Factors that influence consumer buying

Factors that influence consumer buying Factors that Influence Consumer Behaviour Patterns, when Purchasing Fashion Items 1.0 Introduction Consumer behaviour is a complicated and diverse area of study. Since marketing is based on identifying, anticipating and providing customer needs it is important to understand them. There are two predominant types of buying: consumer buying, which consists of buying products for personal use, and organisational buying, which involves buying for organisational purposes. For marketers to satisfy consumer needs more fully than competitors it is important to recognise the elements that influence buying. This report will identify the main factors influencing consumer behaviour patterns, particularly when purchasing fashion items. It will examine how buyer characteristics influence buyer behaviour and also how retailers react to such characteristics. In particular this report will look at the cultural factors, demographic factors and psychological factors that influence consumer buying. 2.0 Methodology All research undertaken for this was is secondary. It was conducted between the dates of Monday 16th February 2004 and Thursday 11th March 2004. The main research databases used were: * Mintel * Emerald The main books used were: * Lancaster, G, Massingham, L, and Ashford, R (2002). Essentials of Marketing: Understanding the Behaviour of Customers. 4th edition. McGraw-Hill Education. * Chisnall, P (1975). Marketing: A Behavioural Analysis. 1st edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company (UK) Limited. * Williams, K (1981). Behavioural Aspects of Marketing. 1st edition. Butterworth Heinemann. The Internet and databases used were accessed privately and also from the University of East London library, Docklands campus. Books were borrowed from this library as well. 3.0 Cultural Factors Culture affects consumer behaviour in a variety of ways. It relates to customs and beliefs that are learned from the society in which an individual grows up. Culture is a huge area of study that often has unclear boundaries and fluctuates in degree of influencing consumers. Aspects of our socio-culture, such as sub-culture, social class and reference groups play different roles in influencing consumers. A common pattern of behaviour can be observed within groups. Cultural change occurs at a very slow pace and can be seen to marketers as threats or opportunities. Cultural elements that influence consumer behaviour can also be said to be environmental influences. 3.1 Reference groups ‘A reference group is one that the individual tends to use as the anchor point for evaluating his/her own beliefs and attitudes, (American Marketing Association, 2004) There are many different types of reference groups, which may have a direct or an indirect influence on attitudes, behaviour and self-image. Primary reference groups are those that an individual has continuous contact with, they may consist of family, friends, colleagues etc, and they hold the strongest influence over the individual. In secondary reference groups the individual has less contact, such as an activities club, but still feels pressure to conform. Aspirational groups have the least contact with the individual, but the individual still strives to become similar. Celebrity endorsements could be said to be aspirational groups. Regardless as to whether an individual is, or seeks to become a member of a particular group, the group can still influence the individuals values, attitudes and behavioural patterns. The influence a reference group holds on an individual can be seen as positive, negative or both. A good example of primary reference groups is the street gangs in Manchester. Moran (2004) writes of the gangs of youths in which members must dress according to the code of their gang. The gangs can be identified through wearing hooded tops, bandanas, balaclavas and gold chains. However, the Manchester Magistrates Court has banned four members of a gang from wearing hooded tops, bandanas and balaclavas in an attempt to make them look less threatening and dilute the gang dress codes. Members and individuals who are influenced by the gangs are in an attempt to conform, more likely purchase items of clothing such as hooded tops and bandanas. Figure 1 demonstrates the appearance of a typical gang member. 3.2 Sub-culture A sub-culture could be defined as a group of individuals whose beliefs, values and behaviour differ from that of the predominant culture. There are many different sub cultures that are often referred to as segments. Some examples of subcultures include: nationality groups, religious groups, geographic groups and age groups. ‘Sub-culture plays an important part to marketers because of their influence on brands and types of product and services demanded by their members. Chisnall (1975) p.98. Mintel (2003) reports of an emerging fashionable youth sub-culture, in which extreme sports is the focal point. This culture is rebelling away from long working hours and heavy television watching lifestyle. In this alternative culture the interest and participation of extreme sports has merged with music and clothing. A strong emphasis of this culture can be seen through