The information is divided into six distinct sub-sections as follows:
2.1. Consumer behaviour
2.2. Maslow's hierarchy of needs
2.3. The product brand
2.4. Elements in the coffee purchase decision
2.5. The coffee industry and the coffee market in Thailand
2.6. The ability of advertising and marketing to stimulate coffee purchase
2.1. Consumer behaviour
Customer behaviour can be understood through two different lenses. At the first level, there is the actual reaction of customers in response to a certain product or service. At a secondary level, there is the analysis of the customer behaviour in order to better understand the clients. A highly comprehensive overview of customer behaviour is offered by (Perner, 2010). He stated that the official definition of customer behaviour states that the concept refers to the "study of individuals, groups, or organisations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society" (Perner, 2010).
According to Perner (2010) there are four major applications of consumer behaviour, as follows: marketing strategy, public policy, social marketing and consumer beliefs.
a) Marketing strategy
Knowledge of customer behaviour allows the companies to better understand the behavioural mechanisms of the customers' decisions, which in turn allows the company to develop marketing strategies tailored to customer behaviour. Two examples are relevant in this sense. The first is given by the realisation that people respond better to foods advertisements when they are hungry. Due to this, the company will air its advertisements for snacks products late in the afternoon.
The second example is given by the realisation that whenever a new product is launched onto the market, customer purchases will tardy until the clients are convinced of their necessity for the product or of the product quality and functionality. The company will as such recognise the following:
The necessity to satisfy the initial customers due to their ability to influence future purchases
The necessity to own additional financial resources on which to fall back until the sales of the new product pick up.
b) Public policy
This application refers specifically to the reactions of consumers in regard to a certain product or service. In a context in which an item causes threats upon the health of the population, it is most likely that policies would be created to better manage the sale of the respective product. A most relevant example in this sense is constituted by Accutane, an acne product with great results, but with great side effects on fetuses. Policy was issued to ensure that the product labels contained graphic representations of the side effects.
c) Social marketing
Social marketing refers primarily to the passing of important information to the customers, rather than convincing them to purchase a specific item or to cease a specific behaviour, when these two solutions are not feasible. One relevant example in this sense is constituted by the situation of illegal drug use and the rooted practice of needle sharing, which led to the propagation of illnesses. As Marty Fishbein, marketing professor at CDC (the Center for Disease Control and Prevention), realised that the stoppage of the situation was impossible, he created a strong marketing campaign which encouraged users of illegal drugs to clean the needs in bleach before sharing them. The solution was deemed more realistic.
d) Consumer benefits
Finally, the ability to understand customer behaviour leads to a series of consumer benefits, such as an enhanced ability to assess several elements of the purchase. Perner (2010) stated that:
"Common sense suggests, for example, that if you buy a 64 liquid ounce bottle of laundry detergent, you should pay less per ounce than if you bought two 32 ounce bottles. In practice, however, you often pay a size premium by buying the larger quantity. In other words, in this case, knowing this fact will sensitize you to the need to check the unit cost labels to determine if you are really getting a bargain."
2.2. Maslow's hierarchy of needs
A specific means of assessing customer behaviour is offered by the lenses of motivation. In other words, reputable members of the academic community argue that consumer behaviour is directly linked to motivation. Mowen and Minor (n.d.) suggested that the decision to purchase -- either studied or impulse -- is determined by the motivation of the individual to own possessions that ensure his ability to meet his physical needs, to feel safe, to belong to a group, to improve his self-esteem and to support his self-actualisation. In other words, each purchase decision can be linked to a specific level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
The motivation refers to an internal state within the individual and this internal state...
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