Consumer behaviour
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR :-
Let’s explain all 5 stages of the buyer decision process.
1. Need or Problem Recognition
During need or problem recognition, the consumer recognizes a problem or need that could be satisfied by
a product or service in the market.
Problem Recognition is the first stage of the buyer decision process.
At this stage, the consumer recognizes a need or problem. The buyer feels a difference between his or her
actual state and some desired state.
This could be a simple as “I’m hungry, I need food.”
The need may have been triggered by internal stimuli (such as hunger or thirst) or external stimuli (such as
advertising or word of mouth).
2. Information Search
Once the need is recognized, the consumer is aroused to seek more information and moves into the
information search stage.
The second stage of the purchasing process is searching for information.
After the recognition of needs, the consumers try to find goods for satisfying such needs. They search for
information about the goods they want.
Consumers can get information about goods from different sources.
Personal sources: This includes family, friends, neighbors, acquaintance, etc.
Commercial source: This includes advertising, salespeople, dealers, packaging, display, etc.
Public sources: This includes mass media, consumer rating organizations, etc. they also become confidential
to provide information.
Experimental sources: This includes handling, examining, using, etc. Such information becomes decisive
and confidential.
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
With the information in hand, the consumer proceeds to alternative evaluation, during which the
information is used to evaluate” brands in the choice set.
Evaluation of alternatives is the third stage of the buying process. Various points of information collected
from different sources are used in evaluating different alternatives and their attractiveness.
While evaluating goods and services, different consumers use different bases.
Generally, the consumers evaluate the alternatives on the basis of attributes of the product, the degree of
importance, belief in the brand, satisfaction, etc. to choose correctly.
4. Purchase Decision
After the alternatives have been evaluated, consumers take the decision to purchase products and services.
They decide to buy the best brand.
But their decision is influenced by others’ attitudes and situational factors.
5. Post-Purchase Evaluation
In the final stage of the buyer decision process, postpurchase behavior, the consumer takes action based on
satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
In this stage, the consumer determines if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with the purchasing outcome. Here
is where cognitive dissonance occurs, “Did I make the right decision.”
According the Hawkins Best and Coneef “The field of consumer behaviour
is the study of individual groups or organizations and the processes they use to
select, secure, use and dispose of product, services, experiences or ideas to
satisfy needs and the impact that these processes have on the consumer and
society”.
The above definition conclude that consumer behaviour is the study of
consumer regarding what they buy, when dee they buy, from where they buy,
how frequently they buy, and how they use certain products. But this
definition not only conclude this thing but they goes further study for post
purchase and evaluation ofthe consumers.
The consumer behaviour studies that how individual groups and
organization select buy use and dispose of goods and services, ideas and
experience to satisfy their needs and desires. Marketing manages rely on a 7
O’s framework for consumer research to understand the key questions abort
any market.
Who constitute the market - occupants
What does the market buy - objects
26 InstituteofIT &Management
Cultural Social Personal Psychological
Why does the market buy - objectives
Who participatein buying - organisation’s people
How does the market buy - operations
When does the market buy - occasions
Where does the market buy - outlets
Consumer Buying Dynamic or Determinants of Consumer Behaviour
There are four factors which determine the consumes behaviour are as
follows :-
Culture Reference group Age & Stage in
Life cycle
Motivation
Sub Culture Family Occupation Perception
Social Class Roles & Status Economic Learning
Circumstances
Personality
1. Psychological :– A person’s acquired needs are influenced by certain
psychological factors such as motivation, perception, learning and
personality.
a) Motivation :– Motivation means influencing the behavior of people to
do or notto do certain activities.
b) Perception :– It is a process by which an individual selects stimuli,
organizes information about whose stimuli and interprets the
information.
“Stimuli is a reaction of person comes out suddenly for a movement”.
No consumer purchase can take place unless a consumer perceives
thatthe product or services will offthe benefits her or she needs.
c) Learning :– It is a continuous process by which individual acquire
knowledge so that it causes a permanent change in behaviour.
Learning reflects both current and past experience. Consumer
behaviour is largely learned behaviour.
d) Personality :– Personality depends on two characteristic of a person
thatis a person’s physical appearance and his mental ability.
