The behavior of the consumer & buying process- back to basic
S Sittarasu
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S Sittarasu
?? Transformative Leader in Industrial and Port-Led Industrialization & Global Investments. As a leader forefront of driving USD 12B+ in local and global investments across Indian States and positioning Port Sector.
- This is one fundamental question that asked the marketer is what influences consumers to purchase products or services? We are aware that the consumer buying process is involved in nature since many internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer. When purchasing a product, their several methods, which consumers go through? These will be discussed below, but before that, we should know what the factors that influence the buyers are.
- Now let us understand what are the factors that influence the behavior of buyers. Consumer behavior is mostly affected by many uncontrollable factors. Just imagine what changes you before you buy a product or service? Your friends, your upbringing, your culture, the media, a role model, or influences from certain groups? Learning is one factor that influences behavior. Simply culture is defined as our attitudes and beliefs. However, how are these attitudes and beliefs developed? As an individual growing up, their parents influence a child; brothers, sister, and other family members who may teach them what is wrong or right. They learn about their religion and culture, which helps them develop these opinions, attitudes, and beliefs. These factors will influence their purchase behavior; however, other factors like groups of friends, or people they look up to may influence their choices of purchasing a particular product or service. Reference groups are specific groups of people; some people may look up towards that have an impact on consumer behavior. So they can be simply a band like the Spice Girls or your immediate family members. Opinion leaders are those people that you look up to because your respect their views and judgments, and these views may influence consumer decisions. So it may be a friend who works with the IT trade who may affect your decision on what computer to buy. The economic environment also has an impact on consumer behavior; do consumers have a secure job and a regular income to spend on goods? Marketing and advertising influence consumers in trying to evoke them to purchase a particular product or service.
- People’s social status will also impact their behavior. What is their role in society? Are they Actors? Doctors? Office worker? Also, mothers and fathers even? Being parents’ affects your buying habits depending on the age of the children; the type of job may mean you need to purchase formal clothes, the income, which is earned, has an impact. The lifestyle of someone who deserves ￡250000 would be different from someone who makes ￡25000. Also, the characters influence the buying decision. Whether the person is extrovert (outgoing and spends on entertainment) or introvert (keeps to themselves and purchases via online or mail order) again has an impact on the types of investments made.
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs theory sets out to explain what motivated individuals in life to achieve. He set out his answer in the form of a hierarchy. He suggests that individuals aim to meet the basic psychological needs of hunger and thirst. When this has been achieved they then move up to the next stage of the hierarchy, safety needs, where the priority lay with job security and the knowing that an income will be available to them regularly. Social needs come in the next level of the hierarchy, the need to belong or be loved is a natural human desire, and people do strive for this belonging. Esteem need is the need for status and recognition within society, status sometimes drives people, the need to have a good job title and be recognized or the need to wear branded clothes as a symbol of status. Self-actualization the realization that an individual has reached their potential in life. The point of self-actualization is down to the individual, when do you know you have entered your point of self-fulfillment?
- But how does this concept help an organization trying to market a product or service?
- Marketing is about meeting needs and providing benefits. Maslow's concept suggests that needs change as we go along our path of striving for self-actualization. Supermarket firms develop value brands to meet the psychological needs of hunger and thirst. Harrods develops products and services for those who won't have met their esteem needs. So Maslow's concept is useful for marketers as it can help them understand and develop consumer needs and wants.
- Now after understanding the factors now know the types of buying behavior: There are four typical types of buying behavior based on the kind of products that intends to be purchased. Complex buying behavior is where the individual purchases a high-value brand and seeks a lot of information before the purchase is made. Habitual buying behavior is where the individual buys a product out of habit, e.g. a daily newspaper, sugar, or salt. Variety seeking buying behavior is where the individual likes to shop around and experiment with different products. So an individual may shop around for different breakfast cereals because he/she wants variety in the mornings! Dissonance reducing buying behavior is when a buyer is highly involved with the purchase of the product because the purchase is expensive or infrequent. There is little difference between existing brands; an example would be buying a diamond ring; there is perceived little difference between current diamond brand manufacturers.
- Problem/Need Recognition: How do you decide you want to buy a particular product or service? It could be that your mobile stops working and you now have to look for a new one, So you have a problem or a new need. For high-value items like a mobile or a car or other low frequency purchased products, this is the process we would take. However, for impulse low-frequency purchases such as confectionery, the process is different.
- Information search: So we have a problem, our mobile no longer works, and we need to buy a new one. What’s the solution? Yes go out and purchase a new one, but which brand? Shall we buy the same brand as the one that blew up? Or stay clear of that? Consumers often go on some form of information search to help them through their purchase decision. Sources of information could be family, friends, and neighbors who may have the product you have in mind, alternatively, you may ask the salespeople or dealers, or read specialist magazines like what mobile? To help with their purchase decision. You may even actually examine the product before you decide to purchase it.
- Evaluation of different purchase options; So what mobile we purchase? Shall it be Nokia., Ericsson, and Sony? Consumers allocate attribute factors to specific products, almost like a point scoring system, which they work out in their mind over which brand to purchase. This means that consumers know what features from the rivals will benefit them, and they attach different degrees of importance to each attribute.
- They may have had a good history with a particular brand, or their friends may have had a reliable history with one, but if the decision falls between the Nokia and Ericction or any other is concerned then which one shall it be? It could be that a review the consumer reads on the particular Nokia product may have tipped the balance and that they will purchase that brand.
- Purchase decision: Through the evaluation process discussed above consumers will reach their final purchase decision, and they reach the final process of going through the purchase action, e.g., The process of going to the shop to buy the product, which for some consumers can be as just as rewarding as actually purchasing the product. Purchase of the product can either be through the store, the web, or over the phone.
- Post Purchase Behaviour: Ever have doubts about the product after you purchased it? This is post-purchase behavior, and research shows that it is a common trait amongst purchasers of products. Manufacturers of products want recent consumers to feel proud of their purchase; it is therefore just as crucial for manufacturers to advertise for the sake of their recent purchaser, so consumers feel comfortable that they own a product from a strong and reputable organization — these limits post-purchase behavior. I.e., you feel reassured that you own the latest advertised product.