#consumerbuyingbehaviour

After Andrealetizia sent the images from the final campaign, I decided to create the final body of work in a digital format. I decided to use Microsoft Powerpoint to create the slides where I would then be able to export the file as a PDF for submission. As the images were portrait format I didn’t know whether to create a body of work consisting of a portrait or landscape PDF. I decided in the end to create two to see which works best for the images as presentation is key for delivering the final body of work. 

I have included screenshots of the document below with the chosen quotes supporting the images of their responses to our campaign.

Landscape format

Portrait format

From creating both PDF documents of the final portfolio of work, I feel that the portrait version works best due to the larger size of images. I also feel the text worked better under the images. Due to this, I will submit the portrait version as the final body of work.

Both the portfolios and the final timelapse can be accessed in the link below.

Throughout the event, Andrealetizia photographed the testers as a way of documenting the event and creating a body of work as a series of portraits. Around 24 portraits were captured in total but not all participants said anything that stood out that we could use. We decided it would be best to narrow it down and select seven portraits from the first session and seven fron the second session.

As no influences were present in the first part of the campaign, they were photographed with the items they thought tasted better in the bowls. In the second part of the campaign when the influences were present such as the brand, packaging and price, they were photographed with the particular brand or item they most liked. I have included the images below.

No influences present

Influences present

Overall, I think that our final campaign went very well with all the issues we came across in the campaign all addressed. This helped our final campaign to be stronger and more successful as we had a clearer idea of the final outcome we wanted to achieve by conducting research and thinking of ways to improve. This shows how important it is to rehearse or create several trial runs to refine your idea. As previously mentioned the location was great for us and the earlier start of an hour at 11am made a big difference as more people were walking by to lectures or getting lunch which resulted in people taking part. Another positive for using this location again was there is plenty of room for people to walk passed when people are taking part to avoid any health and safety issues.

The taste test was again very popular and I feel that the signs we created helped attract attention to our campaign as most stalls that are held in the main concourse of London Road are selling of food and products which we wanted to avoid. Even though I previously mentioned in the test rehearsal evaluation that more food might draw people in, I feel that by narrowing down the choice of food helped us concentrate on the areas better. By using snacks and “nibbles” helped draw students, staff and the public in as the majority of them really liked the chocolate. Everyone seemed happy for us to photograph and document them taking part in the campaign where consent forms were filled out to prove this. The voting system worked well last time as it was very simple and we did this again to success. 

From the rehearsal we decided to not use moving image as none of us known how to us the editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro to create videos, place sound on top and export it as a final movie/clip. I feel that we all assigned roles that we were comfortable with and able to put our photography and other skills and apply them to this. I felt in the final campaign we worked well together as a team and we all knew what we needed to do. The time lapse worked as well as expected and documented the event and captured the scene in full slow. 

Gillian Wearing OBE is an English conceptual artist, one of the Young British Artists, and winner of the annual British fine arts award, the Turner Prize, in 1997. In 2007 Wearing was elected as lifetime member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Wearing is widely known for her method of documentation of everyday life through photography and video, concerning individual identity within the private and the public spaces, where she blurs the line between reality and fiction. 

Wearing first attracted public acclaim when she exhibited a series of photographs entitled “Signs that say what you want them to say and not Signs that say what someone else wants you to say” at City Racing, a small artist-run gallery in London in 1993. She had been using video and photography since the early 1990s, but this was her first significant collaboration with members of the public. 

Standing in a busy area of South London, Wearing stopped passers-by and asked them to write down what was on their mind. With their permission, she then photographed them holding their statement. As indicated by the title of the work, Wearing has written that this collaboration interrupts the logic of photo-documentary and snapshot photography by the subjects’ clear collusion and engineering of their own representation. This body of work is comprised of over fifty colour photographs. A broad cross-section of people participated in the photographs and the series provides a fascinating social and historical document and by referring to the economic decline in Britain in the early 1990s, manifested by statements such as 'Will Britain get through this recession?'. However most of the signs express intimate thoughts or personal convictions.