2. Personal Factors :– A consumer’s decisions are also affected by his
personal characteristics including age, occupation and life style.
a) Age and Stage in Life Cycle :– The need for different product
changes with passing of age. Life for babies and children need milk
powder, toys, baby foods. For adult require clothing, educational
facilities and much more items related to fashion. With different
Institute of IT & Management
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
27
stage of life there is need for different products such as unmarried
needs educations facilities, married needs some home
appliances, and other thing used in home.
b) Education and Occupation :– Level of educations also influence
how decision are made. They seed books, healthies foods and
entertainment. Same in occupation, people in different
occupation needs different products. Like type of occupation
affect the type of clothing a person boys, transportation choices,
food purchases etc.
c) Life Style :– It is a patterns in which people live and spend their
money and time. These are based on consumer’s motivation,
learning, social class, demographics and other varieties.
d) Economic Circumstances :– The choices regarding product is
greatly affected by person’s economic circumstances. It consists
of consumer’s spend able income, saving, assets, borrowing,
power, perception and attitude towards spending and saving etc.
3. Social :– These includes family and their role and status.
a) Family :– These also influence the buying behaviour like women
make decision related to buying household items like healthcare
products, food, landing supplies and kitchenware etc.
b) Role and Status :– A role is a set of functions and activities that
a person in a particular position is expected to perform since
people possess different position within groups, institute,
organization, societies and families, they have different roles to
play.
4. Cultural Factor :– This factor influence the consumer behaviour by
his culture, subculture and social class.
a) Culture :– It is a process is which people come together and have
formed common action and reaction patterns, common ways of
doing things, forming common values and beliefs to help one
decide whatto do or what notto do.
b) Sub-culture :– A subculture is a segment of large culture whole
member share distinguishing patterns of behaviour part of
nationality, religious, regionality and even age characterize
subculture.
Eg. – India as a whole consider as a culture but different states
like Punjab, Haryana, J&K are considered as subculture.
InstituteofIT&Management
Let’s explain all 5 stages of the buyer decision process.
1. Need or Problem Recognition
During need or problem recognition, the consumer recognizes a problem or need that could be satisfied by
a product or service in the market.
Problem Recognition is the first stage of the buyer decision process.
At this stage, the consumer recognizes a need or problem. The buyer feels a difference between his or her
actual state and some desired state.
This could be a simple as “I’m hungry, I need food.”
The need may have been triggered by internal stimuli (such as hunger or thirst) or external stimuli (such as
advertising or word of mouth).
2. Information Search
Once the need is recognized, the consumer is aroused to seek more information and moves into the
information search stage.
The second stage of the purchasing process is searching for information.
After the recognition of needs, the consumers try to find goods for satisfying such needs. They search for
information about the goods they want.
Consumers can get information about goods from different sources.
Personal sources: This includes family, friends, neighbors, acquaintance, etc.
Commercial source: This includes advertising, salespeople, dealers, packaging, display, etc.
Public sources: This includes mass media, consumer rating organizations, etc. they also become confidential
to provide information.
Experimental sources: This includes handling, examining, using, etc. Such information becomes decisive
and confidential.
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
With the information in hand, the consumer proceeds to alternative evaluation, during which the
information is used to evaluate” brands in the choice set.
Evaluation of alternatives is the third stage of the buying process. Various points of information collected
from different sources are used in evaluating different alternatives and their attractiveness.
While evaluating goods and services, different consumers use different bases.
Generally, the consumers evaluate the alternatives on the basis of attributes of the product, the degree of
importance, belief in the brand, satisfaction, etc. to choose correctly.
4. Purchase Decision
After the alternatives have been evaluated, consumers take the decision to purchase products and services.
They decide to buy the best brand.
But their decision is influenced by others’ attitudes and situational factors.
5. Post-Purchase Evaluation
In the final stage of the buyer decision process, postpurchase behavior, the consumer takes action based on
satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
In this stage, the consumer determines if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with the purchasing outcome. Here
is where cognitive dissonance occurs, “Did I make the right decision.”
