Impact of Consumer Behaviors towards imported furniture

It is very important to consider the cultural and social factors when a company plan and implement the marketing strategy. According to case study IKEA plan to expand the business in Sri lanka. Cultural and social factor significantly impact on consumer buying behavior. If a company expanding their business overseas cultural and social factor significantly impact in the entire business activity (S Kuma, D Liu, 2005). As per this scenario marketing strategy should reach the prospective customer and turn them to customer of the IKEA product. In this situation cultural and social factor of Sri Lanka need to be considered while developing marketing strategy.

Sri Lankan cultural and social factor impact in consumer behavior

Culture is different by each country for an example American culture subset of European culture more in freedom, hard work, independent. In Sri Lanka consumer buying decision more depend on family and friend’s decision as well. In this case Sri Lankan purchasing decision dominate by family members.

Sub culture and effect on consumer behavior

Geography and consumer behavior pattern in Sri Lanka consumer purchasing patterns different by each province.

Eg:

costal arear people more concern about wooden furniture due iron furniture get rusted very quickly. Central province people prefer cultural symbolic furniture.

Religion and impact on consumer pattern

According to A Bakar, C Rungie, R Lee (2013) religion effect on consumer behavior positively negatively, religious believes impact on consumer behavior significantly. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christians are living in sri lanka. Marketing strategy religion need be well considered in furniture design. Majority of Muslims avoid any animal or creature crafted in the furniture on the other hand Buddhist, Hindu prefer some religious symbols crafted on their furniture for good luck for example sofa crafted with sun, cow, elephant, or any god images. According to regional group design of the furniture and marketing plan to be considered while planning and implementing the marketing strategy.

Occupation

Occupation significantly impact on the purchasing behavior (N Ramya, SM Ali, 2016). Purchasing power depends on the salary scale and social group, family cycle, religion. Also Depend on occupation status consumer furniture type, quality, design will be different. Its better to deliver the right choice according their occupation and salary status. IKEA furniture design, quality, price need to consider according to the target audience job classification.

Social factor

Social class depended on income, wealth, education, family background, power, occupation and prestige. According to social class factor consumer behavior will change. Most of the time People in same social class group have similar attitude and similar consumer behavior since they have living in similar neighborhood, similar school, most of the time similar taste and fashion as well. When developing the marketing strategy social factor need to considered.

Since IKEA provide wide range of furniture to all type of social group need to consider the customer expectation according to the social and cultural group.

Family cycle and Consumer behavior

The showcasing strategy takes the size of an individual’s family into thought, alongside a likely client’s age and expert status (WD Wells, G Gubar, 1966). Marketers choose various methods in order to sell products to different groups of consumers. One such method is family life cycle marketing. People progress through a family life cycle over the class of a life span. The product life cycle faces mainly with the cycle that the product goes through in its life. Both, Product life cycle and family life cycle are parts of marketing method. However, Family life cycle cover itself more with separation, aiming and laying whereas the product life cycle is more attached with the designing and tactical thinking for the product.

Each category of family cycle has unique consumption pattern. Each family nest type purchasing decisions influence by many factors depends on family nest type, income, occupation, family background, family decision making member’s influence, saving and purchasing behavior. Generally, people categorized in particular family cycle group have common purchase patter. It’s very important to reach the potential target family cycle group (family nest type) with appropriate lifestyle furniture.

Newly married couples

Newly married couples with no children are normally superior off economically than they were when they were un married (Redondo, MRoyo Volo, 2001). These kinds of families are more likely to spent on their income on clothing, leisure activities, new furniture. They also have inflated purchase rate and highest median purchase of long-lasting goods (particularly appliances and furniture) and shown to be more capable of advertising.

Full nest one

In this point, families are likely to walk in to their earliest home purchases furnishings and furniture. Buy a home maintenance and a washer and dryer; ad buy some new products such as medicine, toys, baby food.

Its better focus more on newly married couples and full nest one since they are keener on luxury products such as furniture, cars, buying properties.

Since IKEA furniture manufactured to all type of family stages it’s better to design and manufacture according to the family stage. Such as empty nest 1 and 2 required low cost furniture that afforded for old age people. It’s should design according to their health condition. Young and single more focus on affordable and portable furniture according to their job and geographical location.

