Week 4

Week 4 “Consumer Buyer
Behaviour”
Chapter 5

What is consumer behaviour?
 Consumer behaviour is influenced by two major factors:
1. External to consumer – cultural and social
2. Internal to the consumer – Psychological and personal

** Having a clear understanding of the factors at work
influencing consumer behaviour can assist businesses in their
marketing management.

External Consumer influences
 social class and culture – set of beliefs, customs
 Where a person is raised, who is involved in their upbringing
and the culture that surrounds their experiences
 Social class structures

Internal Consumer Influences
 Psychological factor – motivation, perception, learning,
beliefs and attitudes
_Plays a role in defining why consumers behave in certain
ways
 Consumers may be motivated on an immediate need; food,
money clothing etc. or they may be motivated on a want (car,
boat, bigger house) Whatever the motivation marketers can
use this opportunity to meet the need or want.

Buying Decisions
 Research has shown that consumers will demonstrate one
of four behaviours when they are involved in a purchasing
decision.
1. Complex buying behaviour
2. Dissonance reducing behaviour
3. Habitual buying behaviour
4. Variety seeking behaviour

Complex buying behaviour
 a lot of information is gathered
 Decision has high financial risk
 Buyer heavily involved in decision making process
 Alternatives are thoroughly investigated

Examples of this behaviour include: buying a car, house,
technology

Dissonance Reducing behaviour
 when consumers are looking to purchase an expensive yet
infrequent purchase where there is little perceived difference
between brands
 Buyers highly involved in decision making process
 Being fully informed before making a final choice

Examples: Purchase of an engagement ring, typically it is a
once off buy and is expensive and there is relatively little
difference between diamond suppliers.

Habitual Buying Behaviour

 Can be seen when a consumer engages in a regular
purchase such as a newspaper or coffee.
 These purchases are routine, tradition based
 Consumers do not need to engage heavily with the decision
on a regular basis

Variety Seeking Behaviour
 when a consumer likes an alternative between various
choices to experiment with products or services on the
market.
 Customers will shop around to source the various options
available
 Often enjoy trying the different products and services
sampled
Example: looking for food available in a food court or scour the
supermarket shelves for the snack options.

Stages of the Buying Decision
Process
 Five stages of interaction by consumer when purchasing:
1. Need recognition
2. Information search
3. Evaluation of alternatives
4. Purchase decision
5. Post purchase behaviour

Need recognition
 Consumer wants a need or want to be satisfied
 Type of need depends on the extent the of effort the
individual will go to in order to resolve the need.

Information Search
 information by prior knowledge or seeking vigorous search
for info.
 Maybe through friends, family, professional services and
other public info.

Evaluation of Information
 Evaluate information gathered
 Forms an important pre purchase stage; pros and cons of
each alternative are weighed and considered
 Consumer will have their own criteria for the purchase and it
is against this criteria that each alternative will be regarded

Purchase decision
 Choice is made
 Maybe be result of elimination and best possible alternative
considered
 Time pressures, money, other external influences might
push final decision
 Nature of decision will depend on how much time is given to
the final purchase decision

Post Purchase
 Consumer reflects on purchase
 Cognitive Dissonance – when consumer feels unsure post
purchase that they had made the right decision

Week 4

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