Purchasing Behavior Style of the Consumer - Assignment Example

Consumer Behavior After conducting an interview with a consumer who purchased a television set from a shop, this report aims to analyse how the decision-making is processed to bring about specificity in purchase selection. The interviewee, Mr. John, is a young man at his early 20s. His responses have been accurately paraphrased and analysed in this text. According to Deth (1999), a consumer goes through a series of stages before finally picking up the item he/she desires. These steps include, need recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision and finally post-purchase evaluation. True to John’s case, he had a need for replacing the television he had lost due to burglary. He got an insurance compensation, and this; therefore, put him at the point of need to find another television set. Mr John explains that he could not imagine staying any longer in that state of boredom without getting a TV set, and this prompted him to think of how to capture one. Need recognition entails identifying the need, which he or she has to satisfy. This marks the beginning of the buying process. Notably, the identification of the need is the foundation of the buying process, since the customer has to satisfy an existing need. In this case, the desire to watch movies or TV programs was the process of the need recognition that led to the identification of T.V as the only thing that would satisfy the need to watch movies and programs and reduce boredom. Notably, need recognition is the most significant stage of the buying process because without a need there is no purchase. The second step involves the search for relevant information on the product identified that can satisfy the need. In this case, the customer looks around to identify the best product that would satisfy the need (Singh, 2007). Notably, the customer seeks for the best product in the market that would solve their problem. In this case, the search for relevant information would involve a search for information on TV sets from distinct manufacturers in the market. Most customers search for information through friends, relatives, adverts, the internet and catalogs and other booklets (Armstrong, 2009). In his response on whether he searched for various products before settling on Sony T.V, he acknowledged that he browsed the internet in search of different models and brands. He gave the reason for this as the fact that he did not want to buy the same model he had lost to burglary since its spare parts were not readily available at the local electronic shops. The internet offers much information on TV sets since most manufacturers and producers have turned to advertise and provide information on their products through the internet. Once a customer searches for information, he or she identifies the prospective products, which he or she will choose from. This results to the third process of the buyer decision-making process, which is the evaluation of the available alternatives. The evaluation of the alternatives involves the identification of the available alternatives and their attributes (Armstrong, 2009). The evaluation of the alternatives involves identifying the most suitable attributes that would best satisfy the needs of the customer. The attributes that customers consider could be durability, esthetics, size, shape, price and weight. In this case, John acknowledges that he had several alternatives such as Samsung, Hisense, Sony and LG. However, he found Sony a little cheaper compared to the other brands. He reports that, with the same size, Sony TV is a little lighter than the other brands. Physically, he finds the brand much more appealing than the other brands he found on the market. Finally, what stands out for the Sony brand is the longer length of warranty, which makes it the best among the alternatives. These were some of the most significant attributes that motivated John to go for this brand. After having evaluated the available products and solutions available in the market, the customer can now identify and choose the product that satisfies his/her wants. Nonetheless, this is reliant on the previous stage of information collection on the perceived attributes and capabilities and value significant to the customer (Deth, 1999). This in most cases can be influenced by customer experience encountered and the quality of the product. In most cases, some clients can cease to purchase a product simply because of a bad customer experience they encountered at the buying store. John acknowledged that the brand influenced his decision; he says to some extent it did since Sony is famous for producing high quality and efficient products. He says he could not go to a brand he does not recognize as that would be a big risk. He also articulates that he primarily reason he chose the item was because of the purposes of prestige it serves. It is evident that the high-level abstract need behind his purchase is self-esteem. He sought to prove to anyone who visits his house that he is a ‘guy of the class’. This synchronizes with Amstrong’s (2009) conception that sometimes we are motivated to purchase items in a bid to prove a point to our friends, peers, visitors or even family members. After thoroughly analyzing alternatives, he decided to buy the product. Responding to a question asked if he can buy again the same model of Sony TV he had purchased, he admitted for a second though saying the product has actually served him well and he will stay loyal to the brand. There are numerous implications that can be deduced from Mr. John’s purchasing behavior that are of beneficial to the marketing manager. The fact that he was motivated by the need to stand out and enjoy the prestige tells a lot to a marketer. In relation to this, he eliminated the alternatives he had based on their prices. This means that customers would want sophisticated products at the lowest prices possible (Amstrong, 2009). Also, he mentioned that the product’s brand played a significant role in his decision making. This means that that the company should invest as much s possible in promoting their brands as this influences a consumer’s choice. Also, this implies that the quality is a primary concern to the customer. In conclusion, purchasing behavior style of consumer moves from one process to the other and it is important for marketers to understand these dynamics so they can understand what the customers require and how they do their purchasing. References Deth, J.(1999) Steps in purchasing Decision.New York :Cambridge University Press. Singh, M. I., (2007)Seller’s Handbook.Manchester City: Fibre publishers. Amstrong, K. (2009) How we Buy :Decision Making .Washington:Keword Printers. Appendix 1 Need Recognition After Mr. John’s T.V was stolen, a need to have another came up. He says he has been bored and felt that there was something he was lacking in his house. Information Search Mr. John got involved in web search to find the best offers for the product he needed and in which shops he can find the item. Alternative Evaluation He acknowledges that he had several options or alternatives but eliminated them one by one based on his need and affordability. Purchase Decision A decision was finally made after considering all the options to purchase Sony 32’’ T.V. Post-Purchase Behavior Interviewed about his opinion about the decision he made concerning the product, he says he does not regret. He believes he made the right purchasing decision and welcomes the product again. Appendix 2 Self-Esteem(High-Level Abstract Need) Prestige Quality Show off to friends and family Wants product that works efficiently Note: High-Level Abstract Need is Self-esteem Read More