Psy 322 Week 4

Environmental and Consumer Influences and Analysis Paper
Misty Lesesne-Vasdev
PSY/322
September 12, 2014
Susan Rusnak
Environmental and Consumer Influences and Analysis Paper
Introduction
There are many things that influence a consumer’s decision to make purchases. Among those things are psychological and social factors. In the wireless industry, companies often look at a consumers psychological and social factors in order to target certain consumers. There are also external factors that affect consumer behavior. This paper will identify the psychological and social factors that influence consumer behavior when purchasing wireless products. It will also discuss some of the external factors such as technological, cultural and
social factors that affect consumer purchases of wireless products. Finally this paper will examine how external factors affect consumer’s decision to buy wireless products.
Psychological and Social Factors that Affect Consumer Behavior
The wireless industry is one of the most successful industries in the world. In 2012
It was reported that the top wireless companies globally reached a revenue of $202 billion
dollars.
(Epstein, 2013). In order to be such a profitable industry they must understand their consumers. There are social and psychological factors that affect consumer behavior. Some of those psychological and social factors include, motive and perception.
One’s motive to buy in the wireless industry can be anything from wanting to have the latest gadget or trying to find the perfect wireless solution to use for work. Buying motives are what makes a person feel like they want to purchase a product. There can be thousands of motives that make a person want to purchase something. In the wireless industry common motives are to save money for their businesses or the consumer wants to be cool like their peers.
(This is mostly seen in teens and tweens.) Other motives include growing businesses or just
Environmental and Consumer Influences and Analysis Paper for pure entertainment on the go. It is clear that because the wireless industry has many consumers motives can be just as diverse.
The consumer’s perception of a product or the company it chooses to do business with can also impact a consumer’s decision to purchase. In the wireless industry consumers perceptions dictate how a product is marketed. Competition is so steep in the
wireless community and because of this marketing can be super aggressive. For example, Verizon
Wireless is one of the largest companies in the world. Verizon Wireless is perceived to be the most expensive wireless company to consumers. To combat this perception Verizon Wireless changed their marketing to promote their less expensive plans.
External Factors that Affect Consumer Behavior
Technology changes every day to improve for the better.
Companies use the ever changing technology to market to consumers. In the wireless industry technology is part of what makes a consumer want to purchase. Verizon Wireless for example wants every consumer to feel like they are in control of everything they do at Verizon Wireless. Verizon uses kiosks for when a consumer goes in to a Verizon and wants to answer questions about their account.
The consumer can even make purchases from these kiosks. The kiosks are in place just in case the store is busy and consumers can’t wait or just to make it convenient on the consumer.
Another example of technology affecting a consumer is the ability to pay bills and manage their account right from home. People are busy and they don’t always have time to call someone or go in to stores to do simple things like pay a bill. This ease of access to everything can make a consumer happy enough to want to purchase from that wireless provider.
In the wireless industry culture is used to market wireless products. For example in our

Environmental and Consumer Influences and Analysis Paper culture texting is big. In fact people find texting to be a convenient way of
communicating.
The wireless industry knows this and they make phones that cater to the avid texter. The phones are equipped with full qwerty keyboards. Web surfing is also big within our culture and because of this cell phones are equipped with working internet even a basic phone. Culture in the wireless industry produces products.
Ecology is another external factor that affects consumer behavior. Today people are more and more concerned over the environment. In the wireless industry, companies are in tune to what a consumer wants as far as the environment. For example, Cell phone batteries can be harmful to the environment and because of this most cell phone companies offer recycle phone services. This is where a consumer would got to a store to properly dispose of a phone. This is just one example of what cell phone companies are doing to be eco-friendly. Another example would be the use of technology to go green. To eliminate the use of paper cell phone companies make statements or bills available right on the consumers phone. These are some examples on how ecology affects a consumer behavior.
Conclusion
The wireless industry is very profitable. In order for it to continue to be successful it must meet the needs of the consumer. In this paper a consumers motive to buy in the wireless industry was discussed. Motives are vast and can be anything from keeping up with the Joneses or wanting to help improve the consumer improve his business. The consumer’s perception of the wireless product can also drive a consumer to make a purchase. A consumers perception of a product can determine how a product is marketed. This paper also discussed how technology can drive a consumer to make a purchase. Technology is forever changing and companies take
Environmental and Consumer Influences and Analysis Paper advantage of the new technology to market to consumers. Examples were provided in order to show how technology affects the consumer. The culture we live in can also affect a consumers influence to buy. In the wireless industry culture reflects the products that are on the market.
Finally discussed was how ecology can affect consumer behavior in the wireless industry.
Cell phones pose a particular threat to the environment and for this reason, companies are now eco-friendly. Examples were also provided to reflect how companies are becoming eco-friendly. In conclusion, psychological, social and external factors play a part in how the wireless industry markets to consumers. Knowing these factors is a great way for companies to influence consumer behavior.
References
Epstein, Z. (2013). BGR. Retrieved from http://bgr.com/2013/05/13/global-wireless-carrier-revenue-2012/