What is social about consumer behavior?

 

Psychology ,Consumer behavior and Advertising:

People buy more French wine relative to German wine when French music is played in the super market. Same wine when priced at 45$ is rated better testing than when is priced at 5 $. People prefer brands that begin with first letter of their name. This is the some the example of the consumer behavior studied through psychology.

The psychology terms like habit, self, conception, imagination and perception are very closely studied when the advertising is Designed. Advance study of advertisement began after the scientific study of psychology started ,Social psychology theories and the study of advertisement are very closely related for example question of how advertisement affect the recipients is same as how persuasion work in general.

Consumer psychology model of brands:

The model's structure also reflects a knowledge that varied requirements, reasons, and goals lead to different levels of psychological engagement with companies. Three layers in the model indicate these levels of participation. The innermost layer reflects object-centered, functionally-driven engagement, in which the customer gathers information about the brand in order to gain utilitarian benefits from it. 

The middle layer denotes a self-centered interaction, in which the brand is perceived as personally relevant to the customer. Finally, the outer layer reflects social interaction with the brand; the brand is regarded from an interpersonal and socio-cultural standpoint, and it fosters a sense of belonging. As we progress from the inside to the outside layer the brands becomes more meaningful to customers.

Brands and product as social groups:

In a world of oversupply and differentiating brands, many consumers choose brands in order to express their personality or to affiliate themselves as desired others. They do not simply use apple smartphones, they are the apple users. Consumer choices fulfill a social identity function. Brands become ideology for some people.

Brands may define the social groups, the Bullet club is the example. The purpose of this club is to cultivate social contacts by organizing social events. They also serve as status symbols, defining vertical and horizontal social boundaries. By using particular brands people can express a certain lifestyle or attempt to convey a particular social impression . Brand and product are part of social expression people are judged by the brands and products they use.

Products of a social-identity function, in particular, are used as a foundation for inferences about a target's personality traits. Similarly, smoking, food choice, and food intake have all been shown to have an impact on social impressions.

To summarize, consumer behavior is used as a cue in person perception in everything from wet versus dry shaving to driving a Lamborghini versus an Alto. Such cues are most likely reflected in how these customers are handled.

Many daily encounters take place in a consumer environment, whether they are about products or services, and Both of these things could be a source of effect. Self-expression is achieved through the utilization of brands and products as well as for the social perception of others.

What is social about consumer behavior? 

Ans: Almost everything.

Consumer behavior is a natural laboratory for many of the phenomena that interest social psychologists, and studying consumer behavior isn't all that different from studying social behavior. Furthermore, analyzing consumer behavior requires the use of social psychological theories and models.

Further reading:

Schmitt, B. (2012). The consumer psychology of brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(1), 7–17. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45046533

Social Psychology of Consumer Behavior. (2008). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.