Pamela Danziger, «Why People Buy Things They Don't Need : Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior»

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Pamela Danziger, «Why People Buy Things They Don't Need : Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior»

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Danziger, who owns a marketing research and consulting company, dismisses people who worry that too much personal spending imperils individual financial security and crowds out public spending; she even cites the World Trade Center attacks to argue that overshopping is a patriotic duty. Right-thinking Americans, according to the author, encourage people to buy things they don't need by focusing on the shopping and ownership experience rather than on the good or service itself. This "sell the sizzle, not the steak" advice is not original, but this book elaborates on it by defining five types of consumers using 14 different "justifiers" to make unnecessary purchases; some of these are illustrated by a company that exploits the niche. The bulk of the book consists of statistical summaries of 37 different product areas. The sales approach is one-dimensional and described only in sketches, though the marketing text covers the theoretical ideas with more depth and balance. The book appears to be aimed at marketing consultants who need to brainstorm ideas in different product categories, and for this audience the author provides the enthusiasm to inspire proposals and enough data for the first draft.

Within the past decade, the way consumers shop has undergone dramatic change; more options are now available, including the ease of shopping from home via the Internet. Beyond that, a dramatic shift has occurred—thanks in part to the drop in cost in buying essentials, discretionary purchases have taken the lead.

Today, emotional spending is an integral part of any purchase consumers make. Spending is now based on wants, not needs. Another critical change? Consumers are in the driver’s seat and control the marketplace. According to author and marketing expert Pamela N. Danziger, understanding why people buy what they don’t need is the eky to successful marketing today. Once marketers learn how the “why” drives and directs consumer behavior, they can learn how to get people to buy more things they don’t need. In Danziger’s book, Why People Buy Things They Don’t Need, she covers critical points, including:

Insight and understanding into why consumers behave the way they do
Real examples of companies “Getting It Right: that have managed to successfully target and sell consumers “what they don’t need”
How to use the emotional aspect of buying often overlooked by marketers
14 different justifiers that give consumers permission to buy
Examples of 30 different categories of things people buy, from product highlights to consumer characteristics, as well as how those purchases are made