3. CONSUMERISM
A social force designed to protect consumer interest in the
marketplace by organising consumer pressures on business.
Consumerism is a protest of consumer against unfair trade practices
and business injustices.
It aims to remove those injustices and eliminate those unfair marketing
practices.
4. NEED FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION
Physical protection of the consumer
Protection of the consumer against deceptive and unfair trade
practices.
Ecological and environmental effects of chemical.
Adequate protection of consumer against the abuse of monopoly
positions.
5. TYPES OF CONSUMERISM
Consumers make purchasing decisions, it is critical for companies when they market
products or services. for a major purchase, the consumer generally will conduct
comparison shopping and demand information about the features and benefits of the
product.
6. 1. ROUTINE PURCHASES
There are routine purchases people make that require little decision-making. These
purchases are made with “programmed behaviour” on the part of the consumer. This
is because for this type of purchase the buyer puts forth very little effort in
searching for the product and making a decision about which product to buy.
Examples of routine purchases are soft drinks and snacks, and basic food items
like milk and eggs.
7. 2. PURCHASES WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DECISION-
MAKING
Some products are purchased by the consumer on a regular basis, but
only occasionally. The consumer may be familiar with the product
category but will conduct research to find out information about an
unfamiliar brand.
For example, the consumer may have bought many shirts before, but a
new product with a different material may require a limited amount of
information-gathering on the part of the buyer. The consumer will also
spend some time investigating an unfamiliar brand.
8. 3. PURCHASES WITH A HIGH AMOUNT OF DECISION
MAKING
There are purchases that the consumer's make that involve a high amount of
research and decision-making. These products are generally unfamiliar and
expensive, and they may be bought infrequently as well.
The buyer experiences a high degree of risk when buying these products, either
economically, psychologically or performance-wise.
Examples of these major purchases include mobile phones, cars, homes and
computer systems.
9. 4. IMPULSIVE BUYING
The same consumer who spends hours trying to decide which computer to purchase
will often buy other types of items without giving them a second thought when they
are in shops.
This impulse purchases require no conscious prior planning, and decisions are made
on the spot.
These items typically include candy bars, magazines, gum and the like.
10. CONSUMER BILL OF RIGHTS
The Right to Protection of Health and Safety
Right to be Informed
Right to choose
Right to be Heard
The right to seek Redressal
The Right to Consumers Education
The Right to Basic Needs
The Right to Secure Ecological Balance
12. THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1986
Better protection of the right and interest of consumers
Three quasi-judicial machinery;
1) Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum at the District Level
2) Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at the State Level
3) National Consumer Redressal Commission at the National Level
13. INDIAN CONSUMER AND THE NEED FOR CONSUMER
PROTECTION
Some Products which are of strategic importance, are of short in
supply.
Create artificial demand
Ignorant and uneducated consumers
Scared of legal procedures
Low and middle-class income people
14. CONSUMER AFFAIRS CELL (CAC)
Practical solution for establishing better rapport with the consumer
Establish in organisation and headed by a very Senior Executive.
15. MAIN OBJECTIVE OF CAC
More responsive to the valid grievances of consumers
Resolving customer compliance promptly
Disseminating consumer information
Advising management on consumer issues
Dealing with/providing tiasion to outside consumer interest
groups.
Educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities
16. NEW AVENUES TO CONSUMER-ORIENTED
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
1. Consumer Research
2. Shareholder Research
3. Consumer-Interest Committees
4. Consumer Relation
17. CONCLUSION
It is time for business to discard the traditional mass-marketing concept of consumer relations. Instead
of viewing the consumer solely as sales prospect, it is necessary for business to take a broader, and
wider look at the consumer to assess the full range of his genuine, diverse needs and desires.
In future, management decisions must be based on consumer point of view and is possible only through
two-way flow of communication and Consumer-Oriented marketing management.
It is virtually impossible to achieve the task of pleasing all the people all the time.
The easiest and most urgent step that marketing management can take will be the adoption of more
acceptable ethics and business morality while offering marketing-mix to customers.
