Consumer Behavior

1. List the three stages in the consumption process. Describe the issues that you considered in each of the three stages when you made a recent important purchase.

The three stages in the consumption process are

* Pre-purchase

* Purchase

* Post-purchase.

This model is important for anyone making marketing decisions. It forces the marketers to consider the whole buying process rather than just the purchase decision, when it may be too late for a business to influence the choice.

The buying process starts with the recognition of a problem or need. For example, when we are hungry, or when we realize that it is time to get a new sofa. We might also be responding to a marketing stimulus, or example, if we pass by a bakery and feel attracted by the aroma of chocolate muffins.

I, for example, needed a new laptop. After recognizing the need I was ready to find sources that could help me make an informed decision. Should I buy a HP or a MAC? How many inches should my screen measure? The smaller the lighter, but to do homework a bigger screen is more convenient. We can get information from different sources: personal sources such as family or friends; commercial sources such as ads, salespeople, sale displays; public sources such as newspapers, radio, tv, magazines; or we could draw from our own experience, if we have used the products in the past. In my case, I as never used a MAC and I was hesitant to buy it, so I asked friends and then my brother before making my purchase decision.

According to research, customers value and respect personal sources more than commercial sources. This is the influence of “word of mouth.” This poses a challenge for marketing teams, the challenge to identify which information sources are most influential in the markets they’re trying to target. When it was time for me to decide between the two laptops, I listened to my brother who advised me to buy HP.

The final stage was the post-purchase evaluation of the decision....