Key elements in consumer behavior and why it is relevant to marketing Term Paper

Key elements in consumer behavior and why it is relevant to marketing - Term Paper Example Further, the article discusses some of examples wherein the companies had addressed individualism in consumer behavior Theory Consumer behavior can be described as â€Å"The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.† (Perner, 2010) Understanding of consumer behavior would help firms improve their marketing strategies, by addressing the issues like how consumer’s reasoning and selection between different alternatives, level of consumer knowledge, how to improve marketing campaigns to effectively reach out to consumers Consumer behavior and preferences has changed over the period of time and would continue to evolve in the future also. We can analyze some of the key elements of consumer behavior globally. For example, today’s consumers place considerable value on self -expression and their individual identity. This also includes exerting their power and control as consumers. This element of consumer behavior represents consumers’ desires to be themselves and to be recognized as having personal needs rather than being part of the mass market. Accordingly, consumers value products and services that complement their individuality—providing them with a sense of personal and social identity. This trend represents values such as â€Å"being me†, â€Å"trusting myself†, â€Å"finding my own answers† and â€Å"making my mark on the world† in a world of opportunity and freedom. The desire for individuality is not new. It has just become more attainable for more people due to rising prosperity in society and the fact that technological advances facilitate easier, more cost effective personalized products and services. With rising prosperity there has also been a growth of post-materialist societies where values emp hasizing self expressing and individuality have grown. Let us see some of the drivers, particularly from marketing perspective, which are driving individualism in consumer behavior: 1. There are several database methods of consumer research such as store loyalty programs which is strengthening more personal forms of marketing 2. Supply side: manufacturers are increasingly tapping into the desire for more personalized products as a point of differentiation (increasingly to help offset the escalating private label threat). Individualized value added services are increasingly becoming the norm 3. Brand hegemony, particularly in the context of private label growth and copycat innovations, has contributed to the demand for personalized goods that offer genuine points of differentiation Key take-outs and implications: the growth of individuality creates a more engaged, confident and vocal consumer 1. Self-expressive contemporary consumers will increasingly choose brands that offer compell ing platforms for expressing one’s individuality. 2. In emerging economies, the desire for self expression/individuality is more complex. Emerging economies are typically more collectivist consumer cultures that have been ‘muddied’ by the growth of more self expressive values that have typically accompanied economic prosperity. 3. Research has documented that people who exhibit more individualistic tendencies are more assertive, more

The Soul and the Aristotelian Analysis of Human Beauty Essay

The Soul and the Aristotelian Analysis of Human Beauty - Essay Example It is pure by nature and can be corrupted by repetitive negative actions that later on may turn into habits. Basically, the soul is the core of every person that controls the objective mind. It deals with emotions and feelings. Instincts can be attributed to emotions, guts and soul. The spirit or soul carries on the challenges of life when the objective and limited capacity of the objective mind and the body cannot handle anything more. The soul is also the source of one’s strength and the basic foundation of every human being since it cannot deny the needs of every person. It can also bring out the best and maximize the potentials of each human being. It controls the entire being which can be equated as the main essence and purpose in life. The common purpose in the life of human beings is to achieve perfection and in that pursuit, the soul perceives perfection and takes charge of the physical body to take action and turn the concept into reality. The soul serves as the guide in planning the destination in life. It is the inner world where people have dreams, goals and aspirations. Creative people use the inner world and the soul to make and create new things and innovations in the world. The soul plays an important role in defining human beauty. Many people nowadays link beauty to flawless skin, star-like eyes, silky smooth hair, kissable lips, sexiness, strong male image, and everything related to the physical body. The popular culture heavily describes the skin-deep beauty to be more important than the inner qualities. In actuality, both the inner and the outer qualities of human beings constitute the concept of human beauty. It would be hard though to just limit the definition or the meaning of beauty as people have different beliefs. Beliefs drive the lives of people and affect their decision-making process and the manner which they perceive things. The real concept of beauty is best explained by the old but famous saying, â€Å"beauty is in the e ye of the beholder.† It shows how the concept of beauty depends upon the person looking at it. Each human being has his or her own concept of beauty. Some may define beauty through good looks and physique while others may focus on the beauty of the heart and the soul. Others may look at both in varying levels. This only shows that all people are beautiful, and all creatures are also beautiful since the concept of beauty is flexible and subjective. The objective mind or the logical thinking only creates standards on things like beauty to have a unifying concept that can be understood by all people. In the subject of soul and beauty, Aristotelian analysis can be used to study the relationship since the concept involves the logic, the credibility and the emotions. Purpose, context, and subject also affect the relationship of the writer to the readers of the paper. Every aspect and view can greatly influence how soul can help in the understanding of human beauty. Each person is a whole composed of body, mind and spirit or soul that gives the full understanding the credit when all of them are engaged in knowing and learning about concepts such as beauty. By including everyone whether their perception of beauty may be contrasting to the beauty concept of others, all must be included as life does not travel in one path, but in multiple ways as individualism is well-expressed by the existence of the soul. Uniqueness shows how people are