According the Hawkins Best and Coneef “The field of consumer behaviour
is the study of individual groups or organizations and the processes they use to
select, secure, use and dispose of product, services, experiences or ideas to
satisfy needs and the impact that these processes have on the consumer and
society”.
The above definition conclude that consumer behaviour is the study of
consumer regarding what they buy, when dee they buy, from where they buy,
how frequently they buy, and how they use certain products. But this
definition not only conclude this thing but they goes further study for post
purchase and evaluation ofthe consumers.
The consumer behaviour studies that how individual groups and
organization select buy use and dispose of goods and services, ideas and
experience to satisfy their needs and desires. Marketing manages rely on a 7
O’s framework for consumer research to understand the key questions abort
any market.
Who constitute the market - occupants
What does the market buy - objects
26 InstituteofIT &Management
Cultural Social Personal Psychological
Why does the market buy - objectives
Who participatein buying - organisation’s people
How does the market buy - operations
When does the market buy - occasions
Where does the market buy - outlets
Consumer Buying Dynamic or Determinants of Consumer Behaviour
There are four factors which determine the consumes behaviour are as
follows :-
Culture Reference group Age & Stage in
Life cycle
Motivation
Sub Culture Family Occupation Perception
Social Class Roles & Status Economic Learning
Circumstances
Personality
1. Psychological :– A person’s acquired needs are influenced by certain
psychological factors such as motivation, perception, learning and
personality.
a) Motivation :– Motivation means influencing the behavior of people to
do or notto do certain activities.
b) Perception :– It is a process by which an individual selects stimuli,
organizes information about whose stimuli and interprets the
information.
“Stimuli is a reaction of person comes out suddenly for a movement”.
No consumer purchase can take place unless a consumer perceives
thatthe product or services will offthe benefits her or she needs.
c) Learning :– It is a continuous process by which individual acquire
knowledge so that it causes a permanent change in behaviour.
Learning reflects both current and past experience. Consumer
behaviour is largely learned behaviour.
d) Personality :– Personality depends on two characteristic of a person
thatis a person’s physical appearance and his mental ability.
2. Personal Factors :– A consumer’s decisions are also affected by his
personal characteristics including age, occupation and life style.
a) Age and Stage in Life Cycle :– The need for different product
changes with passing of age. Life for babies and children need milk
powder, toys, baby foods. For adult require clothing, educational
facilities and much more items related to fashion. With different
Institute of IT & Management
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
27
stage of life there is need for different products such as unmarried
needs educations facilities, married needs some home
appliances, and other thing used in home.
b) Education and Occupation :– Level of educations also influence
how decision are made. They seed books, healthies foods and
entertainment. Same in occupation, people in different
occupation needs different products. Like type of occupation
affect the type of clothing a person boys, transportation choices,
food purchases etc.
c) Life Style :– It is a patterns in which people live and spend their
money and time. These are based on consumer’s motivation,
learning, social class, demographics and other varieties.
d) Economic Circumstances :– The choices regarding product is
greatly affected by person’s economic circumstances. It consists
of consumer’s spend able income, saving, assets, borrowing,
power, perception and attitude towards spending and saving etc.
3. Social :– These includes family and their role and status.
a) Family :– These also influence the buying behaviour like women
make decision related to buying household items like healthcare
products, food, landing supplies and kitchenware etc.
b) Role and Status :– A role is a set of functions and activities that
a person in a particular position is expected to perform since
people possess different position within groups, institute,
organization, societies and families, they have different roles to
play.
4. Cultural Factor :– This factor influence the consumer behaviour by
his culture, subculture and social class.
a) Culture :– It is a process is which people come together and have
formed common action and reaction patterns, common ways of
doing things, forming common values and beliefs to help one
decide whatto do or what notto do.
b) Sub-culture :– A subculture is a segment of large culture whole
member share distinguishing patterns of behaviour part of
nationality, religious, regionality and even age characterize
subculture.
Eg. – India as a whole consider as a culture but different states
like Punjab, Haryana, J&K are considered as subculture.
InstituteofIT&Management
Comments
Post a Comment