clothing and footwear in particular. Baggy clothing is a dominant dress code. (See figure 2) Mintel estimates that consumers spent  £4.5 billion on extreme sports goods in 2003, an increase of 29% on 1998. (See appendix 1, figure 3) Mintel also reports that levels of disposable incomes have influenced the rise in extreme sports. Between 1998 and 2003 disposable incomes have increased by 21%. (See appendix 1, figure 4) 3.3 Social Class Within every society there exists a class structure. This refers to individuals who share certain similar characteristics, such as occupation, socialisation, education and income. The rigidity of the class structure varies greatly in different societies. England could be said to have an open society, within which it is easy to move from one class to another. However, less developed countries such as Cambodia, where there is very little chance of social mobility, could be said to be a closed society. Since members from the same social class have alike characteristics they will also exhibit a similar pattern of behaviour. Social class plays a very big role in consumer behaviour. It can influence where an individual shops, such as market stalls, shopping malls or online, when and how often an individual shops, such as every day, weekly or monthly and what an individual shops for. The National Readership Survey has determined a popular and effective classification of social groups. (See appendix 2, figure 5). Williams, T (2002) examines consumer behaviour in relation to social class. In a study involving 612 respondents it was found that income doesnt have a direct relationship with class because there are huge overlaps between incomes of different classes. For example a doctor earning  £30,000 a year would be middle class while a brick layer earning  £50,000 a year would remain working class. However it was found that income does influence consumer behaviour within the context of social class. It was also found that education has a large bearing on consumer information processing and decision-making. More educated consumers; such as university graduates tend to be knowledgeable of market forces and opportunities than the school leaver. ‘They read more, read different magazines, spend less time watching television, rely less on well know brands and put more time and effort into purchasing decisions. Varying levels of knowledge and comprehension lead to different behavioural patt erns in decision making processes. 4.0 Demographical Factors Demographic elements, such as: age, sex, income, education and occupation are all individual factors that can significantly affect consumer behaviour. These elements influence the type of product an individual may want, where the individual may shop and also the purchase evaluation process. Demographic variables are some of the major factors targeted in market segmentation. As an individuals stage of life progresses, so the will needs and wants of a product. To help marketers make a clearer distinction between demographic groups for market segmentation classification bases have been developed. ‘A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN) is a popular geo-demographic technique used as a segmentation base. ACORN maps geographically the concentrations of a particular type of individual and can be useful for helping marketers decide upon store locations and targeting direct mailing. The American Marketing Association (2004) looks at of the spending habits amongst teenagers. From surveys carried out in America its said that increasing amounts of teenagers are trying to look more trendy and fashionable. As a result they are becoming more responsive to marketing and spending more money than ever on clothing. American youths aged 12 – 19 spent $175 billion in 2003 on clothes, which is an increase of $20 from 2000. Marketers have become aware of how impressionable teenagers are. They have reacted by segmenting the youth and marketing directly to them. Shops such as Urban Outfitters target the youth market by watching their choices carefully to set the trends. 4.1 The Life Cycle Stage An individual goes through various stages throughout their life. Each stage of life will affect what the consumer needs and wants, the purchase evaluation process and volumes of expenditure. Consumer behaviour of a single individual will vary greatly for that of an individual who is married with children. For a marketer to successfully target a market it is important to identify the main stages in an individuals life. Lansing, J and Morgan, J (1955) have devised a popular and successful break down of the life cycle of families. Each stage influences consumer behaviour in a different way. The stages are as follows: 1. Bachelor stage; young single people. 2. Newly married couples; young, no children. 3. The full nest 1; young married couple with dependent children. 4. The full nest 2; older married couples with dependent children. 