What is consumer psychology? Psychology of consumer behavior

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Methods of research of consumer psychology

Methods of research of consumer psychology:

observation;
public opinion polls;
focus group.

Projective techniques allow you to learn the real attitude of the client to goods or services:

role-playing games - This technique involves the log in the role of the manufacturer of services or the consumer, depending on the objectives of the study, and assess the quality of goods, its advantages and deficiencies before other goods;
analogies - carrying out the parallel between the real goods and its possible analogue, representing itself in the form of this product;
psychological portraits - Drawing up a psychological portrait of goods, "Helping", to identify any human qualities that commemorate goods;
personifications - Presentation of goods as a person, personality and based on this consideration of possible optimizations of its design, commodity characteristics;
necrologic - To write about the impact of the goods necrologist. A vivid example is advertising from mosquitoes, from cockroaches and others.

Character and appointment of advertising

customer notification - Advertising is aimed at notifying a certain group of updates, about price change, about changing the location of the organization and others;
image product - Promotion to the market of goods of a certain brand, the formation of recognition of this particular brand and fashion on it;
institutional advertising - aims to form a good attitude to the company - the manufacturer, raising its rating, the formation of respect for it. Main goal - Show the company as useful to society an element that allows you to improve many processes or phenomena of human life;
information advertising - Usually informs the consumer about the quality of goods, components of products, ways to use it and the date of manufacture and storage time.

Promises advertising

D. Schulz , S. Schulz In the book "Psychology and Labor" suggest that advertising gives some promises:

promises those or other benefits;
trouble if the buyer does not acquire advertised products;
acquisition of love, friends, self-esteem and self-realization;
superiority in something.

Identification of trademark

The identification of the brand and the study of preferences is important for the development of advertising or its continuation. From how recognizable a certain brand and whether advertising forms the preferences of buyers in this brand, the continuation and correction of the advertising campaign depend on. Special attention of advertisers is aimed at ensuring that the buyer distinguish between this brand from the brand of other companies producing similar products.

The trading mark includes elements such as logo, name, sound and color escorts. There is another concept in advertising, and many people confuse him with a brand - "brand." Unlike the brand, the brand is a wider concept, and it includes not only the above, and also the goods itself with all its properties, image of the goods, the image of the brand.

Study of the effectiveness of advertising campaigns

facilitating memories;
recognition;
physiological measurements;
study of the number of sales;
return coupons.

The study of television programming is important for placing advertising products at the most optimal time. D. Schulz, S. Schulz allocate aspects such as:

prediction of the audience reaction to new programs;
determination of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the audience (Schulz D., Schulz S. Psychology and work, St. Petersburg, Peter, 2003).

Aspects of products affecting the consumer:

brand - recognition;
the product is a reflection of ideas, thoughts and feelings related to this product;
packaging of goods.

efficiency in the context of the volume of products produced by the enterprise;
efficiency in the context of recognition on the market and efficiency in the context of the formation of a certain policy of the organization, support for production and compliance with the advertising image. The effectiveness of advertising depends on the set of factors, for example, on the display time on the TV channel, advertising in prints, creative advertisement and other.

A special attitude in modern conditions is formed to advertising in the Internet. All increasing number of Internet users allows us to talk about advertising prospects in the global network.

The contingent of users is able-bodied youth and people up to 45 years, that is, the most promising shopping team.

The psychology of advertising is engaged in studying the motivation of acquisitions, and on the basis of these studies provides some recommendations for the design of products, display of showcases, the behavior of store employees, accommodation and context of advertising ads. Much depends on personal product factors products.

Consumer behavior motifs

The needs of a person inherent in the ability to develop and manifold. The consumer constantly seeks to satisfy its needs. The main ways to meet the needs are motives. Motives - This is what prompts a person to activities. Motifs are strong, weak, permanent, temporary, positive and negative. Also, motifs can be divided into four types:

aesthetic motifs in which special attention is paid to the appearance of goods, the attractiveness of its forms, a bright label, a harmonious combination with other objects, etc. This type of motifs is the strongest and long-term;
prestige motives, which are manifested only in a specific social group. For some products, a person can spend a huge amount of money only because this product will be able to emphasize his status, social status, to increase the situation in society. As a rule, such motifs come with increasing material well-being;
utilitarian motives, manifest themselves from the consumer primarily in assessing the operational characteristics, durability, the possibility of fast and high-quality repair, etc.;
tradition motifs. To manifest this type of motivation, as a rule, color gamans close to national, or use the flag color gamut, exciting and awakening thereby positive emotions to this type of goods;
the motives of achievements are very close in meaning with prestige motives. These motifs differ from others in that when advertising a certain product, the manufacturer is trying to use the famous person, for example, a three-time champion of Russia for advertising a sporting goods or a pop star for promoting a new line of perfumery and so on.

