Table of Contents
Introduction
Marketing as a field has come up with new wedding attires and luxurious fashion accessories. Wedding dresses come in various styles, designs and colours depending on the tastes of the interested customers. The trends and fashion reminiscent of wedding gowns change depending on various factors such as weather, character, and budget among others. The trends of wedding dresses and luxury accessories may also be shaped in one way or another by changes in consumer behaviour. Zain et al. (2018) suggest that factors such as social networking, globalization, communication, and cultural homogeneity may have had an effect on consumer behaviour towards the luxury accessories. This paper explores how theories on consumer decision making, group influence, and situational effects may influence the actions of consumers of wedding attires and luxurious fashion accessories.
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Theories of Consumer Decision Making
The first theory of consumer decision making is the theory of reasoned action. The theory highlights the importance of pre-existing attitudes in the decision-making process in that the consumers need to portray their desire for a particular outcome (Reiter and Connell 2017). Therefore, consumers tend to be rational on how they choose their preferred item. This theory also ensures that the interests of a client are put into consideration as much as possible in the process of decision making to ensure that clients are satisfied with the products they purchase. It also helps in predicting behaviour based on few interconnected cognitive and affective factors. The theory of reasoned action, therefore, affects consumer purchase of wedding attire and luxury accessories since many of them will first consider the cost of the items (Reiter and Connell 2017). When clients notice that no value is added when acquiring these accessories, then they do not purchase and profits are not guaranteed owing to reduced sales. The only people who will get interested are the wealthy who in this case are few.
The Engel, Kollet and Blackwell model explains more about the theory of reasoned action and outlines five steps involved in consumer decision making process. Here, the marketers experience two periods of which the most valuable is the input. Therefore, the marketers need to provide the consumers with enough information regarding their products and to keep them updated on new developments and the priority list for order deliveries. A firm should also institute external factors and influences marketers that allow a cutting edge over competitor’s products. Luxury accessories are very inflictive when it comes to instilling a desire in the consumer to feel a certain emotion toward the product. Without information on quality wedding products and service providers and its value then clients may be reluctant to embrace the products and services. Many people thus end up conducting ordinary weddings to forego the unwanted costs of attire like bridegroom’s suits.
Motivation Need Theory which works in the psychological community. Under this, consumers act in fulfilling their needs through a five-part priority system. These needs include physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualisation. Therefore, marketers need to consider the hierarchy in the consumer need to bring positive behaviour to the consumers toward the luxury accessories (Jain, Roy and Ranchhod 2015). For example, the car makers perfectly highlighted the security and safety features of their vehicles and the aesthetics. On the other hand, the consumers feel that they need to spend money on an expensive luxury car since it the only way they can provide adequate security for the family when travelling. In simple, marketers who do not embrace this theory may end up losing many of their customers. The wedding attires marketers need to come up new designs which the consumers prefer and love to attract more of them since in modern days people move with trending fashions.
Hawkins Stern Impulse Buying focuses majorly on impulse behaviour and provides that the nature of impulse purchases is controlled by external incentives. Impulse buying involves four categories namely; purely impulse reminded impulse, suggested impulse, and planned impulse (Rathinamoorthy et al. 2017). Marketers who can adapt to the impulse thought will generate most purchases from consumers. The impulse control of the consumers will be impacted by the aspect of the luxury accessory or wedding attire ranging from its manufacture, packaging and to its visual appeal in the market. Impulse purchases are a significant portion of buying patterns of a consumer, rational decision-making processes, and its effects on the marketing theory (Rathinamoorthy et al. 2017). The marketers, therefore, need to improve on the nature of the products so that they can retain a number of their customers by coming up with visually attracting packaging and, making durable and quality products.
Situational Influences
The nature of situational influences highlights occurrences where the purchase of a product is made (Solomon, Russell-Bennett, and Previte, 2012). It can influence consumer behaviour, so, marketers must adjust strategies to the purchase situation to allow an increase in sales. Rushed decision-making and decision-making on based on minimal information backgrounds may lead to less satisfaction of the customers and reduce the possibility of returning to the store. Crowding of stores may also push customers away. Marketers must work towards reducing crowding in their stores for them to adapt to the consumer’s purchase situation.
Situation features and consumer behaviour moods tend to be less powerful than emotions hence might operate without individual’s cognizance. However, moods may affect consumer’s behaviour since they do not entirely interrupt the current behaviour activities or circumstances that will alleviate positive moods (Solomon, Russell-Bennett, and Previte, 2012). Other situations that may influence consumer behaviour may include social interaction, availability of time, and purchase motivation.
Cognitive marketing is assisting the human mind to perceive human behaviour, emotions and even touch by use of advanced marketing tools and strategies. It redefines the relationship between brands and consumers which in turn can influence the purchase behaviour and loyalty when used appropriately. Habitual buying behaviour that consumers do not involve themselves in much thinking before purchasing the product and their involvement in decision making is also very low. Affective marketing is a kind of marketing that creates emotions to the consumers while effective marketing creates desire.
Consumer Decision Making
Problem Recognition
The consumer must have a need they require to satisfy, a reason for what they want. The desire of the customer is much considered here because it presents the problem to the customer. However, this creates an opportunity for the marketer.
Information Search
The customer now searches to find a solution for an issue. They will tend to look for the best products that have a new makeup foundation and with current fashion. A marketer needs to rebrand its products to the latest one.
Evaluation of Alternative
Customers need to do thorough research before making any purchases, in that, they may need to make comparisons with others to make sure their decision is the best though, being sure of what they wanted earlier.
Purchase Decision
Customers have gone through many options thus understanding pricing and payment options and finally deciding whether to carry on with the purchase or not. They may also decide to walk away at this point.
Purchase
Everything has been completed, and the customer has finally decided to make a purchase. However, the marketer should know that the consumer might slip through his hand ending up not making any purchase.
Post-Purchase Evaluation
In this stage, the customer may feel that wrong decision was made and return the product after evaluation. This might occur maybe if the product is obsolete or fake but the customer realises when a purchase is already made. However, if the customer is satisfied, no return is occurring.
Conclusion
The above segments divulge into the effects of theories on consumer decision-making, group influence and situational effects on the actions of consumers looking to purchase wedding attires and luxury fashion accessories. It explores the theories of reasoned action, the theory of need and impulse buying forces, and the impact of the nature of the situation and how they affect a customers’ willingness to make a purchase. The willingness to buy is additionally impacted by the decision-making process including problem recognition, information search, and evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, purchase, and post-purchase evaluation.
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