Decision Making Process Model in Real Life Marketing - Essay Example

 Decision Making Process Model in ‘Real Life’ Marketing There are a number of stages that an individual goes through during the decision making process, concerning an item/service that they wish to purchase. It can be said that these stages are responsible for influencing the decision process and thus play a significant role in the final outcome (Cheng, Luckett & Schulz, 2003). The consumer decision making process can be described as the several steps taken with regard to psychological determination of a final result according to the results obtained at each particular stage. By interviewing an individual one can determine the decision making process that they underwent and thus have the opportunity to see how and why an individual came to a particular decision over a certain item (Cheng, Luckett & Schulz, 2003). The process involves a number of factors that influence the decision making of an individual and includes the various stages that a shopper goes through while purchasing a product thus outlining the flow of activities (both physical and psychological) from the beginning to the end. The interview conducted in this certain scenario was that of an individual who had decided to buy a new pull-out sofa to add to the furniture in their house. The individual needed the sofa for visiting individuals who wanted to spend the night and thus the subject was very particular about getting this particular type of sofa. By studying the decision making process that took place one is able to identify the various variables that were taken into consideration as well as other influences that a played a part in the formation of the final decision. The stages that the consumer went through during this process included: Need Recognition This was the first stage and the consumer identified the problem that they were faced with (the need that they had) and what was required in order to solve the issue once it has been pointed out (Blythe, 2008). In this case the main need of this particular consumer was the provision of a place to sleep for overnight guests that would not take up too much space due to the size of the individual’s living quarters. This could effectively rule out the need for a bed as another one would not be able to fit in the apartment and thus a pull-out sofa arose as the best alternative option on offer. The main issue was ensuring that the needs of the consumer will be satisfactorily met by the purchase of the product that they had in mind (Cheng, Luckett & Schulz, 2003). The purchase of a pull-out sofa served both needs for sleeping provisions as well as a flexible nature that allows it to use minimal space in the living quarters. The sofa also served two functions technically as one was able to sit on it during the day before transforming it to a bed thus the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone. Information Search In this stage, the consumer sets about gathering needed information on the topic that they are interested in. That is to say, once the need has been identified the next step consists of searching the market for a product/service that bests meets the needs that have been underlined (Foxall, 2005). The information search stage can take various lengths of time depending on the particular needs the consumer wants met with rarer demands needless to say taking a longer time to fulfill. In the case scenario of the sofa set the consumer did not take up a lot of time in this stage due to two influencing factors, the methods applied and the type of need being met. The information needed would mostly consist of the type of pull-out sofas that are available in the market and their cost, as well as matters such as preferable designs among others. The interviewee used modern methods to carry out their search more specifically referring to the internet where information on various types of furniture including pull-out sofas is easily available. The Consideration Set Table There are several considerations that are of significance to a consumer when deciding what choice to make and this is in relation to the attributes/criteria that are connected with these considerations (Kardes, Cronley & Cline, 2011). Once can present such information with the use of a table but is should be noted that the contents of the table will at times be particular to the object being purchased. Consideration (Evoked) Set High Medium Low Brand Popular New Brand Unheard of Price Expensive Affordable Cheap Quality Good Average Bad Size Large Medium Small A mixture of the various issues that are taken into consideration will serve in assisting the individual in coming up with the correct decision based on a combination of their most preferred attributes (Kardes, Cronley & Cline, 2011). The product that reaches closest in the resemblance of these attributes will. The Purchase Stage This stage involves the eventual acquiring of the product that has been chosen after the decision making process has neared its conclusion (Blythe, 2008). The purchase stage deals with the manner in which a consumer buys the product that they want. There are a number of ways that are available to the consumer in terms of delivery and payment methods and the option that is best suited to the consumer will determine their favored mode of purchase (Cheng, Luckett & Schulz, 2003). Thanks to technology there has been an increase in the number of alternatives that are available at this stage as new methods such as online and telephone payment has been introduced to the market. In the case of the pull-out sofa the consumer opted to purchase the product via the internet and have it delivered to the premises. This was due to the fact that the sofa was a bulky object and thus the concept of having to transport the product from the shop all the way to the house was not an appealing idea. An online purchase allows one to have everything arranged from the comfort of their home. Purchase Evaluation The consumer was more than satisfied with the product upon receiving it as it fulfilled all the desires that had been set out at the commencement of the task. The product proved to be good value for money as it attained all the purposes that had been set out for it. The Standard Decision Making Process Model in ‘Real Life’ Marketing There are both strengths and weaknesses in this particular model. The strengths include the fact that the model attempts to simplify the process that an individual goes through into a presentable manner that allows for a clear depiction of the facts. A second strength is the close resemblance it has to real life activities thus painting a close to accurate picture of the ongoing thought process in a consumer’s head. Some of the models weaknesses however include that fact that model does not take into consideration all the influences that can affect a consumer in a real life scenario and thus it cannot be said to be 100% accurate (Blythe, 2008). A second weakness is that this process may not be applicable to all individuals who may not exactly go through the stated stages while purchasing a product. Examples of a category of consumers that may not fit into this model include impulse buyers. Interview Questions & Answers 1. Did you decide what product you needed to purchase before or after visiting the store? I decided what product I needed before I visited the store and only went after I knew what I wanted. 2. What method did you use to search for information on the product? I mainly used the internet and word of mouth where I asked my friends’ opinions on the matter. 3. How did you purchase the product that you acquired? Through online shopping and delivery. 4. Were you satisfied with the Product after the purchase? Yes 5. Did the product meet all your intended needs? Yes 6. Were you satisfied with the purchasing process that you underwent in order to acquire the product? Yes References Blythe, J. (2008). Consumer Behavior. U.K., Thompson Learning Cheng, M. M., Luckett, P. F. & Schulz, A. K. (2003). “The Effects of Cognitive Style Diversity on Decision-Making Dyads: An Empirical Analysis in the Context of a Complex Task.” Behavioral Research in Accounting. 15 Foxall, G. R. (2005). Understanding Consumer Choice USA, Palgrave Macmillan Kardes, F. R., Cronley, M. L. & Cline, T. W. (2011). Consumer Behavior, Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Read More