What kind of consumer are you?

Good afternoon everybody,

In the previous posts we have talked about companies’ responsibility of taking ethical marketing decisions. It is true, firms should have a responsible conduct, and it would be beneficial for society and for them as well.

However, today I am going to focus on consumers. What kind of consumer are you? It is also our duty to be careful about marketing campaigns, to recognize unethical marketing techniques, to avoid deceptive advertising and to boycott firms that cheat on us. 

I am trying to figure out some kind of consumers and I want you to choose the category which best fits you – you need to be honest, do not lie to yourself!

Unaware consumer

You are a person with your own interests, but keeping updated is not so important for you. You are not really into reading (books, newspapers or whatsoever). Your main channel of information is TV: you spend enough time watching it and you let advertisements influence you. How you can understand that? When you go to the supermarket, you usually buy products of the most famous brands, without caring too much about health and their production process.

Consumers and unhealthy food

Average consumer

You are better informed, even well-informed in some fields, but marketing is not really your thing. You are not a TV addict and, when you go to the supermarket, you prefer buying products on offer instead of choosing the most popular brands, since your focus is the price. Of course, you trust more famous companies than unknown ones.

Half price offers to attract customers

Aware consumer

You are an informed person, you read newspaper and you navigate the Web to keep you update. It does not mean that you avoid TV, but it is definitely not the only way to obtain the information you need. Advertising influences everyone, but you are not that much persuaded. You take into consideration the quality/price ratio when you do shopping, choosing the products of the firms you trust but also experimenting something new. 

Customers and their focus on the quality-price ratio

Proactive consumer

According to you, shopping is a way to express your beliefs and to change society as well. You keep updated about marketing ethics and you make responsible shopping decisions, preferring more ethical companies than others. You try to fight for your ideals also through your shopping habits: you certainly do not think that changing the world is impossible; you firmly believe that everyone’s decisions could be useful to shape a better world. Health, respect for the environment and ethics are often their main interests. 

When you have a bad customer experience, you complain or you give a negative review on social networks. Vice versa, when you find a firm that satisfies your needs, you become a loyal customer.

Consumers with a preference for healthy products

Clearly, creating these categories means stereotyping a little consumers’ behaviour. I am sure that nobody is always proactive, or always unaware – at least, it is very difficult to reflect exactly the members of these groups. 

What about you? With my post I am neither saying that everyone should be proactive, nor judging unaware consumers. Sometimes, a person does not take into consideration marketing ethics in his/her shopping habits because he/she is more interested in saving money – a totally respectable decision. Of course, if you understand that you are unaware, be careful: try to keep you updated, informed, because this would be useful not just for you as an individual, but for the society in its entirety. 

As I said in the other posts, consumers do have power, which they can exert through their shopping decisions: you cannot claim for a responsible marketing if you are not the first to be responsible. 

Carlotta Neuenschwander