The Consumer Emotions

As we introduced in the previews chapter of blog, "In the early 80’s, before the emergence of the Walkman, headphones were big and clunky… Consumers were wiling to spend money on stay-at-home things, relegated to late night, LP music listening. In more than three decades, big changes have appeared and old-fashioned headphones are now intended for collectors and/or hipsters who love merging new and old trends"(n.d.). 

 

Figure 1, Friday 80s Flashback

But now, more people started to buy a new individual headphone due to they were disappointed by the voice-quality issue, the ergonomics issue and sustainbility issue by the earphone given with their smartphones or tablets. 


 

 Figure 2, Beats Dr Dre, Gadgets Info Available

The customers of headphone are variable, and the motivations and emotions of headphones are different. It mainly depends on its desire, price, quality, brand, emotional attachment of typical brand, frequency of purchasing, symbolic meaning, technical use etc. 

 Figure 3, Consumer Insight

For ordinary customers, including "passers-by", they would consider purchasing a headphone with a reasonable price mainly, they do not follow any typical brand or the mode, style and appearance of headphone. They probably purchase a new headphone instantly if they really need to change a new one or old one is useless anymore. Tranditional Bose headphone, such as OE2 audio headphone, and Beats Solo would be good choice. 

 

Figure 4, OE2 audio headphone, Bose

For sound engineers and professional users, they are actually fastidious about their headphones. Under their working environment, every sould segment and voice should in control in order to producing and launching the best musical products and album. Thus, the technology of noise-cancelling is significantly important for them. Professional users might not have brand-orientation awareness but the qualitied sound and voice. Studio of Beats, Bose "Custom QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones", and especially Shure SRH 1540 and SRH 1840 series are very good alternatives. 

 

 Figure 5, SRH 1840, SHURE

For singer and band, typically they play in live show, the headphone should match up with the theme of show or concert. More important, the headphone must provide voice-cancelling function. 

 

Figure 6, Linkin park

According to the figure 6, brad, who is the leader guitarist of Linkin Park, he wears his personal headphone everytime in live show or live concert. I used to be bass gutarist and set up a band, I know the feeling and atmosphere that you cannot hear what you play clearly when audiences shout and scream. Due to the living atmosphere, voice-cancelling headphone is really necessary for guitar and bass player. Almost all the famous brand provide voice-cancelling edition, and voice quality always be the first consideration in this case.

The last consumer segmentation also be the biggest consumer groups are loyal fans. They know the trend, price and details by each headphone almost, and quite familiar with what kind of headphone the celebrity uses, consumers would chasing the step by the celebrity they like, to buy the same one. On this hand, the marketing plan by Beats is quite successful. Beats made to order the special headphones for those celebrity, such as Leborn James, Kobe Bryant and Justin Bieber.

 

Figure 7, Beat by Dr Dre, Lebron James, idealbeatsfactory

 

 Figure 8, Beat by Dr Dre, Kobe Bryant, idealbeatsfactory

 

 Figure 9, Justin Bieber Headphones and iPhone/iPod Covers, charlesandhudson

 

Figure 10, Lil Wayne, Consumer Insight, brandsaudit

"Headphones from Beats by Dr.Dre definitely reach a high level of emotion for customers who spend money for prestigious and high recognition items. Beats communicate on its products thanks to famous advocates who often wear customized headphones. Indeed, what could be more customized than the $1 billion headphone designed for Lil Wayne! The desire for prestige is an emotion that customers expect when they get a headphone from the billionaire American rap singer and entrepreneur" (n.d.).

To sum up, consumers definetely follow a certain motive or some reasons somehow when theypuchased one headphone, it depends on different desires. 

Author

Jian Yao

Zhong Xia

Nov 5th, 2014

References

(n.d.). Consumer Insight, 

             retrieved from "brandsaudit.wordpress.com/consumer-insight"