Question 1
Chapter 5 explains the consumer’s behavior towards the selection of products to consume. The chapter addresses the factors that influence the consumer decision process. The consumer’s decision depends on the marketing mix psychological needs, social factors as well as the situational factors. The market mix entails the product line and its development policies, price, promotion and distribution of the product at convenient places. The psychological needs constitute the reception of the marketer’s message by the consumer; the motives, perception, learning, lifestyle and attitudes among others. The consumer preference for products is influenced by the social environment that constitutes the family, culture as well as the reference groups. Situational factors that are concerned with the prevailing circumstance can also influence how the consumer makes the purchase decision.
In the real life marketing situation, the marketers tend to design and influence the consumers to buy their products. They perform the marketing task by first looking into the factors mentioned above. They then understand the specific consumer needs and wants before they can design their products and tailor them to the consumers needs. Therefore, as long as the marketers attempt to influence the buyers through their messages, they have to consider how the consumers will receive their messages. The factors influencing consumer decision are impacted by the degree of consumer involvement, that is, the level of interest they have in a product. Doing that constitutes observing the factors that influence the consumer choice or behavior. For instance, the culture or reference group of the consumer will tend to determine their choice of fashion; it would be important for the marketers to deliver fashion messages to college students where fashion is a great concern for the students. The real life marketing issues will rotate around the consumers as since they are the target of marketing messages.
Question 2
The socially responsible marketing video needs the biggest overhaul. This is because socially responsible marketing aims at both the short and long term interest of society. Every decision a firm makes concerning a product should revolve around the customer without which no product will be sold. Social responsibility by the business towards the customers is considered as one of the actions that best way of giving interest of the society priority. By being socially responsible firms are adding values to their products and services. It is therefore important that the firm observes the social trends since they tremendously influence what the consumers buy and consume. This means that a marketing strategy should understand those trends. The trends including price sensitivity, ensuring that the price offered is fair for the consumers. The healthy well being, green marketing, privacy issues and time poor society will aid improve a firm’s service to the customers.
