Consumer Behaviour: Applications in Marketing

‘A serious, thoughtful consumer behaviour text that focuses on substance rather than what′s fashionable in academic circles.’
Professor Byron Sharp, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, University of South Australia

‘A thought-provoking text that challenges readers to consider consumer behaviour in new and refreshing ways and reflect on routine behaviours that occupy so much of daily life – buying brands, patronising stores, watching adverts, making recommendations.’
Professor Mark Uncles, Deputy Dean, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales

Written by respected marketing academics, this popular textbook extends beyond a basic psychological approach to Consumer Behaviour by providing a more empirical understanding of the subject, helping students grasp marketing applications at both individual and market levels.

The fourth edition maintains a strong focus on research, particularly quantitative methods, helping higher-level students develop analytical and evidence-based thinking for success in scholarly and industry-based marketing research. The textbook contains new examples, exercises and research findings, along with recent advancements in the digital environment.

Suitable for upper undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in consumer behaviour, as well as doctoral candidates with a focus on consumer behaviour.

Robert East is Emeritus Professor at Kingston University London, UK.

Jaywant Singh is Professor of Marketing at Southampton Business School, University of Southampton, UK.

Malcolm Wright is Professor of Marketing at Massey University, New Zealand.

Marc Vanhuele is Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris, France.

Table of Contents:
PART 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Ideas and Explanations in Consumer Research PART 2 CONSUMPTION PATTERNS Chapter 2 Customer Loyalty Chapter 3 Brand Knowledge, Brand Equity and Brand Extension Chapter 4 Stationary Markets Chapter 5 Market Dynamics Chapter 6 Consumer Group Differences PART 3 EXPLAINING DECISION-MAKING Chapter 7 Predicting and Explaining Behaviour Chapter 8 Information Processing and Decision-Making Chapter 9 Consumer Satisfaction and Quality PART 4 MARKET RESPONSE Chapter 10 Consumer Response to Price and Sales Promotions Chapter 11 Shopper Behavior Chapter 12 Word-of-Mouth Influence Chapter 13 The Response to Advertising

About the Author :
Robert East is emeritus professor at Kingston Business School, Kingston University London and adjunct professor at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of the University of South Australia. He trained as a social psychologist and is a postgraduate of London Business School. His research has mainly focused on word-of-mouth patterns where his new evidence has shown that some widely-held beliefs are mistaken. As a teacher of consumer behaviour, he has been keen to deliver knowledge that is useful to students while not over simplifying the subject. Jaywant Singh is professor of marketing at Kingston Business School, Kingston University where he teaches consumer behaviour and research methods. He applies quantitative research methods to unravel how and why people buy goods and services, through the lenses of brand management, ethical consumption, status consumption, and service management. He has published in leading academic journals and he regularly presents his research at international conferences. In his teaching, he endeavours to deliver theoretically and empirically grounded research knowledge that has direct applications in marketing and business. Malcolm Wright is professor of marketing at Massey University, New Zealand, and adjunct professor at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of the University of South Australia. He applies empirical principles to marketing problems and has made interrelated discoveries about brand loyalty, the use of probability scales, new product forecasting and optimizing the advertising budget. He has also published many articles critically examining the foundations of popular marketing knowledge. Marc Vanhuele holds a PhD from UCLA and is professor of marketing at HEC Paris. As expert in consumer information processing, his research focuses on how consumers treat price information. A second field of research is how marketing managers can improve their decision making through better use of quantitative information on the consumer’s mind-set. His research has been published in the leading academic journals. He also works as consultant to consumer goods and market research companies.

Review :
A thought-provoking text that challenges readers to consider consumer behaviour in new and refreshing ways. The approach is distinctive. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences, as well as appreciate the insights provided by scholarship in psychology, sociology and marketing science. The authors not only discuss complex, one-off decisions, but also help us to understand routine behaviours that occupy so much of daily life – buying brands, patronising stores, watching adverts, making recommendations. This book provides a wonderful (and very unusual) balance between areas of marketing that are often at odds with each other (or, worse yet, unaware of each other) … I recommend it to any student, researcher or manager in marketing. I used this book for the consumer behaviour module in my master’s degree. It was my favourite subject, and the book provided valuable insights and guidance to successfully complete the course. The book is packed with the concepts relevant for today′s marketer and highlights the consequences of commonly used techniques such as loyalty programmes and discounts.
A serious, thoughtful consumer behaviour text, that focuses on substance rather than what’s fashionable in academic circles.