Personal factors affecting the consumer

Consider personal factors affecting the consumer:

paul - according to statistics, acquiring issues in the family are engaged in most cases of women;
age - Children can be active purchase intermediaries: attracted by bright packaging, children ask parents, their relatives to buy a toy or some sweetness, not focusing on the purchase price, for which many manufacturers of children's products make, and at the moment the issue of childlike children's advertising. Young people are the main buyer of fashionable clothes and youth accessories (for example, cell phones). Middle-aged people are mainly interested in acquiring food and household appliances, and the older generation people mainly acquire food products and medicines;
status - price characteristics mainly depend on which group consumer belongs to. Wealthy people will most likely acquire a fairly high-quality expensive thing, and people limited in funds will acquire, focusing not on the quality of products, but by price;
ethnicity affects the distribution to acquire a certain set of products, taste addictions in the purchase of clothing, etc.;
the time settled on the purchase is a limited time nerving the buyer, purchases are made for quick acquisition reasons, and pay attention to the products known to the buyer.
In case of an excess time, the buyer carefully examines the inscriptions on the products, analyzes the price characteristics in several outlets, makes the purchase more consciously;
the goal of the shopping is not only the acquisition of the necessary goods, but also the entertainment goal is to look at commercially available goods, try on prices, etc.;
mood;
individual features of the buyer;
habits and commitment to a specific manufacturer;
how acceptable is the price for the consumer.

In this article, I will not consider the consumerism in the field of commodity, and the pool of your attention on the origin of consumer psychology and its influence on the life of a modern person.

First, consider exactly how consumer psychology is expressed in everyday life.
A simple example: a man goes down the street, goes and throws a piece of paper from candy, then from cigarettes, then a bottle of beer, etc. What is the connection between his behavior on the street and consumer psychology? In my opinion, the most direct, because the main reason for such behavior is that a person does not even think about the consequences of his actions. What do you think - why?

I also once thought about this question and was amazed by the answer to him ... It turns out that there is a model of behavior in our society and is actively promoted, the essence of which the phrase is very accurate: "And after us, at least a flood."

Here it is - the basis of consumer psychology: Consume today, do not think about the future, most importantly - consume, take everything they give you, but do not think about anything ...

I think no need to explain to whom and why such a "consumer psychology" is beneficial. Unfortunately, in the modern world, this behavior model is decisive, and with the consequences we are facing each step. It is indifference, which is striking the souls of people, and dirt on the streets, cynicism and vulgarity on television, and much more.

But you can start a new day in order to give yourself a word: today I will not litter. First, do not litter on the street, then with words, then thoughts. And then take and boil behind me where I namusoril himself or others.

It does not matter who has namusoril, but the result is important: when people are not all the same, as they live, life will begin to change for the better. And then they will become beautiful cities and villages, they will become beautiful people and their thoughts, and the whole world will become beautiful, clean and beautiful, because the people of the planet Earth will want this. BUT

Consumer psychology. How is the psychological features of personality affect consumption?

The history of commodity abundance in Russia began about twenty years ago, when the first retail entrepreneurs received the legal possibility of import and selling imported goods. Until the last decade of the last century, the buyers were not familiar with the problem of choice - it was actually not about to choose from. Along with the possibility of choosing peacefully dreamed a variety of consumer behavior of buyers, their motivation and driving forces of choice. There was a single model of behavior - came to the store and took what was left; There was the only motivation - to satisfy basic needs.

Domestic business took only twenty years to change the situation in the root. Today, practically not to find retail markets, on which sellers rule. The range of the usual supermarket is calculated with tens of thousands of items, in each product category you can find tens of alternatives. Production and trading companies very quickly changed the course with their own vision of the market for consumer preferences, tastes and habits. Consumers, in turn, needed quite a bit of time to achieve the maximum degree of buying "election" and the corresponding force of influence on producers and sellers. So in the Russian business community there was a conscious need for a detailed study and a deep understanding of its consumers, in constant adaptation of the proposal to the requirements of buyers.

The evolution of market research in Russia deserves a separate discussion, but is not the topic of this material. This article opens the cycle of publications on the premises of consumer behavior, the deep reasons for one or another choice, the psychological basics of consumption motivation. Today, in the future, we will consider a number of psychological models that caused the lifestyle, preferences and consumer behavioral patterns on Russian retail markets. Thus, we will attempt to highlight the psychographic features of consumer behavior affecting the choice. Today, the majority of marketing professionals agree with the conclusions about the moral obsolescence of traditional segmentation models, their extremely poor ability to identify effective market segments. An alternative to a widely used socially demographic, cultural, value and other methods of segmentation today is the psychographic, which we have to be discussed in the cycle of publications begun this article.

In the classical vision, the consumer selection algorithm originates from the moment of the realization of the need, develops in the search for information and evaluation of existing alternatives to satisfy this need, continues by purchase and consumption, and is completed by assessing consumption and deliverance from the goods. Psychological features of personality influence the consumer algorithm at all its stages. It is clear that psychology largely determines the structure of human needs: pragmatics, for example, do not accept jewelry, and ascetics do not have the need for exquisite food. Further, at the search phase, innovators are practically no information support, and the conservatives are looking for a maximum of data. Psychology also sends a variety of alternatives in the boundaries of one category of goods or services: one traveler chooses an extreme tour to the Jungle Amazonia, the other - informative walks in the European capitals. In most cases, this difference in preferences determine psychological profiles of people. At the stages of purchase, consumption and evaluation on the basis of consumption, the psychological features of the individual also have a considerable effect. The result of this influence is the future intentions of the consumer regarding the goods, his loyalty, the vector of sensations about the consumption that he will share with other people. In other words, consumer psychology largely determines the relationship between sellers and buyers, the perception of goods and, as a result, their further market destiny.

