Abstract:

The connection between Marketing and Psychology is becoming increasingly relevant, especially considering the impact of mental health on consumer behavior. The visibility of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which affects 25% of the world's population (UN, 2021), is one of the most widespread and normalized among the population, making it a crucial factor to consider in the design of business marketing strategies. This offers an opportunity to reinforce Corporate Social Responsibility through emotionally sustainable strategies.

Anxiety, influencing consumer behavior, requires detailed analysis and strategic adaptation by businesses. Consumers with anxiety, who face constant worries and daily uncertainties, tend to avoid situations perceived as threatening, affecting their value perception, satisfaction, and loyalty. Creating a shopping environment that conveys safety and trust can improve the experience of anxious consumers, reducing their worries and fostering a more positive relationship with the brand.

To explore this relationship, a two-session workshop is proposed for marketing and consumer analysis students to validate an empirical study examining the influence of anxiety on consumer behavior, using pre- and post-purchase variables.

In the first session, a questionnaire will be distributed without revealing its purpose, including questions about purchasing behaviors, value perceptions, and anxiety during the purchase process, allowing students to experience the consumer's perspective. Following this, GAD, its symptoms, and its impact on consumer behavior will be explained in detail, presenting examples of brands that have implemented strategies to reduce anxiety and their results. This aims to encourage students to reflect on sources of anxiety in their usual purchases and think of creative solutions to mitigate these anxiety levels, preparing them for a deeper discussion in the next session. A consumer behavior model explaining the influence of anxiety on the purchase process, relating pre-purchase variables with post-purchase variables, influenced by generalized anxiety, will also be shown.

In the second session, data obtained through market research conducted with the students using SPSS software will be presented and analyzed, allowing students to learn how to create databases and perform statistical analyses to interpret how anxiety affects consumer behavior. The subsequent organization of a focus group to discuss the results will enable reflection on the identified anxiety levels and their relationship with value perception, satisfaction, and loyalty, validating the model proposed in the previous session.

Thus, students will share their proposals to reduce consumer anxiety, evaluating the feasibility and impact of these ideas and consolidating a set of practical proposals for businesses. Finally, changes based on the discussed proposals will be simulated using the original questionnaire to observe if there is a reduction in anxiety levels, demonstrating the importance of adapting marketing strategies to mental health considerations.

This practical approach will provide students with a deep understanding of how anxiety influences consumer behavior and how marketing strategies can be adapted to improve perceived value, customer satisfaction, and loyalty, promoting effective Corporate Social Responsibility.

Keywords:

Anxiety, consumer behavior, perceived value, satisfaction, loyalty, CSR.