Consumer Behavior –

Module 3
Buying Motives

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 Buying Behavior

• Buying Behavior is the decision processes and acts of people involved in

buying and using products

• A firm needs to analyze the buying behavior coz:

• Buyers reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms
success
• need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy.
• Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.

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 Types of Buying Behavior- Decisions

• Routine Response:
• buying low involvement , frequently purchased, low cost items
• need very little search and decision effort
• purchased almost automatically.
• Egs: soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc.
• Limited Decision Making:
• buying product occasionally
• When you need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product
category you requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering
• Eg: Clothes--know product class but not the brand.

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 Types of Buying Behavior

• Extensive Decision Making:

• Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and/or infrequently bought
products.
• High degree of economic/performance/psychological risk.
• Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding
• Information from the companies MM, friends and relatives, store personnel etc.
• Go through all six stages of the buying process.
• Egs: cars, homes, computers, education.

• Impulse buying:
• no conscious planning.

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 Types of Buying Behavior – Please Note

• The purchase of the same product does not always elicit the same Buying
Behavior
• Product can shift from one category to the next
• Eg:
• Going out for dinner for one person may be extensive decision making (for
someone that does not go out often at all), but limited decision making for
someone else.

• The reason for the dinner, whether it is an anniversary celebration, or a meal

with a couple of friends will also determine the extent of the decision making.

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 Stages of Decision Making

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 Stages of Decision Making - Need Recognition
• The buying process starts with need recognition.
• The person is motivated to act only when he has some unsatisfied
need.
• If some needs are not in activated stage then they can be made
activated by providing the information about the product.

• Eg:
• A newly married working woman feel the need for washing
machine
• The recognition of need will activate her to search for any washing aid
and it will result in some decision.

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 Stages of Decision Making - Pre Purchase Information Search
• The person is involved in gathering the information about the
product or service.
• Search may be of two types:
• Internal search refers to recalling the relevant information stored
in the memory.
• External search refers to the deliberate and voluntary seeking of
new information regarding the product under consideration.
• After collecting the information from different sources the person
shows the interest in these products.

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 Stages of Decision Making - Pre Purchase Information Search
• The person is involved in gathering the information about the
product or service.
• Search may be of two types:
• Internal search refers to recalling the relevant information stored
in the memory.
• External search refers to the deliberate and voluntary seeking of
new information regarding the product under consideration.
• After collecting the information from different sources the person
shows the interest in these products.

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 Stages of Decision Making - Evaluation of Alternatives
• The person makes final decision using certain evaluative criteria
like
• Decision Makers Options
• product attribute,
• the relative importance of each attribute to him,
• brand image,
• attitudes towards the different brands
• Influence
• The evaluation stage represents the stage of mental trial
of the product.

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 Stages of Decision Making - Purchase Decision

• After the evaluation, the consumer develops the intention either

to purchase or reject the product.

• The final purchase will however, depend on the strength of

positive intention that is the intention to buy.

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 Stages of Decision Making - Post Purchase Behavior
• After making the purchase decision, the person shows the response
of that purchase.
• It may be positive or negative.
• If a consumer is buying something for the first time then from the
behavioral view point it may be regarded as a trial.
• The trial enables the person to gain learning about the product
purchased. If the learning is positive, then it result in repeat
purchase and if it is negative then it result in discontinuation.
• In case of consumer durable product the person’s learning does not
result in repeat purchase or discontinuation because these products
are one time purchase products. In these cases the learning is being
stored in memory and then it serves as influence for the decision of
the reference group members.

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 Buying Motives

A motive is the inner state that energizes, activates or move and

that directs or channels behavior toward goods 
– Berelson & Stener

In simple words it is the reason why a consumer purchases a

good
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 Buying Motives – List of Motives
Types of Motives Meaning Examples
Primary Motive The reason to purchase a product class Purchase a new car to replace an old
car
Secondary motive The reason to purchase a particular brand Purchase of Kwid instead of Santro
Rational Motive The reason based on logical assessment of Purchase of Renault Lodgy keeping in
buyers situation mind a large number of family
members
Emotional Motive The reason’s related to customer’s feeling Purchase BMW by a blind Tendulkar
about the brand fan
Conscious Motive The reason connected with awareness Purchase Mahindra Armada for rough
use
Dormant Motive The reasons below the conscious level Purchase a Ferrari Sports car for
unconscious desire of becoming an
F1 Champion

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 Buying Motives – Classification of Motives
Emotional
Product
Product
Buying Motive
Rational
Product
Buying Motive
Emotional
Patronage
Patronage
Buying Motive
Rational
Patronage
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 Buying Motives – Classification of Motives
• Product Buying Motives: those influences and reasons which prompt a buyer to
choose a particular product.
o Emotional Product Buying Behavior:
o Pride or Prestige: many buyers are proud of possessing some product.
o Imitation: Imitate others, buying a new mobile coz friends have it
o Affection: Father may buy a costly mobile for his son coz of the love and affection
o Desire for Comfort: Buy AC for the houses coz of the desire for more comfort
o Sexual attraction: Branded clothing, perfumes,
o Ambition:
o Individuality: Only buys a particular brand/color of dress coz they want to be
distinct
o Habits: Go for regular annual tour, cinemas
o Rational product Buying Behavior:

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 Buying Motives – Classification of Motives
• Product Buying Motives: those influences and reasons which prompt a buyer
to choose a particular product.
o Emotional Product Buying Behavior:
o Rational product Buying Behavior:
o Safety or Security: Bank Locker Facility or healthy Diet etc…
o Economy: saving in operating cost. Hero Honda bikes are preferred by
economy people
o Relatively Low Price:
o Suitability: Buy a small dining table that suits his small dining room
o Utility or Versatility: many uses for purchasing a product
o Durability: Long Period – goes for teak or rosewood; short stay people –
modern furniture

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 Buying Motives – Classification of Motives
• Patronage Buying Motives: those considerations which makes a buyer,
patronize a particular shop over other
o Emotional Patronage Buying Behavior:
o Appearance of the shop
o Display of goods in the shop
o Recommendation of others
o Prestige
o Habit: Some people purchase from a particular shop for the simple
reason of habitually purchasing from that particular shop
o Rational Patronage Buying Behavior:

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 Buying Motives – Classification of Motives
• Patronage Buying Motives: those considerations which makes a buyer,
patronize a particular shop over other
o Emotional Patronage Buying Behavior:
o Rational Patronage Buying Behavior:
o Convenience:
o Low price charged by the shop
o Services offered
o Efficiency of sales person
o Treatment
o Reputation of the shop

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