For the assessment of personal characteristics, a number of dichotomies are used in psychology, with which one or another identity orientation is determined, for example, "introverts-extroverts", "Estets-Pragmatists", "Hedonist askets" and others. Most of these dichotomies effectively share consumers into groups that show different behavior in the consumer algorithm. To describe the influence of psychotic on consumer behavior in this cycle of publications, classic and synthesized categories will be used, as close as possible describing various consumer segments. At the same time, the author does not aim to use exclusively professional psychological terminology and allows the use of more everyday definitions. Thus, some manipulations with psychological scientific tools are intended to be allowed for its fine tuning under the task of this material.

"Confident and unsure"

Consumer confidence is one of the most important driving forces, a guide model and consumption style. The psychotypes "confident" and "unsure" are synthesized categories, they do not appear in psychological science as such. These categories are particularly absorbed by other psychological features of the person, as well as the social and economic parameters of human life. Below we consider the factors, one way or another affecting the person's belonging to the group of "confident" or "unsure" consumers, the features of their consumer behavior in some markets, as well as possible models of working with "unfavorable" consumers who, although less attractive for business, But still remain buyers who form part of the economy of any company in the field of B2C.

The effect of the influence of the confidence factor on buyers' behavior is very common at most consumer markets. Specialists in marketing research are known phenomena, when the owners of impressive capital are very careful to spend money, while other buyers, with much more modest financial capabilities, confidently spend the last accumulation and even climb into debts. Of course, much can be explained, for example, financial responsibility and everyday wisdom of cautious buyers, but even these categories have their own grounds in the social, psychological and economic sphere.

Most of the psychological features of the individual are due to at least three main factors: genetic, social, as well as the features of ontogenetic development. Some character traits are formed on the basis of the psychophysiological characteristics of the person transmitted from their parents, many are regulated in the process of its formation, depending on the strategy and the human education environment, its society, the surrounding culture. Confidence as the trait of personality is no exception. During the first decades after birth, when a person is formed as part of society, many factors can have a serious impact on the level of person's confidence, which one way or another will reflect in the future throughout his life.

In early childhood, when the human psyche is only formed, parents play a special role in raising his confidence. Excessive guardianship and baby care often generate high barriers to its independent development. Further, when a person falls into the first social groups, the careers, teachers and the team are taken for the work of the formation (or destruction) of confidence. The adopted methods of education of the individual in children's institutions are standard directive programs, often quite dubious. Their main drawback comes from the election of educational approaches to absolutely different people. At the same time, encouraged norms of behavior are often conflicted with the conditions for the formation of human confidence.

The level of education, at first glance, carries the direct potential of the person's confidence in the future and allows you to consume more freely. However, this judgment needs to be closed more closely because it carries many assumptions. Of course, in general, it can be written that higher education holders receive more significant income than their compatriots with secondary education - so it is. But there is another fact: the share of the population with higher education in Russia exceeds 55%, and only 12% of citizens possess over $ 1,000 by a monthly income. Obviously, higher education is only a minor part of the foundation of the success and confidence of man. In the perspective of the impact of education on confidence, much more productive to evaluate its quality, and not just a level. The painstakingly developed qualifications of the in-demand specialist gives much more chances of successful self-realization and confidence in its capabilities than a weight luggage of scientists of degrees and theoretical knowledge.

Successful career biography gives a good margin of strength for vitality. High position in a large company can be considered "overlap" from long failures in the labor market, the guarantor of high-income stability. As a result, career successes are strongly reflected in consumer confidence, much more noticeable than education.

There are many other factors affecting human consumer confidence. Of course, there is no sustainable rules for such an influence, since the combinations of these factors with the identity features of the unpelled set, and each such combinations can be different effect.
Obviously, a detailed analysis of the effect of consumer confidence on the success of the business of the seller will be superfluous. A confident consumer is less looking for, he thinks faster, pays more, less often complains about the service. On any retail market, consumer confidence plays the role of the strongest driver. The ability to find, recognize confident segments in their audience, to motivate their loyalty can be a very significant competitive tool.

"Innovators and Conservatives"

Innovators and conservatives are the extreme categories of society, actively receiving or categorically rejecting progressive innovations. These definitions are applicable to many areas of life, and in marketing and consumer behavior they occupy a special place. In particular, the concept of a product life cycle is almost entirely based on a different consumer activity of these groups in relation to new products.

Noovators are happy to take all the freshest, whether it is a new product, service, tourist destination or a rule that promises improvement in life. Our innovators agree with new living conditions, finding positive promises in them. As a locomotive of progress, this group first takes on new items, carrying all the risks associated with the purchase and use of an unknown product. It is from them that the first opinion comes, the first estimates that determine later, as the goods will be adopted by the following, less progressive, consumer groups. NOVATORS - Protesting protest rationalism as the main idea of \u200b\u200bconsumption, the adepts of large and not very reasonable spending. The indispensable motivation of their consumption is the new experience, the pleasure of knowing the unknown, experiment. A negative result of consumption almost never inflicts noticeable emotional harm or disappointment, they are not prone to pessimism. As, for example, seekers, travelers, archaeologists, innovators are more driven by the very possibility of discovering than its essence.

