Categories
Business Case Studies

How to understand consumer buying behavior?

Introduction

  • Do you understand consumer buying behavior?
  • Do you want to retain your customers?

Consumer behavior plays an important role in the positioning of your product. So, before launching a product it is certainly inevitable to understand consumer buying behavior.

Variety Seeking Buying Behavior vs. Habitual Buying Behavior

You need to ascertain whether your consumer is exhibiting a ’variety-seeking buying behavior’ or ’habitual buying behavior.
A consumer exhibiting ’variety-seeking buying behavior’ is always looking for buying something new or options. He can never be your permanent consumer.
On the other hand, a consumer exhibiting ’habitual buying behavior’ is not looking for any options. He has developed the habit of buying your products only.
So, whom to focus on? Naturally, the second type of consumers.
But, do you know how to convert a consumer from ’variety seeking from buying behavior’ to ’habitual buying behavior.

Let us take some case studies to understand consumer buying behavior.

#1: PepsiCo

Indra Nooyi, the global CEO of PepsiCo, has earned so much esteem that she was once the part of the advisory team of the American president.

But, when it comes to the products of her company, she goes to the malls and checks all the products with respect to ’Shelf offtake’ and understand consumer buying behavior.

Shelf Off-take means ’How the product is looking in the shelf and how much the customer is interested in buying it?’

She is not just making product innovations, but also bringing innovations in the product designs.

Why?

Because: Designs have a significant effect on the consumers’ buying behavior.

For Example

Indra Nooyi once found that the size of ’Sun Chips’, a product by Pepsico, was much bigger than the bite-size making it difficult for the consumers to eat it.

She not only changed the size of the Sun Chips but also brought changes in its packaging, form, functions, design, and layout of the product.

#2: Coca-Cola

One of the most selling products of Coca-Cola in America is Diet Coke but in India, the scenario is completely different.
In America, sugar is one of the biggest health issues and regular coke contains a good quantity of sugar.
So, Coca Cola came up with Diet Coke that does not contain sugar and is successful in America.
However, in India, a huge population is still malnourished, so, even if they consume more sugar in the form of regular coke nothing will happen to them.
So, after understanding the consumer needs and their behavior, TKK Krishnakumar, the Indian Head of Coca Cola, decided not to take the Diet Coke beyond tier 3 cities.

#3: Nike and Adidas

Both these companies deal in sports gear, wear, accessories, and shoes. They faced a lot of problems when they entered India.

Later, they understood the behavior of Indian consumers and promoted their products accordingly.

For Example

In the North-western states of India, cricket is a popular sport; people here are a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar, whereas in the South-Eastern as well as North-Eastern states football is the popular game and everybody wants to become Maradona.

Based on this consumer behavior and preferences, Nike and Adidas have positioned and promoted their products in different parts of India.

#4: McDonald’s

When McDonald’s entered India, it failed. Later, they studied the consumer behavior of India and found that Indians use potato as a snack in one or the other form.

So, they introduced Mc Aloo Tikki, which got highly successful in India.

#5: Health Drinks

In India, all the health drinks related to lactating and pregnant mothers failed but children health drinks got highly successful.

Why?

Because: Indian mothers are more concerned about their children’s health than their health.

So, they buy a drink that helps their children to grow well.

#6: Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson studied the behavior of urban mothers in India. They found that the Indian urban mothers are alone at their homes.

There is nobody to advise and help them with what they should do to grow their children well.

After understanding this, Johnson & Johnson launched the ’Best for a Baby’ campaign.

As part of the campaign, they provided content about everything that could help a mother to keep their babies protected and safe.

They also gave many problem-solving videos on their YouTube channel.

With this, they created their recall value among the Indian urban mother before positioning their product.

