1. Consumer Buying Behavior9
Consumer Buying Behavior

2. Objectives
To understand consumers’ level of involvement with a product and the types of consumer problem-solving processes
To recognize the stages of the consumer buying decision process
To explore how situational influences may affect the consumer buying decision process
To understand the psychological influences that may affect the consumer buying decision process
To examine the social influences that affect the consumer buying decision process
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3. Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes
Chapter Outline
Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes
Consumer Buying Decision Process
Situational Influences on the Buying Decision Process
Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process
Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process
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4. Introduction: Key Terms
Buying Behavior
The decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products
Consumer Buying Behavior
Buying behavior of people who purchase products for personal use and not for business purposes
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5. Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes
An individual’s intensity of interest in a product and the importance of the product for that person
Enduring involvement
Situational involvement
Routinized Response Behavior
The process used when buying frequently purchased, low-cost items that require little search-and-decision effort
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6. Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes (cont’d)
Limited Problem Solving
The process that buyers use when purchasing products occasionally or when they need information about an unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category
Extended Problem Solving
The process employed when purchasing unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently bought products
Impulse Buying
An unplanned buying behavior resulting from a powerful urge to buy something immediately
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7. Consumer Buying Decision Process and Possible Influences on the Process
FIGURE 9.1
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8. Consumer Buying Decision Process
Problem Recognition
Occurs when a buyer becomes aware of a difference between a desired state and an actual condition
May occur rapidly or slowly
Information Search
Internal search
Buyers search their memories for information about products that might solve their problem
External search
Buyers seek information from outside sources
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9. This Visine Advertisement Is Focused On Problem Recognition
Courtesy of Pfizer, Inc.
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10. Consumer Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Evaluation of Alternatives
Consideration set
A group of brands that the buyer views as alternatives for possible purchase
Evaluative criteria
Objective and subjective characteristics that are important to a buyer
Framing the alternatives
Describing the alternatives and their attributes in a certain manner to make a particular characteristic appear more important especially to the inexperienced buyer
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11. Consumer Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Purchase
Choosing the product or brand to be bought based on the outcome of the evaluation stage
The choice of seller may affect the final product selection.
Factors such as terms of sale, price, delivery, and warranties may affect the sale.
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12. Consumer Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Postpurchase Evaluation
Cognitive dissonance
A buyer’s doubts shortly after a purchase about whether the decision was the right one
Buyers are most likely to seek reassurance after the purchase of an expensive, high- involvement product
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13. What Part of the Consumer Buying Decision Process Does This Olay Ad Focus On?
© The Procter & Gamble Company. Used by permission.
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14. On Which Stage(s) of the Consumer Buying Decision Does This NAPA Ad Focus?
Courtesy of NAPA Online.
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15. Class Exercise
In which stage of the consumer buying decision process are each of the following people?
A recent college graduate reads Consumer Reports to compare automobile ratings.
On the first day of class, a student finds out that a programmable calculator is needed for the course, but she doesn’t own one.
After purchasing an evening gown, a woman decides that it is not quite appropriate for her special occasion.
For this exercise, each of the stages of the consumer buying decision process should be thoroughly discussed and made available to the students before they answer these questions. There are many possible answers for each question. For example, in Question 1, the recent college graduate reading Consumer Reports to compare automobile ratings could be in any of four stages:
Problem Recognition: The consumer suddenly sees his or her present car as inferior compared to the ratings of other cars in the magazine.
Information Search: The consumer has decided to buy a new car and is seeking all possible information to make an intelligent choice.
Evaluation of Alternatives: The consumer has narrowed choices to a few car brands and is comparing them by using the ratings in the magazine.
Postpurchase Evaluation: The consumer has just purchased a new car and is com-paring its ratings to those of some other cars.
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16. Class Exercise A car buyer gets a loan to purchase a new car.
A teenager compares numerous compact disc players and narrows the choice down to two players.
While on the way to work, a person’s automobile stalls and will not start again.
At an open-house party, a guest realizes that the host already owns the gift he plans to give.
A person receives a sample package of laundry detergent in the mail and uses it to wash a load of clothes.
Some possible answers to the remaining questions include the following:
Problem recognition
Postpurchase evaluation
Purchase
Evaluation of alternatives
Problem recognition/postpurchase evaluation
It depends. If using the sample leads the person to question the quality of his or her current brand of laundry detergent, then the person is most likely in the problem recognition stage. If the person is looking for another brand, it could be information search. Finally, if a person is trying to decide on a new brand of detergent, the stage is most likely evaluation of alternatives.
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17. Situational Influences on the Buying Decision Process
Factors that can influence a buyer’s purchase decision and may cause the buyer to shorten, lengthen, or terminate the process.
