The current paper dwells on my purchasing behaviours and experiences and also features a thorough review of a video ad by ASOS posted on YouTube. A personal consumption journal includes five products that I have purchased during the last week. I briefly review the looks and value of each of the products and then discuss my customer profile in great detail. My personal purchasing habits are reviewed in addition to the most prevalent behaviours and areas of shopping. As it is stated further in the paper, I make the majority of purchases online because it is easier for me and brings more joy than physical shopping.
The second part of the report features a detailed analysis of a YouTube ad uploaded by ASOS. I have found at least six consumer behaviour concepts included in a 2-minute spot, meaning that the company took a rather creative approach to showing off its new fashion collection. The market segment that ASOS mostly appeals to includes males and females aged from 20 to 30 who are willing to express themselves and embrace their exceptionality. Ultimately, I propose a revised approach to the existing ad that could help ASOS appeal to a completely different target population.
Introduction
The importance of advertising may never be underestimated because both existing and potential customers should always be aware of the latest offers. Regardless of whether it means to reach customers online or offline, companies strive to appeal to consumers and roll out personalised products and services that may be successfully translated into income, improved brand image, and an extended customer base (De Mooij, 2018). When a business develops advertising, it aims to create a competitive advantage for itself and establish its role in the market by ensuring that all critical aspects of the business were mentioned, as it would improve the turnaround.
There are numerous ways to spread advertising messages, such as websites, mobile apps, TV spots, and magazines. Even though there are advantages and disadvantages to any advertising, the impact that they create cannot be ignored, especially when it touches upon the segments that are most prone to purchasing behaviours (Andrews and Shrimp, 2017). The ability to reach an extended number of customers might be essential to a business that is willing to move its operation to a different region or even country. Accordingly, product promotion is a serious marketing initiative that can be used to attract new customers and retain the existing ones.
Consumption Journal
Within the last week, I have ordered Hardee’s takeaway meals several times, as I genuinely enjoy how this company serves its clients and the food that they sell. My favourite items on the menu are the Superstar Burger with cheese and the Big Cheeseburger. Even though I do not visit the restaurant too often, its offerings always appeal to me.
Another product that I have used recurrently during last week is the Global Keratin shampoo. It really helps me keep my hair naturally hydrated, and it regulates the pH level as well. The packaging of this product is rather convenient, and the colours appeal to me a lot. The natural oils in this shampoo also represent an advantage, in my opinion.
One more product that I would like to mention is a MAC lipstick. Not only it is one of the best choices in the market, but also a product that adequately embraces the price-quality ratio and allows me to get a first-class product for a reasonable sum of money. I believe that any MAC lipstick is worth the price.
Sportswear from asos.com is another product that resonated with me during the last week. I loved the tracksuit for how simple yet gorgeous it was. The price is also rather reasonable, which makes me think that anyone from the same market segment may purchase this tracksuit as well.
The last product on the list of my consumption journal is a dress from asos.com (link) that I ordered last Friday. Its dotted design appeals to me a lot, and I would like to be able to wear it as soon as possible. I am confident that this dress is of high quality, and there will be no issues related to post-wash or excessive wrinkling.
Personal Consumer Profile
I would define myself as a relatively calm consumer that does not need anything extravagant to be marketed to them in order to get them to purchase certain products. Instead, I enjoy seeing businesses provide me with all the valuable information regarding their products and services in order to be able to decide whether I am going to purchase or not. As a []-year-old young adult, I feel like the most important thing to me is to be able to validate the benefits of a certain offer before going any further. This means that I would always check the company’s background and history before purchasing any of their products. The strategy here is to define the possible pitfalls before purchase and ensure that every purchase that I make is worth the money that it costs. I would not say that my age makes any difference, but I like seeing customised offers that businesses expect to appeal to me.
