1. Consumer Buying Behavior9
Consumer Buying Behavior

2. Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes
Agenda
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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3. 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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4. 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
High-involvement
Visible to others
Expensive
High importance
Low-involvement
Less expensive
Less risky
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5. Level of Involvement and Consumer Problem-Solving Processes (cont’d)
Routinized Response Behavior
The process used when buying frequently purchased, low-cost items that require little search-and-decision effort
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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6. Consumer Buying Decision Process and Possible Influences on the Process
FIGURE 9.1
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7. 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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8. This Visine Advertisement Is Focused On Problem Recognition
Courtesy of Pfizer, Inc.
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9. 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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10. 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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11. 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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12. 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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13. On Which Stage(s) of the Consumer Buying Decision Does This NAPA Ad Focus?
Courtesy of NAPA Online.
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14. 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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15. Class Exercise A car buyer gets a loan to purchase a new car.
A teenager compares numerous cell phones and narrows the choice down to two phones.
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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16. 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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17. 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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18. 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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19. 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
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20. 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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21. 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
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22. 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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23. 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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24. 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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25. 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
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26. 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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27. 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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28. 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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29. 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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30. 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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31. 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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