The way that consumers behave in regular life has a huge influence on how the company
will market itself to the public. Consumers will buy what they like and this means that
they will shop for that item at a store that they like as well. The knowledge of what
consumers like is a huge asset to any company because they can tailor they marketing
plan to fit the needs of different consumers. During Target’s expansion to Canada’s
marketplace in 2013, the company will have to research 4 influences on the consumer’s
purchase decision: market mix influences, psychological influences, sociocultural
influences, and situational influences.
Sociocultural influences
“A consumer’s purchases are often influenced by the views, opinions, or behaviours of
others” (Kerin es al. 52). There are many different people that can influence consumers
and the majority of these people are personal influences. Target sponsors professional
athletes in hopes that they will become opinion leaders for the company. For example,
Shaun White, a professional snowboarder, and Paul Rodriguez, a professional
skateboarder, are both sponsored by Target. Troy Michels, from the lifestyle marketing
department of target, claims: “With so many accomplishments and a promising future
ahead of him, Paul is a natural fit for Target and we’re proud to have our brand
represented on his skateboard” (Alley). Another major personal influence that can help
Target is word of mouth. Target is a competing company with many other “superstores”
such as Wal-Mart and The Real Canadian Superstore. They will most likely rely on
friends and family of potential consumers that shop at Target to mention the great deals
that they offer with whom they communicate. Another major sociocultural influence that
will affect Target is family influence. The process by which consumers acquire
information to function as a consumer is through consumer socialization. Consumers will
learn through the actions of their families. For example, children whose parents like
Target are more likely to prefer Target to other competitors. Target will also have to look
at the family life cycle and what items different age groups buy. They would have to base
their marketing strategy on the percentage of each age group that visits the store. Family
decision making is also a big influence on the store because some decisions are spouse
dominated. Target would have to figure out which market is wife dominated and which
market would be husband dominated and tailor the market to the audience. Finally,
Target would have to look at global cultural diversity before entering the Canadian
marketplace. They would have to look at Canadian values, which would be fair and
friendly service for everyone. They would also have to look at Canadian customs such as
quick and helpful service. Language is also another major factor they have to look at
because there is a big diversity in Canada and they need to take this into consideration
when opening a store in a diverse community.
Situational Influences:
There are other influences beside the constant influences that Target has to be aware of
when marketing for the Canadian community. First, they have to take into consideration
that not all shoppers in the store are there to buy the same thing. The consumer’s
purchase task is very important to the company because it lets them know how to market
the specific items that the consumers want to buy. For example, they will provide more
information on a TV price tag than on a box of Frosted Flakes’ price tag. They also need
to take the social surroundings of the customer into consideration. Not only must Target
consider who will be working in their store to help a customer, they have to think of who
will be shopping with the customer. If it’s a mom with her child in the store, they will try
to make it as easy for her as possible. Finally, Target must accommodate their store to the
needs of different shoppers and how they can please everyone. They would have to
research what music is popular in Canada at the time of entry, as well as creating a design
that flatters the population but still keeps to the company’s design concept.
Bibliography:
Alley, Blair. “P-Rod Signs with Target”. Transworld Skateboarding. 12 August 2010.
Web. 13 February 2012.
Kerin, Hartley et al. Marketing: The Core. Toronto: McGraw, 2009. Print.