Majority of consumers today are becoming smart shoppers thanks to technology that people continuously advance along with the use of the internet. This allowed consumers to to now have access to different product reviews and buying guides to ensure they wind up with the right product or service at the best price. Dintest.se is an example.

Buying Guides Help Consumers

Credible and reliable buying guides like dintest.se provide shoppers with relevant information in order for them to make better purchasing decisions. Moreover, these are very helpful tools for consumers to have an easier and more convenient shopping experience, ensuring a worthwhile purchase.

While buying guides do help shoppers become more informed of various products and services available in the very wide market, there are however  other factors that influence the purchasing decision of consumers. Politics is one.

Political Ideology Influences Consumers

Although we as consumers purchase products or services based on our needs as well as budget, we actually make purchases to make a statement, either knowingly or unknowingly. This includes our wardrobe, our choice of car, even the kind of food and drink we purchase.

Nailya Ordabayeva from Boston College with Daniel Fernandes from the Catholic University of Portugal carried out a research where they had 169 participants, all were university students who related their political ideology. In the research, they found out that a person’s political ideology plays a large role when it comes to making a purchasing decision. It was found that conservatives prefer to communicate their dominance, whereas liberals are more inclined to project their uniqueness or distinctiveness.

Nailya Ordabayeva and Daniel Fernandes wrote that conservatism influences consumers to make purchases that would show that they are better that other people. On the other hand, liberalism directs consumers to choose and purchase brands showing their uniqueness from others.

In the publication the Journal on Consumer Research, they argue that this finding reflects the endorsement or support of right-wingers to a social structure that is hierarchical in nature, wherein individuals get what is deserved of them. When paralleling success with virtue, you would want to appear successful. If not, then your interest is more on communicating your distinctiveness or individuality.