Do not introduce any of your products before studying consumer behavior, otherwise, you may get fail.
With these consumer buying behavior examples, you can ascertain the market need and integrate the requisite changes in your product.
Categories
Motivation & Mind Control

3 Tips to Improve Concentration and Memory

Yesterday, when you went out, you would have seen a lot of vehicles, people and many more things. But how many of those you still remember? None, am I right?
Why did this happen? It is because your subconscious mind didn’t register them at all.
Now, let us understand why did this happen. If you are able to understand all the facts here then you can easily improve memory and concentration more than ever before.
Let’s see three tips to improve concentration and memory.
Tip #1: Unusual Gets Noticed

If you see something weird, unusual or different from others, your subconscious mind captures it and registers it. Like, a baby of a monkey playing with a tiger cub or a car moving in a river.
This creates an image in your subconscious mind, later; your conscious mind can easily derive the information from it.
So, if you want to learn something and remember it for a long time, then give it a different name something very unusual or picture it in an old fashion.

Tip #2: Extreme Emotion, Good or Bad

People tend to remember something that is related to their extreme emotion be it good or bad.
People remember the extreme cold, extreme summer, extreme happiness, and extreme sorrow. Something that is very good or bad will also be remembered for a long time.
There is a cycle that is created from this picture which results in action and action again sows the seed of a new picture.

Tip #3: Passionate Conscious Goal Statement

A powerful goal statement is key to improve memory and concentration.
Whenever something new goes inside your mind, it registers and stores only what is fruitful to you.
If the data does not help the mind in achieving any goal, then it will leave the data. The conscious mind will take its own decision when you hold the goal statement.
For Example
If you as a student want to learn a subject and you have an interest in it, then you can easily learn it.
On the other hand, if you read something that is uninteresting, then you will have to learn it forcefully.
There are two patterns of thinking ’ Structured Pattern and Accidental Pattern.
In accidental pattern of thinking
, your data is not structured and your mind faces a lot of problems while taking a decision.
In structured pattern of thinking
, all your data is in a well-structured form and the mind does not have any problem in registering things and then finding it.
If you will use any of the above three tips to improve concentration rigorously then you will certainly be able to achieve your goals successfully.
Categories
Marketing

Tips for Understanding Consumer behavior

Introduction

  • Are you an entrepreneur who wants to become a game-changer in the market?
  • Are you planning to run an ad campaign for your product in a new market?
  • Do you know the importance of consumer behavior in business? 

Launching a product in a new market is not a big thing. But, launching it without understanding consumer behavior of that market is certainly a big thing. 

It may boomerang and lead to devastating results for the concerned business!

The consumer’s behavior understanding should be the top priority for any businessman. In fact, it should precede your nature & type of product, it’s launching, it’s pricing, and its positioning into the market.

So, let’s understand importance of consumer behavior first.

Understanding Consumer Behavior

The behavior of a consumer in buying a product depends on various factors. Depending on the factors, a consumer wears different hats or what we say ‘Buying Roles’.

These ‘Buying Roles’ are:

Initiator – Influencer – Decider – Buyer – Consumer

Initiator: A person who starts the discussion for buying a product.

Influencer: A person who vets the initiator’s decision.

Decider: A person with all powers to take a decision on buying the product.

Buyer: A person who finally purchases the product.

Consumer: A person who consumes the product.

How to Study Consumer Behaviour?

Before deciding your product, positioning its price and profit, you have to develop the ability of understanding consumer behaviour.

You need to understand importance of consumer behavior; that what consumers of a particular

geography need. You have to study following aspects of consumers:

Psychographic | Demographic | Ethnographic | Geographic


Make Perfect Consumer Profile

To study the consumer’s behaviour you have to prepare profile of your target consumers on the basis of following factors: Age, income, gender, marital status, education, location, race, ethnicity, religion, occupation, industry, values, social class,  personality, mindset, urban/rural, lifestyle and aspirations.

Having understood the importance of consumer behaviour, now we will showcase some case studies pertaining to consumer behavior.

#1 Pulse Polio Campaign

The Pulse Polio Campaign was launched by the Government of India in association with World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1995. Amitabh Bachchan was made the brand ambassador of that campaign.

