How Advertising Impacts Consumer Purchase Decision Making
Advertising is a form of communication with its sole aim to convince an audience or viewers to purchase a product or take some action over the information or services relayed. There isn’t a world yet where a company has gone on to become a well known brand without having to invest on promotional campaigns. Advertisements serve as a major tool in creating product awareness in the mind of potential customers. Their primary mission is to reach prospective customers and influence their awareness, attitudes and buying behavior. All the advertising agencies in India have this in common — how they go about it depends on the agency itself. Companies spend a lot of money an advertising strategies and campaigns to keep their customer’s interest over the product.
The principal aim for an agency such as BrandBerry Marcom, an advertising agency in Noida is to analyze consumer behavior and determine the factors that can influence a consumer’s buying behavior — especially in three aspects, the economic, social and psychological. Exposure to advertisements in consumers leads to cognition such as memory of the ad, and the brand leading to attitudes such as product liking and an impulse to purchase it. Using emotion as a tool in an advertisement is a huge bonus as such ads are associated with more by the consumers. In today’s dynamic world, consumerism describes the way of equating personal happiness while purchasing material possessions and consumption in excess of one’s need.
Advertising bridges the gap between companies and consumers, providing a platform for brands to introduce new products. It also has an impact over the consumers’ decision making. Here’s how:
Cultural Factors — Brands take into account the cultural factors inherent to each market and situation. This makes them easy to adapt their marketing strategy to these factors. This will play a role in managing the perception, habits, behavior and expectations of consumers.
Social Classes — Advertisers target consumers from different social classes, specifically offering products that are suitable to their price range. A person from lower class is more inclined to the price of the product whereas the person from higher class is more attracted to elements such as quality, innovation, features, or even the “social benefit” that he can obtained from the product.
Trends — Due to social pressure, consumers are compelled follow the trend and buy the product which is widely popular. This also prompts in releasing an updated product or become a source for innovation. Example, Facebook has become a popular cultural trend making it a must have, especially among young generations.
Social Factors -This is one of the factors influencing consumer behavior significantly. They fall into three categories: reference groups, family and social roles and status.
Reference Groups and Membership Groups -Membership groups are usually related to their social origin, age, residence, work, hobbies, etc. whereas reference groups are those individuals who at some point provide comparison in relation to behavior, lifestyle, desires or consumer habits. For example a surfing beginner may want to get aboard that is used by more advanced surfers in order to get closer to the group.
Family — Family is the most influencing factor for an individual as they develop attitudes and opinions on various subjects. It will also have an effect on the consumer habits, perception of brands and the product an individual may buy.
Social Role and Status– It profoundly influences the consumer behavior and his purchasing decisions; applies mainly for the products that are visible to other people.
Among the factors of effecting consumer behavior through advertisement, psychological factors can be divided into groups — motivation, perception, belief.
Motivation -It is what will drive a consumer to develop the irk to purchase. The need becomes pressing enough for the consumer to want to satisfy himself by purchasing the product. Brands constantly reinforce a need in the consumer’s mind so that he develops a purchasing need and motivation.
Perception — Advertisements are able to grab attention between consumers that in turn increases their perception and build a belief towards the brand and its product. If the perception and belief is positive, the consumer will certainly adopt the product.
There are external, internal and marketing influences also in play to affect the consumer purchase decision making. Marketing influence or advertising act as both, internal and external influences to consumer behavior in purchase.
Agencies, wherever their standards may lie in; be it an advertising agency in Gurgaon or an advertising agency in Delhi-NCR work to build an awareness in a potential customer’s mind. The fast changing landscape in all the business domains is forcing companies as well as advertising agencies to strengthen their marketing operations to establish and continue with customer connectivity.
