Understanding the Consumer: Social Embarrassment and Consumer Behaviour Analysis

To be successful in the market companies need to remember that consumer behaviour is an ongoing process. It is important to take into account all three stages of consumption: prepurchase, purchase and postpurchase issues. Consumers are attracted to the product not only by its quality and price, but also by the experience of acquiring and using the product. These personal or social, past experiences form consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards or against buying the particular product. Before making their choices people evaluate the product itself, the environment around it and, what is very important in nowadays-commoditised world, the attitudes of the other people to the product. The latter factor plays a significant role in creating the image of a person in the society. Therefore, people fear to fail to fulfil certain social expectations. This essay will provide a result of the detailed analysis of 55 anonymous consumer embarrassment stories. First, the most important common themes running through these accounts and types of common and significantly different behaviours will be examined. Second, the underlying reasons for these behaviours will be investigated. In the conclusion the practical implications of these themes will be described. It is important to highlight that the practical implications will be focused on the companies marketing their products to the purchasers of the products that caused the social embarrassment, and to the consumers that were the victims of these social embarrassments.