Jericko Malaya Prof Gamboa Prcis # 5 The Filipino Consumer: Internally Filipinos in general, use observable tangible indicators

s to make sense of abstracts. This just shows how as consumers, we are not doing our part to research the product we will buy and use. Like judging the effectiveness of a vitamin based on the physical radiance of the person. I will not argue the benefit of a vitamin to increase radiance of the skin, but there is so much more than having a rosy and chubby cheeks to grade how effective a vitamin really is. In fact, many chubby kids have weaker immune system. Bias is another issue here. When a consumer really believes in a product, he will see it as effective and the best product among its creditors. Then if they will endorse it to a different person, and they have different results, they will just blame it to hiyang. As a Filipino I grew up to a household with many superstitions when buying. But as I get older, I started to question or rationalize the ideas of this superstition. One of the most used is Hiyang; I believe this is the most stupid reason when buying a product. An effective medicine will be reduced to having no effect just because the user is not hiyang. The patient would rather use a less effective medicine (based on the composition) rather than a very good medicine recommended by the doctors. To my dismay, I encountered doctors who would use hiyang as an excuse for the products that they are endorsing if it did not work. They are using the generally accepted excuse for unexplainable reason why a certain product or medicine is not effective. I believe hiyang is just a psychological issue created by our ancestors when science is not yet that advance. Gone are the days that researching a product rely on the testimony of friends and relatives. In the our modern age, where computers or smart phones is the extension of our hand, it is easier to have access on scientific based testimonies on products and have a bigger group of people who can share their testimonies. Of course, in marketing stand point, knowing the psychological behavior of your target market is one of the key to know how you will formulate your sales pitch to them. As consumers become more advance and start growing away from old superstition, marketers should come up with new ways on understanding the psychology of their consumers.