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    Consumer Behaviour The Purchasing Process

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    Neggaz D Mapele
    The document discusses the consumer purchasing process from the perspective of marketing experts. It outlines 5 key steps: 1) problem recognition, 2) information search, 3) evaluation of alternatives, 4) purchase decision, and 5) post-purchase evaluation. For each step, factors that influence consumer decision making are examined, including cultural influences, attitudes, and values. The goal of marketing communications is to understand consumer behavior and guide consumers through each step of the process to make purchases.

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    Consumer Behaviour The Purchasing Process

    Uploaded by

    Neggaz D Mapele
    24 views14 pages
    The document discusses the consumer purchasing process from the perspective of marketing experts. It outlines 5 key steps: 1) problem recognition, 2) information search, 3) evaluation of alternatives, 4) purchase decision, and 5) post-purchase evaluation. For each step, factors that influence consumer decision making are examined, including cultural influences, attitudes, and values. The goal of marketing communications is to understand consumer behavior and guide consumers through each step of the process to make purchases.

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    ConBehav

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    The document discusses the consumer purchasing process from the perspective of marketing experts. It outlines 5 key steps: 1) problem recognition, 2) information search, 3) evaluation of alternatives, 4) purchase decision, and 5) post-purchase evaluation. For each step, factors that influence consumer decision making are examined, including cultural influences, attitudes, and values. The goal of marketing communications is to understand consumer behavior and guide consumers through each step of the process to make purchases.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    24 views14 pages

    Consumer Behaviour The Purchasing Process

    Uploaded by

    Neggaz D Mapele
    The document discusses the consumer purchasing process from the perspective of marketing experts. It outlines 5 key steps: 1) problem recognition, 2) information search, 3) evaluation of alternatives, 4) purchase decision, and 5) post-purchase evaluation. For each step, factors that influence consumer decision making are examined, including cultural influences, attitudes, and values. The goal of marketing communications is to understand consumer behavior and guide consumers through each step of the process to make purchases.

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    CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

    The Purchasing Process


    Marketing Managers constantly endeavor to influence consumer decisions. In
    an era in which they are directly accountable for results of individual
    campaigns, these marketing experts must carefully develop messages that
    will entice buyers to purchase the products being featured in a timely fashion.

    A primary goal of marketing communications program must be to develop an


    effective method of persuading consumers to purchase a particular product
    or service. This topic reviews consumer buying behavior from an IMC
    perspective where purchasing decisions are more fully understood.

    There are five steps which highlights to the consumer buying decision making
    process. Marketing experts, must be aware of each step and prepare effective
    communications that will lead most directly to the decision to buy.
    Problem Recognition
    • The first step in the consumer decision making process is the recognition
    of a problem. The consumer recognizes a want, need, desire, or force that
    entices him or her to seek out purchasing alternatives. Companies must
    identify ways to inspire these needs and to have the product readily
    available for customers who are ready to start looking or to actually make
    the purchase.
    • A problem is present when a consumer’s desired state is different than his
    or her actual state. In other words, it is the recognition of a need or a
    want. For instance after a long day at work, a consumer might go home to
    look in the refrigerator for food. If there isn’t any then a need is present.
    Other times, food is in the refrigerator, but it is not the kind the consumer
    wants. Again the consumer’s current state is different than his or her
    desired state. In both situations, the consumer identifies a problem.
    • In Step 2, the consumer searches for information, internally and
    externally. Marketing messages must be directed to placing the
    product or service in the consumer’s evoked set of viable
    purchasing prospects.

    • The more involved the customer feels in the search the more likely
    the product will have a longer-lasting impact once purchased.
    Those with greater needs for cognition are attracted to the process
    of thinking through a decision.

    • Those with a greater degree of enthusiasm for shopping spend


    more time analyzing the available alternatives. Customers consider
    the benefits and costs of searches and make more or less rational
    decisions about how extensively they will seek out information.
    • This begins with an internal search: whereby the consumer mentally
    recalls images of products that might fulfill or meet the need. Often the
    individual remembers how the need was satisfied in the past.

    • Positive experience with a brand, makes the consumer repeat the


    purchase decision or vice versa.

    • When conducting the internal search, consumers utilize what is known as


    an evoked set. An evoked set consists of the set of brands a consumer
    considers during the information search and evaluation processes.

    • Following an internal search, consumers make mental decisions about


    external searches. When consumers feel uncertain about the right brand
    to purchase, an external search takes place. Examples of external
    searches, include friends, relative, expert consumers, books magazines,
    newspapers, advertisements, exposures to public activities, sales people
    etc.
    The amount of time a consumer spends on external search depends on four
    factors:

    • Ability – ability depends on the person’s educational level because


    educated individuals are more likely to spend time searching for
    information.

    • Motivation – The greater the motivation, the greater the extent of


    external search will be – depending on the involvement (the extent to
    which a stimulus/task is relevant to a consumers existing needs.

    • Perceived costs & Perceived benefits – Higher perceived benefits increase


    the tendency to search in order to reduce purchase risk. By obtaining
    additional information, a customer can lower the chances of making a
    mistake in the purchase selection
    • The cost of the search consists of several items – the actual cost of goods,
    the subjective costs associated with the search i.e. time spent, the cost of
    foregoing other activities (e.g. shopping instead of playing golf/watching
    movie.
    Attitudes and Values
    • An attitude is a mental position taken toward a topic, person, or event
    that influences the holder’s feelings, perceptions, learning processes, and
    subsequent behaviors.
    • If a consumer has a positive attitude towards a brand, the propensity to
    actually purchase that brand is higher likewise if a consumer appreciates
    an advertisement, the probability of purchasing the product it features
    increases.

