A number of factors affect how consumers purchase food products. This may include the various ways in which the food is advertised. Pictures of cleanliness of food products, images depicting freshness and nutritional health have a significant influence in the purchasing of perishable food products. Additionally, food flavor and texture play a significant role in influencing the consumer’s choice of food product. Furthermore, the packaging of food products plays a significant role in the way consumers make their purchasing decision. For instance, packaging of food products targeting the teenagers should have a theme that the teenagers relate with perfectly. Brown provides some personal characteristics that can influence a consumer when buying food products. These include occupation, economic situation, consumer’s age, and lifecycle stage, lifestyle, self-concept, and personality.
Occupation
A consumer’s occupation will affect the food products type the consumer purchases. For instance, students are more likely will be inclined to buy food products that are more associated with fast food products that are normally advertised. Consumers with a normal eight to five job, especially those that are new in the careers, tend to buy fast foods that they see being advertised in TV stations.
Economic Situation
Levels of personal income and savings influence the food products choice (Hawkins, Mothersbaugh, and Mookerjee 13). Low-income earners will opt to select low-priced food products, whereas high spenders are likely to purchase expensive food products. High-income earners will shop for food products in expensive supermarkets. Incorporation of actors in food advertisements acts as to associate with the income levels and social status of the high income individuals. Hence, the production of food products should target the different economic levels of consumers.
Age of consumer and lifecycle stage of consumer
As a consumer matures from a child to an adult the food products type, he eats changes. This can be attributed to growth of the body. In addition, a family man focuses on providing a nutritious, healthy diet to his family. Young adults in campus and colleges may prefer appealing food products, which mostly fall under the category of fast food and snacks. Advertisements that associate the food products with actors that are famous among the young adults in colleges and campus are more likely to capture their attention. This increases the need to try the food product that is being associated with the actor.
Self-concept and personality
Personality can be described in terms of self-confidence, adaptability, aggressiveness, or sociability (Hawkins, Mothersbaugh, and Mookerjee 14). While advertising the food products, the manufacturer has to consider these personality traits in order to meet the different preferences of the consumers. Certain food products may raise the confidence of the consumers simply because it resembles the consumers self image. Furthermore, advertising food products to reflect consumers’ identities may help in increasing the food products sales.
Social environment
Two social factors that influence purchase of food products by consumers are family, and the role and status (Hawkins, Mothersbaugh, and Mookerjee 15). The wife heavily influences the food products being consumed in the house. Children may also affect the food products to be purchased for the whole family. In most cases, children want the entire family to have fast foods without considering the health implications of the fast foods. Food products that are oriented to cater for an entire family have a higher chance of being purchased.
Works Cited
Brown, A. "Consumer Buying Behavior." Introduction to Marketing. University of Deleware,
2006. Web. 8 Jun 2012.
Hawkins, Del, David Mothersbaugh, and Amit Mookerjee. Consumer behavior. 11. New York,
NY: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2010. Print.