The same can be said about consumption in the group of innovators. Absolutely new feature of the usual subject instantly causes the interest of innovators as the possibility of new experience, it does not matter - a positive or negative, risky or safe. Almost all household technologies known today began with experiments delivered by manufacturers on this "experimental" group. Remember the black and white display of a mobile phone, a film, huge monitors and TVs - we would use all this, if at one time innologists did not accept new technologies, functions and ideas.

There is a serious problem in market work with innovators - they are difficult to "hook" something for a long time. They are practically never loyal, they are difficult to stimulate something material. Therefore, small innovative segments serve only the "Taran" to introduce new ones on the mass market, and there are no large strategic rates on them. The groups of innovators most often include young secured people, which in many retail markets are considered the core of the target audience, and their impermanence confuses to entrepreneurs all the cards. Simplicity of communications, consumer confidence and the rate of decision-making of innovators briberates, but the cumulative budget of these groups is negligible for most industries.

At the opposite pole, the relationship to the novelty is another group - conservatives. Before purchasing anything, these consumers are eager to reinforce their solutions to someone else's experience. In essence, their purchase decision is far from their own. Before the conservatives benefit from their own experience, evaluate the purchase, the reviews about this will be filled with all the consumer information space, from personal communications to the Internet and press. To the conservatives, the purchase managed to evaluate innasors, followers, early and later most, who assumed almost all the risks of acquisition. Conservatives remain only to use well-studied benefits while all other consumers are already looking for a replacement.

The main feature of the conservatives as a consumer group is the unacceptability of risks associated with consumption. Such caution is justified by many factors, among which demographic and historical determinants are especially noticeable. With age, for example, consumers are increasingly related to novelty, because more and more life practices are accumulated by the shoulders, including negative. In the regional outback of innovation, it is highly rare, since the relatively low level of income determines the economy and pragmaticism in consumption. Actually, the level of income is quite a self-sufficient factor of influence on the tendency to conservatism: the insufficient level of income limits the space for holding risky consumer experiments. Nevertheless, conservatism remains a personality property, and not just one of the characteristics of the lifestyle.

It is clear that, withdrawing a new product to the market, rely on the conservative segment follows the last. Active communications with conservatives is practically meaningless. Differences from unfamiliar people are a completely ordinary phenomenon in the conservative segment. Even from well acquaintances and trusted people, conservatives receive information with a certain fraction of skepticism. The proverb "An old friend is better than new two" can be considered the motto of their lives in applying to many areas, including consumption.

Of course, there are business models that have been successfully operating consumer conservatism. For example, the dedication of the conservatives of the old traditional brand allows you to cheerfully develop the markets of luxury goods. Today, the dominant of new brands is practically "pounds" conservatives in the conditions of a limited choice among familiar manufacturers, the quality and reputation of which are tested by decades. Accordingly, old brands enjoy the favor of a fairly stable target audience in conditions of weak competition, which guarantees them the basic financial results and freedom of strategic actions aimed at growth in other, more innovative segments.

"Hedonists and ascetics"

In ancient Greece, the philosophical doctrine of hedonism was very common - the desire for comfort, pleasure and pleasure. The highest goal and the main motive of human existence in the circles of the adepts of this lifestyle was proclaimed the extraction of pleasures from each moment of life. In those times, pleasure was not so materialized, as today, their sources traditionally were considered lovers, sophisticated dishes, wine, music and spectacles. Today, this "toolkit" is significantly expanded and emitted. Many business areas are focused on the emotional needs of the audience, offering positive sensations for consumers in addition to the overall functional capabilities of their goods. Competition in many consumer markets confidently moves to the area of \u200b\u200bemotional perception of offers by consumers.
Consumer baskets of "Hedonist" and "Askta" differ significantly from each other. Axets live according to the principles of reasonable sufficiency, buying only the functions of the goods and absolutely not focusing on its vintage and emotional components. The essence and meaning of their consumption consist only in the saturation required for life. Axets avoid pleasure as they contradict their life position. Asskey philosophy is selfless, restriction of benefits that are able to spawn. Accordingly, the goods for ascets are deprived of most of the service, emotional, vintage shells. Their food is simple, their clothes are modest and low-speed, the colors of the launder, the music is not enough. The main law of Asskeza is a rigor to himself - excludes any unreasonable excesses, any kitsch and pathos. Approximately the requirements for the goods of ascets.

Hedonists, on the contrary, consume greedily, brightly, not stupid. Their lifestyle is based on ideology "Extract enjoyment from each moment." Passion for pleasures often serves them to good service, motivating professional and career growth, enterprise and business energy - all that can provide the material basis of pleasures and comfort. Of course, being a hedonist is not suiced, Askise is much more profitable from a budget point of view. That is why hedonism as a lifestyle is more characteristic of the top groups of the social hierarchy - elites.

