Dastkar Industry Mix

Understanding Consumer Behaviour

Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals, group of individuals and organizations select, buy, dispose of goods, services or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants. It is necessary to understand consumer behaviour to deliver products which satisfy their needs, and make the business sustainable.

The 3 major factors which influence consumer behaviour are: cultural, social and personal.

Cultural:

Culture plays a huge influence on the purchasing patterns of a consumer. It is a fundamental determinant of a person’s needs and wants. For example, a person from the western world has different needs for food consumptions as compared to a person from India. Even in India, people coming from different parts of the country have different needs: a person from north prefers rotis while one from south prefers rice as the staple diet. So, it can be seen that culture and sub-cultures are critical to understanding consumer behaviour and develop marketing strategies that appeal to people coming from particular cultures.

Although handicrafts are deep-rooted in the Indian cultural heritage, the huge influence of westernization on the urban consumer has resulted in less or no motivation to buy handicraft products. A marketing strategy that creates a sense of awareness amongst the consumers about the rich cultural heritage of the handicraft products shall motivate them to buy handicrafts, helping the cause of the Nature Bazaars.

Findings from primary research at ‘Dastkar Handicraft Fair’:

Normal Indian Consumer: Ordinary Indian consumer finds handicraft product culturally rich and wants handicraft product for being culturally attached to its roots. They are not searching for high quality products but wants affordable products that can be used in day-to-day life.

Westernized young Indian generation: This category of consumers is in the search of elegant handicraft products that can be utilised for occasions or for decorative purpose. They wants high priced product that are rich in quality and exclusive in nature. They find Dastkar elegant brand and put it in the different league than ‘Dilli Haat’ or retail stores like ‘Fabindia’ and ‘Anokhi’.

Foreigners: This category of consumers is mostly travellers and wants to take some Indian memory back with them to their homeland. This category is impressed by products that are exclusive and culturally rich. This category doesn’t find Dastkar product costly.

Social:

Roles and Status of consumer – People often choose products that define the role they play in the society and reflect their desired or actual status in the society. For example, politicians in India generally wear Khadi garments, especially in white, as these garments are perceived to reflect nationalism and purity of soul.

Similarly, it is necessary that handicraft products are designed and promoted in such a way that they appeal to the social roles and desires of the consumers.

Findings from primary research at ‘Dastkar Handicraft Fair’:

Dastkar organises handicraft fairs frequently to provide marketplace to artisans and buyers. It has prominent social impact as it targets very niche category of consumers who actually appreciates handicraft art and culture. It was found that the category includes many social workers, people working in the field of art and heritage conservation, people from various NGOs, affluent class and foreigners. Dastkar also provides social platform to artisans from various part of the country through which artisans can socialise with other artisans and many times it turns out to be beneficial for various stakeholders. Dastkar is also aiding the interaction of various NGOs, social workers and businessmen from this field.

Product mix at Dastkar socially influences various segments. Elegant handicraft products find a market in the elite class, which suits their social status. Social workers prefer to use indigenous handicraft products to promote artisans and nationalism.

Personal:

There are various personal characteristics that could influence a consumer’s buying behaviour. They include age and stage of life cycle, occupation and income, personality traits and the value system of the consumer.

Consumer preferences tend to change with age and are dependent on the stage of life cycle in which the consumer is. The income earned by the consumer is also a factor which can be looked upon to attract consumers with varying income levels.

Personality traits of individuals are essential in understanding consumer behaviour. Consumers are more likely to buy products that they perceive to be a reflection of themselves. If the products have a brand personality that the consumer can relate his or her own personality to, it is better for the sales and consumer perception of the product. Also, having a trusted celebrity market the product helps improve the brand personality of the product as it attributes the characteristics of the celebrity to the product.