Measure of Consumer Well-Being - Research Paper Example

Measure of Consumer Well-being Introduction Consumer psychology is highly complex phenomenon that requires in depth study of consumer purchase behavior. Businesses and market outlets tend to exploit customer preferences and buying psychology to sell their products and expand their market. For consumers, the purchase decision is often influenced by hordes of issues which could be both personal and social. As a consumer, when I went to buy a mobile for myself, I found that my purchase decision was preceded by five main steps as follows: Problem recognition I was using a basic model of Nokia mobile which had helped me to maintain constant communication with my friends, relatives and acquaintances.

I have recently started working on a marketing job. The new job requires me to be constantly in touch with by superiors and also with my customers. I now realize that my basic model of mobile would not serve its purpose. I need a phone that not only serves as a phone but also functions like a hand held computer with wi-fi facility. Reading and writing emails was very important and hence, the new mobile must be hi-tech with huge functions. Using laptop all the time to remain online for conference talk with superiors was not feasible.

This was a major problem which needed to be sorted out. Hence, new mobile with these features was the only option for me to safeguard my job.Information search My need for sophisticated mobile phone was driven by my professional requirement. I started researching for the best brand that would help me meet my need. The online search was natural option. I found that Nokia N8 was a good option. It was not only backed by the brand credibility but also through experience I knew that it was sturdy and reliable.

It was equipped with various features like easy navigation, huge storage, high resolution camera, wi-fi to connect easily across the globe, email, video conferencing, facebook etc. These were critical features that supported my work. One of my colleagues also happened to have this phone who gave a rave review. I also went to major mobile outlets to personally see various models. This helped me to evaluate them and helped compare various feature including look, weight, easy to use keyboard etc.

Alternative evaluation Awareness of the product is almost always followed by in depth search from different internal and external sources. The alternative assessment of the product helps to evaluate the value for the product. Looking at alternative brands, I found that Samsung Galaxy was also quite popular amongst many of my friends and acquaintances. It had same features with qwerty keyboard. It suited my requirements but the cost was little over my budget. Some of friends also cautioned me that it needed good care and could not be used as roughly as Nokia!

Purchase decision Purchase decision takes into consideration various factors like need for the product, which in my case was triggered by work requirement. The alternative evaluation and information gathering process are vital criteria for making right purchase decision. Indeed, it reduces the risk in buying in buying expensive products. The final buying decision is backed by the credibility of the manufacturer, reliability of the product, social consciousness, quality, performance, lifestyle, experience, post-sale performance etc.

Lee et al. (2002) strong assert that consumer experiences satisfaction vis-à-vis consumption, maintenance, lifecycle and post purchase service. Most importantly I found that Nokia products were environment friendly and the firm was highly ethical with strong sense of social responsibility. My research, thus greatly facilitated me to make purchase decision. I was already satisfied with the brand as my basic phone was also Nokia and the cost, quality and brand name finally helped in my decision to purchase Nokia N8.

Post purchase behavior After sales performance lends credibility to the product and promotes unique customer relationship based on trust. With my buy, perceived value and benefits met my expectation which gave me huge satisfaction. The regular post-sale communication with the company executives boosted my confidence. It was also very crucial factor that not only made me a committed customer of Nokia but also motivated me to recommend it to my friends and relatives who were seeking good mobile phone with lots of features.

I was highly satisfied with my purchase.ReferenceLee, Dong-Jin, M. Joseph Sirgy, Val Larsen, and Newell D. Wright. (2002). Developing a subjective measure of consumer well-being. Journal of Macromarketing, 22(2),158-69.