Consumer Purchasing Behaviour: Apple and Nike - Essay Example

Consumer Purchasing Behaviour Introduction The formulation of a successful marketing strategy demands a thorough analysis of consumer behaviour in relation to purchasing patterns. Several studies attempt to explain the purchasing behaviour of an average consumer. The consumer involvement theory is a way for the marketing to understand how the targeted audience will react to certain characteristics of a product (Bush & Hunt, 2011, p. 155). This paper examines the consumer involvement theory and analyses the purchase of IPad Air 2 and one pair of Nike sneakers. The aim is to understand how involvement theory can be used to explain consumer behaviour. Consumer Involvement Theory The level of involvement is a reflection of the importance of the product to the consumer. It also shows the eagerness of the consumer to get the product. It also affects the amount of information that a consumer would need to make a given decision. The level of involvement is evidenced by the time it takes to make the routine purchases and the needed make a decision on a big purchase. Typically, a consumer would spend so much time debating to whether to get a product that fetches high prices and is not a routine purchase. The nature of a decision that is whether it is low, limited or high involvement depends on the consumer’s preferences and spending habits. However, the purchase of some products demands high involvement for all types of consumers. For example, all people will be highly involved in research information and making a decision on location, size and price before purchasing a house. Low involvement decisions are characterized by routine purchase behaviour (Bush & Hunt, 2011, p. 155). Routine purchase behaviour involves making automatic decisions using limited information or past information. For example, a consumer who has a habit of buying Diet Coke every lunchtime is exhibiting routine response behaviour. In this case, the consumer does not think too much of purchasing a Diet Coke because he or she is used to buying. Some low involvement purchases can be made with no prior planning or deep thought. It is known as impulse buying. For example, a consumer might be at the store, and he or she decides to purchase a fashion magazine just because he or she needs it. It is possible for low involvement products to be purchased on impulse but not always. High involvement decisions carry high risk because their failure might lead to huge losses. In most cases, high involvement decisions involve complex or expensive products. The idea of spending much money on a single product will prompt a consumer to carry out research extensively. One must consider many factors before making the final decision to purchase (Bush & Hunt, 2011, p.157). Some examples of high involvement decision are the decisions to purchase a house or an insurance policy. These are very important products for the consumer. Typically, consumers tend to engage in extended problem solving before making high involvement purchase decisions. One spends a considerable amount of time comparing prices, features and warranties. Consumers engage in limited problem when faced with purchasing decisions that lie between low involvement and high involvement decisions. A consumer can engage in limited problem-solving when he or she has some information about the product but needs a little extra information about quality before purchasing the product. For example, a student looking for a laptop knows much about laptops and their qualities already. However, the student might spend a little more time to find out the laptops with the latest specs at a fair price. Analysis of Two Purchases. I purchased IPad Air 2 and one pair of Nike sneakers. This section of the paper analyses the two purchases to determine whether they are low or high involvement purchase decisions. First, IPad Air 2 is a very expensive product that retails for around $800. I had planned for the purchase of IPad Air 2 since it came out last year. It is paramount to note that I think highly of Apple products. I needed IPad Air 2 because it promises smooth functions in terms of handling documents, browsing, and general information processing procedures. The decision to purchase was a high involvement decision because I took the time to consider other cheaper tablets with the same specifications. I had to consider the different prices because of the high price tag that comes with Apple products. After careful consideration of the specifications, personalized experience and durability I decided to purchase an IPad Air 2. I engaged in extended problem solving by research on different brands of tables with the same specifications to check price, reviews and durability before making the purchase. The decision to get the one pair of sneakers was a low involvement decision. Nike has always been my chosen brand of sneakers. They have proven to be durable and reliable over the years. Personally, I find Nike sneakers to be the best in the market. I knew I needed new sneakers, but I did not have to search so much information to know the brand of sneakers that I would buy. In my mind, I already knew that I would get the Nike brand sneakers. I did a little search to confirm if the company had produced any new design of sneakers. I would prefer to get the latest design. The purchasing decision was a low involvement decision because it was characterized by routine response behaviour, which does not require one to research or compare prior to purchase. Consumer Decision Making Process Consumers undergo several stages before making a purchase. The process of making a decision to purchase a product take time. The typical stages in the consumer decision-making process need recognition, search for product information, product evaluation, product purchase, post-purchase use, evaluation and product disposal (Schiffman, et al., 2014, p. 485). This section of the paper analyses the consumer decision-making process with reference to the two recent purchases of IPad Air 2 and one pair of Nike sneakers. The need recognition stage is when the consumer realizes there is a need that must be met in order to accomplish a set of objectives (Schiffman, et al., 2014, p. 488). In the case of IPad Air 2, I recognized the need for a tablet when I realized that a reliable tablet would making it easy to access and edit documents while travelling. A tablet