In the campaign, he was seen requesting people to get their babies immunized at Polio booth on given dates.
However, in the first five years of the launch, the campaign failed to drive the mothers to the Polio booths to get their babies immunized from this crippling disease.
Shocked from the campaign’s failure, they decided to go door to door in small towns and villages to understand people’s behavior; “why are they not coming at Polio booth to get their babies vaccinated?”
After studying people’s behavior in the village for months, they came to know that in rural areas, elders were responsible for taking important decisions of household, while babies’ mothers and fathers had little control over it.
Portraying Amitabh Bachchan as requesting people to get their babies vaccinated, had no impression on the minds of elders because they had an image of Amitabh Bachchan as a young angry man.
It led them to change their strategy by portraying Amitabh Bachchan as an angry young man, rebuking people for not taking their babies at Polio booth.
It left a long-lasting impression on people’s minds, and the campaign has been successful in eradicating polio from the country.
#2 Cadbury’s in Early 1988
Cadbury until 1988 used to target children as 78% of their target consumers were children. But they used to leave eating chocolates after growing up.
The result was; Market saturation for the Cadbury in early 1988! They were struggling to retain the market.
In 1990s, in order to sustain and expand their market share, they took a bold decision to “remove children from their ads”.
Cadbury re-directed their campaign strategy to target youths by launching “Kya Swad Hai Zindagi Me” campaign.
Since then, Cadbury gradually moved from “children to youths to the family” with advertisements like Shubharambh and Kuch Mitha Ho Jaye.
They influenced the buying behavior of people of all ages through repositioning their brand by changing their campaigning strategy frequently.

#3 Gillette

Before launching their Gillette shaving razor vector in India, Proctor & Gamble (P&G) did a study on Indian students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for analyzing the buying behavior of Indians.

They thought that the “Made in USA” brand will be enough for their product to be successful in India.
However, they tasted failure! Why?
Because they perceived Indian consumer’s behavior from the angle of Indians in the United States (US).
Never launch a product without having an understanding of consumers’ behavior of the target market.
Realizing their mistake, they brought major changes in their product as per the “needs of Indian consumers” after understanding consumer behavior in India.
Their repositioning brought them seamless success over the years. Today, it is the number one brand in the men’s grooming sector in India.
#4 Maruti Suzuki

Have you heard of Maruti Suzuki’s Alto car? It is one of the world’s highest-selling cars.

Do you know that even after 15 years of the launch of Maruti Alto, it is being sold at the same price?
Even inflation is not able to alter the Maruti Alto’s price!
But how it is happening?
Because Maruti Suzuki kept on repositioning it’s Alto as per the consumer’s behavior and needs.
Maruti Suzuki does a lot of study and research before launching each and every edition of their cars.
These case studies along with the understanding of consumer behavior will help you make your campaigning strategy successful.
Categories
HR & People Management

Improve Employees Performance Using the Skill Will Matrix!

Introduction

  • Do you want to bring transformation in your company?
  • Do you want to increase the productivity of your company?
  • How can you improve the performance of employees with the skill will matrix?
If you are a million-dollar company, you can become a billion-dollar company just by practicing the Skill Will Matrix. This matrix can bring a complete change in your company.

Skill Will Matrix depicts four kinds of people working in your organization. These are:

Monkey

These are the people who have recently joined your organization.

they have a high will and low skill
.

They do not know- what to do, why to do when to do, where to do and how to do. They want to do something great in the organization.

Star Performers

These are the people who hold important positions like department heads and senior and old people in the organization. They have high skill and low will.

They know what to do, why to do when to do, where to do and how to do. They do not want to do anything due to the long vintage in the organization.

Parasites

These are the people who join an organization and start identifying the employees who have good authority in the organization and take shelter from these employees.

They neither have the skill nor will.

They do not focus on identifying what to do. They do not want to do anything in the organization.

Visionaries

They are the top people of the organization including CXO, CEO, and other senior people. Do they have high skill and high will.

They know everything and work very hard for the success of the organization.

Identifying Most Dangerous People for your Organization

Star performers are the most dangerous people for your organization. Why?

The reason is simple!

Star performers are the oldest people in the organization. They know what to do and how to do but they do not want to do.

Parasites take shelter under star performers and they also do not want to do any work.

As a result, a negative political nexus is formed in the organization.

When new employees go to the star performers to learn something, the departmental heads neither tell them nor encourage them due to some insecurity.

