Buyer Behaviour on the 21st Century - Essay Example

Present a conceptual discussion of various factors that could be driving the buying behaviour of Teenagers for fashion products on the 21st Century and discuss why their consumption behaviour might be different from consumers outside their group. Introduction. Buyer behaviour refers to the decision making process that consumers engage in when searching and buying products that they expect will satisfy their needs. Before the purchase of most products, consumers go through a process in an effort of ensuring that the products they buy fulfill their needs. For example when buying new clothes, a teenager will first try and find out whether the clothes meet the current fashion trends and also determine their cost. (Gordon 1991). The process of trying to find out whether the clothes meet current fashion trends, their costs and suitability is what is basically referred to as buyer behaviour. Hawkins (2001 p.46) notes that buying behaviour of consumers is determined by a number of factors such as “income, culture, religion among other factors”. However the determinants vary depending on the type of consumer that is engaging in the purchase decision. For example the buying behaviour of the youth is affected by different factors as compared to the mature market. While the youth may be more concerned with the trendy nature of an item, the mature market could be more concerned with the functionality of the purchased item. There are different factors which drive the behaviour of teenagers in searching for fashion products in the 21st century. They include Peer pressure Peer pressure refers to the influence that is put on an individual which in most cases force him/her to change his/her behaviour, way of life or consumption patterns in order to conform to the norms of a group. For example in a university setting, students from a given town may form a group and adopt certain lifestyle. (Kotler et al 2004). They may either be dressed in the latest trendy clothes, own electronic gadgets such as the iPod or even eat a certain type of food such as fast food. Now any member of this group who does not own some of the items associated with this group will certainly look out of touch and be the odd one out. In an effort of trying to fit in this group setting, then a member of the group is likely to change the buying patterns. Social Media Writing in the Journal of Advertising, Richard (2008) says that modern day advertising has changed a great deal. New media which is closely linked to the youth has come up and this has also shaped the buying behaviour of teenagers. Major social media which are popular with the youth include popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and the most recent one Twitter. Teenagers have been hooked to the social media which have become a platform to tout products which are associated with the youth. Consequently more teenagers are exposed to current fashion trends and this is likely to affect their consumption patterns. The coming up of trendy touch screen mobile phone and their popularity can be linked to the growth of these social media. It is easier to access sites like Twitter and Facebook using the new smart phones. This has therefore shaped the consumption patterns of the youth especially when it comes to the purchase of new mobile phones. An example which perfectly shows the influence of social media on the buying behaviour is the popularity of the iPhone among the youth. This phone has various applications which make it easier for the youth to access these social media in just one touch. Advertising The journal of advertising estimates that an ordinary teenager in the 21st century is exposed to at least 120 advertisements in a day. When a teenager checks his mail, watches a television programme or reaches out for the latest celebrity gossip magazine then he/she is bombarded by numerous advertisements detailing the latest fashionable trends in town. Advertising helps in creating a uniform reception of a product especially within a given age group. For example a glamour magazine targeted at the youth market may be used to advertise new clothes. These clothes will then be adopted among teenagers after persuasion by the media. Why their consumption patterns may be different from other groups. Shared beliefs, values and way of life among teenagers which differ from other groups. According to Hawkins (2001), the youth market represents a certain group with several common characteristics. For example most teenagers are of the same age group and therefore their consumption patterns are likely to be similar. They may want the latest fashion products either to show off among their friends or so that they can fit in a given group. The teenagers also share other characteristics which make their consumption patterns different from other groups. They watch similar television programs such as music channels and interact with similar social media. At the same time people in other social groups such as the mature age group will be engaged in different activities and watch different television programmes hence making their consumption pattern different from that of the youth age group. Variance in income levels It is common knowledge that most teenagers do not have very high income levels. The money they spend is mostly through transfer payment from their parents. Consequently their consumption patterns will vary from that of individuals in a different social group with high income. While teenagers may prefer to buy items that are fashionable and affordable, individuals in another social group may prefer to buys items that are more durable whether they considered out of fashion or not. Difference in perception. Gordon (1991 p.101) argues that “teenagers unlike other social groups have a unique way of looking at products that they expect will satisfy their needs”. Before making a purchase of a product such as a phone, a teenager might be more concerned with whether the phone is currently in fashion and whether it is popular among their colleagues. On the other hand individuals in other social groups such as the business men and the working class will be more concerned with the functionality aspect of a product. A good example that illustrates the difference in consumption patterns is in the mobile phone market. While most teenagers prefer the iPhone since its fashionable, people in other social groups prefer the blackberry because of its functional advantages such as long battery life. Reference: Gordon, RF 1991, Consumer Behaviour in Practice and Theory, MCB University Press, Yorkshire, UK. Hawkins, C 2001, Consumer behaviour, Implications for Market strategy, Irwin, Sydney. Kotler, P, Brown, L Adam, S & Armstrong, G 2004, Principles of Marketing, Pearson education. Essex, UK. Richard, B 2008, ‘The Effects of Media Context Experiences on Advertising Effectiveness’ The journal of Advertising. Read More