Chapter 6 Consumer Buying Behavior (B2C) Flashcards
Consumer Buying Behavior (B2C)
The decision processes and purchasing activities of people who purchase products for personal or household use and not for business purposes.
5 Step Consumer Buying Decision Process
1) Problem Recognition
2) Information Search
3) Evaluation of Alternatives
4) Purchase
5) Post-purchase Evaluation
Problem Recognition
Occurs when a buyer becomes aware of a difference between a desired state and an actual condition.
- Recognition can be rapid or slow
- People may not recognize a problem or need until marketers point it out
- Marketers use sales personnel, advertising, and packaging to help trigger recognition of such needs/problems
Internal Search
An information search in which buyers search their memories for information about products that might solve their problem.
External Search
An information search in which buyers seek information from sources other than their memories.
- Personal Contacts
- Marketer dominated resources (internet, online reviews)
Consideration Set (Evoked Set)
A limited set of alternatives for a possible purchase that results from the information search.
Evaluation Criteria
Objectives (size, speed, capacity) and subjective (style) product characteristics that are important to the buyer
Evaluation of Alternatives
Buyer evaluates brands in the consideration set and rank orders them using his/her evaluation criteria
Purchase
Consumer chooses to buy the product or brand yielded by the evaluation of alternatives
- Product availability affects choice
- Sales promotions affects choice
Post-purchase Evaluation
Buyers begin to evaluate after purchase. This may result in cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive Dissonance
Buyer doubts shortly after a purchase about whether the decision was the right one.
What can Marketers do to reduce Cognitive Dissonance?
- Allow returns or exchanges
- Provide after-sale service
- Provide warranties
- Don’t make unrealistic claims about product’s performance
Routinized Response Behavior
A consumer problem solving process used when buying frequently purchased, low-cost items that require little search-and decision effort (milk, bread)
- Product cost: low, Search Effort: Little, Time Spent: Short, Brand Preference: more than 1 but 1 might be preferred
Limited Decision Making
A consumer problem solving process used when purchasing product occasionally (clothes, shoes)
- Product Cost: Low to Medium, Search Effort Little to Moderate, Time Spent: Short to Medium, Brand Preferences: Several
Extended Decision Making
A consumer problem solving process employed when purchasing unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently bought products (cars, houses)
- Product Cost: High, Search Effort: Extensive, Time Spent: Lengthy, Brand Preference: Varies, usually many
Impulse Buying
An unplanned buying behavior resulting from a powerful urge to buy something immediately.
Level of Involvement
An individual’s degree of interest in a product and the importance of the product for that person
- High Involvement Products: visible to others and more expensive (real estate, high end electronics, automobiles). More time spent and related to cognitive dissonance
- Low involvement products: Less expensive and less associated with social risk (grocery or drugstore items)
Situational Influences on the Buying Decision Process
- Physical Surroundings: location, store, atmosphere, scents, sounds, lighting (Walmart vs Target)
- Social Surroundings: Characteristics and interactions of others present during purchase decision
- Time Perspective: frequency of product use, product life, time of day
- Reason for purchase: gift
- Buyers’ Momentary Mood and Condition: emotional status
Psychological Influences
- Perception (high price=high quality); selective attention
- Motives
- Learning
- Attitudes (brand loyalty)
- Personality and Self Concept
- Lifestyles
Social Influences
The forces other people exert on ones buying behavior
- Roles
- Family
- Reference Groups
- Digital Opinion Leaders
- Social classes
- Culture and subculture
Family Influences
- Husband Dominant: Male head of household; Lawn mowers, hardware and tools, stereos, auto parts
- Wife Dominant: Female head of household; kids clothes, women’s clothes, groceries, furniture
- Autonomic: decisions equally likely made by husband OR wife (not both); luggage, toys and games, sporting equipment, cameras
- Syncratic: Decisions made jointly by husband and wife; vacations, TVs, living room furniture, carpets, family cars
Reference Groups
Groups that a person identifies with so strongly that he or she adopts the values, attitudes and behaviors of group members, regardless of group membership (celebrities)