In the goods, the hedonists see first of all something capable of delight, and after - its functional components. They are not fascinated by something that cannot cause emotional "vibrations", which cannot be impressed and remembered. Real hedonists exercise their life so that even the little things can bring their own part of joy. The consumption of most goods and services associated with improving comfort is the manifestation of a tendency to hedonism.

To avoid serious errors in segmentation using dichotomy "Ascetles / Hedonists", it is clearly separated by the concepts of forced and conscious asceticism. If the lifestyle of the consumer looks ascetic due to insufficient income, but he, meanwhile, morally asked for hedonism, cannot be attributed to the ascet segment. The attribution of consumers to these categories is based on their self-identification, and financial capabilities in this case need to "take in brackets". The tendency to hedonism is often intensified with income growth, but this is not an absolute rule. Very often, after the period of "hysterical" hedonism, which has passed on the wave of increased income, people come to the revaluation of the structure of their values, and the thrust moves far to the background.

"Extremals and Hypochondrics"

Strictly speaking, hypochondria is excessive attention to your health and physical condition. Considering the peculiarities of the consumer behavior of people prone to hypochondria, it is better to get rid of the excellent degree "excessive" and attributed to this category of consumers, carefully following their health and avoiding physical risks. In this case, it will be possible to allocate opposing segments, conditionally called "extremals" and "hypochondrics", showing tangible differences in consumer behavior.

So, once again we denote the two main features of the hypochondrikov: zealous attitude to their own health and active avoidance of any physical risks. From these features, there are deep motives for consumption, sending this segment to "health markets" and repulse it from the "Extreme Markets". These two categories of markets absorb the relevant industries or individual goods and services. Medical cosmetology, health resorts, rejuvenating procedures, medical massages, dietary and natural products - All this refers to the "health markets" of the main consumers of which we will agree to call "hypochondrics."

"Hypochondrikov" in the consumer class balancing "extremals" - hot fans of passion and emotions, risk and madness. Extreme tourism, dangerous sports, sports cars, motorcycles are the patrimony of extremals, not particularly disturbing about health and longevity. These people do not represent their lives without tangible shake, their main motivation is the "explosive hormonal mix", their main fear is boredom and routine. The life of such people is diverse and vehicles, they seek to squeeze emotions from everything that come into contact. The tendency to an extreme lifestyle is determined primarily by the peculiarities of the character who enters the courage, ambitiousness, adventurism.

The difference between extremals and hypochondriacs can be found on "neutral" markets, clearly not oriented on some of the segments. Differences are noticeable at the level of motivation and the desired values. For example, when choosing a recreation center, it takes the safety of the flight and staying at the hotel, and extremals - adventures, dangers, entertainment, nightlife and other "sources of new sensations."

The approach to market segmentation based on the use of this psychographic dichotomy is useful in terms of the simplicity of product positioning, since the desired values \u200b\u200bin the groups under consideration are realized very contrast. Hypochondricks clearly know what they are and with obvious pleasure react to suggestions, accentuated on a neat attitude towards their health. Extremeals are usually proud to belong to this caste, and the more the manufacturer emphasizes the orientation of his product to this segment, the closer to his relationship with the "risk" audience. At the same time, intentional positioning in this segment of products, in essence, not corresponding to the spirit of extreme, is absolutely meaningless. Under the slogans from the extreme extreme advertising "not tomosy - Snubersni" only teenagers are stuffing a bumps in their pseudo-extremal games. Speakingly exaggerated, serious extremals with chocolates do not eat.

"Estets and pragmatics"

"Estets" differ from the "pragmatists" of a pronounced contemplative propensity. Between the content and form of the aesthet choose the form, getting satisfaction from the beautiful and exquisite appearance of the subject, its elegant design, impeccable shape, harmony of color solutions. Aesthets are able to see and understand beauty, ready to significantly overpay for the ability of goods to fit their aesthetic ideas. The functional capital of things has not the last value for astate, but they actively avoid purchases of ugly objects. It does not matter whether it is about the corkscore for bottles or car: the aesthetes pursue the compliance of purchases with their own ideas about beautiful even in small things. In the preferences of the estate built whole industries, for many industries, a subtle ratio of consumers to beauty is the main driving force. Fashion-industry, jewelry, car, automobiles, art and other spheres of modern retail business are largely based on the Estetian macro.

The beauty you can sell is one of the main tools for adding virtual cost. In other words, giving the product aesthetically correct properties, the manufacturer has all the grounds to get an additional margin in the Estette segment. And since in this case the most short dear to beauty is the designer's talent, aesthetics does not greatly take the cost of manufacturing the product. Thus, the orientation of the interests of the segment of the Estetov promises the producer of fatty advantages in financial indicators.

Pragmatists are tailored otherwise. These people reject the focus on the form of the subject, fully focused on the content. Any delight and external excesses in the product mean for them only a reason to pay extra money, which they are absolutely not ready. In its consumer behavior, pragmatics resemble ascetic, about which it was above. But the ascetics limit consumption on ideological reasons, and pragmatics are not trying to deprive themselves something, but do not accept commodity "shells" in the form of design, image, brand history and other virtual assets.