5. The empty nest; older married couples with no children living with them. 6. The solitary survivor; older single people. Mintel (2001) reports that the greatest time of expenditure for a women in the AB social grade is during the bachelor stage. During this period 56% of women spent more than  £500 on clothes in a year. However, during the newly married couples, full nest 1 and full nest 2 periods the percentage of women that spends  £500 a year on clothes decreases to 35%. This percentage increases at the empty nest stage to 46%. (See appendix 3, figure 6) 5.0 Psychological Factors Psychological factors are related to perceptions, motivations, attitudes and personality of a consumer. These are all individual elements that can affect consumer behaviour. Although demographical research and the life cycle stage help to classify and quantify consumers it is necessary to have a broader view, which will help to explain how life patterns influence purchasing decisions. ‘Psychographics are usually based on demographic information as well as ratings of consumers activities, interests and opinions. Williams, K (1981) pg.91 5.1 Lifestyle Variables Lifestyles and patterns have strong influences on consumer behaviour. Figure 7 illustrates the main factors that form a lifestyle. 5.2 Perception and Motivation Perception relates to an individuals interpretation of a product and company. An individual will subconsciously select and organise information presented by a company. As well as direct experience of sensory data, perception is also influenced by learning, attitudes and past experiences. It is important for a marketer to convey good brand awareness. Maslow recognises that people have varying needs and if the need is intense then they are motivated to purchase the goods that will satisfy it. To illustrated this a hierarchy of needs has been created. Lancaster, G, Massingham, L, and Ashford, R (2002) pg. 80. Goldsmiths, R (2002) examines the personal characteristics of frequent buyers. From a survey involving 533 consumers a link was found between that of frequent clothing buyers and similar psychological and motivational traits. The survey concluded that frequent clothing buyers were more likely to buy fashion items and were more susceptible to marketing efforts. 5.3 Personality The subject of personality is a very complicated area. There are many variables that must be taken into account when trying to obtain a comprehensive view of a personality. This makes it difficult for marketers to understand the link personality has with consumer behaviour. Williams, K (1981) pg.133. 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Marketing and Product Positioning. For a marketer to satisfy customer needs efficiently and lucratively, understanding consumer behaviour is essential. Research into consumer behaviour has allowed the marketer to create target groups of people with common interests, values, beliefs and patterns of behaviour. Once a market segment has been identified, marketers can research the target market more thoroughly and the marketing mix, product, price, promotion and place can be adjusted to ensure the product position is correct. Batista (2004) reports of the clothing manufacturer Benetton who plans to weave radio frequency ID chips into its garments to track its clothes worldwide. Having the ability to track a customer would give the company extremely detailed information on customer buying habits. Benetton would then have a much better understanding of their target market, and be able to manipulate elements of the marketing mix, such as price, product, place and promotion for effectively. The clothing manufacturer Prada already embeds RFID chips into its clothes. 7.0 Conclusion To conclude it is evident that consumer behaviour, in relation to buyer fashion items, is influenced by a huge array of factors. To grasp a more complete and accurate understanding consumer behaviour needs to be examined more thoroughly. This report has identified the basic factors that influence consumer, including: culture, socio-culture, demographical, and psychological variables. Designers and retailers react to such behavioural characteristics by trying to break down and identify what causes them. It is important to investigate whether consumers can be grouped by similar patterns of behaviour. Once a market has been segmented through geographic, demographic, psychological, psychographic and socio-cultural variables the retailer can focus a particular product to a particular type of person. The marketing mix is used to manipulate the product, place, price and promotion. Examples of retailers aiming at different segments of the market include Gucci and TopShop. While Gucci captures a more wealthy, professional and elite market, TopShop aims at a much larger and more varied market. 9.0 References * American Marketing Association (2004). Dictionary of Marketing Terms: reference group. Retrieved 2nd March 2004. http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg_dictionary-view3860.php.  · American Marketing Association (2004). Whats Hot Whats Not: Teens tastes in fashion change and change often. Teens also spend, and spend†¦. * Retrieved Friday 5th March 2004. http://www.intellisearchnow.com/mp_pwrpub_view.scml?ppa=7iempYZhklooprVSlj%216%3C%22bfej%5B%21 * Batista, E (2004). Wired News: What Your Clothes Say About You. Retrieved 16th Feburary 2004. * http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,58006,00.html * Chisnall, P (1975). Marketing: A Behavioural Analysis. 