CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Influence of consumer attitudes on buying behavior
By Dr . Catherine Ngahu
It was Winston Churchill , who said that , “ Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference ”.
People express different attitudes towards various products and services . Even in the African jungle , different animals express different attitudes . The lion is recognized as the king of the jungle to a large extent because of the attitude it depicts . It has the attitude of the king . This is notwithstanding that it ’ s not the biggest , tallest , heaviest or smartest animal . Similarly , different brands win in the market place because of the attitude they express . Yet , the real competitive edge comes from understanding the attitudes consumers hold .
are interested in this small thing called attitude , and want to know how it makes such a big difference , particularly with reference to consumer behavior around their products and services . As such , marketers spend a lot of time and resources in the effort to understand consumer attitudes . They commission consumer research studies to help understand the attitudes consumers hold about their brands and how this impacts consumer choices . Consumer behavior theory recognizes the critical role of attitudes in the consumer decision making process .
Many of the clients we serve at SBO Research tend to pay great attention to the question of consumer attitudes . They always want to know the attitudes of consumers relating to their marketing initiatives . The power of attitudes to influence behavior is well acknowledged in various fields , not just marketing . Think of your own attitudes and how they influence the decisions you make in life .
In the study of consumer behavior , attitudes are considered critical to the understanding of the psychology of the consumer . Attitude is one of the psychological processes that influence consumer actions , that is , together with the concepts of motivation , perception , learning and consumer personality . Attitudes sit high up there as a major factor among the psychological influences of consumer decisions and choices .
Attitude research has been used to explore a wide range of strategic marketing issues , including evaluating the prospect of consumers accepting a proposed new product , new promotional campaign , new packaging and brand positioning . You could test consumer attitude toward many aspects of marketing , including product or service , advertising , pricing , distribution network , online services and customer experience . Furthermore , attitude research can be used to gauge why a firm ’ s target audience has not reacted more positively towards a new product , promotional theme , or other changes in the marketing strategy .
Attitude is important for marketers because it affects consumer awareness or how consumers learn , the intention to buy , the selection process , and the final buying decision . Attitude influences consumer behavior particularly in the stage of evaluating alternatives as well as in making the final choice on what to buy , where to buy , when to buy and how to buy . Therefore , attitudes held by consumers play a key role in the success or failure of a company ’ s marketing strategy .
Research shows that positive consumer attitudes tend to corelate with success in the market place as defined by higher usage , higher market share or even higher profitability , while negative attitudes or what we call unfavorable attitudes are associated with lower market share , lower usage and lower overall performance in the market place .
Nature Of Attitudes
Attitudes are an expression of inner feelings that reflect whether a person is positively or negatively inclined towards something . Attitude is a way of thinking or feeling in relation to some input . For example , in marketing terms it could be a product , brand , company , service , an event or other intervention . It includes three components - awareness , feelings and behavior tendency . What the consumers know about your product tends to affect how they feel , and how they are likely to behave towards it . Consumer researchers assess attitudes by asking questions or by making inference from behavior .
There is general agreement that attitudes are learned - that is , we are not born with the attitudes we hold . It ’ s something we learn . Attitudes represent a learned pre-disposition to respond in a certain way towards the attitude object . As a pre-disposition , attitude have a motivation quality , meaning that they might propel a consumer towards a particular product or repel the consumer away from a particular product .
Another thing to note is that while attitudes may result from behavior , they are not synonymous with behavior . They reflect a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the attitude object . Attitudes tend to be relatively consistent with the behavior they reflect . However ,
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