The body of work is very powerful due to the subjects saying exactly what they are thinking which challenges her own perception of the people, and also everyone that sees the images. The images captured by Wearing shows a vareity of images which include humour, stereotypical as well as sad emotions from a variety of people including homeless which we pass on a daily basis in London who would love to live a normal life like the majority of us. What is quite alarming is that many people would most probably write down the same things as some words individuals wrote down such as the image above “Give people houses. There is plenty of empty one’s ok!”. Homelessness is still such a big issue all over the country which needs to be addressed as the individual states there are many that are empty. These issues still haven’t been addressed and many people are still on the street. Also, with Brexit currently occurring and the General Election, there are many changes to come for all of the UK. 

Throughout the session Zosia was responsible to capture images as documentation of the event and also to capture the participants considering and trying the food. I have included these below.

According to psychologists, colour can affect us in great measures including our mood, emotions, to actions and words. It is well known that certain colours have certain type of effects and meaning, such as white representing innocence, or that blue makes us calm, or that red makes us aggressive, passionate and alert.

However, not everyone believes this, or consciously notices this. The whole topic of psychology of colour has been used by marketing agencies, supermarkets, designers and many others to influence us. We might think about this and disagree, but when we start to think about it in more depth, we all have been influenced by colour. The colour of the car you purchased, the clothes you wear, how you have decorated your house - we chose these colours as this is what we like, which shows we are influenced by it. 

Colour psychology

In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colours. Newton also found that each colour is made up of a single wavelength and cannot be separated any further into other colours. Further experiments demonstrated that light could be combined to form other colours. For example, red light mixed with yellow light creates an orange colour. Some colours, such as yellow and purple, cancel each other out when mixed and result in a white light.

"Given the prevalence of colour, one would expect colour psychology to be a well-developed area," note researchers Andrew Elliot and Markus Maier. "Surprisingly, little theoretical or empirical work has been conducted to date on colour's influence on psychological functioning, and the work that has been done has been driven mostly by practical concerns, not scientific rigour."

Despite the general lack of research in this area, the concept of colour psychology has become a hot topic in marketing, art, design, and other areas. Much of the evidence in this emerging area is anecdotal at best, but researchers and experts have made a few important discoveries and observations about the psychology of colour and the effect it has on moods, feelings, and behaviours.

The Psychological Effects of Colour

While perceptions of colour are somewhat subjective, there are some colour effects that have universal meaning. Colours in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colours and include red, orange and yellow. These warm colours evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.

Colours on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colours and include blue, purple and green. These colours are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference. Many will have their own experiences and opinions on how a colour has an affect on them. 

Below are reactions by various people who have analysed certain colours and how they feel towards it. - courtesy of https://www.verywell.com/color-psychology-2795824

Black

White

Red

Blue

Green

Yellow

Purple

Brown

Orange

Pink

Colour Psychology as Therapy

Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or the use of colors to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colorology and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment.

In this treatment:

Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation.

Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.

Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.

Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.

Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.

Influencing our buying habits

The majority of the purchases we make are based on the visual appearance of the product in question. For example, you wouldn’t choose a damaged package over a brand new one even if the goods are still in perfect condition. Therefore, the physical appearance plays a big role in the retail industry. Moreover, most of the products are red because red “screams” out at you to firstly to grab your attention as it will catch your eye faster than any other product because it invites you to look at it. This colour works best on impulsive shoppers. 

On the other hand, the colour green is the opposite. It is used in shops in order to relax the buyers. Green is often related to nature and the environment, hence the relaxing effect. Because of this relation to nature, many environmental organisations have a green logo, like Greenpeace, or the Animal Planet Channel. 

Supermarkets regularly use coloured banners above their fruit and veg, not only to draw you in, but for you to pick up the product that is below. For example, when we look at bananas with no similar colours present, we can tell which are green, yellow or starting to go brown/black. Some supermarkets apply similar colours above the items to throw you off from their true colour. For example, some supermarkets will place a green or yellow banner which is a similar shade to the bananas to trick you to think they are riper than they are. If the banner wasn’t there, you would most probably pick up a different bunch of bananas. 

Another example is how supermarkets and shops organise their isles. Retail managers understand there is a science behind a store’s floor plan and how consumers shop. Focus groups, sales data and general psychology have helped managers understand shopper habits, which have led to the formulation of effective floor plans and shelf layouts. Supermarkets nationwide use the same basic layout principles to create a general flow to their stores that keeps customers efficiently moving through the aisles and spending money. 

