Marketing

Communication
Perspectives On
Consumer Behavior
Chapter 04
 Consumer Behavior
� The process and activities people engage in when searching
for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing
of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and
desires
� Marketers need to find out, how customer make purchase
decision
� Ex: Purchasing decision can be influence by the personality
or lifestyle of the consumer
 The Consumer Decision-Making Process
� Problem Recognition
� Consumer perceives a need and becomes motivated to solve
the problem.
� Sources of Problem Recognition
� Out of Stock - Ex: Hand wash, Toilet paper
� Dissatisfaction - Ex: Not happy with current product or
services
� New Needs/Wants - Ex: Change in financial situation, status,
career etc.
� Related Products/Purchases – Ex: After buying new DSLR
camera, customer needs lenses & light accessories.
 Continue….. Sources of Problem
Recognition
� Marketer-Induced Problem
Recognition
� Ex: marketers change fashions
and clothing design or industry
� Novelty-Seeking Behavior
� Ex: Try different brands
� New Products
� Ex: Innovative products are
introduced
Examining Consumer Motivations
 Hierarchy of Needs

� Physiological
� The basic level of primary needs for things required to sustain
life, such as food, shelter, clothing, and sex
� Safety
� The need for security and safety from physical harm
� Social/Love & Belonging
� The desire to have satisfying relationships with others and feel
a sense of love, affection, belonging, and acceptance
Continue…..
� Esteem
� The need to feel a sense of accomplishment and gain
recognition, status, and respect from others
� Self-Actualization
� The need for self-fulfillment and a desire to realize one’s own
potential.
 Information Search
� Internal search
� Information stored in memory
� Past experiences
� Knowledge regarding various purchase alternatives
� Repetitive purchases
� External Search
� Personal sources, such as friends, relatives, or co-workers.
� Marketer-controlled (commercial) sources, such as information from
advertising, salespeople, or point-of-purchase displays and the
Internet.
� Public sources, including articles in magazines or newspapers and
reports on TV.
� Personal experience, such as actually handling, examining, or testing
the product.
Continue…..
� Alternative Evaluation
� Consumer compare the various brands of products, that he
choose
� Purchase Decision
� Purchase decision is not the same as actual purchase
� Additional information may needed
� What to buy?
� Where to buy?
� How much to spend?
� There may be delay between purchase decision and actual
purchase
Continue…..
� Post-Purchase Evaluation
� After using the product or service, the consumer compares the
level of performance with expectations and is either satisfied or
dissatisfied
� Satisfaction occurs when the consumer’s expectations are
either met or exceeded
� Dissatisfaction results when performance is below expectations
� Evaluation process is important because the feedback acquired
from actual use of a product will influence the likelihood of
future purchases.