Consumer Behavior Reflection

Looking back on this semester and learning about consumer behavior for marketing, I am now more aware of messages that I see in advertisement. The packages, the display, the placement of items are all purposeful and something that I will definitely be more inclined to notice while I shop, especially this holiday season. My friends always joke about what an impulse shopper I am, but now after learning the characteristics about impulsive consumers, I completely fit this mold. I definitely have a sense of need to buy something when I see something that I absolutely love. This class was interesting in the sense that a lot of the topics that we discussed in class I could apply to my own life. We we needed to construct an associated network web, it really made me realize that I take consumerism seriously. I am very motivated to buy and consume in this world. I have become more aware of these habits because of this class. I have now recognized by values and beliefs as a consumer and why I am more inclined to buy a particular item or believe a particular ad because marketers intended for me to do so.

Another important skill that I am glad that I learned in this class was how to properly create a survey in order to analyze the results properly and to compare different brands to one another. As a public relations major, one of the keep elements in created a public relations plan is research and this will definitely be a huge help when researching for my next class. Also, for Advertising this semester with Professor Ferris-Costa, I used the ESRI Business Analysis software to apply to the business we were creating an IMC plan for. Not only will I take away these skills learned in this class, but I can now apply these skills learned in other classes to further my knowledge on the subject material.

Another major idea that I will take away from this class is the idea of McCracken's "project." I found this concept to be very true about a person's life. I now look at my own life in this sense as a series of goals and how I deal with these goals is how the journey of my life project progresses. I just found this concept to be very true and right on. This is also another reason why I enjoyed this course because of concepts such as these that I could apply to my life and take on as a student and as a person.

Overall I would recommend this class to Marketing and Public Relations majors alike. I feel that any one could relate to this class in different ways. I definitely have learned a lot despite my tests grades in this class! I will definitely take away more than I came with to this class. I feel that I am now a more knowledgeable consumer since my first blog post from the beginning of the semester. Overall, I really enjoyed the content of this class this semester.

Reference Group Advertisement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjkJCDCxDys

In the spirit of the holiday season, I wanted to feature an advertisement that is shown this time of the year. This year that I chose is a competitive advertisement among neighbors, with the reference group being the neighborhood. The neighborhood is very competitive for the holiday season and the featured man in the advertisement is pressured into keeping up with the rest of the holiday home decorations. The man decides to buy an Audi to have the best lights on the block. The Audi car advertisement is enticing because it uses reference groups to appeal everyday consumers around the holiday season. It is not until the end of the ad does the consumer realize the commercial is to sell the car. The neighbors in the ad our in awe over the new Audi cars and has everyone impressed by the new "lights" on the street. This ad would apply to men who put up lights during the holiday season or competitive people who want the latest impressive toy around.

VALS Categories

My primary VALs category was an experiencer. An experiencer by definition is "Young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers" and "Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing". I think this definition fits me perfectly. A large portion of my weekly paychecks are resulted in clothing whether it is purchases online or at a store. I am a very impulsive consumer. I am easily persuaded by advertising for a need for a particular product. What is left over from my paycheck I do spend on socializing, whether it's dinner out or going to the movies. I think the VALs survey definitely identified me as an experiencer correctly.

My secondary VALS category was an innovator. An innovator by definition is "successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem" and "Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality". I think right now, I am not quite an innovator because I am not yet in the workforce. I think this VALs category is what I will potentially want to strive for when I enter the business world and begin working.

My Prizm, Home Sweet Home

When you think of Amherst, New Hampshire, you definitely would not be reminded of the hustle of a big city. This small New England town is Historic as well as quaint. Many families have moved here to start a family in the renowned school system and partake in the community activities. Amherst was known for being predominately a mix of Historic homes known as the "Town Village" with a mix of contemporary homes of people who have come to start the next chapter in their life--a family. I believe that my childhood was definitely apart of the Home Sweet Home prism because it was very upper-middle class filled with Doctors and Teachers who enjoyed the relaxed suburban atmosphere. I promise that we have paved roads and no farms in sight of this town, but more annual Christmas Tree Lighting's and the biggest Trick or Treat celebration you will ever see. This was definitely a town where everyone knew your name!

Possession and Identity

Something that has great meaning to me would be a ring that I always were on my ring finger. Not only is this ring something special to me, but I would literally be lost without it. I feel very incomplete when I don't wear this ring. My mom bought it for me for Christmas when I was 13. It was somewhat of a mother daughter moment when my mom brought me to Boston to the Prudential Center Tiffany's where I could pick out this special ring. I remember the day just like I will always remember the significance of my mom giving me the ring. This ring is one of my prize possessions no matter how scratched it is. I signify this ring with the sense of identity of a mom and a daughter and something I will always hold true to my heart.

Priming

My boyfriend and his family recently moved to Cape Cod over the course of this year. Prior to this we lived in the same town back in New Hampshire. When his family moved to the Cape, the changed all their license plates from New Hampshire to Cape Cod plates. These Cape plates are different from those of Massachusetts license plates because they have a distinctive yellow color and say "Cape Cod and the Islands." Down in Wellfleet where he now resides, anyone with a Cape plates waves to each other because they are locals of the area and not tourists who overcrowd the area for many months out of the year. I did not recognize the different license plates or the waving until one day when I drove his car. I was in Rhode Island and two cars who also had Cape plates waved to me. I was unaware of why this kept happening until I got out of the car and noticed the plates. Now every time I drive I am more aware of Cape plates and wave when I drive his car.

"Joining In/Staying Out"

When I first read this assignment I tried to think about all the groups that I have become a part of over the years. The most obvious, obsessive one that I could think of with an iconic logo would be Tory Burch.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm completely obsessed about Tory Burch. I have jeans, sweatshirts, shirts, bags, flat shoes, wedges, heels, and boots with the logo obnoxiously represented somewhere on the material. As a member of the Tory Burch craze, it all started with her signature ballet flat. Many girls here at Roger Williams has this recognizable shoe and I am proud to say that I am apart of this community. The logo of two "T's" has an unspoken meaning among people who where the shoe. When I was at an airport in California, my grandmother, my mother, and myself were all wearing this shoe. It is not about the comfort of the shoe, but more the recognizable logo the brand has.

A group that I do not belong to is the Snuggie community. I refuse to buy a blanket with sleeves. I see the usefulness behind the product, functionality while being warm in a blanket, however I will never join this group.

Over the summer I was looking through my mom's Boston College apparel catalog and saw that even Snuggie's can be customized into collegiate print. Snuggie's are now made in kid sizes, for dogs, as well as for the couple for one giant lovable Snuggie. I however will not subscribe to this community. I am sure this product is well worth the price and is certainly iconic, I have been able to easily point out Snuggie's on such places like airplanes and trains. This product is definitely a craze that has exploded recently. I chose to not be a member or a follower of this community!