The Positive and Negative Impacts of Advertising on Consumer Behaviors with regards to the Products of Apple - Case Study Example

Consumer Behavior Name Date Course Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 2 Objective of the selected topic 3 Sample profile 4 Importance of consumer behavior 4 Basic Models of Consumer Influence 5 Factors Affecting the Consumer Decision Process 8 Marketing Implications 9 Conclusion and future directions 11 Conclusion 12 List of References 13 Introduction Consumer behavior involves the study of individuals, organizations or groups regarding the process that they use during the selection or disposal of products and services in order to satisfy their needs. The concept of decision making process of the buyers is of great importance when dealing with consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is influenced by various factors including psychology, sociology, economics, marketing and social anthropology. Behavioral variables influence the consumer behaviors and other concepts such as demographics also affect the consumer behaviors. The consumer behaviors are also affected by other factors such as family and friends (Solomon, et al, 2012). Organizations need to understand the concepts of consumer behavior so as to come up with products and services that satisfies the customers. The customers play three distinct roles which includes the role of a user, payer and buyer. Consumer behaviors may be complicated concepts as it may be difficult to predict the consumer behaviors due to varying needs. Apple is one of the leading companies in the electronics industry. The concepts of consumer behaviors are usually used for the purposes of purposes of customer retention as well as customer satisfaction. The consumers are usually involved in the internal as well as external search for information before the purchase decision. Apple has put in place measures to ensure that the customers are able to obtain such information in order to influence the customer decision making process. During the consumer decision making process, the evaluation of alternatives is usually carried out by the customers. The evaluation of alternatives contributes to the purchase of one product over the other. It is at this point that one organization is able to attract the customers over the other. Apple is known for high quality services which influence the customer decision and hence influencing the customers to purchase its products (Larivière, et al, 2013). The paper thus discusses the concepts of consumer behaviors with regards to Apple. Objective of the selected topic The objective of the topic is to determine the positive and negative impacts of advertising on the consumer behaviors with regards to the products of Apple. Advertisements are usually used for the purposes of influencing decision making process of the consumer. It is also an important marketing tool which has impacts on the consumer behaviors. The internal as well as the external factors that affect the consumer behaviors with regards to Apple will also be established in the research. Different external and internal factors are in place and they also influence the decision making process of the customers. Sample profile The sample group for the consumer behavior will mainly involve the students at the university. Most of the students at the university are youths between the ages of 20-30 years and will be the focus group. The sample group is comprised of both the male and female students. Most of the people in this group are mainly the middle class and are able to afford the products of Apple. The products of Apple are common with this group and hence making it the focus of the topic. Most of the advertisements of Apple also target thus sample group making it relevant to the topic. Importance of consumer behavior Consumer behavior is important to the current organizations in terms of ensuring that it has adequate information for meeting the needs of the customers. The basic problems of consumers can be solved through the concepts of consumer behavior. Apple is one of the companies that have used the concepts of consumer behaviors for the purposes of shaping its fortunes. All the products of the company are usually developed based on the concepts of consumer behavior. The concept of consumer behavior is important to the organizations in creating an understanding of how the customers make their purchase decisions (Quester, et al, 2014). This information can be used for the purposes of developing the strategies that can influence the customer decisions. The advertisements strategies can be developed based on the understanding of the consumer behavior. The taste and preferences of the customers are constantly changing and hence the need for information on consumer behavior. Understanding the taste and preferences of the customers is important in the development of new products and services. Apple has been able to understand the preferences of the customers which have led to the development of new products and services. The advertisements of the company are also developed based on the understanding of the consumer behaviors. Effective marketing segmentation and targeting requires the information of the consumer behavior. The concepts of segmentation and targeting are used by Apple to target the youthful customers based on the understanding of consumer behavior. The concepts of consumer behavior are therefore important in terms of developing the marketing concepts. Basic Models of Consumer Influence According to the black box model, various factors influence the consumer behavior. The factors include the interactions with the stimuli, consumer characteristics, decision process and consumer responses (East, et al, 2013). The consumer intentions in some incidences do not constitute to the purchase behaviors. It is the duty of the organizations to carry out the marketing process in order to turn the intentions into marketing decisions. Apple has been able to do this successfully which has impacted positively on the ability of the customers to purchase the products of the company. According to the consumer behavior, five stages are also involved during the purchase decisions and it includes the identification of the customer needs as the first stage. The marketing process is useful in providing information to the customers in order to determine their needs. The external factors such as reference groups influences the purchase decisions of the customers. The products of Apple are usually used by high ranking members of the society such as CEOs of multinationals and also top government officials. This influences most of the youthful customers to purchase the products as it also creates a feeling of superiority. Sales promotions are usually carried out by the company for the purposes of attracting more customers. This strategy is important in influencing the purchase decisions of the customers. During the sales promotions, the prices of the products are usually reduced and hence influencing