1st edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company (UK) Limited. * Goldsmith, R (2002). Some Personality Traits of Frequent Clothing Buyers. Emerald, journal of consumer marketing, volume 6, number 3. Retrieved Friday 5th March. http://oberon.emeraldinsight.com/vl=3977275/cl=13/nw=1/fm=html/rpsv/cw/mcb/13612026/v6n3/s6/p303 * Lansing, J, and Morgan, J, (1955). Consumer Behaviour: Consumer finances over the life-cycle. 1st Edition. Clark, L.H., New York University Press. * Mintel, (2001). Marketing to ABs – UK – June 2001. Retrieved Saturday 6th March 2004. http://reports.mintel.com/sinatra/mintel/searchexec/fulltext=family+life-cycletype=reportsreport_titleresults=1000proximity=anywherevariants=trueorder=2/report/repcode=S192anchor=accessS192/doc/712626029repcode=S192#0 * Mintel, (2003). Extreme Sports – UK – November 2003. Retrieved Friday 5th March 2004. * http://reports.mintel.com/sinatra/mintel/searchexec/fulltext=sub-culturetype=reportsreport_country=224report_titleresults=1000proximity=anywherevariants=trueorder=2/report/repcode=L439anchor=accessL439 * Moran, C (2004). Fashion Crime: hoodlums love their hooded tops. The Times. * Williams, T (2002). Social Class Influences on Purchase Evaluation Criteria. Emerald, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 19, Number 3. Retrieved Friday 5th March 2004 http://titania.emeraldinsight.com/vl=7203230/cl=70/nw=1/fm=html/rpsv/cw/mcb/07363761/v19n3/s5/p249

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Doll’s House, a play by Henrik Ibsen, tells the story of Nora, the wife of Torvald Helmer, who is an adult living as a child, kept as a doll by her husband. She is expected to be content and happy living in the world Torvald has created for her. By studying the play and comparing and contrasting the versions presented in the video and the live performance, one can analyze the different aspects of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibsen’s purpose for writing this piece is to entertain while pointing out an injustice. Through the events of the play, Nora becomes increasingly aware of the confines in which Torvald has placed her. He has made her a doll in her own house, one that is expected to keep happy and busy as a songbird, who acts and does as he deems proper. As a result of this, she is often pointed out to be very simple by the other characters. Her friend Christina calls her â€Å"a mere child,† showing how naà ¯ve she appears to be to the hardships in life. To prove to her friend that she really has achieved something on her own to be proud of, Nora tells Christina of her secret borrowing of money for the trip to Italy that saved Torvald’s life. Everyone believed that Nora had gotten the money from her father, while actually she found someone to borrow the money from and had been paying her debt back. She did so by spending frugally and always saving some of the money Torvald had given her and by doing odd jobs. She explained to Christine, When Torvald gave me money for clothes and so on, I never spent more than half of it; I always bought the simplest things†¦and besides that, I made money in other ways. Last winter†¦I got a heap of copying to do. I shut myself up every evening and wrote far into the night†¦[I]t was splendid to work in that way and earn money. I almost felt as if I was a man. Later, while discussing his illness with her, Dr. Rank actually comments that Nora is â€Å"deeper than†¦[he] thought.† He too looked at her as like a child. The climax of the story comes when Torvald learns of Nora’s forgery and yells angrily at her. He then finds the promissory note, returned by Krogstad, and realizes that no one has anything over his head any longer. During this episode, Nora realizes what has been going on: that she has become Torvald’s â€Å"doll† which plays around his â€Å"doll† house. She points out to him: You have never under... ...le â€Å"lark.† She spends her days shopping and playing with the children. Also, the characters, locales, and scenes are limited. The characters in this play number only eleven: Nora, Torvald, the three Helmer children, Dr. Rank, Christina, Anna, Krogstad, Ellen, and a porter. The live stage production did not even include the children, as they were not essential to the action of the play. There was but one set in the stage production, and few more in the video, and the play has only three acts. Finally, the construction is tight. There are few, if any, loose ends at the conclusion of the play. Nora reveals her true feelings to Torvald in an exciting scene, Christina deals with unresolved situations with Krogstad, and Dr. Rank tells the Helmers good-bye. These all neatly tie together the previous conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is interesting to see how these elements---purpose, point of view, genre, style, motivation, and structure---make up the underlying pieces of the play. Without them, the play becomes little more than a pointless story with which the audience cannot identify. Even with these common pieces, different versions show us different twists on the same play. Henrik Isben's A Doll's House Essay -- A Doll's House Essays   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Doll’s House, a play by Henrik Ibsen, tells the story of