Consumer Behavior: Implications for Marketing Strategy - Annotated Bibliography Example

Consumer Behavior: Annotated Bibliography Quester, P, Pettigrew, S, Kopanidis, F, Rao Hill, S. & Hawkins, D . Consumer Behavior: Implications for Marketing Strategy (7th ed.) Sydney: Irwin-McGraw Hill Quester et al. illustrates some of the external factors that influence consumer behavior and how those factors impact directly or indirectly on marketing strategies and trends of the organization. The selection of this book is primarily based on the authors assessment of the demographic factors which include age structure, occupation, income and education are but not exhaustive external factor affecting consumer behavior. Noteworthy, the authors have credible credentials that in a way contribute to the authenticity of their work. The book has marketing agencies and advertisers as the prime audience thought shoppers can also benefit handsomely from it. Further, the readability of the book is not difficult since the authors used quite explicit and well elaborated methods and simple language for easy understanding. They pointed out that the age structure, for instance, dramatically has a huge impact on how consumers behave regarding a particular product. Arguably, a consumer may not likely use the same product which he/she used as a teenager in his/her later adult life. Accordingly, these factors contribute a lot in consumer behavior regarding a particular product which correspondingly affects the marketing strategy of an organization or firm. Again occupation, in this case employment has in one way or another great impact on product consumption since they can afford a number of consumable products which can otherwise be inaccessible to those without work. Income, agreeably determines who provides which goods and services and at what time. Assessment: Although the book by Quester et al. has a limited scope of study – New Zealand and Australia, - it offers very helpful insights into the external factors that affect consumer behavior and so the marketing strategies. Solomon, M. (2009). Consumer behavior buying, having and being (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. This is a book by Michael Solomon published in 2009, meaning it is five years old. The choice of the book was influenced by the authors demonstration on how the external factor affects consumer attitude and its explicit explanation of those factors. Thus, it is a good resource for the subject matter. Michael Solomon is Professor of Marketing and Director of the Centre for Consumer Research. He has a primary research interest in consumer behavior, services marketing, branding strategy, symbolic aspects of products, and the psychology of fashion, decoration, and image. Further, he has published numerous articles and academic journals on these research interests. Accordingly, Solomon has established authority in his right especially regarding consumer behavior and attitude, and his book is as a result, authentic. The intended audience for Michael’s book is marketing companies that must include consumer education in order to develop an appropriate marketing strategy. In comparison to the work done by Parsons (2009), these works have similarities on their explanation of the external factors. Assessment: The book by Solomon is very helpful especially in illustrating external factors that affect consumer attitude towards products; as such it is a good resource for the topic of study Dahl, D. (2002) “Social Influence and Consumer Behavior.” Journal of Consumer Research, Iii- V. This is a Journal article, which is twelve years old from the time of its publication. The article by Dahl, Darren was selected based on its in-depth explanation and illustration of social factors on consumer behavior and attitude. The article is authentic in its right because the author, Dahl Darren is University Professor of Marketing with a specialty in Consumer Behavior and Product Design. The article was intended for marketers or business people in general, and its readability is not high since the author uses explicit and moderate language which every average mind can easily understand. The authors demonstrate the relationship that exists between social factors –like social class – and consumer behavior. An individual from an upper middle class is likely to spend on luxurious items whereas individuals from middle lower would probably purchase basic items for his/her survival. In comparison to the work by Quester et al., the article has some similarity it its division of the external factors as well as its illustrations regarding how marketing strategies depend on consumer study and how social factors play a critical role. Assessment: The book by Dahl Darren is useful especially as it offers the vivid interdependence of consumer behavior and proper marketing methodologies. Bashar, A., Ahmad I., & Wasi, M. (July-Dec. 2012), “A study of influence on demographic factors on consumer impulse buying behavior,” International Journal of Management and Strategy, Vol. 3(5) This is an article by Bashar, Ahmad and Wasi in an international Journal, and its two years old since its publication. The article was selected because it is explicit in its explanation on demographics influence of consumer behavior especially regarding consumers’ impulse buying behavior. The authors are University associate Professors in the department of marketing and Consumer behavior with research interest in similar