Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Consumer Behavior
MRS. PUSPANJALI BHANDARI
Introduction:
Consumers are unique in themselves; they have needs
and wants which are varied and diverse from one
another; and they have different consumption patterns
and consumption behaviour. The marketer helps satisfy
these needs and wants through product and service
offerings. For a firm to survive, compete and grow, it is
essential that the marketer identifies these needs and
wants, and provides product offerings more effectively
and efficiently than other competitors.
For a firm to succeed, understanding and
acknowledging each different needs and behaviours of
consumer is crucial fact to be accepted.
Consumer Behaviour may be defined as “the interplay
of forces that takes place during a consumption
process, within a consumers’ self and his
environment.
This interaction takes place between three elements
viz. knowledge, affect and behaviour.
it continues through pre-purchase activity to the post
purchase experience; - it includes the stages of
evaluating, acquiring, using and disposing of goods
and services”.
The “consumer” includes both personal consumers
and business/industrial/organizational consumer.
Cognition
Affect
Behaviour
Cognition: It includes the mental processes
involved in processing of information, thinking and
interpretation of stimuli (people, objects, things,
places and events).
Affect: It includes the favorable or unfavorable
feelings and corresponding emotions towards a
stimuli (eg. towards a product or service offering or
a brand).
Behaviour: This is the “visible” part. In our case,
this could be the purchase activity: to buy or not a
buy.
Definitions
“The behavior that consumers display in
searching for, purchasing, using, evalauting and
disposing of products and services that they expect
will satisfy their needs.”
- Schiffman and Kanuk
1. Problem Recognition: Reacts to needs when they 1. Problem Recognition: Anticipates and plans for
arise purchase on a regular basis.
2. Information Search: Limited Search by the means 2. Information Search: Looks out through;
of discussions with their friends and family, media general need description, product specification,
and advertisements, etc. extensive search that extends to supplier search.
3. Alternative Evaluation: compares with the basic 3. Alternative Evaluation: Compares offerings
features, quality, price, affordability, etc. from one supplier to other. Tender process.
4. Purchase Decision: limited analysis with the 4. Purchase Decisions: Made after extensive
available sources and the need/want drives towards evaluation of information collected.
purchase decision.
5. Post-purchase Evaluation: Extensive
5. Post-purchase Evaluation: Individual experience comparison made and feedback given, concern
leads to positive or negative results (satisfaction). with quality management at source.
Strategic use of consumer behaviour knowledge in
marketing and public policy decisions
Consumer
Consumer
affect &
behaviour
cognition
Marketing Strategy
Consumer environment
Explicit or implicit beliefs
Decisions based on explicit beliefs tends to be more beneficial than
that of decisions solely based on implicit beliefs.
Knowledge of consumer behaviour can be important competitive
advantage and can greatly reduce the odds of bad decisions and
market failures.
Regulatory Policy:
Consumer Activities
Consumers
Consumer Behaviour & Marketing:
Pros
Low cost of living
More jobs
Better for business
Cons
Low Quality Products
Unethical Practice
Consumer Movement Background
US recognized leader
Common link: food and drug regulation
Labeling: multiple languages
Legislation in one country leads to similar laws in
other countries
Information is borderless
Examples: