Marketing Decisions in Terms of Consumer Behavior

Transcription

1 Marketing Decisions in Terms of Consumer Behavior Assoc. Prof. Dan NASTASE PhD. Master Student Cristian STOICIU Student Denisa OPREA Artifex University of Bucharest Abstract On the market, the consumer is defined as the main element, element of reference, as the market is unable to take independent existence without it. Modern marketing concept assumes that all economic activity should be directed towards meeting the requirements of actual and potential consumers with maximum efficiency. Basically the whole complex of marketing activities is designed to ensure goods and services that consumers require, appropriate merchandise, in the right quantities at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. Key words: marketing, consumer, behavior, study, reference, economics, market, model, factors, system. Study results shows that there are various application for the behavior of consumers. Segmenting markets today are characterized by a multitude of theoretical approaches, and practical approaches targeting various products and services. Basically, even if market segmentation and types have the same objective, their starting point is quite different: the segmentation of fragments from their whole markets generate typology classifications based on individual cases, consumers and businesses. In terms of market segmentation and target segments, there is a wide variety of approaches, characterized by two key elements: the variables and criteria for segmentation and segmentation model or models. Many researchers have proposed a general set of variables for quantification and segmentation, geographical, demographic, economic and behavioral, that can be used in any market. From this point of view, although there are a lot of approaches, marketing science models have not generalized in delivering projects for more markets. 168 Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/2014

2 Other authors have proposed criteria and analytical models that have worked in some markets, but should be tested in other markets because it contains generalized valences. For market segmentation based on lifestyle, a number of researchers have used seven demographic variables: social class, sex, age, last school graduated, position in the family, marital status and children in the family, to which sixty-six lifestyle variables have been attached, resulting in seven segments, described with clarity. Unfortunately, the model is useful approach, but can not be generalized as lifestyle variables are not the same in every area and in every market. Applying the model based on the theory of finite distribution structure, they conducted a market segmentation for durable goods, using seven core variables: family income, number of adults in the family, the presence of children in the family under 18 years of presence in the family children under six years, if the wife works, the length of employment and current residence, if the family uses a credit card. Although, by this method, there were identified segments of families that were studied as consumer concern replacement, this can not be generalized as it keeps strictly to market customization. Based on responses to price and promotion conducted to a market segmentation for yogurt, groups of families identified by decisions on the brand, purchase frequency and quantity. This approach allowed the sales to be broken by choosing brand purchase behavior, frequency of purchase and buyer calitation. Of those shown, it follows that market segmentation can be done by various categories of consumers or associated features of products and services. Any analysis and the study of consumer behavior must integrate, in one way or another, the specific marketing research because the marketing decisions studies based on consumer behavior takes consistency. Therefore, it is considered that the results of studying consumer behavior is integrated into marketing decisions, if it complies with the following triad: specific marketing problem formulation and design of appropriate studies consumer behavior, the actual implementation of research study for consumer behavior and the development of marketing tools to be implemented in market practice. Formulating marketing problem is a result of marketing policies, the marketing strategy, the research tools offered by martketing, specifying the necessary information and data required to Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/

3 substantiate the decision obtained by studying consumer behavior etc. Marketing research and study of consumer behavior are closely related to how the categories relate to economic efficiency and effectiveness. The concept of efficiency among these studies is expressed synthetically by profit, the concept of efficiency refers to the achievement of objectives (goals) marketing without necessarily making reference to the efforts, often representing measure actual sales effectiveness. Formulation of the problem is dependent on the achievements of marketing research. This should be consistent with the objectives, defining the problem that needs to be solved. It must be such that the conduct and performance of research to be impeccably designed, meaning that if any correction is applied, it does not require changes likely to alter the substance of the problem of marketing. As such, it requires thorough grounding in relation to: the number of individual interviews; scale group discussions; sample size; length of the questionnaire; scale processing; location of expansion to be achieved etc. The pinnacle of genealogical dimension associated research is given by the effective integration of the results of the study of consumer behavior in marketing decisions. Like any decision related to solve a marketing problem, it has the following components: possible strategies, market variables, market variables prediction, the consequences of marketing and decision criteria. Marketing strategies have alternative constructions, the combination of controllable factors in terms of the market, which can be known by way of studies offered consumer behavior. Uncontrollable market variables cover the market, but are involved in different areas of management decision. Market variables prediction is made, usually in the form of probabilities of occurrence, as evidenced both as punctual as well as the probable ranges can enter variables in question. To assess probabilities, there are market variables that assumes system stability, which is a key concept for all decisions of the management team of the company. Consequences of marketing actions express the results that are expected when applying a specific marketing action when there is a certain ambience. Decision criterion covers the principle of selecting a choice, according to the amount of information available to the decision maker to 170 Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/2014

