BEING A CONSUMER – ONE OF THE ROLES IN A PERSON'S LIFE

Abstract

In his life, a person performs many different roles in different social groups. In each of them, we perform a role that we combine with our other roles. In the most significant reference group, the family, these can be: mother, father, son, daughter and others. This group is not only the most significant for each person, but also the one that accompanies him throughout his life. The changes that occur over time are related to a change in the role and its members. The other significant reference groups are the friend group, the interest groups, the team at work. In each of them, we fulfill a given role, which we reconcile with our other roles. Along with them, there is another role that is very different in nature, essence and purpose from the others. This is the role of the consumer. The main purpose of the consumer role in human life is to satisfy our needs and wants by participating in a process of exchange. The goal of this article is to make a brief review of the theoretical concepts of the consumer, refracted through the prism of different scientific fields, which will serve to build a more multi layered appearance of this concept. The evolution in the understanding of the concept of consumer has been traced, presented through a historical review of theoretical concepts and research. Modern interpretations of the role of the consumer in the conditions of a market economy are discussed. The model of a consumer in modern society is about an individual who has needs, seeking to satisfy them in a rational way, so as to improve his quality of life. The goal of organizations is to know the needs of consumers by providing them with the most suitable product. An overview of the theoretical statements about the concept of consumer from the positions of an interdisciplinary approach is made.
The study of the consumer is subject of various scientific fields. This also allows for its deeper understanding. For one of the scientific fields, it is the focus of all the activities and that is marketing.
According to marketing philosophy, people have different needs. This is also the starting point for marketing the existence of needs that are subject to satisfaction. Placing the consumer and his needs at the heart of marketing requires that they must be studied. This can be achieved through marketing research. With the wide distribution of the Internet, prerequisites were created for the implementation of online marketing research. From the point of view of marketing, the consumer exhibits a certain behavior that is expressed in the decisions and actions he takes in the selection, purchase and way of using a given product. Studying the needs and behaviors of the target consumer will help marketers create more effective marketing strategies.