Communication & Consumer Behavior

SBM 338

Lanny Wilke

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.

The Consumer Decision-Making Process

Problem RecognitionThe consumer perceives a need

and becomes motivated to solve the problem

Initiates the subsequent decision processes

Caused by a difference between the consumer’s ideal state and actual state.

“problem” does not always imply a negative state.

Sources of problem recognition Out of stock

Consumer has used their existing supply of a product.

Purchase decision is usually simple & routine and is often resolved by choosing a familiar brand.

Dissatisfaction Consumer is dissatisfied with the current

state of affairs and/or the product or service being used.

Advertising may be used to help them recognize when they have a problem and/or need to make a purchase.

New needs/wantsChanges in consumers’ lives

may result in new needs.Not all purchases are based

on needs.Wants – a felt need that is

shaped by a person’s knowledge, culture, and personality.

Related products/servicesProblem recognition may also

be stimulated by the purchase of a product.

Marketer-induced problem recognition Marketers’ actions may encourage

consumers not to be content with their current state or situation.

Marketers also take advantage of consumer’s tendency toward novelty-seeking behavior, which leads them to try new brands.

Encourage switching using advertising and promotion techniques.

New productsCan also occur when

innovative products are introduced and brought to the attention of consumers.

What types of problems will the new product solve?

Examining Consumer Motivations

Hierarchy of needs

Psychoanalytic TheorySigmund FreudConsumer motivations are very

complex and unclear to the casual observer

Motivation Research Methods include in-depth

interviews, projective techniques, association tests, & focus groups

May lead to strange insights:A man buys a convertible as a

substitute for a mistress.Women like to bake cakes

because they feel like they are giving birth to a baby.

Women wear perfume to “attract a man” and “glorify their existence.”

Men like frankfurters better than women do because cooking them (hot dogs, not men) makes women feel guilty. It’s an admission of laziness.

When people shower, their sins go down the drain with the soap as they rinse.

Some ad agencies have used motivation research to gain further insights into how consumers think.

Women associated roaches with men who had abandoned them.

Ronald McDonald created a more nurturing mood than did the Burger King.

Information Search

Internal searchScan info stored in memory to

recall past experiences and/or knowledge regarding various purchase alternatives.

External searchPersonal sourcesMarketer-controlled sourcesPublic sourcesPersonal experience

Determining how much and which sources involves several factors:The importance of the purchase

decision,The effort needed to acquire info,Amount of relevant past

experienceDegree of perceived riskTime available

Perception

How consumers acquire and use info from external sources.Particularly interested in:

How consumers sense external info

How they select and attend to various sources of info

How this info is interpreted and given meaning.

Perception is the process by which an individual receives, selects, organizes, and interprets info to create a meaningful picture of the world. It is an individual process. Depends on internal factors such as:

Belief experiences Needs Moods Expectations

Also influenced by the characteristics of a stimulus

Size Color Intensity And the context in which it is

seen or heard.

SensationThree distinct processes.The immediate, direct response of

the senses to a stimulus.Perception uses these senses to

create a representation of the stimulus.

Selecting information Other determinants of whether

marketing stimuli will be attended to & how they will be interpreted:

Consumer’s personality Needs Motives Expectations Experiences

Explains why people focus on some things and ignore others.

Interpreting informationVery individualizedAlso depends on the nature of the

stimulus.Perception is a filtering process.

Selective perceptionSelective exposure

Consumers choose whether or not to make themselves available to info.

Selective attention The consumer chooses to focus

attention on certain stimuli while excluding others.

Selective comprehension Interpreting info based on their

own attitudes, beliefs, motives, and experiences.

Often interpret info in a manner that supports their own position.

Subliminal perceptionThe ability to perceive a stimulus

that is below the level of conscious awareness.

NOT a recommended creative tactic.

Part 2 - Perception