International Consumer Behavior Analysis - Assignment Example

International Consumer Behavior Analysis Introduction Consumer behavior, as used in many business areas,describes the study that is carried out about organisations, groups, as well as individuals on how they acquire, dispose of their goods and services. In addition, consumer behavior tries to comprehend the specific characteristics that consumers have and the things that influence their purchase decisions (Samli 46). It is important to understand that consumer behavior relies on the particular buying habits that are characteristic of the consumers themselves (Saito 34). Various researches that have been carried out on this subject have concluded that it is hard to make accurate predictions about consumer behavior. This is because; people have different preferences and tastes that change from one place to another and across generations. Analysis of Consumer behavior in the USA smartphone industry Mobile technology has been experiencing various changes in terms of development; technology has been the cornerstone for the changes that continue to characterize the industry. The smartphone, which is the current technology in use in the manufacture of mobile phones in several companies, describes a phone that has advanced features to enhance its computing ability. In general, smartphones have features that have many similarities with computers and those of other consumer devices that are common in the business and social world, for instance PDA (personal digital assistants), digital cameras as well as navigation units with the GPS technology. The smartphone industry in the United States has been fast growing, with many companies fighting to have and increase their market share. In this regard, many companies have been developing and launching various smartphones and related technologies that meet the various needs of people in their corporate, individual and social needs. Statistics that have been collected about the use of smartphones and their respective brand preference by consumers in the United States has shown different results. Currently, android tops the list on the smartphone platform, commanding a 52.1 percent of the market share, while Apple comes second with 41.9 percent. Other companies in that order include, Microsoft at 3.4 percent, blackberry and Symbian at 2.3 and 0.1 percent respectively as shown. Cultural influences in America’s smartphone industry segment The smartphone industry has been enjoying an increasing demand from its consumers worldwide; these have been attributed to various factors that are characteristic of consumers in the market. One of the factors that has played a huge role towards this development is the ever-increasing advancements in information and technology, something that has given companies the platform upon which to create these mobile technologies and others that are related (Jie and Weiling 750). One of the cultural factors that have influenced the smartphone industry in the United States is the value that people have on technology. Culturally, the Americans and others people in Europe value and esteem technology and information, for this reason, people are always looking for various technologies that can enhance their lives and business functions. In addition, technology has been valued as a single means upon which people and countries can establish solid systems for advancing economic aims and other systems of life (Mooij 36). This is the reason why many companies have gone ahead to create technology-based systems of management, product design, marketing and sales, something that has prompted the need for smartphones and other related technologies. Current level of consumer interest Following the analysis on the smartphone industry and the opportunities that are existing the American market, First business Academy can put across various systems and mechanisms through which it can train people to exploit these opportunities. From the foregone discussion, the smartphone industry in the United States and other countries still presents many opportunities. People are still looking for various ways by which they can enhance their economic, social and academic life by technologies that can are cost effective and reliable. The need for economic growth and development in many countries means that information is a resourceful commodity. For this reason, First Business Academy has a good chance t position itself and enter the market as either a facilitator of the process or a player in the industry by selling these particular technologies. Influences of consumer behavior There are many factors that stand in the way of consumers as they make their purchase decision for various good and services. First, consumers have various individual needs that influence their behavior, in this case, some consideration that they make include, social class. There are consumers that want to belong to a certain class in the society, for this reason; they prefer to purchase those goods and services that appeal to that class (Morphitou and Savvas 46). In addition, they have own preferences and tastes that are based on various factors like change in fashion, income as well as the reaction that other people may have. Socially consumers want to purchase goods and service that appeal to the class within which they belong. No one wants to identify with a lower class; in fact, all people have an innate desire to move to higher social standings. Other social factors that influence consumer behavior includes, peer and social group influences, the need to be unique among others Culturally, consumers are influenced by many factors in the purchase decision; first, goods and services that they buy depend on what is held to be right according to the norms and societies they have been brought up. If certain things like food, clothing and entertainment are discovered by the cultural norms, then they are avoided. Companies trade in those things that the society holds as acceptable in its culture. Lifestyle influences on consumer behavior In addition to cultural and social behaviors, consumers are also influenced by various lifestyle patterns in their purchase decisions. Some of the factors in this category include, economic factors, changing economic patterns influence people’s buying patterns. During times of economic recession, most consumers, reduce their purchases to spend on only essential commodities while during boom, they expand their shopping basket. Secondly, consumers buy depending on the place the place that they live in, this is partly influenced by the social class that they live in. people that live in expensive lifestyles will prefer buying several of the goods and service of ostentation, which are mostly characterized by luxuries. On the other hand, people that have a low standard of life often buy things basing on the incomes that they have. It is common hat most of the people in this category limit their purchasing power so that their income can be spent on necessities of life alone and not luxuries and other things that improve life. Consumer purchasing behavior that is influenced by lifestyle characteristics also depends on their health and well-being. For this reason, consumers that are experiencing some health conditions and implications will often prefer spending on goods and services that enhance their life expectancy. In addition, leisure and entertainment are important lifestyle patterns that influence consumers’ purchase and spending behavior. Those people prefer going to spend their leisure in various entertainment joints will often spare their time and money for such activities. On the same note, there are those that may want to follow live performance while others prefer following up these actions on mobile phones and through computers. For instance, there are those people that like watching football in stadia while others watch it on television or stream it live on the internet. Other people like to play games on mobile phones, tablets and PCs, for these people; they prefer these technologies in order to facilitate these activities. In overall peoples’ lifestyle, patterns play a big role in influencing people’s behavior and choices. Influence of organizational behavior Besides individual and cultural influences of consumer behavior, group patterns and characteristics also play a big role. In this case, people are motivated to buy certain goods and services depending on the reactions or reviews given to them by their fellow friends and other people that have used the products. It often believed that peoples repurchase patterns over certain products are largely influenced by what they are told about them. When people buy certain goods and are treated fairly they tell others about it, however, when they are not treated fairly, they tell more people than when they receive fair treatment (Gabriel and Tim 38). Therefore, the trick is that a business should treat their customers in the best professional manner to encourage them to tell others about their goods and services (Kumra 64). In this respect, various business have launched customer care services from where they can respond to customer inquiries, complaints and other issues that they face while using their goods and services. Works Cited ComScore MobiLens. ComScore Reports May 2014 U.S. Smartphone Subscriber Market Share. 3 July 2014. Web. 2 October 2014. < http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Market-Rankings/comScore-Reports-May-2014-U.S.-Smartphone-Subscriber-Market-Share > Gabriel, Yiannis and Tim Lang. The Unmanageable Consumer. London: SAGE, 2006. Print. Jie Gao and Weiling Ye. Internet Word-Of-Mouth on Consumer Online Purchasing Behavior Analysis in China. International Journal on Advances in Information Sciences and Service Sciences. 23.4. (2013): 747-57. Print. Kumra, Rajeev. Consumer Behavior. Mumbai: Himalaya Pub. House, 2007. Print. Mooij, Marieke. Consumer Behavior and Culture: Consequences for Global Marketing and Advertising. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2004. Print. Morphitou, Ria and Savvas Tsangarides. A Consumer Behavior Analysis of the Cosmetic Industry In Cyprus: The Case Of The Seventeen Brand. International Journal of Management Cases. 13.3. (2011): 200-02. Print. Saito, Felix. Consumer Behavior. New York: Nova Science, 2009. Print. Samli, Coskun. International Consumer Behavior in the 21st Century Impact on Marketing Strategy Development. New York, NY: Springer, 2013. Print. Read More