Consumer behavior basically studies how consumers think, feel and respond to products, as well as how they feel about the brands and manufacturers of these products. The business analysts study what these influences thoughts and behaviors have on the market, the motivation, as well as what impact they have on strategies and priorities of consumers. This information is taken, studied, and analyzed. The information is then used to help improve campaign and marketing strategies.
Consumer Studies
Consumer behavior courses are taken by students all over the world in many colleges. The introduction to consumer behavior classes teaches them how to forecast consumer behavior through analysis and observation. Their consumer behavior notes may include everything from individual group behavior to the impact that consumer decisions have on the rest of society. Consumer behavior classes look at motivation, strategies, priorities, marketing strategies, public policies, social marketing and consumer awareness.
Some of the popular topics that are discussed in behavior lectures may be behaviors of consumers in the marketplace, personality and life of the individual, how consumers make decisions, consumer cultures and subcultures, internal and external influences and social responses, and how marketers use their information to predict the attitude of the market during a certain time period.
Consumer Behavior Textbooks
Some of the popular textbooks that are used for behavior studies are: Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being by Michael R. Solomon; Consumer Behaviors by Hanna, Wozniak & Hanna; Consumer Behaviors by Schiffman & Kanuk; Consumer Behavior by Henry Assael; Consumer Economic Issues and Behavior by Elizabeth Goldsmith; Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy by J. Paul Peter and Jerry Olson; and Consumer Behavior by Blackwell, Miniord and Engel.
(timstock)How We Buy
In this behavior course students study how consumers think and feel about services, and products. They analyze what forces influence their decision, internally and externally. They learn how business uses this information to improve their products and sell to the proper demographic. Students learn about individual and group behavior and how that impacts decisions. They learn how marketing research is done through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, observations and focus groups. They also learn from some of the leading minds in business today.
Consumers make decisions for many reasons and it is up to marketing analysts to figure out what those factors are and how to use that information to help increase profit and create innovation. They must analyze what keeps a consumer returning to a certain brand or what makes them leave. Also, consumer behavior courses discuss culture and how background influence can influence consumer decision making. There are so many aspects to the buying process of consumers that an ongoing analysis of how and why people buy certain goods and services is necessary for most businesses. After all, a business can’t communicate clearly with their customer if they are not willing to understand their customers behavior.
Related Resources
Consumer behavior is a fascinating subject covering the deep, emotional aspects of customer actions. If you would like to learn more about this topic by reading in-depth information and relevant textbooks on the subject, visit our list of free business textbooks here. Alternatively, the social sciences section (here) may have more material about the psychological factors involved in consumer-driven decision making processes.