The Consumer Flashcards
Decision Making Process
Problem recognition - Information search - Information evaluation - Decision - Post-purchase evaluation
Problem Recognition
The identification of an need or want.
Internal Stimuli
A need. E.g no milk in the fridge, thirst.
External Stimuli
A want that is brought to the consumers attention. E.g Advertisements, windscreen adverts, promoting to check for cracks.
Information Search
What kind of purchase will solve a problem.
E.g An exploding TV - a digital TV, a flat screen, 3D
Internal Search
The consumer searches their memory to answer their problem.
External Search
No information is available in the consumers memory.
- Ask friends and family
- public sources
- commercial sources
Information Evaluation
The evaluation process involving assessing the information collected before officially deciding.
The Evoked Set
A group of products collected as possible alternatives to the problem from the information search.
This is collected into a set of criteria to compare the products against one another.
Salience
The level of importance assigned to the evoked set to observe what factors are really most important.
E.g when buying a TV, is the prices or the size most important?
Decision
The outcome of the evaluation process where a particular product/ path is chosen.
Also based on the availability of the product.
Unexpected situations factors such as hidden costs and delivery issues.
How can Marketers Influence the Decision?
The use of emotion and other techniques can influence the behaviour to purchase a product, even if we don’t really require it.
Post-Purchase Evaluation
The process of analysing whether the exception meets the reality.
Cognitive Dissonance
Involves the buyers discomfort when doubts are caused from post purchase conflict.
Usually only applied with expensive products, or if a product e.g a Mccys burger, is clearly un satisfactory.
E.g A holiday - it is spoken about with family and friends.
Cognitive Dissonance - Marketers Concerns
It impacts marketers who is concerned with ensuring and evaluating.
Achieved through product quality monitoring/ improvements, positive word of mouth, customer retention.
Types of Consumption
Rational - Logical
Hedonistic - Emotional
Self-Identify - External
Self-Identify - Internal
Purchase Behaviour Types
Routine Response Behaviour
Limited Decision Making
Extensive Decision Making
Impulse Buying
Routine Buyer Behaviour
Products that are brought frequently.
Low risk items, without much thought needed (auto-pilot)
E.g - Weekly shop, Milk, Bread.
Limited Decision Making
Products/ brands that require less thought and are seem as the ‘usual suspects’.
Often associated with the Evoked Set.
E.g - Clothing brands, more expensive, last longer, or cheap and a quick fashion fix.
Extensive Decision Making
The process in which extensive thought is required before the purchase, usually an expensive product.
Associated with Salience - What is more important.
E.g a car.
Impulsive Buying
Products that are bought without little thought, and not exactly a need.
Students for TGI study are seen to be the most impulsive market.
E.g products are the till, that can be quickly picked up before being bought.
Components of Consumer Behaviour
Culture
Social
Personal
Psychological
Culture Factors
Culture
- Basic cause of a persons wants or needs
- Human behaviour inherited from family and other institutions.
Subculture
- groups sharing similar value due to life experiences and situations
What is Culture?
Collective Mental Programming - Hofstede 1980
Behavioural attitudes which we as members of a society learn and pass on to others - Paliwoda 1999
Youth Vs Age
American society is clearly youth orientated, seen as the next generation to look after the current generation.
In Korea, rank or societal importance comes from the age of a person.
Tradition Vs Change
Are some cultures more resistant to change?
Are some cultures more loyal to brands?
Social Factors
Reference Groups
Family
Roles and Status
Reference Groups
Primary groups - family and friends
Secondary groups - religious groups
Aspirational groups - social clubs - Golf, tennis
Dissociative groups - gang culture
How does family influence?
Age is significantly linked to the marriage and size of the family.
E.g singles are usually 0-25 or 40+.
Social Class
Enduring
identifiable divisions/ segments in society.
Common denominators: Values, culture, behaviour.
The role of the social mobility.
Roles and Status
The degree of status associated with various occupational roles.
Brands linking with customers behaviour and status.
Personal Factors
Age and lifecycle phase
Occupation
Economic circumstances - Savings and buying powers
Personality and self-concept - Psychographics is key to measure lifestyle.
Lifestyle
A persons pattern of living through there…
- Activities
- Interests
- Opinions
Pyschographics - the measuring of lifestyles.
Personality and Self Concept
Peoples purchases reflect and further contribute to their own identities.
Brand personality match.
Psychological Factors
Motivation
Perception
Learning
Beliefs and attitudes
Motivation Definition
A need becomes a motive when it is aroused to a sufficient level of intensity - Kotler, Armstrong, Harris, Piercy.
Theories of Motivation
Frued
Maslow
Frued Theory
That the consumer acts upon their unconscious desires through the use of emotions and physical triggers.
Why does a middle aged man buy a Harley Motorbike?
Maslow’s Hierarchy or Needs
Self Actualization - fulfilment Esteem - Status, Recognition Belongingness - Love Safety - Security, order Physiological - Water, sleep
Perception
The way we analyse, interpret and make sense of information.
People may interpret the same information in the same way, where the other consumer behaviour factors play their part.
Also closely linked to Decision making process, and purchasing decisions.
Types of Perception
Selective Attention
Selective Distortion
Selective Retention
Selective Attention
The tendency for people to screen out information.
Limited attention.
Selective Distortion
The tendency to interpret information in a way that supports what they already believe.
Distorted by their own view.
Selective Retention
The tendency to remember good points and forget the bad points of a brand/ person.
Retaining the bad information.
Consumer Buying Roles
Initiator - Person who first suggests the idea.
Influencer - Person who views/ advises the product/ service.
Decider - Buying decision maker of the product.
Buyer - Ultimate buyer
User - Final user/s
International Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour obviously differs around the world as cultures and families are different.
Brands must learn to understand this and implement appropriate marketing strategies.
The Marketers Challenge with Consumers
Understand the decision making process.
Understand the major influences that drive consumer behaviour.
Tailor the brand propositions to maximise the opportunity in light of the above and corporate objectives.
