Consumer behavior is influenced by a host of personal Characteristics such as

– Age– Life Cycle Stage– Occupation– Social Status– Lifestyle

Sociologists have classified members of a society on a continuum of social positions.

Members of social class interact regularly with each other, people are more likely to be influenced by individuals in their own social class than by those in other classes.

Factors:– Education– Occupation – Economic Status

Upper Class – Business community, professionals, politicians etc.

Middle Class – White collar jobs, with many of them having pursued higher education. Majority is private sector and government employees.

Working Class – Blue collar workers. Heavily depend on family members for economic and social support. They have a local orientation. More likely to spend than save.

Low End Class – Below poverty line(BPL). With light regular income also included.

A person’s reference groups are all the groups that have a direct (membership group) and indirect influence on their attitudes or behavior.

Primary group : interacts continuously and informally ( family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers)

Secondary group : more formal and less continuous interaction (such as religious, professional, and trade-union groups)

Reference groups influence members in at least three ways.– They expose an individual to new behaviors and lifestyles.– They influence attitude and self-concept.– They cerate pressures for conformity that may affect product

and brand.

Where reference group influence is strong, marketers must determine how to reach and influence the group’s opinion leaders.

An Opinion Leader is the person who offers informal advice or information about a specific product or product category.

Opinion Leaders can informally influence the behavior of customers towards products or services, either positively or negatively.

Long term involvement with the product category.

Highly confident. Interpersonal communications.More gregarious and are willing to

act differently.

MODERATE HIGH

MODERATEHIGH

HIGH

LOW

HIGH LOW

Knowledge about product/service

Product/purchaseinvolvement

Consumer Behavior by Ramanuj Majumdar.

Consumer Behavior by Satish K Batra, S H H Kazmi.

Marketing Management by Philip Kotler.