Consumer Behaviors and a New Media Literacy

Abstract

Consumer behavior includes mental assessments, emotional responses and physical activities during the selection, purchase, use and disposal of products and services. Existing models of the purchasing process vary, but usually share at least four significant parts: 1) Consumer 2) Marketing Inputs 3) Psychological Inputs 4) Purchase Decisions. Among the most important influences on this process are the media. In the 21st century, new media have advanced and expanded in an unprecedented way to become pervasive and penetrate every aspect of our society. A new media literacy plays an essential role for any citizen to participate fully in this society. But it is individual social skills and cultural competencies that create today’s media environment for active digital participation. In this rapidly changing situation, a positive consumer behavior leads to a purchase decision on the basis of factors including product, location, and brand choice. The decision to buy is often driven by demand that marketers have generated using new media. There is a mutual need for increased media literacy, by marketers to optimize promotion and by consumers as the receivers of marketing information. Potentially, brand ‘trust’ will make this New Media Literacy and Buyer Decision Process model simpler, but further research on the relative importance of different influences on consumer-decision making, related to culture, for some large purchases is suggested.