Marketing Strategies to Influence Buyer Behavior: Product and Service Innovation
Marketing Strategies to Influence Buyer Behavior: Product and Service Innovation
For this Assignment, you will continue to act as the director of marketing for a company and will provide an analysis of how you would promote your products and/or services to a specific demographic target market using social media marketing strategies. This analysis will be divided into three separate presentations. Last week, you submitted the first presentation on incorporating the consumer. This week, you will create and submit a presentation on incorporating product and service innovation. In Week 3, you will submit a third presentation on incorporating marketing in the technological era.
With those thoughts in mind, continue using the particular industry and specific target market that you selected in Week 1. Using that information, you will continue to analyze the use of social media marketing strategies to reach that target market and influence buyer behavior. To showcase your analysis, you will create a PowerPoint slide presentation, along with a written script (in the Notes section of the PowerPoint) that you would use to give your presentation. As you develop your presentation, be sure to include specific examples where applicable, as well as relevant citations from the Learning Resources, the Walden Library, and/or other appropriate academic sources.
To prepare for this Assignment:
- Download the Week 2 Assignment Template.
Submit your presentation and accompanying script in the Notes section of each slide. Be sure to fully address the following in approximately 4 slides, excluding references:
Incorporating Product and Service Innovation
- Analyze how marketing strategy development is shaped by influencers.
- Examine how the industry and the competition can be influenced by social media. Be specific, including what factors are most conducive to influencing.
- To support your assertions, do some research and locate at least two examples of innovative and creative social media influence practices. For each example, do the following:
- Describe the organization (including what type of company it is, what sector/industry it is in, et cetera).
- Provide specific examples of how the organization employs (or employed) creativity and innovation through the use of social media influence in its business practices.
Marketing for Competitiveness
Week 2 Learning Resources
The customer’s need (The influencer)
Through these resources, you will examine how to define customers’ needs. Customers’ needs are rooted in seeking solutions a product or service may provide. We identify those needs in marketing by asking the questions that solicit feedback to enhance our processes and practices. Through these resources, you will explore how customers’ needs are met using solid marketing practices.
· Balis, J. (2021, March 10). 10 truths about marketing after the pandemic . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles , 1–11. http://hbr.org
· Breschi, A. (2021). 16 types of customer needs (and how to solve for them)Links to an external site. . HubSpot . https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-needs
· Haas, S., McClain, J., McInerney, P., & Timelin, B. (2020, October 16). Reimagining consumer-goods innovation for the next normal Links to an external site. . McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/reimagining-consumer-goods-innovation-for-the-next-normal
· Kiely, T. J. (2017, August 2). How social media can drive product innovation Links to an external site. . Falcon.IO. https://www.falcon.io/insights-hub/topics/customer-engagement/social-media-can-drive-product-innovation-social-listening/
The Industry and Competition/Social Media Being the Influencer
Social media influence refers to the impact of other people’s thinking and behavior in an online community. The more influence a person has, the more appeal that individual has to companies or other individuals who want to promote an idea or sell a product. Social media possesses incredible influential power, and since the advent of the Internet, it has evolved from a simple way for people to keep in touch into a massive global network connecting organizations, communities, and people.
· Christensen, C. M., Ojomo, E., & Dillon, K. (2019, January 1). Cracking frontier markets . Harvard Business Review, 97 (1), 90–101.
· Digital Garage. (2019, January 14). How retargeting works Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8_yzdZbOlA
Effective Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategy provides a roadmap to a business’s overall game plan for reaching its prospective consumers and turning them into customers. There are several components to a successful marketing strategy. Through these resources, you will examine some of those key components, like the company's value proposition, key brand messaging, data on target customer demographics, and other high-level elements in these resources.
· Crestodina, A. (2020). Data-driven empathy: 7 charts that show how to make smart marketing decisionsLinks to an external site. . Orbit Media Studios . https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/data-driven-marketing-decisions
· Karpenkova, A. (2020, April 3). Digital marketing strategies brands often overlookLinks to an external site. . DigitalMarketer . https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/overlooked-digital-marketing-strategies Time Estimate: 8 minutes
· Schillewaert, N. (2020, July 7). Brand religions: The 3 beliefs of the influencer religionLinks to an external site. . InSites Consulting . https://insites-consulting.com/blog/brand-religions-the-3-beliefs-of-the-influencer-religion/
Social Media Marketing
We have all been exposed to some sort of social media and its influence on our decision making, but what about when we apply marketing? Social media marketing, sometimes called e-marketing or digital marketing, uses social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. Using these resources, you will explore how social media marketing builds on the overall marketing strategy.
· Charlesworth, A. (2017). What is social media marketing?Links to an external site. In Social media marketing: Marketing panacea or the emperor’s new digital clothes? (pp. 39–70). Business Expert Press.
· Charlesworth, A. (2017). Social media marketing: What works, what doesn’t…and whyLinks to an external site. . In Social media marketing: Marketing panacea or the emperor’s new digital clothes? (pp. 115–143). Business Expert Press.
· Davis, X. (n.d.). 7 steps for an effective social media marketing plan Links to an external site. . Duct Tape Marketing. https://ducttapemarketing.com/social-media-marketing-plan/
· Digital Garage. (2019, January 14). Social media campaigns for mobile Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TQUgS3TNG4
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Marketing Strategies to Influence Buyer Behavior: Product and Service Innovation
Your Name
Master of Business Administration, Walden University
MBAX 6060: Marketing for Competitiveness
Instructor’s Name
Month XX, 202X
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[Template Notes]
[Note: Delete this slide before submitting your Assignment. This Assignment Template is based off the APA Presentation Template (APA 7) found on the General Templates page of the Walden Writing Center. The template found on this page provides additional information that may be helpful. Be sure to refer to the notes area of each slide for further instructions, including whether a script is needed.]
