Download free eBooks at bookboon.comMarketing Communications
Consumer Behaviour And Marketing Communication
2 Consumer Behaviour And
Marketing Communication
The whole essence of marketing communication is dependent on the marketer’s good understanding of
what makes the consumer or customer tick. This is also what makes the study of consumer behaviour
imperative, not only for marketing communications, but also for all of marketing itself.
what then is consumer behaviour? Consumer behaviour has been defined as the dynamic interaction
of affect and cognition, behaviour, and the environment by which human beings conduct the exchange
aspects of their lives. (Hawkings, Roger and Coney, 1986)
In other words, consumer behaviour is all about how people behave when they live as consumers. Such
a behaviour is of a complex nature that involves the way people think, feel, and act as consumers. It also
includes all the things in their environment that influence their thoughts, feelings and actions.
It is important to understand that this definition shows that consumer behaviour is dynamic – it is
constantly changing. Consumer behaviour also involves interactions of people’s thoughts, feelings and
actions, and it also involves exchanges between human beings, especially between buyers and sellers.
(Peter and Olson, 1999)
Every marketing organization must endeavour to develop consumer-driven communication strategies.
In order to develop successful marketing communication strategic plans, marketers must understand
how markets are segmented and the differences in each market segment; such understanding is used
in positioning and targeting promotion campaigns. Appropriate knowledge of consumer behaviour is
therefore essential.
Knowledge of consumer behaviour provides the basis for many marketing communication strategies
that can assist the marketer in product positioning, market segmentation, new product development,
new market applications, global marketing and marketing mix decisions.
Many theories, models, and concepts have been borrowed from other fields and developed by marketing
communications researchers in attempts to understand consumer behaviour and its implication for
promotional strategies.
In many cases, these concepts and theories overlap and even compete with one another as useful
frameworks for understanding consumer behaviour. However, no one theory, model or concept has
been able to explain fully all the dynamics of consumer behaviour, therefore, there is as yet no one grand
theory of consumer behaviour.