Choices: What Do You Think?

6-27. Critical Thinking Changing demographics and cultural values are important to marketers. List at least three current trends that may affect the successful marketing of the following products:

a. Toys

b. Electronics

c. Education

d. Clothing

e. Travel and tourism

f. Automobiles

6-28. Critical Thinking Consumers often buy products because they feel pressure from reference groups to conform. Does conformity exert a positive or a negative influence on consumers? With what types of products is conformity more likely to occur?

6-29. Ethics Marketers have been shelling out the bucks on sensory marketing techniques for years to appeal to your subconscious mind. And studies show that it works. But is sensory marketing fair? Some say it's a way to enhance the purchasing process, while others say marketers are unethically manipulating consumers.

What are some of the pros and cons associated with sensory marketing? What is your position?

6-30. Critical Thinking Mobile commerce (m-commerce)

takes place via a smartphone or tablet instead of a desktop or laptop computer. How has m-commerce changed the way consumers shop? What do marketers need to do now and in the future to better support their m-commerce customers? What do you think the future of m-commerce will be?

Concepts: Test Your Knowledge

6-1. What is consumer behavior and why is it important for marketers to understand consumer behavior?

6-2. Explain habitual decision making, limited problem solv-ing, and extended problem solving. What is the role of perceived risk in the decision process?

6-3. Explain the steps in the consumer decision-making process.

6-4. What is perception? What is Maslow's hierarchy? What is gamification?

6-5. What is behavioral learning? What is cognitive learn-ing? What are attitudes and personality? What is the family life cycle?

6-6. What are the three components of attitudes?

6-7. In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic change consumer behavior?

6-8. What are values, trends, cultures, subcultures, and micro-cultures, and how do they shape consumer behavior?

6-9. What is the significance of social class to marketers?

6-10. What are reference groups, and how do they influence consumers? What are opinion leaders?