A marketing on consumer behavior, focusing on car selection on the brand-Honda - Research Paper Example

(Hoyer & MacInnis 221) Research on consumer behavior provides firms with information about their target market and the business environment. Researchers provide a careful analysis of the firm’s plans, activities and methods. Relationships that are of interest to consumer researchers are classified as “correlations and causal”, which is similar to the cause and effect situation. A correlation occurs when statistics among the factors have significant relationship. Examples of variables are advertising and research which can be the subject of correlation research. There is positive correlation when two variables act at the same time. There is negative correlation in a situation where two variables are in opposite direction. Advertising and sales are correlated positively since both increase at the same time. On the other hand, product defects and customer regard for the product have a negative correlation; meaning, as product defects are seen or felt, customer is dissatisfied. (Kardes et al. 368) Consumer behaviour involves the study of psychology and sociology, and it is important to apply this on the Honda market segment. Sociology includes study of different cultures. Culture influences the American decision-making process and their decision to buy. Advertising and promotion can be considered one of these factors, or, it could be that advertising and promotion are the outcome of these factors since these elements take into consideration consumer behaviour first before they are being programmed. “Gen Yers” are those born between 1977 and 1995 and who will constitute over one-third of the US population by 2015 and now believed the largest U.S. market segment. At present, they account to about 7% of the present US population (qtd. in Rajamma et al. 388). Gen Yers are demanding when it comes to quality. In an October 2008 survey of the U.S. adult population, quality was listed as the number one factor by 86 percent of respondents “in their next car purchase,” while 82 percent listed safety and 74 percent said fuel economy was their number one priority (Cole and Flynn 67). This essay aims to investigate consumer behavior of Honda of America (HAM) customers who prefer to buy Honda cars and other products despite the popularity and quality make of other brands. The Automotive Industry Statistics from the American Customer Satisfaction Index tell us that the automotive industry ...Show more