Consumer Behavior

& IMC
 Consumer Decision Making

Decision Stage Psychological Process

Problem Recognition Motivation

Information Search Perception

Alternative Evaluation Attitude Formation

Purchase Decision Integration

Postpurchase Evaluation Learning

• Motivation – factors that compel a consumer to take a
particular action
• Perception – the process by which consumers receives,
selects, organizes, and interprets information to create
a meaningful picture of the world
• Attitude formation – overall feeling toward or an
evaluation of an object
• Integration – the way product knowledge, meanings,
and beliefs are combined to evaluate two or more
alternatives
• Learning – process by which individuals acquire the
purchase and consumption knowledge they apply to
future related behavior
 1. Sources of Problem Recognition

New
New Needs
Needs
Out
Out of
of Stock
Stock Dissatisfaction
Dissatisfaction or
or Wants
Wants

Related
Related Product
Product Market-Induced
Market-Induced New
New
Purchase
Purchase Recognition
Recognition Products
Products
• Market Induced Problem Recognition
• New products
• Motives : which are factors that
compel a consumer to take a
particular action
• Better understood by Maslow’s
Theory
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization
Self-actualization needs
needs (self-
(self-
development,
development, realization)
realization)

Esteem
Esteem needs
needs (self-esteem,
(self-esteem, recognition,
recognition,
status)
status)

Social
Social needs
needs (sense
(sense of
of belonging,
belonging, love)
love)

Safety
Safety needs
needs (security,
(security, protection)
protection)

Physiological
Physiological needs
needs (hunger,
(hunger, thirst)
thirst)
• Observations :
• Lower-level needs are an ongoing source of
motivation for consumer purchase behavior
• It is unlikely people move through the needs
hierarchy in a stair step manner
• lower level needs are met in most developed
countries, marketers often sell products that
fill basic physiological needs by appealing to
consumers’ higher level needs
• Advertising : used to show how a brand can
fulfill these needs
• What need is this ad associated
with
• What does the brand say

Social Need / Security need :

Nurturance, Love and Belonging
Motivation Research
 How do we probe a consumers
mind?
• In-depth interviews – unstructured
interviews where the participant is
encouraged to speak freely.
– Designed to obtain insights into motives,
ideas, and opinions.
• Projective techniques – projecting
internal states upon external objects.
– Designed to gain insights into values,
motives, attitude, or needs.
• Association tests – participant is
asked to respond to the first thing
that comes to mind when they are
presented with a stimulus (picture,
word)
• Focus groups – small groups
brought together to discuss
particular products, ideas, or issues.
2. Information Search

Personal
Sources

Mark
et
Sourc
es
Pub
Sou lic
rce
s
Per
Ex son
pe
rie al
nce
• Perception is the process by
which individuals receives, selects,
organizes, and interprets
information to create a meaningful
picture of the world.
• Does Selectivity occur here ?
• Selective exposure

• Selective attention

• Selective comprehension

• Selective retention
• Selective exposure – occurs as consumers choose
whether to make themselves available to information
• Selective attention – occurs when the consumer
chooses whether to focus attention on certain stimuli
while excluding others.
• Selective comprehension – occurs when consumers
interpret information on the basis of their own
attitudes, beliefs, motives, and experiences.
• Selective retention – occurs as consumers cannot
recall all of the information they receive but may
choose to retain information of particular relevance
Combining Color With Black-and-White
Is Intended to Gain Attention
 Evaluation of Alternatives

All available brands

Brand A Brand B Brand C Brand D Brand E

Brand F Brand G Brand H Brand I Brand J

Brand K Brand L Brand M Brand N Brand O

Evoked Set of Brands

Brand B Brand E

Brand F Brand I

Brand M
Two Forms of Evaluative Criteria

Evaluative
Evaluative Criteria
Criteria

Objective
Objective Subjective
Subjective

Price
Price Style
Style
Warranty
Warranty Appearance
Appearance
Service
Service Image
Image

Differentiation Factor
 Different Perspectives: Marketer’s View

Tractio Too
n okay? pricy?
Enough
power?

Product is seen
as a bundle of
attributes or
characteristics.
 Different Perspectives: Consumer’s View
Will the neighbors
How does it cut be impressed with
the taller grass? my lawn?

How close can I

get to the Is it going to be as
shrubs? fun to use later this
summer?

Will it pull
that Will I enjoy having
little trailer I more time for golf?
saw at the
store?

Product Is Seen As
A Set of Outcomes
Functional
Functional Psychological
Psychological
Ways to Change Attitudes

• Change Beliefs on an important

attribute
• Change the value of an attribute
• Add an another attribute
Adding Attributes Changes Attitudes
• Cell Phone :
– Features
• Nutrition drink :
– More benefits
Classical Conditioning for Cosmetics
Classical Conditioning Process

Unconditioned
Unconditioned Unconditioned
Unconditioned
stimulus
stimulus response
response
(waterfall)
(waterfall) (freshness,
(freshness, purity)
purity)

Conditioned
Conditioned Conditioned
stimulus
stimulus Conditioned
response
response
(Brita
(Brita water
water (freshness,
(freshness, purity)
purity)
filtration
filtration pitcher)
pitcher)
Instrumental Conditioning Process

Positive
Positive or
or negative
negative
Behavior
Behavior consequences
consequences occur
occur
(consumer
(consumer uses
uses (reward
(reward or
or
product
product or
or service)
service) punishment)
punishment)

Increase
Increase or or decrease
decrease
in
in probability
probability of
of
repeat
repeat behavior
behavior
(purchase)
(purchase)
External Influences on Consumers

Culture

Subculture

Social class

Reference
groups

Situations
How Advertising Works

Advertising
Advertising Input
Input
Message
Message content,
content, media
media
scheduling,
scheduling, repetition
repetition

Filters
Filters
Motivation,
Motivation
Motivation, ability,
Motivation
ability,
(involvement)
(involvement)

Consumer
Consumer
Cognition,
Cognition, Affect,
Affect,
Experience
Experience

Consumer
Consumer Behavior
Behavior
Choice,
Choice, consumption,
consumption,
loyalty,
loyalty, habit,
habit, etc.
etc.