Environmental Influences on Consumer Behavior

Culture
Culture has many influences why a consumer consumes what they do. People that were raised in a culture that is in a Mediterranean region will have different eating habits then someone that is raised in a Northern region. People that were raised in the Mediterranean region will eat spicier foods to help themselves sweat to keep cool. Where someone living in the Northern regions will eat heartier foods that stick to their ribs to help keep them feeling full and warm.

Subculture
Subcultures will have an impact on it's surrounding cultures. Since a subculture is inside another culture these cultures will be running into each other; walking by each other on the street, or driving by the subculture seeing the stores and restaurants that they have to offer. A good example of this is The United States. The U.S has many subcultures all of these subcultures are slowly starting to blend into one culture. When Mexicans started to migrate into the U.S they had their food. Americans started to eat it and enjoy it. Then American restaurants started to adapt Mexican food into their menus giving it a little twist of the American culture.

Social Class
Social classes have a large influence on what a person consumes. In America social classes are mainly separated by money; the more money a person has the higher the social class. With social classes it is not easy to bounce back and forth or be in a couple different ones at the same time. If a person is in a higher social class they are influenced by their clothes, jewelery, cars and houses. If a person is living in a higher class purchases a new luxury car (BMW, Lexus) then another person has to buy a luxury car to stay at the same level. Were lower classes can't always afford the more expense luxuries in life so they stay down at a different level and buy a car just to get back and forth from work.

Reference groups
Reference groups have a large influence on what a consumer consumes. A reference group advises a person on what to purchase. If someone has a question on what to purchase and they call a reference group to get advise on it there is a very good chance they will purchase it. If a person looks at a "Green" group for advice on purchasing a new car this group is going to advise them to purchase a car that gets high mpg, burns alternative fuels and has low emissions. But if this same person asked a horsepower group on what car to purchase they are going to say something with high horsepwer, low mpg and has high emissions.

Situational Determinants
Situational determinants will have a large influence on what a consumer consumes. These will put a factor on someone not being able to purchase their usual product ( weather, money,or transportation, etc.). If a person typically purchases fresh organic vegetables from Central Wisconsin and a storm goes through the farm destroying the farmer's crops this consumer will have to purchase else where. Forcing the consumer to try different farmer's vegetables possible making them switch who they purchase from.

Introduction

My name is Scott Hineline. I am a marketing student and am graduating this May.

I have lived in the Marshfield area for about 6 years.

I plan on working in restuarants doing marketing after I graduate. The way it is starting to look I have a couple jobs lined up it's just a matter of which one gives me the best offer.

I have a dog and her name is Jasmine. She is two and a half years old and loves to go for boat rides and long runs. She is still a little scared of being on the tube behind the boat.

My hobbies are: boating, fishing, golfing and cooking. With in the next year I also plan on taking up wakeboarding and snowboarding.