4 get the best solution. As in many other fields, developing marketing decisions can be made in conditions: certainty, risk, uncertainty total, partial uncertainty, conflict, etc. The risk arises in situations where normal course of development is known, which is based on some regularity, but that does not exclude chance, which may occur with a certain probability, and the state that express uncertainty on given decision is not a known law acting, so it wold be possible to determine a probability for possible events. Marketing decisions with certainty assume that every possible marketing action will generate a particular result, so the strategy that produces the best result is to be selected. In these cases, the marketing decision is simple. The difficulty posed by such a decision lies in the large number of strategies. Marketing decisions under risk imply a formal analysis of decision alternatives and their consequences; while the effects of decisions are not known for sure, the best action is the one that maximizes the anticipations. The early results of a random process (random variables) form the weighted value of all variable values, each of which is weighted with its own probability of occurrence. In general, in a decision-making situation, the risk is perceived as a psychological reality, but for various marketing activities risk can be quantified and measured by probabilities; so if the chance of success is 0.8 then the risk is 0.2. The process by which policy makers that integrates results of studying consumer behavior in leading companies processes perceive the risk as extremely complex and involves both the probability of a combination of marketing actions and market variables (risk increases with increasing negative effects) and preferences for certain outcomes, and as man increases the likelihood of extreme outcomes (positive or negative) the risk is perceived to be higher. In marketing practice, for risk measurement, there is calculated the mathematical expectation of financial results and losses. Marketing decisions in terms of total ignorance assumes that alternatives are decisions who lead to consequences with unknown probabilities. Most cases are attached to new products. In marketing research, uncertainty refers to the probability of the consequences of alternative actions. If uncertainty is seen as lack of information, the whole issue should be considered in such cases uncertainty, it occurs in all phases of the decision, from problem definition of marketing. Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/

5 The marketing decisions taken in terms of total ignorance criteria decision-maker's attitude may be: 1 Maximin (Abraham Wald) and pessimistic conservative principle, because the market minimize results and the decision maker will choose the maximum possible. 2 Maximax (Hurwicz) completely optimistic principle; recommended action to produce maximum results. 3 Coefficient optimist (Hurwicz) optimistic or pessimistic criterion; to give by considering the first two criteria, the decision maker takes into account both the highest and lowest results, weighting their ignorance with a constant related to the attitude of the decision maker. 4 Minimax (Savage): the principle of regret; decision maker minimizes the regret of having selected an action that is most appropriate. 5 Laplace (principle of sufficient reason): the principle that transforms uncertainty risk by assigning equal probability to all market variables. Marketing decisions in conditions of partial ignorance are very common in marketing, as this area is rarely characterized by total ignorance. In almost all situations, decision makers have more information, but they must always be completed, because the decision must have a scientific basis. Using their experience with integrating new information finds a large illustration among these decisions, by using the analysis buyesiene. Decisions under conditions of conflict are taken from one or more competitors real, apart from the hypothetical market conditions and decisions for general situations of risk and uncertainty. Therefore, these decisions are delimited according to the number of competitors and the degree of opposition to their interests, the most common variant of this kind of decision the game with two competing and sum zero. What a player wins, the other loses, as illustrated by the matrix representation of decision outcomes or rewards. In all cases, integrating the results of studying the behavior consumer marketing decisions is shown to be based on systemic vision problem formulation of marketing, conducting research and proper settlement of the situation in which the decision-makers. 172 Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/2014

6 References Balaure, V. (coordonator ), Adăscăliţei, V., Bălan, C., Boboc, Şt., Cătoiu I., Olteanu, V., Pop, N. Al., Teodorescu, N. (2008) Marketing, Editura Uranus, Bucureşti Cătoiu, I., Teodorescu, N. (2008) Comportamentul consumatorului, Editura Uranus, Bucureşti Koetler, Ph. (2006) Managementul marketingului, Editura Teora, Bucureşti Mecu, Gh. (coordinator, 2002) Studiul comportamentului consumatorului în economia de piaţǎ contemporanǎ, Editura Genicod Ştefănescu, V., Neagu, V., Teodorescu, N. (1978) Studierea directǎ a cererii de marfuri a populaţiei în profil microteritorial, prin efectuarea de sondaje statistice în târguri sau expoziţii, Revista Comerţul Modern, nr. 6, Udrescu, M. (2008) Studiul comportamentului consumatorului, Editura Artifex, Bucureşti Revista Română de Statistică - Supliment nr. 7/