Consumer psychologists research and explain consumers’ buying habits and behaviors, often through experimental methods and focus groups. They use psychoanalysis to find ways to tap into customers’ desires and needs, and suggest advertising strategies to maximize profits. Their day-to-day duties depend on whether they work independently or for a consulting or advertising firm.
A consumer psychologist is a person responsible for researching and explaining consumers’ buying habits, as well as other relevant consumer behaviors. Research in this field is often experimental and may involve focus groups as well as traditional psychological research. A person with insight into the thoughts of consumers can market this knowledge to many different businesses and can be employed in advertising or even business architecture to maximize profits. Generally, a consumer psychologist works by consulting with different companies rather than working with a single company to maximize profits.
The basic idea behind consumer psychology is that human beings tend to act in certain ways based on their culture, personal habits, and even human nature, and playing into how these basic regularities work can yield greater profits for businesses. . For example, a consumer psychologist might suggest that a company make an emotional appeal in an advertising campaign to make consumers feel like they need something they didn’t know they needed. Using psychoanalysis and drawing from other areas of business, a consumer psychologist makes generalizations about a company’s customer base and tries to find ways to tap into their insecurities, desires, and social needs.
In most cases, a consumer psychologist is tasked with doing research and presenting compelling arguments for a strategy that will be employed by a company. Determining which advertising strategy will be most successful in any case requires analyzing data on a specific customer base and thinking about the target audience. The psychological theories employed by a consumer psychologist can be quite different depending on their educational background, but it usually doesn’t matter which theory is used as long as the results are positive. Consumer psychology is less concerned with theoretical accuracy and more with demonstrable profits.
The day-to-day duties of a consumer psychologist depend on how he or she works. If the psychologist runs an independent consulting firm, he or she may conduct research, brainstorm, and even perform clerical tasks, depending on the size of the office. Working independently can allow for greater profits and more professional freedom, but it also requires more marketing and business skills. For this reason, many people feel that working as an employee of a consulting firm is a better approach to this profession.
When working for an advertising firm or other business, a psychologist’s job can be highly specific. Many companies hire people who specialize in this type of psychology to perform rather isolated tasks, rather than the full research and analysis process often performed by consultants. The roles of a consumer psychologist can be very different at various companies, and it is important to meet the employer’s expectation by remaining adaptable in this field.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
