Consumer Behaviour Theories
Lecture 1 – introduction
Role theory (the perspective that much of consumer behaviour resembles action in a play)
• Each consumer has lines, props and costumes that are necessary to a good performance. Since people act out many different roles they may modify their consumption decisions according the particular play they are in at the times. The criteria that they use to evaluate products and services in one of their roles may be quite different from those used in another role.
• Another way of thinking about consumer roles is to consider the various plays that the consumer may engage in. One classical role here is the consumer as a chooser – somebody who can choose between different alternatives and explores various criteria for making this choice. But the consumer can have many other things at stake than just making the right choice.
• We are all involved in a communication system through our consumption activities, whereby we communicate our roles and statuses. We are also sometimes searching to construct our identity through various consumption activities.
• The main purpose of our consumption might be exploration of a few of the many possibilities the market has to offer us.
• We might feel victimised by fraudulent or harmful offerings from the marketplace and we may decide to take action against such risks from the marketplace by becoming active in consumer movements. Or we may react against the authority of the producers by co-opting their products and turning them into something else as when military boots all of a sudden became normal footwear for peaceful women.
• We may decide to take action as political consumers and boycott products from companies or countries whose behaviour does not meet our ethical or environmental standards.
• Hence as consumers we can be choosers, communicators, identity seekers, pleasure seekers, victims, rebels and activists.
Market Segmentation (strategies targeting a brand only to specific groups rather than
Role theory (the perspective that much of consumer behaviour resembles action in a play)
• Each consumer has lines, props and costumes that are necessary to a good performance. Since people act out many different roles they may modify their consumption decisions according the particular play they are in at the times. The criteria that they use to evaluate products and services in one of their roles may be quite different from those used in another role.
• Another way of thinking about consumer roles is to consider the various plays that the consumer may engage in. One classical role here is the consumer as a chooser – somebody who can choose between different alternatives and explores various criteria for making this choice. But the consumer can have many other things at stake than just making the right choice.
• We are all involved in a communication system through our consumption activities, whereby we communicate our roles and statuses. We are also sometimes searching to construct our identity through various consumption activities.
• The main purpose of our consumption might be exploration of a few of the many possibilities the market has to offer us.
• We might feel victimised by fraudulent or harmful offerings from the marketplace and we may decide to take action against such risks from the marketplace by becoming active in consumer movements. Or we may react against the authority of the producers by co-opting their products and turning them into something else as when military boots all of a sudden became normal footwear for peaceful women.
• We may decide to take action as political consumers and boycott products from companies or countries whose behaviour does not meet our ethical or environmental standards.
• Hence as consumers we can be choosers, communicators, identity seekers, pleasure seekers, victims, rebels and activists.
Market Segmentation (strategies targeting a brand only to specific groups rather than