Need to Study Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Behaviour refers to the study of how individuals, groups, or organizations select, purchase, use, and dispose of products and services to satisfy their needs and wants. It examines the decision-making process of consumers and the factors influencing their buying behaviour. These factors may include personal, psychological, social, cultural, and economic influences. Consumer behaviour helps businesses understand consumer needs, preferences, motivations, and expectations. It is important for developing effective marketing strategies, product designs, pricing, promotion, and distribution policies. By understanding consumer behaviour, marketers can create better customer experiences, build brand loyalty, and improve customer satisfaction and business performance.
Need to Study Consumer Behaviour:
1. To Understand Consumer Needs and Wants
Studying consumer behaviour helps to identify latent and manifest needs of consumers. It explains why a consumer buys, what he buys, when and how he buys. As per Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Sec 2(7) consumer is one who buys goods or hires service for consideration. Understanding needs helps firms to avoid product failure. It studies motivation, perception and attitude which drive buying behaviour. Without understanding needs, no marketing mix can be effective. It is the foundation of consumer-oriented marketing.
2. For Market Segmentation and Targeting
Consumer behaviour study is essential for market segmentation i.e. dividing heterogeneous market into homogeneous groups based on demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioural factors. It helps in identifying the target market and creating buyer personas. Different consumers have different lifestyle, income and personality. A company cannot satisfy all. By studying behaviour, marketer can select most profitable segment and design STP Strategy. This leads to better resource allocation and higher ROI.
3. For New Product Development and Innovation
Most new products fail because they ignore consumer preferences. Study of consumer behaviour helps in developing consumer-centric products. It provides insights into consumer expectations, dislikes, and unmet needs which is the basis of innovation. It involves concept testing, product testing and test marketing. Under CPA, 2019 Sec 2(22) defines defect in goods, so understanding behaviour helps to avoid defects. It reduces risk of product failure and ensures product acceptance and diffusion.
4. For Effective Pricing Decisions
Price is the most sensitive element. Consumer behaviour explains price sensitivity, perceived value and reference price. Study helps to understand psychological pricing, prestige pricing and odd-even pricing strategies. A consumer may perceive high price as quality indicator or low price as inferior. As per Indian Contract Act, 1872 consideration must be lawful, but its amount is decided by behaviour. Study of income level and price elasticity helps to fix optimum price that ensures both affordability and profitability.
5. For Designing Promotion and Communication Strategy
Promotion must appeal to consumer’s motives and emotions. Studying behaviour helps to know what appeals, media habits and language influence consumer. It helps in selecting right advertising appeal – rational, emotional, moral and effective media mix. It explains AIDA Model – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Under CPA, 2019 Sec 2(28) defines misleading advertisement, so ethical communication is must. Proper study avoids communication gap and creates brand awareness, brand recall and brand loyalty.
6. For Selection of Distribution Channels
Consumer behaviour determines where, when and how consumers want to buy. Some prefer online shopping, convenience stores, malls or direct buying. Study helps in choosing right channel of distribution – intensive, selective or exclusive. It explains shopping habits, store loyalty and impulse buying. Understanding place utility and time utility is crucial. If product is not available at preferred place, consumer will switch to competitor’s brand. Hence channel design must match buying pattern.
7. To Ensure Customer Satisfaction and Retention
Ultimate aim of marketing is customer satisfaction. Study of post-purchase behaviour explains consumer satisfaction, dissatisfaction, cognitive dissonance and buyer’s remorse. Satisfied customer brings repeat purchase, positive WOM and customer loyalty. Under CPA, 2019 Sec 2(11) defines deficiency in service, study helps to avoid it. It helps to implement CRM, after-sales service and grievance redressal. Retaining old customer is cheaper than acquiring new one. So behaviour study ensures long-term relationship.
8. For Forecasting and Predicting Market Trends
Consumer behaviour is dynamic. Study helps to predict future trends, changing tastes, fashion and lifestyle. It helps in demand forecasting and sales forecasting using past purchase behaviour and buying intention surveys. Marketers can anticipate shifts from traditional to green products, from offline to online. This helps in strategic planning and survival in competitive market. Understanding diffusion of innovation and adoption process helps to estimate demand for new technology.
9. For Competitive Advantage and Positioning
In highly competitive market, understanding consumer better than competitor gives competitive advantage. It helps in creating distinct brand positioning and USP in consumer’s mind. By studying perceptual mapping, firm knows how consumers perceive its brand vs competitors. It helps to identify market gaps and competitor’s weakness. Effective differentiation strategy can be built only by knowing consumer evaluation criteria. This leads to better brand equity and market share.
10. For Public Policy and Ethical Marketing
Study of consumer behaviour helps Government and policy makers to formulate policies for consumer protection and welfare. Under Consumer Protection Act, 2019, consumer has rights like Right to Safety, Right to be Informed, Right to Choose. Study helps to identify consumer exploitation, unethical practices, black marketing and adulteration. It promotes socially responsible marketing, sustainable consumption and green marketing. It ensures balance between marketer’s profit and consumer welfare leading to ethical business practices.