I do not usually prefer shopping with a friend or a family member, but I often tell my parents about my latest purchases and ask what they think about them. Not that my parents influence my buying behaviours, but I highly anticipate their feedback every time we talk about shopping. In order for a business to be able to market products and services to me, it should be bold and open-minded enough, as I am interested in respectful, progressive companies that know how to approach their customer base. My preferred channels are social media and e-mail marketing because I enjoy mobile shopping a lot and do not like to spend time on offline errands. The most important thing about my consumer profile is that I am always identifying myself with what is included in the advertising, as it helps me to decide whether I need that product or service or not.
Ad Review
Consumer Behaviour Concepts Used in the Ad
The first consumer behaviour concept that was used in the ad is consumer culture. ASOS actively promotes specific symbols and shared experiences to appeal to a more significant number of young customers. Instead of implementing countermeasures, the business celebrates early adopters and shows that those who follow the latest fashion trends may be seen as leaders within the community (Cleveland, Laroche and Takahashi, 2015; Hackley and Hackley, 2015). In a way, ASOS drives enthusiasm among purchasers and does not promote its products as a means of unlocking a different social status.
Another consumer behaviour that may be found in the ad is curiosity drive. When seeing the ad, with all of its bright colours and personalisation, the existing and potential consumers would be willing to obtain information about where to get the latest collection offered by ASOS. Eliciting customer curiosity is one of the easiest ways for the company to reduce the indistinctness surrounding its merchandise (Hill, Fombelle and Sirianni, 2016; Wiggin, Reimann and Jain, 2019). From the ad, it is clear that anyone may be able to identify themselves with what happens on the screen because ASOS embraces human uniqueness and offers them to remain curious about what and how they do.
The customer persona is the third consumer behaviour that was used in the ad. The idea was to increase sales and resonance among customers by including a real model in the video that actually “wears” several different images throughout the ad. By doing this, ASOS illustrates that just about anyone may wear their products and express themselves with no limits (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). This is one of the shortest ways to positive customer experience.
One more consumer behaviour concept identified in the ad is price sensitivity. ASOS does not show any prices explicitly, meaning that at the moment, the ad appeals to every young adult out there who watched the YouTube spot and decided to visit the ASOS website or download the app. Even though the conversion rate might not be expected to increase, the company will be able to investigate its pricing strategy over time (Gao, Zhang and Mittal, 2017; Hsu, Chang and Yansritakul, 2017). Individual customer capabilities have to be assessed as well in order for ASOS to be able to make a conclusion regarding a proper pricing strategy for the target population.
The fifth consumer behaviour concept is problem recognition. The idea here is that ASOS tries to appeal to potential customers by helping them identify a specific need to support the manufacturer and buy something (Huang, 2015). In the case of this particular ad, consumers are expected to side with the main character and express themselves in a number of different ways without being oppressed or judged.
The last consumer behaviour concept is peak experiences. ASOS appeals to its potential customers by creating a deeply moving message that is packed in uniqueness and exhilaration (De Keyser et al., 2015; Harmeling et al., 2017). Any potential viewer might identify themselves with the main character and enjoy all the on-screen peak experiences in real life. This somewhat addictive ad is going to appeal to the target segment because of the presence of a strong leader who enjoys life and suggests ASOS consumers do the same.
Market Segment
The market segment that ASOS tries to appeal to are the majority of young adults who are aged between 20 and 30. The idea here is that this cohort of consumers is most influenced by the media, celebrity co-signs, and peers. Therefore, each member of this target segment is trying to either follow the trends or set them. Practically every young individual who represents the target audience of ASOS is expected to express their identity through their looks, including clothing, footwear, and accessories. ASOS customer base is also attracted by constant social media interactions and instant access to all the necessary information. For this market segment, the looks are rather important, but the ability to purchase favourite items online is essential. Given the fact that fashion is no longer a taboo topic but rather a social event, the target segment of ASOS is not afraid of voicing its opinions and assessing the latest trends.
Personal Attitude
I believe I fit the identified target segment perfectly because the ad is ultimately expected to appeal to the young people of my age. Everything one may see in this ASOS advertising relates to what is important to adolescents such as the ability to express oneself, stand out, and not be judged for how they look or what they do. My overall impression is that I might be interested in purchasing some of the products shown in the video, especially given that they are presented in a vigorous, colourful way.
