Analyse Consumer Behaviour Profile the Market
Assignment Due: 10th June 2011
A) Individual (internal) influences on Consumer Behaviour.
Personality
B) Group (external) influences on Consumer Behaviour.
VALS grouping
I’m going from the personalities of the students and organisers at UTS as a base line for this assignment.
From what I have observed by meeting with organisers and students who use the queer space at UTS, I have surmised that there is a very warming and friendly atmosphere on campus. For the queer space, they have made it so that certain behaviours would not be tolerated.
Although personalities can vary from person to person (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, straight, etc.) we must remember that not everyone will behave in the same manner as the next person of the same gender and/ or sexuality. Personality can also fall under the same umbrella as attitudes (I believe they are one in the same). When it comes to the appeal of advertising it is crucial to keep these in mind.
A personal approach should be more confidential to let people see that their identity is secure within the room and that they can take comfort in the knowledge of this fact. Attitude can also entwine with the Personal aspect since peoples personalities and attitudes can differ. It basically comes down to identity.
Maslow explained some of these facts in his Hierarchy of Needs pyramid.
(This is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg)
When I look at this diagram I feel that there are certain points that relate more to what I am doing rather than the rest. For example; (going from the bottom up)
Safety – family, health & morality
Love/ Belonging – friendship
Esteem – of self, confidence, achievement, respect of & by others
Self-actualisation – acceptance of facts & morality
With McClelland’s 3 Needs Theory we are looking at;
Achievement – the need to get somewhere not just with studies at Tafe or University but also with life.
Affiliation – the need to feel acceptance by others.
Power – not in the way McClelland describes power… but social power.
We can also look at the use of TAT (Thematic Apperception Test); this tool can be used to measure individual needs of different people. TAT can be used in determining the future of what individuals may be well suited to.
To find out personality you can also look at Jung’s Personality Types and Information Processing which involves; Thinking (T), Feeling (F), Sensing (S) & Intuition (N).
ST – Sensing/ Thinking
These people make logical and objective decisions (based on what they perceive)
They are Low Risk takers
They’re Price Sensitive
The devoting of Time and Effort to search and weigh Advantages V’s Disadvantages in a careful manner
They also value Material Possessions
SF – Sensing/ Feeling
Their decisions are strongly influenced by what they perceive
Personal values influence their Final Purchase Decision considering others at the same time
Conform to the same risks which others may take
They also value Material Possessions especially when trying to impress others
NT – Intuition/ Thinking
They are Moderate Risk Takers (willing to buy in cases of uncertainty)
They are Creative and Logical thinkers
They take in a broad range of options
They’re open to New Ideas
They evaluate options with considerable mental effort
NF – Intuition/ Feeling
They take in broad range of options when it comes to a purchase decision and are sensitive to the views of others at the same time
They are High Risk Takers
They are Highly Innovative
They are attracted to Change and Novelty
They’re ‘Mostly’ Price-Insensitive
Decisions are Strongly influenced by Subjective Orientation rather than the External Objectivity
If we look at Tertiary students we tend to look at Affiliation the dictionary tells us this;
–noun
the act of affiliating; state of being affiliated or associated.
(ref: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/affiliation)
Affiliation Need (nAFF)
Affiliation themes are revealed in stories about establishing or restoring close and friendly relationships, joining groups, participating in pleasant social activities, and enjoying shared activities with family or friends. It reflects behaviors toward others that are cooperative, supportive, and friendly and which value belonging and conformity to the group. They obtain great satisfaction from being liked and accepted by others, and prefer to work with others who prefer group harmony and cohesion (e.g.., relationship-centered, Jungian Type F’s).
A person low in affiliation tends to be a loner who is uncomfortable socializing with others except for a few close friends or family (introversion?). They may lack motivation or energy to maintain high social contacts in networking, group presentations, public relations, and building close personal relations with peers and subordinates so necessary for most managers.
Those with strong nAFF are reluctant to let work interfere with harmonious relationships. Moderate nAFF is related to effective management, since strong needs often lead to avoidance of unpopular decisions, permitting exceptions to rules, and showing favoritism to friends. This often leads to subordinates feeling confused about rules, playing to the manager’s likes, and becoming anxious about what might happen next (inequity).
(ref: http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/LEAD/McClelland.html)
C) Analyses from A & B.
Based on gen Y college students:
The media habits of this generation, they are on the internet looking for the latest information, not big on television, they listen to select radio stations such as Nova, Triple J, etc.
Social Networking seems to be largely used by this group with the use of Facebook, Twitter, etc. About 11% have said that they have made a purchase from the influence of social media. Email usage also spikes among them during this stage in their lives with the introduction of smartphones. Multiple life stage ranging in the use of managing bank & credit card accounts (paperless statements become more popular), interacting with professors/ teachers/ lecturers and prospective employers, also coupons and other offers are found on the internet (these are critical to survival on a limited budget). The reason for the survival is due to the fact that these people are leaving the family home and getting out into the world.
NB: Unfortunately, during 2012, the original USB Memory Stick I had all this work on got overloaded and stopped working, which meant I lost a portion of my work. The above assignment is only Part A of a two part assessment. Part B has been lost in the recovery process along with some other work I had done in 2011. Some of this work includes PowerPoint presentations.
From Tafe and Beyond 
