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
