Business
Chapter 2
This section contains a literature map that outlines the areas of focus when organizations and marketers need to guide consumers. Each subheading contains the topic and the literature utilized and cited to substantiate the research.
Literature Map
Literature Review
According to Barry L. Bayus (1985) in Word of mouth: Indirect Effects of Marketing Efforts, communication plays an extremely important role in marketing, and marketers use communication to guide consumers. In other words, communications is the link between marketers and consumers and between consumers and their socio-cultural environments. Bayus says that marketers are well aware that socio-economic conditions influence consumers’ buying pattern, and so, try and plan strategies that target these issues. Bayus also points out the important role of word-of-mouth advertisement.
Schiffman and Kanuk’s (2000) Consumer Behavior lists out the various advertisement tools that marketers use to guide consumer buying behavior. They say that a good advertising strategy traces the thought process of consumers strategically plan to use them in guiding consumer buying behavior. Some of them include driving a consumer’s need for recognition and awareness, evaluating the various alternatives available to them to choose from, and post-purchase evaluation. Schiffman and Kanuk (2000) believe that by understanding a consumer’s buying decision process, organizations, in unison with advertising agencies, can develop strategies to guide their consumer’s through the stages of their decision-making exercise.
Shukla (2008), in Conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers: psychological and brand antecedents, says “psychological and brand awareness are extremely important among middle‐aged consumers,” and they view this as a very important part of their buying behaviour. Shukla believes that the earning middle-aged group are the most active consumers who can individually take decisions without consulting others, but choose to do so after consulting their family and friends. Buying a product becomes a prestigious issue, especially if it is owned by a colleague or friend, and so too, is brand. Therefore, marketers need to consider these points, as it is important for them to “know how consumers associate themselves with brands.”
A number of sources that reflect how government organizations guide consumers will help marketers understand how to plan their strategy in guiding consumers. For this, the examples of UK’s Food Standards Agency and The Consumer-Directed Theory of Empowerment by (Kosciulek, 1999) are also studied. To protect consumers from food risks, the UK government introduced the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in 2000. Covering this event, Rothstein (2005) states that the FSA was created to protect consumer’s interests and raise public health in relation to food, with the aim to put ‘consumers first,’ ‘openness,’ and ‘independence.’ The paper also looks at what prompted the government to create the FSA.
Another government initiative that can be used by organizations and marketers is the Consumer-Directed Theory of Empowerment (CDTE) program. This program guides people with physical disability to take full control of their lives, says Kosciulek (1999). CDTE develops and evaluates disability policies and rehabilitation services that enhances enhance those with disabilities to interact in the communities to which they belong, and give them the power to lead a life full of confidence and quality.
Talking on the empowerment of life of those with disability, Condeluci & Gretz-Lasky (1987) says that empowerment provides disabled people the privilege that reflects their “autonomy, identity, and individuality.” This view is vindicated by Kiernan & Hagner (1995), who say that the right to make independent choices and decisions are necessary for people with disabilities to empower and enhance the quality of their lives.
Thus, by following some of the principles and strategies employed by various people, consumers can be guided. In addition to the secondary resources, this research paper will also include qualitative research, where consumers, based on their education, income, taste, and esteem will be interviewed to understand what guides their buying behavior.
References
Armstrong, G., Adams, S., Denize, S., and Kotler, P. (2012). Principles of Marketing, 5th Edition, Sydney, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 146-174.
Bayus, B. (1985). Word of mouth: Indirect Effects of Marketing Efforts. Journal Of Advertising Research, 25(3), 31.
Condeluci, A., & Gretz-Lasky, S. (1987). Social role valorization: a model for community re-entry. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2(1), 49-56. doi:10.1097/00001199- 198703000-00008
Kiernan, W. E., & Hagner, D. (1995) in Karan, O., & Greenspan, S. (1995). Community rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Kosciulek, J. (1999). The Consumer-Directed Theory of Empowerment. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 42(3).
Rothstein, H. (2005). Escaping the Regulatory Net: Why Regulatory Reform Can Fail Consumers*. Law & Policy, 27(4), 520-548. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9930.2005.00210.x
Schiffman, L., & Kanuk, L. (2000). Consumer behavior. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice- Hall.
Shukla, P. (2008). Conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers: psychological and brand antecedents. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 17(1), 25-36. doi:10.1108/10610420810856495
