Consumer Behavior

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1. The three stages in the consumption process are 1. prepurchase issues, 2. purchase issues, 3. postpurchase issues. The most recent important purchase I made was my Acura tsx special edition. A few concerns came to mind during the prepurchase process. For instance, is this a need or a want? Ultimately, it was a want. At the time, I was driving the same car I was gifted at 16- a HHR. There was not much wrong with the car except that it may not be as reliable as Id hoped. I was traveling to and from Murfreesboro and Franklin weekly and felt uneasy knowing that my car could possibly break down on the way to work or school. Although, I felt it may not be reliable, the car still had some good years out of it. My next question was: Who would even know about reliable cars enough to recommend a certain brand? It sure wasnt me. I ended up inquiring with my boss who knew a little something about cars and he recommended a few brands. After deciding on a brand, I started searching for them at used car dealerships. I found myself feeling super stressed and excited at the same time. I had never gone through the process of buying a car so much of it was stressful and confusing for me. I questioned my decision to buy a car at this time, which would fall under the purchase issues stage. However, I ended up following through because I knew that Id gain peace of mind after possessing a reliable car. Plus, in a way, I had felt like I earned it. I just finished my third year in college and had also maintained a job since 15. After purchasing my car, I felt nothing but happiness and excitement. My car has fulfilled it purpose as far as reliability goes. Some postpurchase issues would be the selling/disposal of my car. It is depreciating in value, so I likely wont be able to sell it for what I paid. Another postpurchase issue would be my monthly car payment that I heavily considered. After all my concerns and questions during the consumption process, I ended up buying a car because the pros outweighed the cons by a mile. I am very happy with my decision.

2) There have been countless times when consumers' social media posts have impacted an organization and/or popular culture. User-generated content (UGC) plays a huge factor in these types of situations. "Everyone can voice their opinions about products, brands, and companies on blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites..." (13). A good example of this would have to be GXVE Beauty. They have implemented an ambassador program into their overall marketing strategy that allows customers to join and help promote the various beauty products on their social channels. This has allowed people from all different walks of life to share their experiences with the products and create a friendly environment for people interested in the brand. This type of promotion has gained GXVE a lot of valuable customers, and it has even allowed the ambassadors to make commissions on any products that they had a hand in selling. Another good example would have to be Spotify Wrapped. Since implementing this feature on their platform, Spotify gets a lot of free promotion for their platform at the end of each year. Towards the end of every year, Spotify users are able to access their Wrapped, which shows them their most listened to artists, songs, podcasts, etc. People are then able to share their results on various social media platforms. This has become a great way for people to connect all around the world. It is always fun to see what your statistics are, but it can be even more exciting to see what your friends and people you follow have been listening to throughout the year. I've heard of people joining the streaming platform solely to experience the Wrapped phenomenon at the end of each year, so clearly Wrapped is an extremely positive asset for Spotify. One of the biggest examples within pop culture is the recent controversy with M&M. In 2022, the Mars Company rebooted the candy mascots and changed their looks to make them more inclusive and relevant to the times. Users took to platforms like Twitter and Facebook to voice their opinion about the new "woke" M&M's, and eventually, it became one big meme. "Although these figures never really existed, many of us feel as if we 'know' them, and they certainly are effective spokescharacters for the products they represent" (15). While all press may be good press, this had a negative impact on the Mars Company and eventually caused them to pause their usage of the candy mascots. At this point, a lot of people have moved on from this situation, but I still see jokes on Twitter or hear about it on podcasts.

3) Ethically, I do not think that shrinking the amount of product in a package without lowering the price of the product is a good move for marketers to make. I think transparency is key when it comes to marketing products, but we all know that a lot of marketers aren't always good at providing that. I think a lot of marketers believe that the consumer will not notice a difference. "A psychophysicist named Ernst Weber found that the amount of change required for the perceiver to notice a change systematically relates to the intensity of the original stimulus. The stronger the initial stimulus, the greater a change must be for us to notice it. This relationship is Webers Law" (84). Weber's Law is able to describe why people may not notice a size change in their products. This idea theory may apply to some people, however, I think there is always going to be someone who will be able to point out the change. Another explanation for the shrinking amount of product within a package can be due to the fact that some marketers are striving to be more eco-friendly. Studies have shown that people are willing to pay more for brands who are actively making an effort to better our Earth by using more sustainable practices while creating their products. These marketers are known as "green marketers." This may sound good to some people, however, some marketers are really just tricking the consumer into thinking they are taking a sustainable route, when in reality they are simply changing the design of a package to make it smaller and contain less product. "Because of pressure from powerful retailers such as Walmart that want to fit more bottles on their shelves, the size of detergent bottles is shrinking significantly" (85). Retailers are forcing marketers to shink their products in order to comply with their storage situation. Overall, this is a tricky situation to solve, but I do believe that marketers should be more transparent with their consumers about changes to their products. If there is less product people shouldn't have to pay as much, but if the product is truly eco-friendly, consumers may not mind paying the higher price.

4) The perceptual process consists of three phases: exposure, attention, and interpretation (Solomon, 2020, p. 84-87). Exposure refers to the initial stage where individuals become aware of stimuli through their senses. For example, when walking down the street, I was exposed to a billboard advertising a new luxury car model. The eye-catching visuals and sleek design of the car captured my attention due to the principles of selective exposure and sensory marketing (Solomon, 2020, p. 87). This exposure piqued my interest and influenced my decision to learn more about the car. Attention, the second phase, involves the individual focusing on specific stimuli while filtering out others. In the case of the luxury car advertisement, I paid attention to its unique features and benefits that were highlighted in the ad. The use of attention-grabbing headlines, compelling visuals, and persuasive messages helped direct my focus towards the key attributes of the car (Solomon, 2020, p. 85). The final phase, interpretation, is where individuals assign meaning to the stimuli based on their past experiences, beliefs, and cultural background. In my personal experience, I interpreted the luxury car as a symbol of status and prestige due to the brand's reputation and association with luxury lifestyles (Solomon, 2020, p. 86). This interpretation influenced my perception of the car and heightened its appeal to me. By understanding the phases of exposure, attention, and interpretation, marketers can strategically design advertisements and experiences to engage consumers effectively. They can create visually captivating stimuli, use attention-grabbing techniques, and appeal to consumers' beliefs and cultural backgrounds to shape their perceptions and influence their decision-making processes.