Consumer Behavior

The cases on consumer behavior relate to both the covert and overt aspects of consumers’ behaviors. In particular, consumer attitude formation and change, reference group and word-of-mouth communication, promotion of culturally sensitive consumption, consumer decision-making at disruptive innovations, and ethical aspects in informal consumer marketing are highlighted throughout these three cases. The first case is on the largest technological products manufacturer in Bangladesh, Walton. The company is also a very active player in international business as an exporter as well as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This case highlights how Walton uses the knowledge of local and international customers’ attitudes toward Walton in their strategic business decisions. Specifically, this case explores the company’s strategies to understand consumer attitude, its formation process, and how this impacts the consumer’s behavior. The case also highlights how the company uses such knowledge in new product and service development. The second case presents how a leading female consumer hygiene brand Senora is changing/modifying consumer behaviors toward menstrual health and hygiene management in Bangladesh. The case presents the brand's use of social marketing approaches to alter the social beliefs, norms, and traditions toward menstrual health. This case specifically highlights the company’s understanding of the credibility and persuasive power of reference groups such as opinion leaders, family, social institutions, endorsers, celebrities, and media, and their influence on customers’ behaviors. The case also presents how the company uses this understanding to develop word-of-mouth communication strategies by using these reference groups to serve their intended purpose. The third case is about a microentrepreneur who sells a sweetmeat called Balushahi on Facebook. Globally, it is a common trend that customers turn to online to find the cheapest products. While this behavioral pattern is predominant, a consistently growing group of consumers in Bangladesh wait for about a month, even after making an advance payment, for products that are priced about two times the price at what the elite brands sell their similar products. This unorthodox perspective of consumer behavior exhibited by the customers of Shokher Alekkho (the name of the brand house the microentrepreneur has created) is detailed here.