subject areas. Accordingly, their work is authentic and has a wide audience which can be the general public with particular and keen interest in marketing and purchases. This study identified that individuals having enough disposable income, medium in an age are more likely to display impulse buying behavior and again impulse buying behavior are positively affected by demographic factors. Assessment: This article is useful in the analysis the external factors like demography on consumer behavior especially with its specificity of impulse buying behavior on the part of consumers. Noel, H. (2009). Basics Marketing 01: Consumer Behavior. Maidenhead: Open University Press. This is a book by Hayden Noel, published five years ago. The book is appropriately and suitably selected because Noel, in an attempt to illustrate the basic marketing strategies explains how external factors influence in a great deal consumer behavior and his/her choice of items to purchase. These factors on the side of the consumers affect in a way the choice of marketing strategy. Hayden Noel is an assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois. His research interests include consumer Information processing, the impact of culture on consumer behavior and consumer memory. With this extensive background, Noel’s work stands out as an authority in its right. The authors point to the fact that consumers’ wants, shopping motives are mainly influenced greatly by their social classes since people from different social class tend to have different desires and consumption patterns. This work compared to the article written by Bashar, Ahmad, and Wasi, has a strong similarity especially regarding demographical factors that determine marketing strategies. Both works emphasize on prior consumer study by marketing agencies before commencing on developing marketing strategies. Assessment: This work by Noel is very helpful in supporting the notion that demographical factors such as age, gender, social class play a key role in determining the appropriate marketing strategy employed. Parsons, E. (2009). Contemporary Issues in Marketing and Consumer Behavior. New York: Routledge. This is a book, published five years ago and has an extensive covering on contemporary external and internal factors that influence consumer behavior and attitude. Since the book covers the foresaid elements which are the principal focus of the study, it becomes a very handy resource to that end. Notably, the author Elizabeth Parsons has expertise on marketing and consumer behavior, and she strongly promotes critical and alternative approaches to marketing scholarships. As a book addressing contemporary issues in marketing and consumer behavior, the intended audience would include marketing agencies and agents. This book provides an overview into the dynamic context within which marketing is taught and practiced, with emphasis on modern socio-cultural perspectives to challenge the traditional views of marketing. Uniquely, according to the author reference groups and membership groups also contributes a lot on influencing an individual consumer’s purchase pattern and trend. These are social groups that one often relates to especially at a place of work or residence, age mates and so on. The authors pointed out that such grouping influences consumption trends as they offer platforms of comparison more or less directly of behavior, lifestyle, desires and consumer behavior, etc. This book compared to the work by Noel (2009), they have resemblance to their approach to demographical influence on marketing strategies. Assessment: This work by Elizabeth is very helpful especially as it tackles some of the contemporary factors that affect consumer behavior and so the marketing strategies employed. Hoyer, W., Pieters, R. & MacInnis, D. (2012). Consumer Behavior. New York: Cengage Learning, This is four years old book from the year of publication and its elaborate and extensive approach to consumer behavior and attitude that affects marketing methodologies makes it admirable for scholars. It gives substantial evidences on how demographical factors such as age, gender, and sex plays a central role in determining what consumers would purchase and what time they would do so. These authors have credible credentials to authenticate their work: Wayne is a Professor at Purdue University with great interest in advertising information processes and has printed over 100 articles in academic journals. Further, a contributing author Deborah MacInnis is University Professor with great expertise in marketing and has published numerous papers in various Journals. Finally, Rik Pieters is also a Professor of Marketing in Tilburg University and has research interest on marketing, consumer behavior, service marketing, and management. This target audience of this work would be marketing agencies together with advertising agencies as it offers consumer based behaviors that have marketing implications. The book illustrates some of the information checks that consumers acquire prior to making a purchase decision with a high concentration on how income and social class contribute to this decision-making process. Assessment: This book is helpful in providing supporting arguments regarding the choice of the external factor that influences consumer behavior. It asserts that social factors such as income or social class contribute handsomely on purchasing trend of consumers for particular products. Read More