Marketing 10 Days

Marketing 10 days

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Increase in globalization has resulted to increase in competition among most of the businesses enterprises both locally and globally and also change in a number of socio-cultural activities. In order to create and retain competitiveness, most of the business firms have embarked into thorough marketing activities which in turn has resulted into heavy consumption of their goods and services (Cooke, French & Sniehotta, 2010). Research studies have shown that most of the people who indulge in drug abuse and especially of the drugs that are not outlawed such as alcohol both in UK and other parts of the globe are lured by marketing activities such as advertisements and "word of mouth" popularly known as peer influence; this is according to Jayne, Valentine & Holloway (2008).

For marketing activities to be effective, they have to address the needs and expectations of the market. This is not the case with businesses that are involved in the production and distribution of drugs or related products (Szmigin et al. 2008). This is because their marketing activities focus on why the clients need to buy the product. This essay will focus on the consumer theories that could apply to Binge drinking among UK students, the strategies that the government has taken if any, cases of alcohol abuse in other parts of the globe and some of the campaigns that would be effective in influencing drinking habits of the youth.

Consumer behaviour refers to the factors that influence the process of customers purchasing goods and services. In most cases, consumers will purchase the products that they are convinced will help meet their needs and expectations (Cooke et al. 2010). From the case study, Melanie will only purchase alcoholic drinks that will meet the need at that particular time. In other words, just like any other consumer, Melanie will not settle for any thing less than the products that will meet her needs which in this case is getting drunk. Consumer behaviours are dictated by external factors as well as personal traits, economics, sociology and psychology are some of the factors that affect customer behaviour (Krystallis, Vassallo & Chryssohoidis 2012).

Consumer behaviour tries to understand the decision making process of buyers and how marketers can make use of the same to attract more customers, retain the existing and through that improve their competitive advantage. Consumer behaviours are based on demographics and social issues (McMahon, McAlaney & Edgar 2007). This explains why binge drinking in United Kingdom (UK) is common among the students and Melanie seems to base her drinking behaviours on the fact that she is still a student. Consumers seek to make the most from opportunities. For example, consumers always require products of high quality and pay the least possible (Cooke et al. 2010). In addition, consumers will make use of opportunities such as promotional activities, sales and offers. This relates with binge drinking of Melanie in that she argues she will be young once and that she will also be a student once and she has to make maximum use of the opportunity (Esser et al. 2012).

Consumers also budget the amount of money they will spend on certain goods and services and will avoid products or services that they had not budgeted for. Melanie and other students usually budget the amount of money they will spend once they go out. In order to avoid spending excess than what they have budgeted for, they only carry the amount they have budgeted and leave the rest behind. Consumers often compare different products, their prices and how they will meet their needs and expectations (Krystallis et al. 2012). This is reflected in the drinking habits of Melanie and other students where they drink different alcoholic behaviours depending on the amount of money they have, the day (Wednesday is considered as the biggest day as sportsmen and women go out to enjoy themselves and that means heavy drinking), and the intention of going out. For example, Melanie argues that there would be no need for her to go out if she will not get drunk.

Consumers are also loyal to certain products such that they will end up buying them even when they do not have any significant impacts on their lives (Hackley et al. 2008). In relation to this case study, Melanie at times seeks to question why she gets as drunk as she does especially when she sees other people in the same state. She has the information about the effects that binge drinking will have on her health and especially that she is a young lady but seeks to brush it off by arguing that she is a student and that she will only be young once and she has to enjoy to the maximum while she is still young (Plant et al. 2010). Word-of-mouth is the most effective way of marketing and marketers rely on it heavily. This is also the same case with drinking. In other words, most of the students engage in drinking and end up in binge drinking as a result of peer influence. It is therefore relative hard for Melanie to quit drinking or reduce her drinking behaviours as long as she is a student, young and her friends are still engaged in drinking activities (Fillmore & Jude 2011).

Just like consumer behaviour is affected by the socio-cultural activities or the location in which an individual is based in so does binge drinking. Melanie points out that she is not capable of avoiding drinking during week days but once she seizes being a student, gets employment and is committed full time she will be able to quit. This shows that the change of societal setting from being a student will transform her choices when it comes to social activities (Gilpin, Karanikas & Richardson 2012).

Reference groups are very important in any individual's life. This is because they dictate to a certain extent the activities that the individual will be involved in. Reference groups also determine the manner in which individuals are able to manage certain activities and whether they will be beneficial to the individual or not (Evangelista, Poon & Albaum 2012). People get grouped because of external factors that disfavour or favour them. In other words, for groups to be created the individuals within that group have to share certain factors and as long as the factors are present the group will stay intact unless stronger factors are used to mitigate the initial ones (Norman, Conner & Stride 2012). In relation to the binge drinking of Melanie, she has identified a number of reference groups with some being successful in influencing her decisions than others. Some of the groups mentioned by Melanie include students, sports clubs such as the footballers, hockey and rugby players,