Marketing Management, Millenium Edition - epiheirimatikotita.gr

88 CHAPTER 5 ANALYZING CONSUMER MARKETS AND BUYER BEHAVIORmix elements. This chapter explores individual consumers’ buying dynamics; the nextchapter explores the buying dynamics of business buyers.HOW AND WHY CONSUMERS BUYThe starting point for understanding consumer buying behavior is the stimulusresponsemodel shown in Figure 3-1. As this model shows, both marketing and environmentalstimuli enter the buyer’s consciousness. In turn, the buyer’s characteristicsand decision process lead to certain purchase decisions. The marketer’s task is tounderstand what happens in the buyer’s consciousness between the arrival of outsidestimuli and the buyer’s purchase decisions.As this model indicates, a consumer’s buying behavior is influenced by cultural,social, personal, and psychological factors.Cultural Factors Influencing Buyer BehaviorCulture, subculture, and social class are particularly important influences on consumerbuying behavior.➤➤Culture. Culture is the most fundamental determinant of a person’s wants andbehavior. A child growing up in the United States is exposed to these broad culturalvalues: achievement and success, activity, efficiency and practicality, progress,material comfort, individualism, freedom, external comfort, humanitarianism, andyouthfulness. 2Subculture. Each culture consists of smaller subcultures that provide more specificidentification and socialization for their members. Subcultures include nationalities,religions, racial groups, and geographic regions. Many subcultures make upimportant market segments, leading marketers to tailor products and marketingprograms to their needs. Latinos, for example, the fastest-growing U.S. subculture,are targeted by Dallas-based Carnival Food Stores, among other marketers. Dallas isone of the top 10 cities in terms of Latino population, and when the chain usesSpanish language promotions, customers are more responsive. Marketers aretargeting another subculture, African Americans, because of its hefty $500 billion inpurchasing power. Hallmark, for instance, created its Mahogany line of 800 greetingcards especially for African Americans. Age forms subcultures, as well; the 75 millionAmericans in the 50-plus market are being targeted by marketers such as Pfizer,which airs ads showing how its medications help seniors live life to the fullest. 3Figure 3-1Model of Consumer Buyer Behavior