Situational Factors
Physical surroundings
Social surroundings
Time perspective
Reason for purchase
Buyer’s momentary mood and condition
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18. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process
Factors that in part determine people’s general behavior, thus influencing their behavior as consumers
Perception
The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning
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19. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Selective Exposure
The process of selecting inputs to be exposed to our awareness while ignoring others
Selective Distortion
An individual’s changing or twisting of information when it is inconsistent with personal feelings or beliefs
Selective Retention
Remembering information inputs that support personal feelings and beliefs and forgetting inputs that do not
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20. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Perceptual Organization
Organizing and integrating new information with what is already stored in memory.
Closure occurs when a person mentally fills in missing elements in a pattern or statement
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21. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Interpretation
The assignment of meaning to what has been organized based on what is expected or what is familiar
Attempts by marketers to influence interpretation can fail because
consumers block out seller’s information.
consumers interpret seller’s information differently than intended.
consumers discard information that is inconsistent with prior beliefs.
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22. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Motives
An internal energizing force that directs a person’s behavior toward satisfying needs or achieving goals
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The five levels of needs that humans are motivated to seek and satisfy, from least to most important are
Physiological needs—food, water, sex, clothing, shelter
Safety needs—security, freedom
Social needs—love, affection, belonging
Esteem needs—respect, recognition, self-worth
Self-actualization needs—personal growth needs
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23. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow believed that people seek to fulfill five categories of needs.
FIGURE 9.2
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24. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Learning
Changes in an individual’s thought processes and behavior caused by information and experience
Behaviors that produce satisfying consequences are likely to be repeated.
Consumers learn about products by
experiencing the products personally.
gaining additional product knowledge from seller-provided information.
indirect information from other purchasers/users.
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25. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Attitudes
An individual’s enduring evaluation of, feelings about, and behavioral tendencies toward an object or idea
Attitudinal Components
Cognitive
Knowledge and information about the object or idea
Affective
Feelings and emotions toward the object or idea
Behavioral
Individual’s action regarding the object or idea
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26. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Attitude Scale
A means of measuring consumer attitudes by gauging the intensity of individuals’ reactions to adjectives, phrases, or sentences about an object
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27. Psychological Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Personality and Self-Concept
Personality
A set of internal traits and distinct behavioral tendencies that result in consistent patterns of behavior in certain situations
Self-concept (self-image)
Perception or view of oneself
Lifestyles
Lifestyle
An individual’s pattern of living expressed through activities, interests, and opinions
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28. Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process
The forces other people exert on one’s buying behavior
Role
Actions and activities that a person in a particular position is supposed to perform based on expectations of the individual and surrounding persons
Multiple role-expectation sets affect behavior.
Roles influence both general and buying behaviors.
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29. Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Family Influences
Consumer socialization
The process through which a person acquires the knowledge and skills to function as a consumer
Family decision-making processes
Autonomic—equally shared decision-making
Husband-dominant—husband makes decisions
Wife-dominant—wife makes decisions
Syncratic—decisions made jointly
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30. Percent Who Decide or Influence Purchase Decisions
Age Group of Decision Makers or Influencers
Product Category of Purchase Decision
Ages 8-12
Ages 13-21
Clothing/apparel
93%
89%
Movie/Video/DVD
87%
Video games/systems
78%
Groceries
84%
Sports equipment
71%
65%
Vacation
62%
69%
Software
57%
77%
Vehicles
22%
61%
Source: Harris Interactive YouthPulse, 2003, as reported in American Demographics, December 2003/January 2004, p.16.
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31. Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Reference Groups
Any group that positively or negatively affects a person’s values, attitudes, or behavior
Membership
Aspirational
Disassociative
Opinion Leader
A knowledgeable, accessible individual who provides information about a specific sphere of interest to followers
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32. How Do Reference Groups Affect Purchase Decisions?
For each of the products below, indicate whether one’s reference group would influence one’s decision to buy the product in general, the type of product within the category, and/or the brand decision. Use more than one X when appropriate.
Type of Product
Product Within the Brand
Product Decision Category Decision
Soft drink   
Bar soap   
Telephone   
Jeans   
Car   
Sweatshirt with college name   
DVD player   
Bathroom tissue   
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33. Debate Issue
Is it appropriate for marketers to specifically target children in their advertisements?
YES
Children possess billions of dollars in discretionary income and they spend almost all of it.
Children buy regularly, are responsive to peer pressure, and are heavily influenced by the hours of television advertising they watch each week.
Researchers estimate that children directly influence billions of dollars in adult purchases each year.
An astute marketer recognizes the importance of children and acts accordingly by targeting them in their advertisements. NO
Recent research has suggested that advertising can have detrimental effects on children.