    An attitude consists of three components:


    • Affective component – this contains the feelings or emotions a person has
    about the object topic or idea.
    • Cognitive component refers to a person’s mental images, understanding
    and interpretations of the person, object or issue.
    • Conative component – refers to an individual’s intentions, actions or
    behaviour.
    The most common sequence of events as an attitude forms is as follows:

    Cognitive > Affective > Conative


    (understand) (feelings) (intention)

    Attitudes can develop in other ways. An alternative process may be:


    Affective > Conative > Cognitive
    (Feelings) (Intention) (Understand) e.g feminine hygiene

    Some attitudes result from a third combination of the components as follows:


    Conative > Cognitive > Affective
    (Intention) (Understand) (Feelings)
    • In Step 3 the consumer evaluates alternatives. Evoked sets, attitudes and
    values, and cognitive maps explain how an individual evaluates various
    choices.
    • The Evoked set approach reveals which products “make the cut” and
    receive consideration. The inept set – consist of the brands that are part
    of a person’s memory that are not considered because they elicit negative
    feelings. (Caused by bad experiences). The inert set holds the brands that
    the consumer is aware of but the individual has neither negative nor
    positive feelings about the products.
    • The Multi attribute approach assumes that a consumer’s attitude toward
    a brand is determined by the brand’s performance on each attributes;
    importance of each attribute to the consumer. Higher the brand attributes
    the more likely the brand will be purchased.
    • In the Affect referral approach a consumer chooses the brand he or she
    likes the best. The individual does not evaluate other brands and often
    does not even think about which attributes are important.
    • In Step 4, the consumer makes the purchase. In some instances the
    individual ignores a decision reached because of some extenuating
    circumstances as possible by making the purchase itself easy to complete
    • Keep in mind the evaluations often occur at a retail store, and the
    purchase decision immediately follows the evaluation. Occasionally,
    however the consumer makes a different purchase decision. There are
    several possible reasons for a shift away from the evaluation process.

    These include
    • A temporary change in the consumer’s situation (money)
    • A desire for variety (get a change)
    • An impulse purchase (just to get things)
    • An advertisement, consumer promotion, or some other marketing
    material. (influence – promo)
    • The influence of a friend or relative.
    • In Step 5, it is the post-purchase evaluation phase – where the consumer
    evaluates the purchase. The less reassurance, the greater the degree of
    post purchase cognitive dissonance. (dissatisfaction). Sometimes the
    reaction is not based on using the product but rather takes place
    immediately following the physical purchase/or if the product or service is
    expensive, consumers often experience doubt after purchases.
    • Marketing experts should design elements of messages and other
    activities to help customers feel comfortable about the purchasing
    decision they have made.

    Consumer Buying Environment


    • A traditional view of the consumer buying environment suggests that
    markets can focus on demographic groups (age, gender income level, race
    etc) as target markets.
    Factors that routinely affect purchasing decisions include:
    • Heridity and Home Environment
    • Family life cycle (bachelorhood etc)
    • Life-changing Events
    • Cultural, Social, and Situation Environments
    The cultural background in which a person is raised normally impacts
    purchasing choices.

    • The new millennium presents a changing buying decision-making


    environment to marketers. New cultural values and attitudes, time
    pressures, and busy lifestyles influence what people buy, how they buy
    and the manner in which they can be enticed to buy. Many families try to
    isolate themselves from everyday pressures by cocooning. They also try to
    escape through indulgences and pleasure binges, by finding excitement or
    fantasy, and by clanning to meet social needs. An aging baby boom
    population is more focused on lasting values and on health issues.
    Marketing can address these needs and lead customers to purchase based
    on them.
    • Understanding consumer buying behaviors within chosen target market
    helps the firm construct a more complete and integrated marketing
    communications program. Effective advertising identifies and meets
    various needs, attitudes, values, and goals of consumers. In the future,
    there will be many new challenges to conquer. Successful companies
    continue to know their customers and find ways to reach them so that the
    right product meets the right need at the right time.

    Key Terms
    Evoked set – consists of the set of brands a consumer considers during the
    information search and evaluation process.

    Involvement – the extend to which a stimulus or task is relevant to a consumer’s


    existing needs, wants, or values.

    Need of cognition – a personality characteristic an individual displays when he or


    she engages in and enjoys mental activities.
    • Attitude – a mental position taken toward a topic, person, or event that influences
    the holder’s feelings, perceptions, learning processes and subsequent behaviors.

    • Values - strongly held beliefs about various topics or concept.

    • Cognitive maps – simulations of the knowledge structures embedded in an


    individual’s brain.

    • Inept set – part of a memory set that consists of the brands that are held in a
    person’s memory but are not considered, because they elicit negative feelings.

    • Inert Set – part of a memory set that holds the brands that the consumer has
    awareness of but has neither negative nor positive feelings about.

    • Affect referral – a purchasing decision model in which the consumer chooses the
    brand for which he or she has the strongest likings or feelings.

    • Post purchase cognitive dissonance – the feelings of doubt consumers experience


    after a purchase has been made

    • Utility the value or expected value associated with an item.

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