Potential Changes
In order for the ad to appeal to a completely different target segment, ASOS would have to change practically everything. First, there is a need to alter the background music and change it to something less trouble-making. The current accompaniment shows that ASOS is somewhat of a rebel in the industry, as it supports uniqueness (or even freakiness) in its customers by having them wear vibrant, nonconformist clothes. In order to appeal to a different market segment, ASOS might also want to pick a different model. A slightly older person (aged from 35 to 45) would perfectly fit the video with the company trying to convey the message of how it supports customers of all ages and does not focus solely on the young population. The last thing to do would be to replace all the rainbow colours from the original video with pastel shades in order to embrace the age when there is no need to look for ways to stand out or appeal to the crowd. The new ad would promote required products among the customers from a different age bracket without any promotional value losses.
Conclusions
As for my personal consumer journal, I may conclude that I am somewhat of a tough customer that is hard to appeal to because of high standards and an intense keenness for exploration. The best way for me to approach an ad is to review all the background information first and then make a decision on whether to purchase a specific product or service based on all the evidence that I have been able to collect. Other than that, I genuinely enjoy the opportunity of shopping on the Internet, as I recurrently purchase clothes and cosmetics from trusted online stores.
Speaking of the ad that I was required to analyse, I may conclude that ASOS is a knowledgeable company that knows how to appeal to its target consumers. ASOS uses a variety of instruments to drive specific customer behaviours and create ads that are interesting to watch. The message that the company conveys throughout the video is that it supports personalisation, self-expression, and the willingness to embrace one’s inner self. Even though ASOS was predominantly aiming at the younger populations with their ads, they would be able to appeal to the older generations as well if they changed certain aspects of the video such as colour palette, the main character, and the audial accompaniment.
Reference List
- Andrews, J. C. and Shrimp, T. A. (2017) Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated marketing communications. Toronto: Nelson Education.
- Cleveland, M., Laroche, M. and Takahashi, I. (2015) ‘The intersection of global consumer culture and national identity and the effect on Japanese consumer behavior’, Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 27(5), pp. 364-387.
- De Keyser, A. et al. (2015) ‘A framework for understanding and managing the customer experience’, Marketing Science Institute Working Paper Series, 15(121), pp. 1-48.
- De Mooij, M. (2018) Global marketing and advertising: understanding cultural paradoxes. New York: SAGE Publications Limited.
- Gao, H., Zhang, Y. and Mittal, V. (2017) ‘How does local–global identity affect price sensitivity?’, Journal of Marketing, 81(3), pp. 62-79.
- Hackley, C. and Hackley, R. A. (2015) ‘Marketing and the cultural production of celebrity in the era of media convergence’, Journal of Marketing Management, 31(5), pp. 461-477.
- Harmeling, C. M. et al. (2017) ‘Toward a theory of customer engagement marketing’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), pp. 312-335.
- Hill, K. M., Fombelle, P. W. and Sirianni, N. J. (2016) ‘Shopping under the influence of curiosity: how retailers use mystery to drive purchase motivation’, Journal of Business Research, 69(3), pp. 1028-1034.
- Hsu, C. L., Chang, C. Y. and Yansritakul, C. (2017) ‘Exploring purchase intention of green skincare products using the theory of planned behavior: testing the moderating effects of country of origin and price sensitivity’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 34, pp. 145-152.
- Huang, M. H. (2015) ‘The influence of relationship marketing investments on customer gratitude in retailing’, Journal of Business Research, 68(6), pp. 1318-1323.
- Lemon, K. N. and Verhoef, P. C. (2016) ‘Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey’, Journal of Marketing, 80(6), pp. 69-96.
- Wiggin, K. L., Reimann, M. and Jain, S. P. (2019) ‘Curiosity tempts indulgence’, Journal of Consumer Research, 45(6), pp. 1194-1212.