Like Ascape, pragmatism may have a forced foundation. Aesthetic advantages are usually expressed by a tangible addition to the price of goods, and people with modest sufficient seek to avoid overpays. In other circumstances, the same consumers would gladly bought more beautiful things, they have no fundamental grounds for refusing aesthetics. These people should not be attributed to the category of pragmatists, since a positive change in income levels can exclude them from the segment. The segments should also include "stable units", not transforming their attitude under the influence of microfactors.

The classification of "Estethets / Pragmatists" has an obvious benefit for segmentation, since it clearly separates beauty connoisseurs, ready for significant cash spending in the name of aesthetics, from people with a utilitarian attitude to things, strictly focused on functional values. These groups react completely differently to the essence of communications that emphasize the aesthetic or functional values.

"Impulsive and reflexive"

The impulsivity is one of the reflections of the movable temperament of a person. The impulsivity in his behavior usually manifests Sanguines and cholerics - people alive, passionate, hot. Reflexivity more often show slow, unperturbable and emotionally stingy phlegmatics or vane and asthenic melancholics. In the context of marketing, this classification is very useful to use from the point of view of a tangible difference of the necessary communication pressure on segments leading to a single result. In other words, with other things being equal, the impulsive buyer requires much less advertising effort to make a purchase than reflexive.

Explanations of this effect lie in the field of neurophysiology classifying the types of higher nervous activity on the criteria for strength, equilibrium and mobility. The "mobile" nervous system is more characteristic of the impulsiveness, "inert" - the reflectivity of behavior. These physiological features are quite definitely reflected in the daily life of people, including their purchasing guidelines. Trades consultants, being on the "advanced" retailers, may notice the obvious differences in the behavior of buyers. The first choose quickly, are little interested in detailed information about the product, pleaseing the surface description, are not particularly interested in the rationale for the price and other characteristics. The second is not confident in choosing, looking for a lot of arguments "for" before you decide on the purchase, repulse consultants asking for trifles. This is how impulsive and reflective buyers differ.

There are advantages and disadvantages from both segments from the point of view of marketing. Impulsive buyers require less attention and effort to make a transaction, less susceptible to prices and are not very attracted to the conditions. But in this segment it is difficult to build loyalty, such buyers are difficult to "bind" to the brand. Their actions are rarely well thought out and weighed, so competitors have many chances to intrigue the impulsive buyer. Reflexive buyers, on the contrary, will not make a quick turn of the company, but it is much easier for them to pushing the arguments of the next purchase, return, loyalty.

"Domsides and Partners"

The names of these segments are least fit into psychological terminology, but best of all transmit the essence of their lifestyle. In essence, this dichotomy does not matter with some psychological characteristics, but with the style of life dictated by them and other factors. About a quarter of the participants of the research conducted recognize that they do not like to be at home, preferring "Movement": Walking, Entertainment, Shopping. Approximately 30% of respondents balance between home and "outdoor" leisure. And finally, more than 45% of Russians can be called houses: it is such a share of research participants that declares the desire to be all free time at home.

It is clear that in consumer models of these segments there are weighty differences, because these people lead absolutely different lifestyles. Domes need less clothing and jewelry, but more food, they do not go to restaurants and cafes, do not visit cinemas and entertainment complexes, but more actively buy homework, video and books. The tourist sphere directly depends on the qualitative composition of the target audience in the perspective of the "Domases" segments and "Tusovers". Many other markets are also very dependent on the tendency of consumers to one or another look at the pastime.
Considering this classification, it should also be separated by the "forced" domes from those in conviction. Studies have shown that the homemade lifestyle costs an average of 1.5 times cheaper than active: it is as follows that the difference in the current expenses of "Domases" and "Tusovers". The division of "Domases" on the basis of motivation to such a lifestyle will make it possible to obtain some guidelines for the consumer capabilities of internal groups.

In this article, we briefly reviewed seven psychographic categories, very useful for use in segmentation of the target audience. In the future, these dichotomy will be considered in more detail, which will be devoted to individual publications. The purpose of this material was to give readers food for reflection on the multi-faceted consumer environment from the point of view of the psychological characteristics of consumers. These features are almost invisible to the naked view of the businessman, but they often are the central cause of violation of business plans and arranged forecasts. Psychography is the most difficult and more serious form of marketing research, with a professional approach that detects very important conclusions for business.

Sergey Starkov,
Managing partner of the agency Quans Research.

From this article you will learn:

What is the psychology of the consumer

Where use consumer psychology

What the principles of consumer psychology distinguish

How to use consumer psychology in practice

There are two models of customer behavior. The first is the director of the consumer to satisfy its needs, the second is the desire of the client to embody their desires. It is unlikely that it is necessary to consider in detail what the consumer psychology is, if the basis of his motivation lies solely the desire to satisfy its needs. In this case, it is enough to know when, where and which purchases he made. If we are looking for an answer to the question of why these acquisitions were made, then we already consider a more complex phenomenon of motivation. Read more about this in our article.

Theoretical aspects of the study of the consumer behavioral psychology

Desires largely determine the behavior of the consumer. Material and psychological factors are presented in the "Mighty Consumer" book, which George Katon wrote. In the original, this work is called "The Powerful Consumer". The Hungarian psychologist argued that the decline, abundance and inflation can be considered as a consequence, and as a cause of the behavior of the buyer. To understand the reasons that the consumer lies to committing a certain choice, the expression of his desires, as well as its preferences, it is necessary to use the knowledge of such disciplines such as economics, anthropology and psychology.