According to case study IKEA furniture are designed and manufactured to satisfy all type of family class. It’s very important consider each family cycle to deliver the furniture according to their expectation.  furniture needs to be designed and manufacture according to the family cycle. Newly married couple willing to purchase durable long-lasting furniture, full nest one baby furniture, kids wardrobe etc. empty nest 1 and 2 more engage with vacation and holiday they require portable furniture like as tents portable cupboard they can fix win their vehicle. So, it’s better to design according to the family cycle and their life style. Its better to focus more on newly married couple ad full nest one its help to expand the sales volume also target other family cycle according to their social and cultural class, income and social class its help to cover vast target audience.

Impact of opinion leader on consumer behavior

Opinion leaders significantly impact on consumer purchasing behavior positively and negatively (KK Chan, S Misra, 1990). Opinion leaders can own a strong impact on the sales of goods and services and so marketers are impatient to motivate leaders to lay out to positive word of mouth about their brands. If someone likes a service or product, they can help to promise its success. If they don’t like it, they can put up to its abortion. It all based on the verbal or visual communication that move in the middle of the and other whom they effect. Word-of-mouth marketing can be inspiring through various publicity pursuits set up by companies, or by having chances to motivate customer-to-consumer and consumer-to-marketer communication. According to researches 92% of people around the globe trust the suggestion from family and friends other than the all the platform of advertising.

This is, necessary, word of mouth marketing (WOMM). It’s an organic method of spreading information which make use of components of viral marketing, though contrasted viral marketing, its spreads by more natural platforms. WOM is a free structure of commercial or promotion. It’s shared by consumer and triggered by a consumer experiences on particular product or service. this event is something far off what’s await.

Product characteristic diverse for various purposes for opinion leaders. Friendliness with product (either by experience or ownership) was also main standard for opinion leaders. To motivate opinion leader’s involvement with the product, marketers need to climax the individual of the product.

Opinion leaders influence in their followers purchasing decision. throughout the opinion leader’s impact on their followers, they will purchase the goods and services and share their experiences about the particular product and services will be recommend to their friends and family members. opinion leaders trigger the consumer behavior towards particular products and services. According to the case study IKEA products are designed to every life style and life stages in any age groups, opinion leaders can inform the customers that the IKEA products are available for all type of life styles and stages for any age groups. Company’s strength can be highlighted through the opinion leader in various marketing platform to recommend the purchase particular product and services. Which can be influence the opinion leader’s followers towards the particular product. Since the IKEA’s strengths such as increasing use of renewable material from 2007, Using new technology to design and produce all type of furniture for entire family stages.

ID, Ego, super Ego Appeal on advertising

Sigmund Freud, the Austrian nervous system specialist and author of therapy, would probably have a comment about neuromarketing (S Sarker, TK Bose, M Palit, 2013). Freud’s speculation has become undesirable with numerous scholastics and specialist. However, his practices and thoughts can in any case structure valuable representation that assist us with seeing how to interface with the customers. Freud concocted an auxiliary model of human psyche. He proposed three particular elements the ID, Ego and Super ego. The primary substance the ID is present from birth. The id frames our most essential sense which driving our requirement for delight and satisfaction. When it comes to ego its guiding us to satisfy our need that acceptable by social manner. Finally super ego evolves with sense of morality. Marketers use ID, ego and super ego in numerous ways to trigger the target audience according to product and company policies. Marketers use ID, Ego, super ego on their advertising to focus on psychoanalytic division of the human mind.

The id is responsible for primitive drives and urges. Operating on the pleasure principle, the id avoids tension and seeks pleasure. Marketers use ID to attract the customer towards their product and service. IKEA can use ID on advertising as dignity to use IKLEA furniture to show the status of wealth ( expensive ,luxury furniture the reflect the power of wealth)

Toyota company use the super ego appeal on their advertisement that their ecofriendly.

Since IKEA product designed and produced for all family stage, increase the use of recycling product in energy production across all the stores from 2009, concern about lowers carbon foot prints, using new technology for production can be applied in various way by applying ID, Ego and super ego to trigger the customer to purchase the IKEA furniture.

ID appeal may use in bed advertisement for newly married couples, super ego applies since IKEA focus on low carbon foot print. Eco friendly production are mostly welcome by target audience. As per case study IKEA Products are produced in same quality all over the world in this case quality of the product and cab be use as power of IKEA brand. This can be use in several way in terms of Freudian theory. Can be use as ID appeal power and proud to have IKEA furniture at their home.

REFERENCES

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