would make it easy to perform all the tasks that I had been performing on my computer while on the go because it is light. The tablet would help in with preparing submitting assignments and doing readings without much effort. The need recognition stage for the sneakers is when I realized my previous pair of sneakers were old. I had to consider getting a new pair of sneakers given that I spend most of time in casual wear, which made my sneakers my shoes of preference most of the time. The search for information was applicable to the IPad Air 2 purchase than it was for the pair of Nike sneakers. I had to extensive research on the different types of tablets and compared the old versions and new versions. I spent time looking at different sites dealing with product reviews with the hope of getting a tablet that would fulfil my needs. The search for information stage was not influential for the pair Nike sneakers because I knew much about Nike sneakers. It was decided that I would get Nike sneakers already. I searched for information on the latest designs of Nike sneakers. Product analysis to determine if it meets the needs recognized by the consumer characterizes the product evaluation stage (Jobber, 2012, p. 120) (Schiffman, et al., 2014, p. 510). This stage was present in the process of making a decision to purchase the IPad Air 2. I had to strategize the best way to get all the relevant information about the best tablets. I narrowed the search to the products from well-known brands, which are Samsung, Apple and Microsoft. It was relatively easy to compare tablets from the different companies before settling for IPad Air 2. The evaluative criteria for the tablets were price, specifications, durability and battery capacity (Jobber, 2012, p. 120). There was no need to for product evaluation prior to the purchase of Nike sneakers because I already knew much already. The fact that I had used the sneakers for most of life warranted my decision not to bother with evaluating different brands. Given that the pair of Nike sneakers was a low involvement purchase I knew Nike was my product of choice the moment I realized the ones I had were worn out. However, it was a different case with the search for a suitable tablet. I had to find the product information, compare different products and analyses pricing, battery capacity, durability and specifications before I made my choice. The tablet of choice was IPad Air 2 because it had a long lasting battery, durability, attractive hardware and software specifications, and I could compromise the price. The stages in the consumer decision-making process are post purchase evaluation and disposal. Currently both the IPad Air 2 and the pair of Nike sneakers have not disappointed in terms of convenience and comfort. The product information gathered have all proved to be true. The products are functioning efficiently, and it might take time before they reach the disposal stage. The disposal stage for both is guided by strict environmental practices, which gives guidance on how the different products can be disposed. Factors that Influence Consumer Behaviour Several factors affect purchasing characteristics of consumers. They include personality, life experience, peers, advertising, habit, pricing, company, and so on. A purchase decision will be influenced by one or more of these factors. It is imperative note that is rare for a single factor to influence consumer behaviour. In reference to the purchase of the Nike sneakers, the decision was the result of habit, family, and personality influence. Family influence stems from the fact that my parents always bought Nike sneakers for me. As a result, I grew up knowing the best brand for me is Nike sneakers. Family influenced the development of a habit that leans towards Nike preference. Promotional strategies also influence consumer behaviour. They can encourage or discourage purchase depending on the personality of the consumer (Jobber, 2012, p. 130). Advertising, personality, and peers influenced the purchase of the IPad Air 2. First, most of my friends owned Apple products, which include MacBook, IPhone and IPads. They helped when I was conducting my research and comparing different tablets from Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. Most of my friends recommended IPad over the other tablets. Promotional techniques used by Apple are also attractive because they focus on the product and not the company. IPad Air 2 are simple and direct. They provide detailed production information, which influenced my decision. IPad Air 2 represents class, which is something that I can associate with my personality. I like having the best products because I hate failures and product malfunctions. As a result, I had to go for a product I was certain would not disturb with many repairs and slow functions. The choice criteria for the IPad Air 2 was based on price, quality, and convenience (Jobber, 2012, p. 126). Personally, I think IPad Air 2 is very expensive compared to other tablets with the same specifications. Regardless, I made the choice to purchase it because it has dwarfs all the other brands in quality. IPad Air 2 has a very long lasting battery and nice specification that facilitate smooth performance. Quality was the most influential factor when it came to making the choice to purchase it. The choice criteria for the pair of Nike sneakers was influenced by convenience. The Nike sneakers are convenient because they are what I am used to wearing. They have disappointed, which means I always get quality with them. Conclusion Consumer purchasing decisions are influenced by many different factors. The consumer involvement theory explains how the level of involvement affects consumers purchasing decisions. Low involvement purchases do not require much effort because they are either routine purchase or relatively cheap. High involvement decisions required extended problem-solving techniques, which include thorough research to determine if the product is the right one. Consumer behaviour is also influenced by personality, family, peers, and many others. References Bush, R. F. & Hunt, S. D., 2011. Marketing Theory: Philosophy of Science Perspectives. San Antonio: Marketing Classics Press. Jobber, D., 2012. Principles and Practice of Marketing. 7th ed. London: Mc-Graw Hill. Schiffman, L., OCass, A., Paladino, A. & Carlson, J., 2014. Consumer Behaviour. 6th ed. Australia: Pearson Australia. Read More