The term "psychology of behavior" can be called everything that we know about the behavior of the consumer, but rather to use it in those situations where the question concerns the reasons why the consumer comes down so, and not differently. Answers, which are given to the question "Why?" Are usually referred to desires, and not to the needs.

For a more complete understanding of the psychology of behavior, we must take into account several basic provisions.

Gashatta principle.

To answer the question why the consumer is selected by a specific product, you need to consider this problem more widely. So, if we need to figure out why a person acquired a soap concrete brand, it will be wiserfully to explore the gestalt of behavior that is connected with both swimming and washing. Thus, to the study of many issues relating to the psychology of the consumer, they are proceeding after a deep analysis of his behavior.

The principle "Iceberg".

This principle tells us that the necessary information is not always open to us as "on the palm". Given this, it turns out that most of the behavior of the buyer, as well as its social behavior, including such actions, as part of the vote in elections or the refusal of alcohol use, is explained by the reasons that are deeply hidden. Scientists, exploring the motives of the consumer's behavior, do not ask a direct question: "Why?", Since in this case the respondent will have to explain the personal motives of one or another acquisition, and this is most often impossible.

Dynamic principle.

A man motivates himself on something. His behavior is influenced by society, as well as economic and psychological attitudes. Methods for collecting information oriented data on behavior at a time when a survey is conducted, often ignore the most significant information.

By man asking a question about how much he gets, we are not interested, how stable its financial situation is at the moment, the incomes of this consumer are growing, they remain unchanged or decrease, and these subtleties are much more important than information about its income level at the time of the survey. From the point of view of psychologists, buyers, the financial position of which deteriorates, is improving or invariably, in fact relate to three absolutely different categories, even if their earnings are the same at the time of polling.

Image and symbolism.

The production of any products is based on a certain intent. So, after watching advertising at the consumer, a certain blurry image remains in the head, which is formed from the melody, background, rhythm, country, or a candidate, a common configuration. The results of many scientific research confirm our tendency to the instant change of their opinion and the new interpretation of a neutral approval, if we find out that a cute or unpleasant person is connected with it. Our reaction is rather due to the signature (identification characteristic) of the information received, and not with what it bears.

It is these four provisions (formed on theses of anthropology, deep psychology, futurology and symbolism) as the most important methods underly the innovations in the psychology of consumer behavior as science. The use of these principles helps more consciously approach the understanding of the motives of the buyer's behavior. It is necessary to distinguish between the studies of interpretation (based on genetic and structural methods) and descriptive (in which the methods of description and explanation use, as well as predicting the behavior of the subject).

Of course, the data that we get when applying the latest methods is very important, but they do not underlie the entire study. If our goal is to motivate the client, to determine his actions, then we must be able to explain his behavior, so to speak, interpret. That's when we can distinguish and exclude the deliberate lie of our respondents, then we will be able to build a faithful model of consumer behavior.

Today, when studying the psychology of behavior, a method is applied, in which respondents make it possible to most fully talk about their behavior, but at the same time eliminating the attempt "self-diagnosis". The interviewer does not ask a person about why he acquired that car, not the other, but specifically brings the respondent to told him in detail about what life circumstances pushed him to make a decision to buy a car - this helps the researcher to make reliable Analysis of the real motives of this consumer behavior.

At the beginning of the study of the psychology of consumer behavior, concrete and reasonable assumptions regarding the behavior of the buyer are put forward. They can be based on knowledge of such disciplines as culturaology, deep psychology, futurology or symbolism. And the question of why the client acquires only this soap and no other may be based on the analysis of the psychology of his behavior. Turning to the first principle, we study well-established norms of behavior (rituals, habits) of the consumer associated with the use of this product.

So, if we are talking about soap, we consider the links that exist between this product and the direct process of bathing or washing. The buyer has soap can be associated not only with the feeling that it is physically clean, but also with the commission of ritual ceremonies of a religious nature (baptizing and ablution) when the body is cleared of guilt and the entire vicious (the principle of "Iceberg").

Following the dynamic principle, the examiner of the psychology of the consumer behavior can identify in it the most important changes. The latter may be related to income level: it grows, falls or remains at the same level. After all, even with the same intractable, the behavior of buyers may vary.

In the process of communication (simply speaking, in communication), people are constantly exchanged by any information, and an important role is given to symbolism. Most often happens so that the buyer is easier to catch a non-verbal image than a certain speech message. When they say, "wake in yourself the beast", people understand it in a figurative sense, i.e. "Feel the power", but his literal perception will seem absurd. More often the consumer buys the image of the proposed goods, and not specific advantages, or gives his voice not for the program that the candidate promises to implement, but for his image.

Do we need new products? The psychology of the consumer behavior studies and such situations as "choosing from two angry smaller," when the client is the question: "Buy or not to buy it?", And in these cases, it is guided by the moral aspects. While we try only to understand the behavior of the buyer, everything seems normal. But there are companies that are not only interested in the consumer behavior. They literally impose one or another products to him, pushing to commit certain actions.

