Susan Kroeger
MT459 Consumer Behavior
Unit 8
Kaplan University
September 24, 2013

Consumers follow many steps in their quest to select, secure, use and dispose of products and services that satisfy their needs. Marketers can satisfy consumer needs only to the extent that they understand the consumers. The five factors that influence consumers are: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision and post purchase behavior, also known as the what, where, when and how consumers will buy. These five factors can also be described as: physiological factors, socio-cultural factors, personal factors, psychological factors and rational factors. For example, the physiological factors relate to physical protection and commodity, among others. The socio-cultural ones comprise family, friends, work, the social groups with which the consumer identifies with and that influences the purchasing behavior. Family and friends play a role in the influence on a consumer, as he or she will try to follow the tendencies of the group. Consumers coming from different cultures have different preferences respective to brands and products. The purchase decision is also influenced by personal factors, namely age, consumer's life cycle stage, occupation, economical level, way of life and personality. The financial capacity is a factor that influences the purchasing process, the higher it is, the higher the acquisition power. In other words, demographic factors, age, monthly income, living place, marital status, professional situation all influence the brands and products that are purchased. The way of life is another factor that influences the consumers buying behavior; certain products will indicate a given life style. Consumers frequently choose certain kinds of products, services and activities since these are associated to a certain life