Nora, the wife of Torvald Helmer, who is an adult living as a child, kept as a doll by her husband. She is expected to be content and happy living in the world Torvald has created for her. By studying the play and comparing and contrasting the versions presented in the video and the live performance, one can analyze the different aspects of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibsen’s purpose for writing this piece is to entertain while pointing out an injustice. Through the events of the play, Nora becomes increasingly aware of the confines in which Torvald has placed her. He has made her a doll in her own house, one that is expected to keep happy and busy as a songbird, who acts and does as he deems proper. As a result of this, she is often pointed out to be very simple by the other characters. Her friend Christina calls her â€Å"a mere child,† showing how naà ¯ve she appears to be to the hardships in life. To prove to her friend that she really has achieved something on her own to be proud of, Nora tells Christina of her secret borrowing of money for the trip to Italy that saved Torvald’s life. Everyone believed that Nora had gotten the money from her father, while actually she found someone to borrow the money from and had been paying her debt back. She did so by spending frugally and always saving some of the money Torvald had given her and by doing odd jobs. She explained to Christine, When Torvald gave me money for clothes and so on, I never spent more than half of it; I always bought the simplest things†¦and besides that, I made money in other ways. Last winter†¦I got a heap of copying to do. I shut myself up every evening and wrote far into the night†¦[I]t was splendid to work in that way and earn money. I almost felt as if I was a man. Later, while discussing his illness with her, Dr. Rank actually comments that Nora is â€Å"deeper than†¦[he] thought.† He too looked at her as like a child. The climax of the story comes when Torvald learns of Nora’s forgery and yells angrily at her. He then finds the promissory note, returned by Krogstad, and realizes that no one has anything over his head any longer. During this episode, Nora realizes what has been going on: that she has become Torvald’s â€Å"doll† which plays around his â€Å"doll† house. She points out to him: You have never under... ...le â€Å"lark.† She spends her days shopping and playing with the children. Also, the characters, locales, and scenes are limited. The characters in this play number only eleven: Nora, Torvald, the three Helmer children, Dr. Rank, Christina, Anna, Krogstad, Ellen, and a porter. The live stage production did not even include the children, as they were not essential to the action of the play. There was but one set in the stage production, and few more in the video, and the play has only three acts. Finally, the construction is tight. There are few, if any, loose ends at the conclusion of the play. Nora reveals her true feelings to Torvald in an exciting scene, Christina deals with unresolved situations with Krogstad, and Dr. Rank tells the Helmers good-bye. These all neatly tie together the previous conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is interesting to see how these elements---purpose, point of view, genre, style, motivation, and structure---make up the underlying pieces of the play. Without them, the play becomes little more than a pointless story with which the audience cannot identify. Even with these common pieces, different versions show us different twists on the same play.

Biology Investigation

Biology Investigation Aim: to investigate the effects of light and gravity on the growth of sunflower seeds. Background Info: Tropism is directional movement in response to a directional stimulus eg light or gravity. Plants are not able to relocate if they happen to start growing where conditions are nor perfect but they can alter their growth towards more favorable conditions. Plants respond to light (phototropism) where the stems grow towards the light and the roots grow away from the light. They also respond to gravity (geotropism) where the stems grow away from the ground and the roots grow towards the ground.Tropisms are controlled by auxins – a family of hormones that promote (and sometimes inhibit) growth. Sunflower seeds need regular watering in order to provide sufficient nutrients and ensure healthy and efficient growth. Hypothesis: I hypothesise that whatever orientation the seed is placed in, the shoot will always be positively phototropic and the root will always be positively geotropic, due to the basic laws of tropism. Risk Assessment: Hazard| Risk| Precautions/Disposal| Test tube breakage| Glass may cause injury to eyes or skin. | Be cautious when handling test tube; wear safety equipment such as safety glasses and gloves.Place in glass bin. | Puncturing boxes with scissors| Scissors may injure someone if there is an accident. | Assign somebody to hold the box steadily while they are being punctured. | Using forceps| May injure skin. | Hold forceps steady and try to avoid contact with skin. | Equipment: Geotropism * 4x large test tube * 4x filter paper * 4x sunflower seed * 1x test tube rack Phototropism * 1x cardboard box * 4x sunflower seed * 1x