Profiling consumer behavior in the context of involvement level and demographic factors: Evidence of within-country differences from a developing economy

Abstract

Current research categorically studies two conceptually different but practically related concepts of product involvement level and demographic factors in the context of the relatively underresearched consumer base of Pakistan. It was established that the buying behavior of consumers is influenced by their gender, income level, and culture of respective cities where they reside and strongly moderated by the degree of involvement in a particular product category. Market segmentation on the basis of demographic factors and involvement level can lead to more precision in designing effective marketing strategies. In the current study, the authors also point out the sample biases that most previous studies in Pakistan exhibited. The focus of previous consumer behavior studies conducted in Pakistan was mostly metropolitan areas. The current study successfully gives evidence that to understand the intricacies of consumer behavior in a diversified society, the study sample should not be limited to metropolitan areas but should be extended to smaller cities and rural areas as well, because people in less commercially viable cities display different buying patterns. These findings are especially relevant for developing countries where there is great inequality in regional development.