As a result, the enthusiasm and confidence get low. They stop taking initiatives in the organization.

What should Visionary do to change the Organization?

  • Start the evaporation and purification of star performers.
  • Start coaching and counseling of star performers.
  • Ask some of the star performers to leave the organization. This will destroy the negative political nexus build between the star performers and the parasites. Some parasites will also leave the organization and others will start moving towards visionaries.
  • Start training the monkeys or new employees. They have the will, if you give them skill, they will become the visionaries.

In Vedic scriptures as well, it is written:

tatra laulyam api ekalam mulyam Janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate

The intense desire to perform something is the only one qualification needed by a man to actually grow and bounce back in tough times.

Start recognizing people with high skill will matrix and ownership taking ability, give them promotion and take them up and train them.

Categories
Process & Business Expansion

Product Positioning Strategies to Grow Your Business

The first rule is to identify your perfect audience because you cannot sell the product everywhere at different prices.

Whether you are an Entrepreneur, a Businessman, a Start-up or a Sales-executive, everyone wants to know the best product positioning strategies for their company or products in the market.

To position your products effectively, you should use the product-quality matrix. In the product quality matrix, there are primarily four product positioning techniques.

You can position your product in any of these markets depending on the type of product.

Let’s study these four quadrants, i.e. the product positioning strategies in detail.

Quadrant #1: Value for Money Market

In this market, companies sell good quality products at a low price. Such products are value for money.

Let us study some of the product positioning strategies examples of value for the money market.

For Example:
Suzuki’s car is considered as value for money because not only it’s resale value is good but also runs smoothly.

Another example is Relaxo; their slippers are long-lasting as well as pocket-friendly.

Quadrant #2: Opportunistic Market

  • In this quadrant, prices of the products are high but their quality is low.
  • There are no regular or repeat customers and products. Therefore, the vendor’s sole intention is to make as much profit as possible like the market at the Railway station, Highway or at Cinema halls.

Let us study some of the product positioning strategies examples of opportunistic market.

For Example:

Every day new tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. So, shopkeepers’ or vendors’ priority is to make a maximum profit not to provide high-quality products or services.

 

Remember, in a defined category, if you are offering products at a high price with low quality, then your business will not survive.

An opportunistic market can only survive in limited space; hence you should carefully position your product.

Quadrant #3: Chinese Goods Market

  • In this quadrant, both the price and quality of products are low.
  • Here, buyers usually price-sensitive; therefore, sellers dump their cheap products in such a market for a better return.

Let us study some of the product positioning strategies examples of Chinese goods market.

  • You must have seen Chinese toys; their shelf-life is very short as the product is of low quality but the price is very competitive.
  • Here, the financial value becomes your proposition, for instance, Chinese lights on Diwali, Road-side toy seller, etc.

Quadrant #4: Premium Market

  • In this quadrant, both price and quality of product are high.
  • Branding and positioning of the product are done in such a manner that high-quality products can be sold at a very high price.

Let us study some of the product positioning strategies examples of the premium market.

 

For Example:

Brands like Versace, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. are selling purse, bags, clothing lines, and accessories at a premium price.

A good quality bag which can be bought at ? 7000, they are selling similar products at over ? 70,000 – 80,000. They have positioned their products in such a manner that they sell selected products at a premium price. They have a limited market but huge margins.

Similarly, the actual price of Apple’s phone may be ? 30,000 but they sell the product for over ? 70,000 and get huge margins. Apple has created high aspirational value for their product so much that even a common man is willing to buy it on loan.

Generally, brands stick to one of the four quadrants but there are some organizations who use different product positioning strategies to launch their products.

For Example:

Relaxo’s brand, Flite comes under value for money quadrant but its Sparx brand is positioned under premium quadrant.

Similarly, Maruti Suzuki has positioned its Nexa in the premium segment. For this, the company had opened a separate Nexa showroom because they were not able to sell the product at premium prices.

If you will try to move into a different quadrant with the existing brand or without creating and positioning the new brand, the market will drag you to the lower quadrant again.

Therefore, to create a different brand, as done by Relaxo, you have to change the positioning of the product completely.