Understanding Consumer Buying Behaviour Marketers example essay topic

What is buying behaviour? This is the question that needs to be answered if a marketing professional is hoping to understand the behaviour of their market. Buyer behaviour is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products. Marketing professionals need to understand why customers make the decisions they make, What factors influence consumer purchase?

And the changing factors in our society. Every consumer can be categorized into one of four groups of consumer buying behaviour. Routine Response / Programmed Behavior- are purchases of products and services frequently used often these are low cost items. They need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically.

Examples include soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc. Limited Decision-Making- is buying product occasionally. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes -- know product class but not the brand. Extensive Decision Making / Complex high involvement-is the purchase of products, which the consumers are unfamiliar with these products or services are often expensive and are infrequently bought products. A High degree of risk is associated with many of these products.

Examples include cars, homes, computers, and education. A lot of time is spent seeking information and deciding upon the purchase of the product. Impulse buying- is where consumers purchase products or services unplanned, they are buying because it is either attractively presented or conveniently located products. The purchase of the same product does not always elicit the same Buying Behavior. Product can shift from one category to the next. For example: Going out for a night on the town for one person may be extensive decision making (for someone that does not go out often at all), but limited decision making for someone else.

The reason for going out, whether it is a birthday party, or a meal with a couple of friends will also determine the extent of the decision making. From time to time consumers will feel an urge to purchase a product whether it is expensive or cheap they will follow a series of steps known as the consumer buying process. There are 6 stages in the consumer buying process however many of the stages can be skipped, this is determined by the complexity of the purchase decision. The stages are: 1. Problem recognition- the consumer recognizes a need and tries to resolve that need. 2.

Information search- the consumer searches information about the product and alternatives. 3. Evaluation of alternatives- consumer compares one product to another to determine the one best suited to fulfill their problem. 4. Purchase decision- Choose buying alternative. 5.

Purchase- consumer buys product and uses it. 6. Post purchase evaluation- consumer is either satisfied or unsatisfied with the purchase decision. The marketing professional would need to understand the 6 stages of the buying process in order to understand the buying behaviour of their target market.

Consumers decisions about things are constantly changed by the environment that they are in as well as the news they hear or what their personal perspective on a purchase. A consumer, making a purchase decision will be affected by the following three factors: "h Personal "h Psychological "h Social Personal factors are unique to a particular person or group of people. Such as sex, race, age and upbringing etc. Who in the family purchases things? Who is the opinion leader?

Who is responsible for the decision making? Young people purchase things for different reasons compared to that of older people. Psychological factors are elements of the lifestyles of consumers usually measured in terms of their activities, interests, and opinions. Psychological factors include: Motives: a force that urges a person's activities towards satisfying a need or achieving a goal. If marketers can identify motives then they can better develop a marketing mix, Perception: is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning.

Information inputs are the sensations received through sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch. Ability and knowledge: Learning, changes in a person's behavior caused by information and experience. Therefore to change consumers' behavior about your product, need to give them new information regarding the product such as a free sample or demonstration of the product etc. Inexperience buyers often use prices as an indicator of quality more than those who have knowledge of a product do. Opinion leaders, person's family, reference groups, social class and culture can also influence a consumers purchase decision. These are known as social factors.

In conclusion for a marketing professional to learn and understand the buying behaviour of their target market they must first why customers make the decisions they make, what factors influence consumer purchase and the changing factors in our society. By Understanding Consumer Buying Behaviour marketers will be able to offer their customers greater satisfaction and ensure a profitable future.