The Consumer Psychology in the New Era and Its Influence on Marketing

With the ever-increasing living standards and consumption levels, the market conditions have undergone tremendous changes. The market dominated by producers and sellers has shifted to a market dominated by consumers. Manufacturers also changed their focus from attention to purchasing power, and the “eyeball” economy that was once all the rage has cooled down. This rise in people’s living standards has also stimulated their demand for and consumption of more products, while also generating new consumer demand. Nowadays, consumer demand for goods no longer stays in the “cheap” stage. Quality, efficiency, durability, and price are all factors. On the one hand, more consumers love new products and pay attention to product styles. Social popular style, trust brand name, the pursuit of brand name, pay attention to decorating and aesthetics, pay attention to the artistic packaging of goods. Therefore, product design must meet people's requirements for the physical function of the product, but also to meet people's psychological needs, including aesthetic appeal.

I. The main characteristics of the consumer in the new era

The arrival of the new economic era has not only brought about tremendous changes in consumer hotspots, but also has consumed consumer trends that are exceeding imagination, and has also caused major changes in the main body of consumption. Specifically speaking, consumer entities exhibit the following characteristics:

(A) younger. The consumer enthusiasm of the young generation has led to numerous consumer hotspots and fashions. The younger generation of successful people has led to the rejuvenation of consumer bodies.
(b) Technology. The development of high and new technology has produced a large number of high-tech talents, and the requirements of various industries for technology have also been continuously improved. A new generation of consumers is extremely responsive to new technologies. They are good at capturing the subtle changes in the world.
(c) Wealth. According to surveys conducted on residents of 14 cities across the country, residents have already accounted for 72.4% of residents’ total income in terms of new expenses such as buying a car, buying a house, traveling, studying abroad, running a company, buying shares, and educating their children. It can be seen that the product consumption has shifted from low-priced products in the past to high-priced products such as computers, automobiles, and housing.
(d) Idealization. With the differentiation of consumption levels becoming increasingly significant, the characteristics of individualized consumption have become more prominent. They are tirelessly pursuing new things, stressing exquisite living enjoyment and consumer tastes. The quality of life has improved markedly. We have begun to pursue cultural education, recreation and tourism.

These four characteristics make people's desire to buy a great change, the transfer of hot spots. For example, the number of Chinese residents owning both mobile phones and computers is rapidly increasing. The number of mobile phone users in China ranks second in the world, and computers rank eighth. It is expected that this position will increase in one or two years. The progress of the era has brought Chinese consumers into the information society. The irreversible trend of the information age requires people’s lifestyles to be in tune with the times. Standards for measuring the value of goods are replacing the monetary value standard, so mobile phones, computers and other products are A new hot spot for consumers. Consumers pay more attention to advertising. In this respect, foreign manufacturers' advertising awareness is much more mature and strong than domestic manufacturers.
Any consumer's purchase behavior is always produced under the influence of a certain purchase motivation, and the purchase motivation results from some unmet need. This need includes both physical and psychological needs. With the continuous improvement of the level of living and the level of demand, the psychological needs are more important than the physiological needs of the purchase motivation and its purchase behavior. The concept of consumer demand is no longer confined to merely acquiring more physical products and obtaining the products themselves; on the contrary, consumers are increasingly buying commodities because of the symbolic consideration of goods, that is, today’s consumers. When it comes to consumer goods, more emphasis is placed on personal satisfaction, spiritual pleasure, comfort, and superiority through consumption. The proportion of consumers’ living needs has gradually declined, while the share of consumption needs and development needs has risen significantly. Therefore, the psychological value embodied in commodities is particularly important.

Second, the psychological needs of consumers

(a) Innovation psychology. Pursue new products, new designs, and new styles when purchasing goods, that is, pursuing trendy and fashionable products. Although the prices of such products are generally high. Its practical value is not much better than that of the old products, but due to people's psychology of seeking newness in pursuit of a fresh and trendy feeling, new products tend to be more popular. People always have a sense of curiosity and freshness with regard to new things. New things are often easy to achieve in people’s minds with “preemptive” effects, and they often feel accustomed to existing things without paying much attention. This kind of "new and old-fashioned" psychology may be difficult to change. However, this kind of demand psychology has become an important force to promote the progress of human society.

As an operator, it is only to meet the psychological needs of consumers rather than to violate it. This requires managers to have a market-leading courage and the pursuit of the first spirit, rather than imitation behind the leader, that requires business operators to have a spirit of innovation, and determined to "always fight for the first."

(B) find the name of psychology. In the purchase of goods when the pursuit of brand names, trust brand names, and even loyal to the brand name, and other non-brand-name similar products, often dismissive. Such consumers are usually high-income earners and trendy people. They are often very sensitive to brand names. Once the brand image is damaged, they may abandon the purchase of such goods and switch to buying other brand names. The new generation of consumers has a strong sense of brand. In general, the name seeking psychology is expressed in the pursuit of brands such as cars, clothing, tobacco and alcohol.

(c) Curiosity. When buying goods, the pursuit of novelty, special, pay attention to the purchase of goods to be different. The novelty of commodity trading gives consumers a strong buying interest and desire. Such consumers are usually younger, most of whom are students in school. They are easily attracted by novelties, have great curiosity, admire a unique style of personalization, like to be creative, and do not pay attention to the actual use of goods and value.

(D) habits of psychology. In buying behavior, it is often based on their own habits to buy goods indiscriminately, mainly reflected in the purchase of daily necessities. In the commodities that consumers use for a long period of time, they usually have daily products that they like or use. When they need it, they often buy without thinking.

(e) Synchronous psychology. Refers to a kind of herd mentality that the consumers are exposed to by the purchase behavior of the relevant groups. Affected by social factors and psychological factors, consumers often want to keep in sync with the surrounding related groups when they purchase and use goods. Therefore, popular products tend to have a synchronous purchase psychology. Shortly after the appearance of products such as VCDs and computers, it has entered millions of households. Most people hold such a mentality: "You have me, too." This will make these products very popular in the new stage, and once they reach universal, they will immediately decline. This has forced business operators to develop new high-level products to seek another way of life.

(6) Seek beauty. That is, the pursuit of beauty products. “The heart of beauty loves everyone.” This is a long-lasting buying psychology, because people’s pursuit of beauty is eternal. Consumers tend to be attracted to exquisite products when they purchase goods, and they can't be bought autonomously. Even if they are not needed by the consumers themselves, because of their cuteness and beauty, people want to take it for granted. Most people have this experience.

Third, the impact of consumer psychology in the new era on marketing

People generally believe that successful marketing depends on the quality, performance, price, reputation and reputation of the company, advertising, and marketing skills of marketing personnel, but often overlooks a potentially important factor: the consumer factor. Many companies and marketers have failed to notice consumer psychology in the marketing process, which has rendered the seemingly clever and detailed marketing planning a glimpse.

There has been a battle between Instant Coffee and Regular Coffee in the United States. In this war, despite the obvious advantages of instant coffee and advertising costs far more than ordinary coffee, instant coffee manufacturers have found that their products have been strongly resisted in the market. Many people believe that people do not like the taste of instant coffee for the reasons of consumers' irrational boycott. If so? If this is the case, then destined for the poor sales of instant coffee, manufacturers can do nothing! However, manufacturers do not believe the above findings, they suspect there is a deeper reason. This conjecture was confirmed by a subsequent motivational study conducted by the University of California, Manson Haier. The results of Manson Haier's research show that housewives with instant coffee are generally considered to be lazy, lacking in plans, not a diligent wife, and those who use regular coffee are seldom seen this way.

Source: Business Studies Author: Song Xuqin / to Xin