pair of scissors * 1x forceps * 4x test tube * 4x filter paper * 1x test tube rack Variables: Geotropism * Independent variable: orientation of sunflower seed Dependant variable: direction of growth of sunflower seed shoot and root * Constant variables: the test tube in which the seeds are kept, the place the test tube rack sits, the orientation of each seed Phototropism * Independent variable: orientation of sunflower seed, place of light source * Dependant variable: direction of growth of sunflower seed shoot and root * Constant variables: the box in which the seeds are kept, the place the box sits, the orientation of each seed, the materials used (filter paper, large test tube, test tube rack) Experimental Control: GeotropismOne of the test tubes was set up with a sunflower seed and the shoot facing up, the natural orientation. Phototropism A cardboard box was set up with hole punctures in the top and sides to allow light to get to the plants from all directions. Method: Geotropism * Collect equipment * Set up 4 large test tubes in a test tube rack and label them A, B, C and D. * Soak the 4 filter papers under water * Roll up one filter paper and place in test tube A, along with the sunflower seed shoot facing up to be the control. * Repeat step 4 but with test tube B, with the sunflower seed shoot facing down. Repeat step 4 but with test tube C, with the sunflower seed shoot facing right. * Repeat step 4 but with test tube D, with the sunflower seed shoot facing left. 1. Place in an area with adequate natural light 2. Water every day for 5 days, taking observations on the direction and length of growth on the seeds. Phototropism 1. Collect equipment 1. Set up 4 large test tubes in a test tube rack 1. Soak the 4 filter papers in water 1. Roll up filter paper and place in test tubes, along with the sunflower seeds with all shoots facing upward. 1. Label 3 cardboard boxes as 1. control, 2. eft, 3. right 1. Puncture 10 holes in both sides and the top of box 1 2. Puncture 10 holes in the left side of box 2 3. Puncture 10 holes in the right side of box3 4. Place a test tube rack in each box 5. Place in an area with adequate natural light 6. Water every day for 5 days, taking observations on the direction and length of growth on the seeds. Discussion Du ring the experiment, it was observed that sunflower seed shoots, regardless of their orientation, will almost always grow towards the light. Likewise, the root of the seeds will almost always grow towards the ground.This trend is due to the auxins in the plant, hormones that promote growth. When a seed is placed sideways, unnaturally, the auxins in the plant stimulate growth in the shoot to still curve upward towards the light, and in the root to curve downward towards the ground. The accuracy of this experiment was sound. The equipment used was the same for all groups and was reasonably suitable to the experiment as it allowed easily observable results, for example the glass test tubes allowed us to watch our seeds grow each day. However, watering the plants was not undertaken every day, affecting the overall accuracy.Having a specific required amount of water to water the plants each day would have been beneficial to the accuracy of the experiment. The reliability of this experime nt was poor. Most observations were not consistent. In many geotropism experiments, there were shoots that did not curve all the way down to the ground. This could have been due to the limited space they had between the glass of the test tube and the filter paper. The validity of this experiment was also poor. The constant variables were not very well controlled; the place in which the apparatus was set up changed, which meant different environmental conditions for the plants.The weather also changed every day, especially on Saturday when it was 41 degrees. This would have had an impact on the growth of the plants, and a burnt filter paper was observed, which could have been a result of the hot weather. The significant rise in temperature should have been predicted prior to the end of the school week so a more controlled environment could be created for the plants to have a consistent area to thrive in. To improve the accuracy and reliability of this experiment, a clearer and more s pecific method should be undertaken and a better set up of apparatus should be hought up to give the seeds more room to grow. However, the aim of investigating the effects of light and gravity on the growth of sunflower seeds was answered. This experiment is beneficial to society as it may assist gardeners, florists, other biologists etc in growing plants efficiently. Conclusion: Based on observations, our hypothesis of the shoot always being positively phototropic and the root being positively geotropic was supported, bringing us to the conclusion that light and gravity have a major impact on the growth of sunflower seeds no matter what the orientation.This is controlled by the auxins that respond to the light and gravity, promoting growth in the shoot of the seed to grow toward the light, and the root of the seed to grow toward the ground. Bibliography: Kimball, J W 2011,  Tropisms, viewed 27 November, 2012,  . Unknown, 2001,  Plant Hormones, viewed 27 November, 2012,  Ã‚  >.