[Template Notes: A script is not needed for this page. Be sure to delete this slide before submitting your Assignment.]
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Incorporating Product and Service Innovation
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References
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Marketing Strategies to Influence Buyer Behavior: The Consumer
Lakenya Campbell
Walden University
Dr. Steve
Marketing for Competitiveness
August 31st, 2025
C
What it Means to be a Consumer
“A consumer is traditionally defined as an individual who purchases goods or services for personal use. However, in modern marketing, consumers are active decision-makers who influence demand and shape industries. Their role extends beyond consumption into cultural participation, where choices carry symbolic meaning. For instance, Gen Z consumers purchasing sustainable fashion are not only addressing a clothing need but also expressing alignment with environmental values and social justice. Millennials, on the other hand, often buy fair-trade coffee as a way of signaling support for ethical business practices, going beyond functionality to convey identity (Gregg, Kim, & Perrey, 2020). Businesses must understand consumers at this deeper level to design campaigns that resonate emotionally and rationally. By appealing to both functional needs and aspirational values, companies can foster loyalty, enhance competitiveness, and align products with consumer identities. In this way, consumers actively shape market dynamics and determine brand success, making their role central to effective marketing strategy.”
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A consumer is an individual purchasing goods/services for personal needs.
Consumers act as decision-makers shaping business success.
Consumption reflects both functional and symbolic meanings.
Example: Gen Z in sustainable fashion.
Example: Millennials in ethical consumption (e.g., fair-trade coffee).
Consumer Decision-Making Process
The consumer decision-making process is commonly outlined in five stages: recognizing a need, searching for information, evaluating alternatives, making a purchase, and reflecting post-purchase (Mehrguth, n.d.). Decisions may be intuitive, guided by emotions and brand familiarity, or reasoned, based on logical comparisons of features and price. Social media has shortened these cycles, providing immediate access to reviews, influencer endorsements, and peer feedback that influence consumer confidence. For example, Gen Z buyers of sustainable fashion may evaluate material quality and price but are also strongly persuaded by influencer recommendations and transparent branding practices (Andriendko, 2015). The presence of digital marketing cues—such as pop-up ads or retargeting—further influences decision-making, blending intuition with rational analysis. Marketers must recognize that purchasing behavior is a dynamic mix of logic, psychology, and social influence. By integrating data-driven personalization and emotional appeal, brands can effectively guide consumers through each stage of the decision-making process, increasing purchase likelihood and brand loyalty.
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Five stages: need recognition, information search, evaluation, purchase, post-purchase.
Decisions may be intuitive or reasoned.
Social media accelerates decision-making cycles.
Influencing factors: price, trust, peer influence, convenience.
Example: Gen Z influenced by influencer endorsements.
Conditioning and Culture in Marketing
Cultural conditioning describes how societal values, traditions, and norms influence consumer identity and choices. It shapes what people consider desirable, acceptable, or aspirational in the marketplace. Gen Z consumers, for instance, have grown up in a culture that emphasizes inclusivity, authenticity, and sustainability, making them more likely to support brands that highlight ethical production and social justice (Fields, 2014). Companies like Apple have skillfully leveraged cultural values by positioning their products as symbols of innovation, prestige, and creativity—appealing to consumers’ desire for identity expression (Zoeller, 2021). However, cultural diversity also poses challenges, as a campaign effective in one cultural context may fail or offend in another. Marketers must therefore develop culturally sensitive strategies that align with consumer expectations while avoiding stereotypes or alienation. By analyzing cultural conditioning and aligning messages with shared values, businesses can create marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with consumers, strengthen brand identity, and achieve long-term competitiveness in diverse global markets.
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Cultural conditioning shapes identity and consumer expectations.
Norms, values, and shared traditions guide purchasing decisions.
Gen Z emphasizes inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability.
Example: Apple leverages culture as competitive advantage.
Challenges: cultural differences in global markets.
Adapting to Changing Consumer Needs
Consumer needs are dynamic and shift in response to cultural, technological, and economic changes. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a transformation in consumer expectations, highlighting priorities such as digital access, safety, and convenience (McKinsey & Company, 2020). In industries like sustainable fashion, this meant a stronger emphasis on online shopping, supply chain transparency, and eco-friendly production. Social media provides an important channel for brands to respond directly to consumer concerns, allowing for real-time engagement and adaptive strategies. For example, brands that showcase behind-the-scenes sourcing on platforms like Instagram build greater consumer trust. Research suggests that adaptability and transparency are essential for competitiveness in fast-changing markets (Egol & Khurana, 2020). By actively listening to consumers and integrating their evolving needs into campaigns, businesses can remain relevant and strengthen loyalty. The ability to pivot quickly in response to consumer demands is no longer optional; it is a core capability that defines success in competitive global industries
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Consumer needs evolve with economic, cultural, and technological shifts.
COVID-19 accelerated focus on safety, convenience, and digital access.
Social media offers real-time consumer feedback.
Sustainable fashion responds with transparency and ethical sourcing.
Adaptive strategies maintain long-term competitiveness.
References
Andriendko, O. (2015). Psychology and #marketing: What influences our decisions. SEJ.
Egol, M., & Khurana, A. (2020). Six building blocks for revitalized B2B marketing. Strategy+Business.
Fields, R. (2014). Culture as competitive advantage for marketers. Forbes.
Gregg, B., Kim, A., & Perrey, J. (2020). Leading with purpose. McKinsey & Company.
McKinsey & Company. (2020). The evolving consumer: How COVID-19 is changing the way we shop.
Mehrguth, G. (n.d.). 5 stages of the consumer decision-making process. Directive.
Zoeller, S. (2021). How Apple uses consumer behavior marketing to win.
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