| Marketing is about satisfying consumers. Whether
a company seeks to gain a competitive edge or satisfy consumers¡
needs, an understanding of consumer behaviour is a pre-requisite
of good practice. As Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
noted, "you never really understand a person until you consider
things from his point of view  until you climb into his skin
and walk around it". Consumer behaviour theory provides glimpses
of consumers¡ points of views and allows companies to understand
consumers as individuals, information searchers and decision-makers.
Being in tune with consumers is a must for businesses. However,
Jon Weaver, the Marketing Manager at Bournemouth Borough Council
thinks that understanding consumer wants is a big challenge.
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| Jon
Weaver, Marketing Manager, Bournemouth
Borough Council |
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Consumer behaviour is generally defined as the decision process
and the physical activities that people engage with when they
acquire, use and dispose of products and services. How consumers
behave and exchange different aspects of their lives when they
acquire products and services is characterised by a complex interaction
between feelings, beliefs, behaviour and environmental events.
In brief, an understanding of consumers will allow companies
to:
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