As consumers, we are influenced every day by factors that contribute to our decision making. As a consumer, I have found that these influences can occur without conscious realization of it.
My purchases are significantly influenced by my family. Now, living on my own for the first time, I am finding myself having to make decisions on products to buy that normally my parents would buy when I lived at home. For example, laundry detergent posed quite a dilemma when I went to purchase it. There are so many in the grocery aisles, it would be impossible for me to choose which one to use. Essentially, they all have the same purpose and I ended up making my decision based on the brand that my parents buy at home.
Not only am I influenced by my family when I make a purchase, but the media has a significant influence as well. As consumers, we are exposed to an unbelievable average of 5000 brand messages per day. Each of these influence our decisions as consumers as to what we choose to buy through catchy slogans that try to catch our attention and bring recognition to their product’s points of difference. To catch the consumer’s attention, companies use media involving celebrity endorsement, simple memorable phrases/slogans, and comparisons between their product and their competitors.