Economists are likely that the model of desires and needs of the buyer is most often taken as the basis of the practice, which resembles a cake. The more pieces cut off from it, the less left. In their opinion, the needs and desires of a person are limited. However, the results of modern studies of the psychology of the consumer behavior indicate that, on the contrary, the desires and needs of people are consistently growing.

After creating the radio, the recording industry immediately began to develop. Now a person can use not one channel, but a lot of different. It would seem to reduce the size of the "cake". But here there are the rules of psychology of other quality: the more musical and other kind of entertainment is available to the consumer, the greater their quantity he wants to get.

The growing popularity of the study of the psychology of the consumer behavior has a positive impact on the too rational and logical theories, which are followed by economists and marketers. For example, a recognized fact is that during the economic crisis, the consumption of luxury items increases, although, in principle, it should be the opposite. Explanations of such a situation from the position of logic here is clearly not enough.

The thing is that in such periods, a person has a sense of insecurity, and he wants to have things symbolizing high quality and stability. Therefore, despite the fact, he has such an opportunity or not, he still acquires a more expensive product (gem, a ticket to the Maldives or "Toyota Land Cruiser").

5 tips on how to use the consumer psychology in their favor

Tip 1. The payment process should be simple and painless.

Proven in practice that people with a greater hunt spend non-cash funds. This is explained by this feature of psychological perception: "the pain of payment" (unpleasant sensations in parting with money) comes later, after payment. According to experts from the psychology of consumer behavior, the customer paying the client with the help of a bank card is experiencing positive emotions from buying, he does not have a negative characteristic of situations when he breaks with cash.

Application in practice. Provide on the website or in the office office the opportunity to pay for goods or services using a bank card. Even better if you pride the car "Autoplating". In this case, the client will not experience stress every month, paying cash loan.

Tip 2. Give the opportunity to pay customers in parts.

In his study, Professor of the Harvard School of Business John Gurville compared two methods for collecting money for charitable activities. The first is a one-time payment in the amount of 350 dollars. The second - in the form of daily payments, which accounted for one dollar. As a result, it turned out that a person is easier to give money if his everyday payment is not higher than the amount of daily flow (four dollars in 2003).

Application in practice. For example, the provider offers a rate with monthly payment, the size of which is 900 rubles. We divide this amount on the number of days in a month (30) and we get 30 rubles - fee for each day of use of the tariff. It is small, although the total amount will remain unchanged. To enhance the effect, you can compare this amount from some very insignificant, for example, with a price for one boxes of matches.

Tip 3. Use the "Binding Effect".

An Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kaneman in a Tech with an Israeli psychologist Amosom Tver conducted an experiment, during which a roulette with zero marking up to a hundred was twisted with them so that the arrow pointer always fell into numbers 10 and 65. Those who participated in the study were requested to write down Digging the figure and asked:

The participants' responses were different, but an average estimate (after they saw numbers 10 and 65), amounted to 25% and 45%. This phenomenon was called the "Binding Effect", and he makes itself felt in cases where people have to face a random nature before they need to evaluate some unknown value.

Application in practice. When choosing a consumer of goods, invite him to take part in a marketing study, where his answer is tied to a greater price for the service. It is important that the amount advantageous firm sounded in this issue.

The human brain is so arranged that if possible, it tries not to make extra computation. Thus, the "Default" option, that is, the refusal to make any choice is considered in the psychology of the consumer's behavior as an optimal solution. This phenomenon has a scientific explanation. In the study of the possibility of managing the behavior of the buyer, Eric Johnson and Daniel Goldstein and Daniel Goldstein divided the participants randomly into three groups. Each suggested to imagine that they settled in the country in which the donation policy was established. Only 42% of the participants in the first group expressed a desire to become donors, 82% of the members of the second group also decided to support this policy, in the third group, this figure was 79%.

Application in practice. Give your new customers the opportunity to use high-speed Internet for free for free (100 Mbps). In addition, offer them the opportunity to abandon this service at a convenient time for them. From the eighth day, if the subscriber did not take anything, transfer it to a paid tariff with speed saving, and if he refuses - change the tariff for the one that will choose from the next day. So made one of the Russian companies. As a result, most customers agreed with the choice of default, and the average tariff price increased by 18%.

Tip 5. Use the conflict of interest.

The author of the article "The burden of disclosure: an increase in the adoption of dubious recommendations" Professor of Harvard University of Sunita Sach and her colleague describe the experience concerning the study of the psychology of consumer behavior. The subjects were offered to make a choice between cubes A and B, each of which had their own set of prizes. And the prizes that people received when choosing a cube A were better than prizes, corresponding to B. Cube from all participants 92% without third-party tips chose Kubyk A.

In the same case, when the subjects were misled, speaking that the best prizes in the cube b, 52% of the subjects did the choice in his favor. But if the consultant, offering a cube B, said that it was financially interested in their choice, the indicator increased to 81%.

Application in practice: During a conversation with the client, mention that when choosing a consumer of a certain product, the manager will be paid a premium. This technique is valid in any business area, but it also has a side effect: customers may have a feeling that they are put on them, and it can affect their loyalty to the company.