the purchase decisions of the customers. This gives the youthful customers an opportunity to access high quality products of the company at a lower price. Consumer behaviors are influenced by the internal as well as the external conditions. The internal conditions include the lifestyle, personality, motivation, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, feelings and demographics. The personality of the individuals and the framing of the message during the advertisements influence the consumer behaviors. In the case of Apple products, lifestyle is one of the factors that influence the consumer behaviors. The products of the company are considered superior and of high class. As a result of this most of the youthful people prefer purchasing the products of the company for lifestyle reasons (Lam, et al, 2013). The advertisements of the company are also developed with a view of portraying the products as high class products. This has played an important role in influencing the youthful customers. The belief of the customers towards the products is positive. This can be attributed to the high quality and class that is associated with the products of the company. The positive attitudes of the products of the company have also been influenced by the advertisement. The messages in the advertisements of the company are usually aligned to the customer profile so as to ensure that the products are successful in the market. The belief among the youthful customers in the market is one of the factors that influence the consumer behaviors. Motivation is an important factor that influences the purchase decision. Most of the youthful customers are motivated to purchase the products based on its quality. The products of the company have many features and hence motivating the customers. The personal factors also play an important role in influencing the purchased decision of the products of the company. The income level is one of the personality factors that influence the purchase decision of the customers. Most of the products of Apple are designed for different markets. The products are of different prices so as to attract a wide range of customers. This positively influences the affordability of the products of the company. Most of the university students and the youthful people are able to afford the products of the company. The age of the youthful customers is also an important factor that influences the purchase decision. Apple has used this concept to come up with products that are designed to meet the needs of the youth. This is therefore an important factor that influences the purchase decision of the customers. The dispositional motives of the advertisements have played an important role in influencing the purchased decisions of the customers (Schmalz & Orth, 2012). Most of the advertisements are tailored to meet the needs of the youthful customers. This is an indication that the advertisements as an external factor play an important role in influencing the purchase decision of the customers. The persuasive messages in the advertisements of the company are usually tailored to the personality traits so as to ensure that it influences the purchase decisions of the customers. Apple has been able to make a lot of positive gains through the understanding the consumer behaviors in the market. Factors Affecting the Consumer Decision Process Various factors affect the consumer decision making process according to the black box model. The marketing mix strategies affect the consumer decisions for most of the customers. The marketing mix strategies include the products, price, promotion and place. The availability of the products at the right place and at the right price affects the consumer behavior. The promotional strategies used are also important in influencing the decisions of the customers. However, Apple has put in place measures to enhance its marketing mix strategies. This has enabled the customers to readily access the products of the company. The economic, political as well as the social factors have also affects the consumer decision process. The buyer characteristics affect the consumer behavior in various aspects. The knowledge of the customer plays an important role in terms of influencing the consumer behaviors (Fisk, et al, 2013). The knowledge of the customers about the product affects the purchase decision. Most of the customers have adequate information with regards to the products of Apple. This can be attributed to the intensive advertisements that are usually carried out by the company. The customers recognize the superior quality of the products due to the intensive advertisements. The perception of the customers with regards to a product is also an important factor that influences the consumer decision. The response of the buyers is also an important factor influences the purchase decisions. A positive response is useful I ensuring that the customers are able to purchase the particular product. The choice of the product or brand is an important factor that influences the customer decisions. It is usually difficult for the customers to purchase products that they have little information about. Most of the youthful customers also find it difficult to purchase products from the brands that they are not aware of. The problem recognition is an important factor that affects the consumer behavior. The problem recognition involves the awareness of the customer with regards to the needs of the product (Chiang & Shih, 2014). It is the responsibility of the company to develop products that are attractive to the customers in order to create the need. This is usually achieved by Apple through coming up with new innovative products that is required by the customers. The development of the new products has enabled the customer to purchase the different versions of the product. The presence of an alternative product is also a factor that affects the consumer behavior. In the current market, there is no monopoly and different companies are competition. The high levels of competition provide different alternatives that affect the consumer decision. However, the superior quality of the products of Apple is useful in terms of influencing the customers to purchase its products. The availability of a better and cheaper product in the market is a factor that affects the purchase decision among the customers. The products of Apple are however of higher quality as compared to most of the competitors. Marketing Implications The consumer behavior has serious marketing implications as it determines the ability of the organization to influence the customers. An organization has to understand the consumer behavior in order to come up with an appropriate marketing strategy. The marketing concepts of the organization have to ensure that it includes all the concepts that affect the consumer behaviors. Most of the advertisements of the companies are usually tailored to meet the needs of the consumer behaviors. An advertisement has to be appealing to a certain customer segment