By portraying an altered sense of reality, advertising can make children more prone to need gratification.
Advertising makes children more susceptible to the effects of peer pressure.
Although children do influence adult purchases, purchase decisions are made by adults.
Marketers should target advertising toward parents, not young, impression-able children.
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34. Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Social Class
An open group of individuals with similar social rank
Individuals in the same social class
develop and assume common behavioral patterns.
have similar attitudes, values, language patterns, and possessions.
Influences many major life decisions
Influences shopping patterns and spending habits
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37. Social Influences on the Buying Decision Process (cont’d)
Culture
The accumulated values, knowledge, beliefs, customs, objects, and concepts of a society
Culture influences buying behavior.
Cultural changes affect product development, promotion, distribution, and pricing.
Subcultures
Groups of individuals whose characteristic values and behavior patterns are similar and differ from those of the surrounding culture
African American • Hispanic • Asian American
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38. Subcultural Differences in Movie-Going Behavior
In what ways can movie theater marketers use this information?
Source: “Now Playing,” American Demographics, September 2001, p. 14.
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39. Class Exercise
Imagine that you are going out tonight. Which of the following social influences will determine what you wear, where you go, what you do, and what you will buy or consume?
Your role as a student, family member, employee, church member, or fraternity or sorority member.
Identification with a positive reference group. Disassociation from a negative reference group.
The objective of this exercise is to help students understand how social influences affect their consumption behaviors.
Question 1. As fraternity or sorority members, students may be influenced to stay out late for social reasons, which may conflict with their roles as students, employees, and church members. The demands of a person’s many roles may be inconsistent and confusing. Some married students may describe joint decision-making situations and the influence of children. Other likely responses will relate to clothing, restaurant choice, and food or beverage consumption.
Question 2. You may also want to ask “When ordering at a restaurant, do you find that people often order the same thing?” After one person (opinion leader) has decided to order something, others may order the same thing (“I’ll take what he/she ordered”). Reference groups clearly affect the choice of clothing and patronage at retail outlets. Some students may indicate that there are places they will not go because of the presence of negative reference groups.
Question 3. The cars that students drive may reflect either their present social status or their desired social status. Social class may also affect what beer, wine, or other beverages students drink. You may also want to ask “How does social class affect where you shop?”
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40. Class Exercise (cont’d)
Membership within a particular social class. Aspirations to be in a different social class.
Cultural values that accept or reject certain types of behavior. Gender roles: expectations of how men and women should act.
Membership in a subculture based on geography, age, or ethnic background.
Knowing how these factors affect your consumption behavior, how can marketers adjust their marketing mixes to meet your needs?
Question 4. Ask students the following: “Have any of you been in other cultures where you saw people doing things that would never be accepted in America?” If you have international students in class, ask them what they find peculiar about the American culture. Discussion may be geared toward views of time and women.
Question 5. Students may be able to identify certain types of food (catfish in the South), clothing (surf wear in the West), vehicles (pickups in the Midwest and Southwest), or accessories (handguns in the East) that are associated with subcultures. 
Question 6. Some possible examples include the following:
Promotion: Show upper-class individuals in luxury car ads.
Product: Design products (cars) that meet joint needs of family.
Price: Offer price discounts to students with limited income.
Distribution: Allocate more pickups to Midwest and Southwest.
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41. Net Sights
Consumerworld.org offers a variety of free information to those interested in consumer buying behavior. Articles and other resources make this an interesting and helpful site for marketers. Visit
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42. After reviewing this chapter you should:
Understand the level of involvement and types of consumer problem-solving processes
Recognize the stages of the consumer buying decision process
Know how situational influences may affect the consumer buying decision process
Understand the psychological influences that may affect the consumer buying decision process
Be familiar with social influences that affect the consumer buying decision process
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43. Chapter Quiz
Which of the following products would probably require extended problem solving before a purchase?
Products purchased frequently
Products to be purchased in the future
Products that are purchased routinely
Expensive products
Products purchased as a result of social influences D B C
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44. Chapter Quiz (cont’d)
When in their information search, consumers focus on communication with friends and relatives, they are utilizing ____________ sources.
internal
personal
marketer-dominated
direct
organizational
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45. Chapter Quiz (cont’d) Selective exposure refers to
targeting only certain parts of the total market.
admitting only certain inputs into consciousness.
the circumstances or conditions that exist when a consumer is making a purchase decision.
the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning.
remembering inputs that support personal feelings and beliefs and forgetting those that do not.
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46. Chapter Quiz (cont’d)
Which of the following is the fastest growing, most affluent subculture in the United States?
African Americans
Hispanics
Asian Americans
Native Americans
Italian Americans
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