Consumer behavior[1] is a key concept in marketing that originated in the mid-20th century. It incorporates an interdisciplinary approach, focusing primarily on the behaviorist perspective. As defined by the American Marketing Association, consumer[2] behavior encompasses the study of how individuals make purchase decisions, their experiences during consumption, and the various factors that influence their behavior. Predicting consumer behavior can be challenging due to its complex nature, which involves decision-making roles and various purchasing models. The behavior is shaped by a myriad of factors including emotions, attitudes, social groups, and personal preferences. The process of purchasing involves recognizing a problem, searching for information, evaluating alternatives, and post-purchase evaluation. Internal influences, such as personal and social identities, psychological factors, and demographic characteristics, also play a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior. Additionally, cultural and symbolic elements significantly affect purchasing decisions. The understanding of consumer behavior is crucial for marketers to segment their markets and tailor their strategies accordingly.
Consumer behavior is the study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all the activities associated with the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services. Consumer behavior consists of how the consumer's emotions, attitudes, and preferences affect buying behavior. Consumer behavior emerged in the 1940-1950s as a distinct sub-discipline of marketing, but has become an interdisciplinary social science that blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology, anthropology, ethnography, ethnology, marketing, and economics (especially behavioural economics).
The study of consumer behavior formally investigates individual qualities such as demographics, personality lifestyles, and behavioral variables (such as usage rates, usage occasion, loyalty, brand advocacy, and willingness to provide referrals), in an attempt to understand people's wants and consumption patterns. Consumer behavior also investigates on the influences on the consumer, from social groups such as family, friends, sports, and reference groups, to society in general (brand-influencers, opinion leaders).
Research has shown that consumer behavior is difficult to predict, even for experts in the field; however, new research methods, such as ethnography, consumer neuroscience, and machine learning are shedding new light on how consumers make decisions. In addition, customer relationship management (CRM) databases have become an asset for the analysis of customer behavior. The extensive data produced by these databases enables detailed examination of behavioral factors that contribute to customer re-purchase intentions, consumer retention, loyalty, and other behavioral intentions such as the willingness to provide positive referrals, become brand advocates, or engage in customer citizenship activities. Databases also assist in market segmentation, especially behavioral segmentation such as developing loyalty segments, which can be used to develop tightly targeted customised marketing strategies on a one-to-one basis. (Also see relationship marketing).