so as to influence their purchasing behaviors (Solomon, et al, 2007). The marketing activities of Apple are purely dependant on the consumer behaviors. An extensive research is usually conducted by the company for the purposes of identifying the consumer behaviors. The results of the research are then applied to the marketing process of the company. Understanding the consumer behavior has been beneficial to the company in terms of ensuring that it targets the right customers during the marketing process. This is considering that the company usually develops a wide range of products that targets different segments and demographics. The consumer behavior therefore has a direct effect on the marketing process. The framing of the messages during the marketing process is dependent on the consumer behaviors. During the purchase decision, the customers usually select the messages that they will expose themselves to. This means that the organizations have to tailor their messages according to the consumer behavior in order to create the need among the customers. The marketing of new products by the consumers is usually carried out in a manner will attract the attention of the customers and create the need. Selective attention is one of the concepts that determine the ability of the customers to view certain advertisements (Blackwell, et al, 2006). The customers may only pay attention to the advertisements that they are interested in. The organizations therefore have to ensure that their advertisements are linked to the consumer behaviors. This has been applied by most of the companies including Apple during the advertisement of its products. Selective comprehension is also an important aspect when it comes to the promotion of the products of the company. This concept is commonly applied during the marketing process. The customers usually interpreted as message in line with their beliefs and hence affecting the marketing process. Such a factor is usually considered during the development of the advertisements by Apple. The advertisements of the company are easy to comprehend and hence influencing the purchase decisions of the customers. The marketing process of the company is influenced by the consumer behaviors and it also determines the ability of an organization to attract the customers. The marketing concepts by different companies are currently centered on the customer behavior (Fisk, et al, 2013). The marketing strategies have changed due to the concepts of consumer behaviors. Most of the marketing strategies are based on the information from the consumer behaviors. At Apple, the company has been able to device effective marketing strategies for attracting the youthful customers. This is based on the consumer behavior that is associated with the youth. The concepts of consumer behaviors are important in terms of enabling the company to avoid wastage of funds on some of the marketing activities that may not have any value in attracting the targeted customers. Conclusion and future directions In future, Apple should continue carrying out intensive research on the concepts of consumer behavior. The concepts of consumer behavior should be applied to the marketing process when targeting different customer segments. The different customer segments include the youth and the middle class customers. The company should ensure that it identifies all the needs of the customers through the use of the consumer behavior concepts. The consumer behavior is not static and it changes from time to time. The company should ensure that it carried out the research on consumer behavior concepts from time to time. Consumer behavior survey can be carried out after every two months. This is because the technological advancements usually lead to the development of new products over a short period of time and hence changing the consumer behaviors. A proper understanding of the consumer behavior is required at all the times so as to ensure that the marketing process is efficient. Apple should ensure that all its advertisements are tailored to the consumer behavior. The concepts of customer satisfaction depend on the ability of an organization to understand the consumer needs. The company should ensure that it has highly qualified personnel in the field of marketing who are familiar with the concepts of consumer behavior. The company should also consider utilizing the customer relationship concepts. This will strengthen the relationship between marketing and consumer behavior. The concepts of consumer behavior will play an essential role at the company in ensuring that it develops the products that meets the needs of the customers. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that consumer behavior plays an essential role in ensuring that the organization is able to market its products effectively. The understanding of the consumer behavior has benefited Apple through improving its marketing processes. It is evident that the advertisements of the company are tailored to the consumer needs. It is evident that the black box model plays an important role in terms of describing the consumer needs. The concepts of black box model have been applied in the marketing process of Apple. The concepts of consumer behavior have positive implications on the concepts of marketing. It is evident that the marketing mix concepts are influenced by the consumer behavior. The internal and external factors affect the consumer behaviors. It is also evident that the environmental as well as the buyer response affects the consumer behavior. It is evident that the choice of the brand as well as the product is dependent on the consumer behavior. The consumer behavior of the youth is different from the other consumers and this clearly understood by Apple. It is evident that consumer behavior has positive impacts on the growth and development of the company. List of References Solomon, M., et al, 2012, Consumer behavior, Pearson Higher Education AU. Larivière, B. et al, 2013, Value fusion: the blending of consumer and firm value in the distinct context of mobile technologies and social media, Journal of Service Management, 24(3), 268-293. Quester, P, et al, 2014, Consumer Behaviour, McGraw-Hill Australia, 7th Eds. East, R, et al, 2013, Consumer behavior: applications in marketing, Sage. Lam, S, et al, 2013, Exploring the dynamics of antecedents to consumer–brand identification with a new brand, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(2), 234-252. Schmalz, S, & Orth, U, R, 2012, Brand attachment and consumer emotional response to unethical firm behavior, Psychology & Marketing, 29(11), 869-884. Fisk, R, et al, 2013, Services Marketing Interactive Approach, Cengage Learning. Chiang, C, & Shih, T, Y, 2014, Establishment Decision of Experience Stores: Insights into Marketing Effect, Journal of Social Science Studies, 2(1), p165. Solomon, D, et al, 2007, Consumer Behaviour, Pearson Australia. Blackwell, R, et al, 2006, Consumer Behaviour, an Asia Pacific Approach, Cengage Learning, Australia. Read More