Sensory Experience

Most supermarkets welcome shoppers with a full sensory experience upon entering the store. The entrance is designed to be inviting so it reinforces a positive customer retail response. Most supermarkets place their sensory departments, including the bakery, produce and florist at the front of the store. These departments are known to activate the shopper’s salivary glands through sight, smell and taste, which entice them to spend money on things that weren’t necessarily on their list. These departments operate on high margins and depend on effectively drawing customers by stimulating their senses.

Bakery: The wafting smell of freshly baked breads, cakes and cookies causes a psychological reaction that makes shoppers hungry, which often causes them to buy more.

Produce: The bright colours of produce excite the eye and tempt the shopper to purchase more produce.

Flowers: The floral department is nearly always located by the entryway as it boosts the store’s image in the shopper’s mind through the bright colours and fragrant smells.

Stocking the produce, bakery and florist at the front of the store creates the perception that the store is filled with fresh products and encourages shopper confidence in the store. There is no such thing as a quick trip to a supermarket as they usually stock the items shoppers buy most often at the back of the store, forcing them to travel through other tempting aisles to pick up the essentials. Items such as meat, eggs, dairy and bread are strategically placed in the back of the store, making it hard for shoppers to resist grabbing other items when making a quick trip.

Supermarket managers want to maximise your time in their store by having you travel down as many aisles as possible. Crafting an efficient floor plan with an expertly stocked perimeter keeps shoppers moving through the entire store and pausing at strategic stops along the way, including end-caps. End-cap placement usually comes with an additional fee to the manufacturer; however, these manufacturers often see a high return on their investment as these placements encourage the perception of value and prestige in products. Many supermarkets will also locate the one-stop service departments at various locations in the store, including delis, banks, coffee shops and the pharmacy. The convenience of these locations keeps shoppers coming back for the services as well as their groceries.

The centre aisles are the heart of any grocery store and are where most of the general goods are located. The centre aisles help weave shoppers deeper into the store and are strategically stocked to get the shopper to buy costly name-brand goods.

What’s Behind the Shelving?

Shopper psychology doesn’t only lie in the layout of the store; the way shelves are stocked also has tremendous impact on a shopper’s buying habits. 

Bottom shelf: Store brands and other generic brands are located on the bottom shelf, the shelf that is out of eye sight. Bulk items also find their on the bottom shelf. Grocery managers know that savvy shoppers will search for a deal so there is no need to waste prominent shelf space on these products.

Top shelf: Local, gourmet and smaller brands are placed on the top shelf.

Middle shelf: Middle shelf space is considered the “bulls-eye zone”, the location that falls perfectly in the shopper’s line of sight. This shelf stocks the leading brands and best sellers. Some groceries will sell this prime stocking location to manufactures for a fee but usually these are the items that get sold quicker.

Kids’ shelf: Grocery managers understand that children often drive a family’s grocery purchases. Kid-friendly products are placed in direct line sight of children. Understanding consumer psychology can help a retail manager increase profits through strategic and efficient floor plans and shelf stocking arrangements.

The importance of colours in branding

Branding one of the most important issues relating to colour perception. The brand will select a specific colour, logo or layout for their product which will catch the eye of the consumer. Many brands will keep the same logo and will make minute changes to enable the customer to recognise that brand as they have bought it for many years and developed a trust and relationship with the company/brand. Many companies make the mistake of changing their logo completely which results in the customer who has built up a strong trust with the brand and purchased the item for years not able to locate the item, which impacts in the sale of the item. 

I have included a colour chart that companies have used to target where their logo and brand will go. 

Living with Practical Realities is a body of work created by British artist, Stephen Willats. Born in London, 1943, Willats is a pioneer of conceptual art and since the early 1960s he has created work concerned with extending the territory in which art functions.

Stephen Willats is interested in the ways in which people construct their world in relation to the social or physical constraints that are put upon them. In this work, Stephen Willats explores the realities of living in a tower block, investigating how buildings can stand as symbols for our culture. Over six months Willats photographed and interviewed Mrs Moran, an elderly lady who was living alone in the tower block. By giving the viewer an insight into the isolation of living in a tower block, the artist hopes they will look at and understand their own cultural situation. - Gallery label, February 2010.