Dealers need to understand the changing psychology of the online consumer if they are to connect rather than disengage consumers in the virtual world, according Professor James Intriligator PhD.

Prof Intriligator will be speaking at the AM and Auto Trader’s Digital Marketing Conference at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on February 4, 2014.

Advertisers have evolved their messages: moving from a manufacturing perspective, through a retailing perspective, to a brand ownership perspective, and now to a deep focus on social media and consumer interactions.

In the past manufacturers and retailers ‘owned’ their advertising space, today the change is as dramatic and decisive as is the consumer who is very much in the driving seat. Brands are either venerated or vilified by their customers whose views are held in high esteem by fellow online shoppers.

Intriligator will explore how the online consumer interacts and engages as well as turns off depending on how messages are presented and the way in which a website lays out its information. He will also explore consumer psychology in terms of future trends including the maturing of social media, online viral advertising and the impact of big data and the insights it provides.

Intriligator said: “Consumer psychology is fast becoming the basis of good brand perception and sales – compared to the traditional means of product success which was once determined by factors such as price and positioning. A product’s image, a company’s personality and the way it interacts with its online community are now decisive for success in the eyes of today’s consumer.”

For more consumer psychology insights in the digital sphere, book your place at the AM and Auto Trader Digital Marketing Conference.

Tickets are available to dealers and manufacturers. To book, please contact Nicola Baxter on 01733 468289, email nicola.baxter@bauermedia.co.uk or visit www.amdigitalmarketing.co.uk