Decision Making Process - Assignment Example

 I. Every time you purchase a product, you first go through the Decision Making Process. Think of the most recent product you purchased and walk through this process. A. State the product you most recently purchased. I just bought a new Acer Aspire laptop. B. Problem Recognition: What was the problem that led you to realize you needed a product? My line of work as a management consultant now required me to travel a lot, as my scope of operations grew through Internet networking and Internet advertising.

When before, I was very much content with my powerful desktop computer, I need mobility now as my work would require me. I knew I would need to carry my computer all the time instead of bringing my tablet PC with me. The quality of my work would require me to buy an equally powerful PC that would help me handle my job more effectively, at the same time would enable me to use it personally. C. Information Search: We explore here how you became aware of this product. To do this, state one specific marketing activity (advertisement, in-store signage, salesperson, etc.) that you were aware of as you gathered information about possible product solutions.

To me, buying a personal computer was a high risk purchase, both financially and emotionally. Theoretically, I would be replacing my desktop with a new computer, a powerful laptop, as my personal tech buddy, that was why this purchase posed both financial and emotional risk to me. Due to this, my search for information had been very extensive. I had a set of brands that I felt very reputable when it came to manufacture of laptop: Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP-Compaq. Those were already in my evoked set.

I considered the Internet the primary medium where I could gather information. Apart from it, part of my decision-making unit, the influencer group to me was credible tech bloggers and people who had experiences over tech products. There was no specific marketing activity that had prompted me about this product, but the thought that most of the friends I knew had also bought some of these brands; but the availability of information about the brand and the product itself through the company's website helped me in some way for my quest.

Also, I had read every review about a product and had become very scrutinizing whenever I encountered a negative feedback about them. My buying behavior, because it posed very high risk to me required my high involvement; I considered only credible and sources with authority for sources of information. Apart from it, I also asked knowledgeable computer programmer friends about certain tech queries. D. Evaluation of Alternatives: State one way you evaluated alternative products. I had evaluated choices both in terms of central and peripheral route—that was, I had rational considerations as regards the purchase, as well as emotional ones as regards the brands.

My major considerations were the specifications: I was after the larger-capacity hard disk drives with bigger RAM (memory). I was also after the other specs—video card, the speed of the processor, the manufacturer of the processor and the manufacturer of other parts. These had been my primary considerations. Then I looked across the prices as budget was also part of the decision, and look at the best offers—the best specs at the most just price as I had perceived. I compared a group of computers in the same price range and looked at the specs; as well as a group of computers with the same specs but looked at the difference in price in order to determine my perceived value.

But I did not completely make my decision according to the specs. When I narrowed down my decision among a few computers, I looked at the brands. The brand was the deciding factor for me. I evaluated my feelings toward them, and what other people said about them—their reputation. I looked at the factors other than specs—customer service, durability of the brand, how many had filed complaints against it, how the brand was perceived by the people close to me such as my friends. I looked for most information in order for me to make my most informed choice. E. Purchase: State what ultimately led you to purchase this product.

I narrowed down my choices to two laptops, one with the higher memory but relatively smaller hard disk drive, and the other one with smaller memory but a significantly higher disk drive. When I made my decision, I placed my order in NewEgg’s website, where I constantly read reviews of consumers as well as testimonial about the company. I had looked at the previous purchasers of the product as well as feedback toward the brands through the testimonial. The thing was, after seeing more than twenty positive comments about one brand, where in the other there was almost none, I had decided to trust these present owners who had been happy with their purchase.

As for NewEgg, the choice of retailer, many consumers had been pleased with the company’s customer service. I saw the website was Verisign secured, as well as an accredited business and has reseller ratings that are good. It was also good enough for me to trust NewEgg with my purchase. I placed my order and waited for a few days. F. Post-Purchase Evaluation: Did the product meet your expectations, exceed your expectations, or disappoint you? I got the order within three days and had been more than happy with my purchase.

Prior to the purchase, I sent a note as regards the instruction for the software to be installed in my machine. NewEgg had followed all those, and I was more than pleased with their service. When I looked at the machine, I was very happy with the design. I was happy with the performance of the machine as well as the mobility that I was starting to experience with my laptop. I had carried it everywhere I went since then. I pondered on my purchase and because I was happy with my decision—both the manufacturer and the retailer had surpassed my expectations, I did consider buying from them again in the future.

I could not say I would really be loyal to the brands, but when it would come to a similar purchase situation, they would be at the top of my choices and list. The retailer had a special appeal to me, as I decided to buy most of my future tech gadgets from them from then on. G. Do you think the marketing activity during your Information Search had any impact on your expectations? Why/ Why not? Yes. If by marketing activity factors other than advertising and PR, such as direct marketing through the websites, as well as the positioning statements of the respective manufacturers in their sites, it did affect my expectations regarding the product.

However, since I did not rely purely on what the company offered to promise, but went further by asking those what they had experienced about the company's promised, the marketing activities impacted a little on my information search. After all, it would be the product's performance that I would judge; but then again it might be because I was a different kind of purchaser that I had to rationally evaluate all my options with as much as information in order to minimize the risk, but the marketing activity definitely helped.

Even when there were a lot of good feedbacks and positive word-of-mouth, without enough information from the company I would not have known much about the product that had also affected my decision.