consumer behavior
the process involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires
involvement
the relative importance of perceived consequences of the purchase to a customer
perceived risk
the belief that choice of a product has potentially negative consequences, either financial, physical, or social
problem recognition
the process that occurs whenever the consumer sees a significant difference between his current state of affairs and some desired or ideal state... recognition initiates the decision making process
information search
the process whereby a consumer searches for appropriate information to make a sensible decision
behavioral targeting
the marketing practice by which marketers deliver advertisements for products a consumer is looking for by watching what the consumer does online
evaluative criteria
the dimensions used by consumers to compare competing product alternatives.
heuristics
a mental rule of thumb that leads to speedy decisions by simplifying the process
brand loyalty
a pattern of repeat product purchases, accompanied by an underlying positive attitude toward the brand that is based on the belief that the brand makes products superior to those of its competition
consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction
Overall feelings about a product after we've purchased it.
cognitive dissonance
the anxiety or regret a consumer may feel after choosing from among several similar attractive choices
perception
the process by which people select, organize, and interpret information to form a meaningful picture of the world
exposure
the extent to which a stimulus is capable of being registered by a person's sensory receptors
subliminal advertising
supposedly hidden messages in marketer's communications
attention
the extent to which a person devotes mental processing to a particular stimulus
interpretation
the process of assigning meaning to a stimulus based on prior associations a person has with it and assumptions he makes about it
motivation
an internal state that drives is to satisfy needs by activating goal-oriented behavior
hierarchy of needs
an approach that categorizes motives according to five levels of importance, the more basic needs being on the bottom and the higher needs at the top
learning
a relatively permanent change in behavior caused by acquired information or experience
behavioral learning theories
theories of learning that focus on how consumer behavior is changed by external evens or stimuli
classical condition
the learning that occurs when a stimulus eliciting a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit an a response on its own but will cause a similar response over time because of its association with the first stimulus
operant conditioning
learning that occurs as the result of rewards or punishments
stimulus generalization
behavior caused by a reaction to one stimulus occurs in the presence of other stimuli
cognitive learning theory
theory of learning that stresses the importance of internal mental processes & that views people as problem solvers who actively use information form the world around them to master their environment
observational learning
learning that occurs when people watch the actions of others and note what happens to them as a result
attitude
a learned predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to stimuli on the basis of relatively enduring evaluations of people, objects, and issues
affect
the feeling component of attitudes; refers to the overall emotional response a person has to a product
cognition
the knowing component of attitudes; refers to the beliefs or knowledge a person has about a product and its important characteristics
behavior
the doing component of attitude; involves a consumer's intention to so something, such as the intention to purchase or use a certain product
personality
the set of unique psychological characteristics that consistently influences the way a person responds to situations in the environment
self-concept
an individual's self-image that is composed if a mixture of beliefs, observations, and feelings about personal attributes
family life-cycle
a means of characterizing consumers within a family structure in the basis of different stages through which people pass as they grow older
lifestyle
the pattern of living that determines how people choose to spend their time, money, and energy and that reflects their values, tastes, and preferences
psychographics
the use of psychological, sociological, and anthropological factors to construct market segments
culture
the values, beliefs, customs, and tastes a group of people values
subculture
a group within a society whose members share a distinctive set of beliefs, characteristics
consumerism
a social movement that attempts to protect consumers from harmful business practices
environmentalism
a broad philosophy and social movement that seeks conservation and improvement of the natural environment
Kyoto protocol
a global agreement among countries that aims at reducing greenhouse gasses that create
environmental stewardship
The position that an organization takes to protect or enhance the natural environment as it conducts its business activities.
green marketing
a marketing strategy that supports environmental stewardship by creating a differential benefit in the minds of consumers
greenwashing
environmentally-friendly claims that are exaggerated or untrue
social class
the overall rank or social standing of groups os people within a society according to the value assigned to factors such as family background, education, occupation, and income
status symbols
visible markers that provide a way for people to flaunt their membership in higher social classes
mass-class
the hundreds of millions of global consumers who now enjoy a level of purchasing power that's sufficient to let them afford high-quality products- except for big-ticket items like college educations, housing, or luxury cars
reference group
an actual or imaginary individual or group that has a significant effect on an individual's evaluations, aspirations, or behavior
opinion leader
a person who is frequently able to influence other's attitudes or behaviors by virtue oh his active interest and expertise in one or more product categories
gender roles
society's expectations regarding the appropriate attitudes, behaviors, and appearance for men and women
metrosexual
a straight, urban male who is keenly interested in fashion, home design, gourmet cooking, and personal care.
consumer-to-consumer (c2c) e-commerce
communications and purchases that occur among individuals without directly involving the manufacturer or retailer
social network services
on-line applications that use software to build on-line communities of people who share interests and activities
brand community
a group of consumers who share a set of social relationships based upon usage or interest in a product
consumer tribe
a group of people who share a lifestyle and who can identify with each other because of a shared allegiance to an activity or a product
blog
on-line personal journals similar to web pages, but a different technology lets people upload a few sentences without going through the more elaborate process of updating a web site