Consumer Buying Behavior

The social environment of the consumer can influence the use of a product. In the case of Coca-Cola, the consumer’s social environment is characterized by his/her family, friends, work colleagues and other social affiliations; this is either usually at home or out with friends. When the consumer is at home, depending on the age, close relatives might have an effect whether or not this product is consumed. If the person is a bit older, this has less of an effect on the consumer. When it comes to going out with family or friends, the consumer can be affected by what they might say about the product. The consumer might be pressured to either not drink the product or drink something else instead.

Moreover, the stages of the family life cycle may also have an impact.    
The traditional family life cycle consists of 6 stages:

•  single I – when a young adult leaves parents and lives by himself
•  Empty Nest I – a young married couple w/o children
•  Full Nest I – a married couple with children
•  Full Nest II – a married couple with more children
•  Empty Nest II – a married couple with children that live on their own
•  Single II – when one of the married couple passes away

Of course in reality this does not apply to every family, due to differences in culture, environment and/or situation. Nonetheless, Coca-Cola can relate to every stage in the family life cycle as it is a product that benefits any person. May it be for occasions or just quenching thirst, this is one of the most suitable and convenient drink, no matter the situation. 

Impulse buying will be most likely applicable to Coca-Cola, as this involves no conscious planning, but powerful urge to buy to quench thirst. First, the consumer will undergo stage 1 of the consumer decision-making process and recognize the problem as soon as he feels thirst. Then, an internal search will be done as the consumer searches his/her memory about which product he recognizes the most, which will presumably be Coca-Cola (as this is one of the widely known drinks). As soon as the consumer thinks of what he wants to buy, he will go to the nearest supermarket/store. There, he might evaluate the alternatives (other soft drinks that may be cheaper than Coca-Cola) and compare them price- and taste-wise but will still decide to buy the product as he is most familiar with Coke. He will then drink it and evaluate it as a good decision made. 

Below is an attitude scale which can be used to measure the consumer's attitude towards Coca-Cola.

Statement:	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly agree
Coca-Cola has an attractive packaging.
The taste of Coca-Cola beats every other soft-drink.
I would consider Coca-Cola as my first choice to buy soft drink.
I am getting a good value when I purchase Coca-Cola.
I would encourage friends and relatives to purchase Coca-Cola.
I would recommend Coca-Cola to someone who seeks my advice.
I would say positive things about Coca-Cola to other people.