Introduction
Consumer behavior is a widely acknowledged critical element of strategic marketing and market analysis. Consumer behavior refers to the process by which individuals, groups, or organizations select and utilize products, services, experiences, and ideas to fulfill their needs. No less important, marketers consider the impacts that these processes of product and service usage, selection, and disposal have on consumers and society. On is a running shoe brand that is an active player in the global market, selling its products to a wide population group across different countries. This paper aims to explore how the On company can leverage competitive insights to develop an effective sales strategy based on consumer behavior.
Theory of Consumer Behavior
Consumer behavior encompasses a range of concepts and ramifications that detail the consumption process. For example, the concept of marginal product utility posits that each subsequent good or service consumed has a lower utility than the previous one (Jianjia et al., 2020). Another example is the Theory of Planned Behavior, which posits that human behavior is predictable and can be planned due to various influencing factors (Bosnjak et al., 2020).
Equally important, the theory of consumer behavior includes research concerning the process of purchase decision-making (Karimi et al., 2018). More recent studies focus on consumer behavior in media or digital behavior, consumer attitudes and perceptions, ecologically conscious consumer behavior, and the phenomenon of brand hate (Shimizu, 2021; Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018; Fetscherin, 2019). These are promising directions that will bring the theory of consumer behavior to a new level.
Customer Behavior Patterns
Currently, the On company, whose marketing ad is reminiscent of “Running on the Clouds,” has a diverse range of customers. Based on the consumer-oriented articles on the website that feature topics such as fashion, health, marathons, and trail running, it can be concluded that there are three types of consumer categories: those who run for health, athletes, and those who run for fun and adventure. All three groups have stable and predictable purchasing intentions, with the first group generating more sales, and the second and third groups generating fewer sales, although these individuals tend to purchase more expensive product versions.
Competitive Insights
The first group, which includes both older and younger people, is generally susceptible to ads that focus on the shoes’ unique running qualities and the enjoyment of running as a healthy daily routine. The next group includes athletes who show high results in marathons and are more susceptible to tech-oriented advertisements. The third group loves traveling and adventure and is more inclined to consume eco-conscious and travel blog advertisements. The idea of “Running on the Clouds” united three customer categories by presenting technologically effective and stylish shoes.
Big Idea for Promotion
“On” running shoes is a brand that sells running shoes based on the unique “cloud” technology. This technology utilizes a ‘precast’ sole consisting of a dozen connected small blocks, which allows for decompression of the landing during running and guarantees an individualized adaptation of the shoe. There are three groups of consumers, but for now, advertising and promotion look somewhat inconsistent and too segmented. Equally important, the reliance on “technological” replaces the emotional message (Young et al., 2019).
Therefore, new advertising can appeal to a sense of unity, is divided into three visual blocks relating to each of the groups, and ending with their unity, for example, when participating in a charity marathon. The main idea of an audiovisual commercial can be that running is love: to yourself through maintaining health, to the community through achievements in sports, and to life and nature through travel and adventure.
Conclusion
After reviewing and analyzing consumer behavior and factors influencing demand, I have concluded that user communication in media today is paramount. In the process of consumers’ use of Web 2.0 tools, when they exchange opinions about a brand’s product and its use, consumers develop loyalty (Shimizu, 2021). Thus, the On company should create additional opportunities for such communication. An example is Facebook groups created by marathon participants who wear brand shoes, and they cross-link to Instagram photo stories and personal blogs. Marketers who sell related accessories and maintain brand interest should also receive media support from the company.
References
Bosnjak, M., Ajzen, I., & Schmidt, P. (2020). The theory of planned behavior: selected recent advances and applications. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 16(3), 352.
Fetscherin, M. (2019). The five types of brand hate: How they affect consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research, 101, 116-127.
Jianjia, H., Lihua, C., Junxiang, L., & Shengmin, L. (2020). An empirical investigation of the online commentary behavior dynamics based on the Marginal Utility Theory. International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems (IJEIS), 16(2), 92-106.
Karimi, S., Holland, C. P., & Papamichail, K. N. (2018). The impact of consumer archetypes on online purchase decision-making processes and outcomes: A behavioral process perspective. Journal of Business Research, 91, 71-82.
Shimizu, A. (2021). New Consumer Behavior Theories from Japan. Springer.
Taufique, K. M. R., & Vaithianathan, S. (2018). A fresh look at understanding Green consumer behavior among young urban Indian consumers through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 183, 46-55.
Young, C., Gillespie, B., & Otto, C. (2019). The impact of rational, emotional, and physiological advertising images on purchase intention: How TV ads influence brand memory. Journal of Advertising Research, 59(3), 329-341.