Marketers are interested in what attracts males and females to certain products or services, this is important because it can aid in how companies appeal to consumers. As we all know there are certain products and services that are specifically geared to females as well as males, however there are certain products, and services that appeal to both genders.  In order to sale products that are of interest to both males and females, marketers aim to make products available in places where either gender frequently shops. Another way companies aim to cater to both male and females is by modifying their product or service, for instance Nike makes masculine and feminine sneakers and sportswear. Another example is electronics; many companies give the option of colors ranging from feminine to masculine or neutral, which again aims to cater to both females and males. Companies also realize that men and women make buying decisions differently; some men might decide to purchase an item without being conscious of the price where as women might prefer to purchase the item if it is affordable. Many companies choose to target one specific gender; some companies prefer to expand their market to satisfy both genders, in efforts to generate more sales.
 
Dell makes laptops in a variety of colors

Nike makes sportswear for men and women

 

Whether you’re a college student, high school student, or an employee, I’m pretty sure that at some point a group discussion occurred which spiked your interest, and presumably influenced you. Group influence plays a major role in assisting companies, with generating sales, and greatly influences consumer behavior.  People who are apart of groups share similar ideas, interests, and goals. Group members promote products, services and advertisements by word-of-mouth to members of the group that may not have had knowledge of the product, which may influence other members of that group to purchase the product, or service. One of the ways group influence aids in generating sales might be a “popular group” at a High School who sets trends, this activity may cause other students to join in, and purchase certain clothing. Another example of group influence may be members of a workout program who claim to have achieved great results, and encourage others to take part in the program if they are looking to get in shape.  Group influence can be used over the internet, for example forums where people discuss certain topics, and share information that may be of interest to other members of the forum. In some cases people tend to conform, especially if a vast majority of people are in agreement with each other, this can also lead into peer pressure.

Here are examples of Group Influence and Conformity:

Companies are interested in all aspects of what drives consumers to buy their product. When deciding on the product, questions that may arise are what does the consumer want from the product or service? And will it meet their needs? The place that they are going to make the product available is also important, which then leads into the price which determines the value of the product or service. Another factor is promotion which involves persuasion; these are all known as the marketing mix, which coincides with advertising. Although the marketing mix is a strategy used to appeal to consumers, another way a company might choose to make them more appealing to their market is using source attractiveness. Source attractiveness is an effective way for companies to enhance the product that they are promoting. People usually tend to zone into a commercial when they see an attractive spokesperson, or someone who will convince them that the product actually works. However it also depends on what the company wants to sell, for example if a company wants to sale sportswear, their goal would be to find a model with an athletic build or maybe a sports athlete. If the company is selling electronics the physical appearance wouldn’t be a major concern. Source likeability can definitely heighten the appeal of the product especially if a celebrity is promoting it. The advantages of this strategy influences consumer purchases, builds awareness, positions the brand, attracts new users as well as give a falling brand a chance to redeem itself. There are numerous companies that use source likeability, for example Halle Berry for Revlon, Shaquille O’neal for Buick Lacrosse, and Gwen Stafani for L’oreal Paris.