The impact of the psychological marketing factors (tricks) on consumer's buying decisions

Abstract

Psychology has an essential role in consumer behaviour comprehension and shaping of the appropriate marketing activities, especially in advertising, sales promotion and brand loyalty building. Applying distinct psychological marketing factors (tricks) has had a long history in traditional and even online retail commerce. Their impact on consumer buying decisions has been researched for decades (since the 1970s). However, consumers in Croatia have been able to experience these factors since the 1990s. The survey in this study collected data about the influence of prices, advertising, sales promotion, retail atmosphere, and packaging from 256 respondents. The analysis pointed out that only 9 (out of 26) researched psychology marketing tricks positively influence consumer buying decisions. Low prices and discounts were evaluated as the most critical factors (tricks), followed by a pleasant store ambience, music, and memorable promotional jingles respectively. Celebrity endorsement and appealing to scarcity were considered the least important factors. The research determined that younger consumers (aged below 30), women, , students and respondents with higher family income are more prone to being triggered by the psychology marketing tricksPsihologija ima važnu ulogu u razumijevanju ponašanja potrošača i oblikovanju odgovarajućih marketinških aktivnosti, posebno u oglašavanju, unapređenju prodaje i stvaranju lojalnosti. Primjena raznih psiholoških marketinških čimbenika (trikova) ima dugu povijest u tradicionalnoj, pa i internet maloprodaji. Njihov utjecaj na kupovne odluke potrošača se istražuje još od 1970-ih. Potrošači u Hrvatskoj su tim čimbenicima izloženi od 1990-ih. Anketnim ispitivanjem prikupljeni su podaci o utjecaju cijena, oglašavanja, unapređenja prodaje, maloprodajne atmosfere i pakiranja od 256 ispitanika. Analiza je pokazala da samo devet (od ukupno 26) istraživanih psiholoških marketinških trikova pozitivno utječe na donošenje kupovnih odluka potrošača. Povoljne cijene i popusti su ocijenjeni kao najvažniji čimbenici koji utječu na kupovne odluke. Slijede ugodan maloprodajni ugođaj i glazba te pamtljivi promotivni jinglovi. Podrška (pokroviteljstvo) slavnih osoba i promoviranje oskudice zaliha prepoznati su kao najmanje važni čimbenici. Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da su mlađi ispitanici (ispod 30 godina), žene, studenti i ispitanici s višim obiteljskim dohocima skloniji prihvaćanju psiholoških marketinških faktora