10 Top Behaviors

There are probably hundreds of behaviors and characteristics about me that marketers would love to know to discover insights about me. Like we have discussed in class, I want companies to know information about me so they can improve my experiences in stores and with their products.

10 Things in the Recipe for Making a Jaclyn:

1. I look for recyclable packaging. If a box that a certain product comes in isn’t recyclable, I think lesser of the product and the company in general. I think it is very important to play a responsible role in the world today and one way I do my part is by recycling. I feel companies should give me the option to do it!

2. I love to grocery shop and to take my time in a store. I can spend two hours in the grocery store looking at all of the different products and getting new ideas for meals. Shopping is therapeutic for me and I don't like to be rushed. Taking the time to look around at all the food helps me to get new ideas for meals and to see what new products are out.

3. Good music in a store makes me stay longer. Although I love to shop, if a store is playing some awful smooth jazz rendition of "Isn't She Lovely" or other equally weather-channel-esque music, I will do my best to get out of the store as fast as I can. Because I love to shop, I like my experience each time to be a pleasant one, and bad or obnoxious music really effects my satisfaction.

4. I like to try new products and stores. Although it would be silly of me to say that I don't have any brand loyalties and will never go back to the same brand, I'm constantly looking for new products to try. I am the person that sees the sticker on the shelf in Walmart that says "New Item" and has to test it out for themselves. With this said, I'm not entirely set in all of my brand choices and am willing to switch brands on a whim.

5. Packaging on products is crucial to getting my sale! It still amazes me today that after all of the studying I've done as a marketing major, packaging still gets me! It just adds so much value to a product. Also, it is vital that the packaging be informative so that I can make an educated purchase decision on the spot. Even with brands I've known all of my life and haven't always been too fond of, such as Walmart's Great Value, once their packaging changes, I'm tempted to buy the same products I've tried before and disliked. I think Walmart's new packaging for the Great Value brand is genius and very effective. They have really taken the value that packaging adds to the product to heart.

6. I often opt for the cheaper brands and have buyer's remorse because of it. Because I am a broke college student, my budget often limits me to choose the cheaper brands, but I'm usually disappointed by them. Even though I know I don't like them as much, sometimes I just have to settle on the brands that are just "ok". Also, despite the fact that I know this buyer's remorse will haunt me, I still continue to buy the cheaper products! 7. I research and read reviews before buying anything over $40. I trust other people's reviews too and try to ask my friends and family about their experiences with whatever it is that I'm buying. I really trust and value their opions and the opinions of previous product users.

8. I hate sales people. I really enjoy stores that don't bombard me with sales people that are constantly hovering over me and trying to help me out. I like to make my purchase decisions alone or with my friends/family. Shopping is an experience for me that can easily be ruined by perky and overly helpful sales people. Sometimes, they're great: when I need a different size in the fitting room, when I can't find something on the store floor, or when I need to check out. Other than that, I'd rather them not be around.

9. I like to at least think I'm getting a good deal. Again, I'm going to use Walmart as my example. Even if the tag on the store shelf says "Rollback Price: $11.50, Was: 12.00" I still feel like I'm getting a deal and am more likely to buy the product even if the sale amount is minimal. It's just like using coupons too. Even though it's only for $0.25 off a can of pringles, I'm much more likely to buy it even if I wasn't planning on buying it before I received the coupon.


10. I love advertisements that are unique and colorful. Much like packaging does, advertisements create value for the customer and I'm no exception. For example, as we all know, Apple does an amazing job with promotion. Although these ads seem old to us now and over-used, at one point and time, this ad was very original:

and it worked for me. I just think they captured the experience of listening to music so well and really sold the product well. Just looking at this makes me want to turn on my mp3 player. Ads like these really create interest for me and from it I begin to build brand value.