Consumerpsychologist.com Website Review

As*istant Professor of Clinical Marketing Department of Marketing Marshall School of Business University of Southern California As*istant Professor of Clinical Marketing Department of Marketing Marshall School of Business University of Southern California Hoffman Hall 603, 701 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90089-1421, USA The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. Consumer behavior involves the study of how people--either individually or in groups--acquire, use, experience, discard, and make decisions about goods, serivces, or even lifestyle practices such as socially responsible and healthy eating. As an evolving phenomenon, one should not be overly dogmatic about this defintion. Numerous alternatives, each taking a slighly different angle and emphasizing different aspects. However, the scope presented here suggests that: or family tradition influences which brand of laundry detergent is bought). great interest to the marketer, because this may influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage increased consumption. Since many environmental problems result from product disposal (e.g., motor oil being sent into sewage systems to save the recycling fee, or garbage piling up at landfills) this is also an area of interest. marketing of easy credit, may have serious repercussions for the national health and economy. consumers are more receptive to food advertising when they are hungry, we learn to schedule snack advertisements late in the afternoon. By understanding that new products are usually initially adopted by a few consumers and only spread later, and then only gradually, to the rest of the population, we learn that (1) companies that introduce new products must be well financed so that they can stay afloat until their products become a commercial success and (2) it is important to please initial customers, since they will in turn influence many