Introduction
In the development of our marketing strategy, the company can utilize customers’ internal factors which influence their purchase decisions. The present report will provide a brief overview of such internal factors, and the way they can be utilized in the context of marketing the vehicles we manufacture.
Perception
The first factor is customers’ perception, which is the process through which people interpret information, in this case about our cars. Perception in the context of our products can be seen through the way customers received information about the car and the way the advertisement materials can target, change, and/or shape such perception. There are several steps in forming the perception of the customer, which are exposure, attention, and interpretation (Solomon). Thus, those aspects can be utilized through the way an advertisement can be delivered and the information that will be delivered will create the perception about our cars and our brand. For sport models, we can emphasize speed and horse power through the ad, in which our models will be perceived that way. Accordingly, our family models will be advertised through such aspects as volume, safety, and cost-friendly, which will form the perception of our target audience about our product.
Motivation
Motivation is the state that drives customers to satisfy their needs (Solomon). If the there is no need for a car experienced by a customer, then he/she lacks the motivation to buy it. Our goal is recognizing the need and activating it through our marketing strategy. The needs for a car are usually characterized as being related to the esteem needs according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and thus, our advertisement messages can target such need specifically for sports and luxury cars. For buyers with lower income, the satisfaction of other needs can be seen through ensuring the satisfaction of other needs, while fulfilling the esteem need, for example, the safety aspects of the car, might ensure the satisfaction of the safety needs, just as flexible purchase options and loans will ensure that no lower needs will be impacted.
Learning
Learning can be described as the way customers can change their behaviour as a response to an information or experience (Solomon). Learning can be seen as an important factor that will stimulate the purchase decision for our product. The important issues, however, is to stimulate the learning experience itself, as not all customer will be motivated to read a brochure or spend time in reading about the specifications of a car. The learning experience can be stimulated through an ad that promotes a quiz about the company’s product, which prize can be a discount. The promotion of test drives is another way that reinforces learning guiding consumers toward changing their behaviour, purchasing in this cases.
Personality
Personality is also an important internal factor, which can be viewed as the set of psychological characteristics that differentiate the response top customers to different situations. A survey of our customers will allow forming o portrait of their personalities, and thus, targeting our marketing strategy toward them. Such aspect can be useful when targeting a new niche of customers, for example electricity car drivers. In that regard, innovativeness as personality trait in such target audience can be seen through promoting the technologies used, comparative characteristics of engines, and other relevant information that will appeal to such consumers.
Attitudes
The attitudes of consumers can be seen as a factor relevant to the personality aspect, and which can be defined as the predisposition to behave in a certain way toward particular objects. There three components that form the attitudes, learning about which will enforce the purchase decision. In that regard, a negative attitude toward our car can be hindered by the lack of information, i.e. cognitive, or a dislike of the brand, affective, or behavioural, a habit for buying other brand of cars. Learning about the component of consumers’ attitudes will help forming a positive attitude.
Age group
The age group is also a close factor, interrelated to attitudes and personalities. Belonging to a particular group influences the preference for a particular product, as well as the way the advertisement for a brand should be delivered (Solomon). In that regard, identifying the age groups for the customers of a particular model of our car, will allow targeting such group in a more efficient manner. On the other hand, if a group is not among the target category of a product, the perception of a product can be changed in a way that will suit the preferences of such group more.
Lifestyle
Finally, life style can be defined as the pattern of living that indicates the way people spend their time, money, and energy (Solomon 148). The identification of the life styles of consumers will allow grouping them into categories and differentiate the products and the way they are delivered and promoted in way that support the preferences of the a particular lifestyle.
Works Cited
Solomon, M.R. Marketing: Real People, Real Decisions. 6th ed: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
