E/M/53. What is the impact of ‘society in shaping consumer purchasing behaviour, and what are the implications for marketing?

Consumer purchasing behaviour is a much researched area, as indeed is todays society and how it has changed in history. But how has ‘society shaped consumer purchasing, and what are the implications for marketing. These two questions will be answered in the following paper. In order to answer the first question we need to understand what is meant by the term ‘society. According to the Oxford Dictionary (2004) society can be defined as ‘a number of persons associated together by some common interest or purpose, united by a common vow, holding the same belief or opinion. Society in a business and specifically marketing context involves many aspects, all of which are heavily discussed in texts and articles in the consumer behaviour area. For the purpose of this essay, it is wise to narrow down a specific area upon which to focus. Those areas that are heavily discussed and researched include; reference groups, social class, family and culture, all of which are inextricably intertwined.