal surveys, opinion polls, experimentation, behavioural economic research and data mining can be used to assess the causes for retaining young girls above the age of 14 at the Girlguiding Organisation. Conclusion Researchers focus on individual consumer behaviour, decision making groups and non- problem solving behaviour of consumers for theorizing, researching and generating normative construct within the marketing principles. Social marketing in isolation is unlikely to provide any explanation to understand the ways for consumer behaviour. The knowledge of consumer behaviour is of great significance in determining the marketing strategies of non-profit organizations. Social marketing is not just a panacea, there has been growing evidence about the effect of application of social marketing, which can be applied in the appropriate context to achieve tangible and measurable impact on behaviour of members at the Girlguiding organization, wherein the drivers of consumer behaviour needs to be identified and changed. Generally, not just one approach is designed to assess consumer behaviour and frequently, the combination of both the methods - qualitative and quantitative, can be applied to get a conclusive idea. References 1. Alhadeff, D. A. (1982). Microeconomics And Human Behaviour: Toward A New Synthesis Of Economics And Psychology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2. Baum, W. M. (2005). Understanding Behaviorism: Behavior, Culture and Evolution (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 3. Bloom, P. N., & Novelli, W. D. (1981). Problems and Challenges in Social Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 45, 79-88. 4. Fox, K., & Kotler, P. (1980). The Marketing Of Social Causes: The First Ten Years. Journal of Marketing, 44, 24-33. 5. Hunt, Shelby, (1983a). Marketing Theory. The Philosophy of Marketing Science. Homewood, IL: Richard Irwin. 6. Kotler, P., & Zaltman, G. (1972). Social Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 35, 3-12. 7. Skinner, B.F. (1957). Verbal Behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 8. Seth, Jagdish and S. Prakash Sethi (1983). Marketing Megatrends. Journal of Consumer Marketing 1 (1): 5-13. Read More