I would like to discuss one of advertising commercials of “Coca – Cola” in the context of the consumer behavior challenge with the view to such issues as: identifying types of sign used in the commercial and the product qualities being communicated by them, commenting on the effectiveness of these signs used to communicate the intentional message.
In this connection we need o say that nowadays consumers have very high expectations and demands for personalized products among which are daily drinks. The successfulness of the marketing planning depends on such issues as: finding product’s most important and profitable prospects, following this – delivering what the customer needs. The best approach in the given situation is to adjust marketing strategies to the segmentation of the consumer’s behavior.
Let’s analyze this poster. We can see here a little boy (whose eyes are big and shiny because he is exited with “Coke”) from the ordinary American family, near the box with “Coke”, who is whispering to some other parents form some other families, that may have kids too, such a phrase: “Take some home today!” (We may suppose that, if this boy is o happy with the “Coke”, then other kids from other families would be also happy, if their parents will bring some “Coke” home for them.)
Than we can see that the word “today” is outlined with red mark. From the psychological point of view we can say that the consumer should think about this information as an important one because it is marked with red line. And to outline the statement that the consumer should buy the “Coke” today and not forget to do they putt a sign of attention – “!” at the end of the statement.
Let’s look on the bottles with “Coca – Cola” and on the box where they are situated. The bottles are shiny in order to attract the consumer’s attention to the liquid which is in them. This part of the commercial effectively communicates with the message on the red box (which also attracts the consumer’s attention in a certain way because of its color – it is known fact that red color attracts people’s attention): “Delicious and refreshing”.
The last phrase means that he “Coke” is the desirable liquid not only by kids but by the adults too, because being busy with out any rest person needs something that will bring him or her a sort of relaxation and refreshment.
So we can state the he accent on this commercial is made not only on the segment of society called “kids”, but also on the “adults”, and on the major segment of the society as “family”.
So, in the process of the effective commercial we need to combine such issues as: understanding of the demographic behavior as well as the consumer behavior segmentation, understanding and targetgeting these customers and prospects of the product.
We need to outline behaviorally different types in order to learn about customer’s likes and dislikes, certain lifestyles and customer’s purchase behavior. We may say that the given commercial of the “Coca – Cola” fits all these patterns perfectly, it responds to requests of different segments of the society because of its flexibility in the aspects of lifestyles and purchase behavior.
It is known fact that such information helps to understand the customer’s hidden desires, views and stereotypes. This allows owners of the product to target customers more effectively with adopted messages (this means that the customer will have an illusion that this product designed just for her or him and these who are similar to her or him). The significance of the given ad of he “Coke” lays in its universality, because it applies to various segments of the society and at the same time it gives the feeling of the exclusivity to the customer.
So, we can say that such issues as: marketing analysis, segment analysis and targeting assignments are closely linked in order to provide a one piece transition from the issue of the market planning and media influence strategy, to customer purchasing, cross-selling and conservation.
I think that given commercial of the “Coca – Cola” links both household and neighborhood level segment analysis. In order to get optimum results, we need to analyze the following issues:
- urbanization measures
- household characteristics, reflected in the affluence, age groupe and family status and composition
- characteristics of neighborhood reflected in the housing stock and home ownership (let’s remember phrase form the given ad: “take some home today”).
And again, the given ad of the “Coca – Cola” fits perfectly to all of the above patterns.
There sixty six segments in the modern marketing classification, specified according to the socioeconomic rank. The classification uses such issues and characteristics as: the income of the consumer, his or her education, occupation, lifestyle and his or her home value. Such classifications are usually grouped in two distinct ways:
- Social Groups which are based on the issues of the urbanization and rank that measures socioeconomic status of the consumer.
- Life stage Groups which are based on the age and presence of kids at home (let’s remember that little boy from the given ad of the “Coke” who represents all American kids asking their parents to bring some “Coke” home for them), but with the view to the socioeconomic rank.
As a conclusion I would like to say that the study of consumer’s behavior helps different organizations to improve their own marketing strategies. In order to do this we should understand the following issues:
- The psychology and analysis of how consumers think, feel, how they reason and following these select between wide alternatives.
- The influence of the consumer’s environment on his or her: culture, family, media production.
- The of consumer’s behavior while making purchases.
- Lack of consumer knowledge or abilities of the information processing influence consumer’s decisions and marketing outcome.
- The way in which the consumer’s motivation and the decision strategies distinguish between products and services that differ in their. importance and significance level, or some interest that they cause for the consumer.
- The ability of marketers to adapt and improve their advertising campaigns and strategies in order to reach the consumer more efficiently.
The understanding of these issues helps us to make strategies more effective by taking the consumer and his or her special features into account. If we are talking about given commercial if the “Coca – Cola”, then we need to say that in this case consumers will is persuaded by emotional and symbolic appeals. I consider this ad as a successful and effective one.
References
Holbrook, M. B. (1999). Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research. Routledge, London.
Jacoby, J., Johar, G., & Morrin, M. (1998). Consumer Behavior: A Quandrennium. 319+.
Lichtenstein, D. R., Kaufmann, P. J., & Bhagat, S. (1999). Why Consumers Choose Managed Mutual Funds over Index Funds: Hypotheses from Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 33(1), 187.
Michman, R. D., Mazze, E. M., & Greco, A. J. (2003). Lifestyle Marketing: Reaching the New American Consumer. Praeger, Westport, CT.
Mullen, B., & Johnson, C. (1990). The Psychology of Consumer Behavior. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.
Polachek, D. E., & Polachek, S. W. (1989). An Indirect Test of Children’s Influence on Efficiencies in Parental Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 23(1), 91+.
Ratneshwar, S., Mick, D. G., & Huffman, C. (Eds.). (2000). The Why of Consumption: Contemporary Perspectives on Consumer Motives, Goals and Desires. Routledge, London.