Marketing Mix - 1795 Words

Broadly speaking, in order to maximise profits, different firms use distinct tools to perform strategy and decisions, such as SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and marketing mix analysis. In terms of the marketing mix, as an important concept in the subject of business studies, it refers to â€Å"a balance between the four main elements of marketing [is] needed to carry out the marketing strategy. It consists of the ‘4ps’: product, price, promotion and place† (MarcouseÃŒ  and Surridge et al., 2011:141). Firms can build an effective marketing strategy by using the marketing mix as a tool, and it is possible that business will fail if the marketing mix is not correct. The aim of the essay is to analyse elements of the marketing mix. Initially,†¦show more content†¦In addition, psychology-pricing strategy is also used quite frequently in supermarkets. For example, Morrison’s sell a bottle of milk  £1.99 rather than  £2, hence customers will p erceive the price as being lower. Levitt (1986) argues discriminatory pricing mainly relies on emotional responses from the consumer. The third component in the marketing mix is the place. It concerns the way in which a product is distributed. Stimpson (2005:16) points out â€Å"the ‘place’ decision involves making the product or service available to consumers in the most appropriate way†. Distribution channel as the most important factor could affect the decision of the place. There are numbers of factors can determine how the product is distributed. Blythe (2012:173) suggests one of them is the marketing aim. The increasing scale raised enterprise intends to expand as wide a distribution as possible. Furthermore, legal restrictions should be regarded as well. Stone (2001) states there are numerous products are not permitted to sell in some places. For instance, it is forbidden to sell the alcohol at the petrol station. In general, direct distribution, retailers, wholesalers and agent are four core channels of distribution. Direct distribution is the producers sell products to customers directly without intermediaries. Blythe (2012:175) explains this, â€Å"direct distribution channels are typical of personal services such as hairdressing†. For retailers, it is an organizationShow MoreRelatedHolden Marketing Mix1768 Words   |  8 PagesAssessment 2 Marketing mix Review and Recommendations Report My brand is V6 Holden Commodore Short review about Holden in Australia;- The history of Holden dates back to 1856 when it started as a saddler business in South Australia. Today Holden is one of only seven fully-integrated global General Motors operations that designs, builds and sells vehicles for Australia and the world. 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The marketing mix is reliant on how clear and defined the business’ target market is and how well the company directs the strategies towards its targeted market (Glenco McGraw-Hill, 3rd Edition). This paper will further define marketing mix, the four strategiesRead MoreMarketing Mix Essays2988 Words   |  12 PagesThe Channels of Distribution The products and the services are distributed electronically, where the costumers can buy online on the website or in stores located across Australia. 5 – Braaap’s potencial customer base and key pressure Before marketing your products and services it is important to define your customer base or target market. Braaap’s clients are people who love motorcycles whatever if it is professionally or just a sport on free time. There is a huge difference of ages between theRead MoreGeneric Marketing : Determine The Marketing Mix Essay1771 Words   |  8 Pages– 2935 Generic Marketing – Determine the Marketing mix Name – Pritpal Singh ID Number – A8947 SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY: Pritpal Singh A8947 ER - 1.1 (a) The elements of the marketing mix adopted by theRead MoreMarketing Mix Of Gionee Smartphones1204 Words   |  5 Pages Marketing Mix Analysis of Gionee Smartphones Kashyap Pd. Marahatta BUS 510 Marketing Management Professor: Dr. Geraldine Goodstone Mr. Krishna Khanal Westcliff University 25/09/2016 â€Æ' Abstract This paper intends to briefly analyze the marketing mix of Gionee smartphones. Despite the many changes that marketing mix has gone through, from four Ps to four As or from four Ps to four Cs, the marketing mix basically consists of product mix, price mix, promotion mix and place mix. 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