MBA404 Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Psychology Report 3 Sample
Your task
Individually, you are required to submit a 100-word validation step and prepare a 1500-word written analysis, in which you must critically analyse your recent purchase of a product or service based on the 5-step Consumer Decision-Making Process. Please note that you will need to use the same product or service in this subject's second and third assessments, as all assessments are interconnected.
Assessment Description
In this individual assessment, students will be given an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and ability to explain consumer behaviour determinants by analysing the role of perception, attitude, and motivation in consumer behaviour.
Assessment Instructions
To help you start all three assessments in this subject on the right track, over the first three weeks of the trimester, your workshop facilitator will engage you and the rest of the class in preliminary discussions about the product or service you would like to choose. Please pay specific attention to your workshop facilitator’s instructions regarding products/services that are not permissible. By the end of week 3, you must submit a validation step via MyKBS under the ‘assessments tab’ > ‘Product/Service Validation’ icon. In preparing this step, you must explain which product or service you will focus on in all three assessments, when and where you bought this product or service, and what ‘need’ and ‘want’ your chosen product or service fulfilled. You will also be required to take a selfie of yourself and your selected product or a selfie of you experiencing the chosen service and upload it in the validation step.
The validation step is worth 5% of your grade in this subject, with 0% awarded for a rejected choice, 2.5% awarded for a partially approved choice, and 5% for an approved choice in full. Please note that you will not be able to submit any other assessment in this subject until your workshop facilitator has approved your choice, so be wise and don’t be late.
Once your workshop facilitator has validated your product or service choice, you must prepare a 1500-word written analysis by giving the reader an in-depth analysis of how you have moved through each consumer decision-making step.
In preparing your written analysis, you will also need to identify any possible issues that may have occurred during this process. Please use the ‘Workshop 2 Student Handout’ as a starting point for your analysis.
More specifically, you must:
1. Analyse the need and want(s) that led you to research products or services that would address the state of your imbalance.
2. Examine the internal and external sources of information by including screenshots of external sources of information to support your analysis and an indication of all potential alternatives at the end of this section.
3. Evaluate alternatives and narrow down the chosen product or service attributes that fulfil you need and want. You must provide a detailed awareness set diagram to present your findings.
4. Examine available purchase methods to determine how these methods may or could have impacted your decision-making process.
5. Evaluate your post-purchase behaviour by identifying the chosen product or service features that reduce your cognitive dissonance. Please note that in this step, customer satisfaction should not be considered.
Solution
Consumer Decision Making Process
The behavior of a consumer is considered main factor which influences his or her each decision for purchasing a product or service. Consumer behaviour refers to the process used to make purchase decisions and dispose of purchased goods or services. University Assignment Help, The learning and perceptions of a consumer include intentional learning as well as unintentional learning based on which one assesses the needs and wants (Lamb et al, 2013). It refers to the change in behaviour resulting from individuals affected by awareness and interpretation of reality.
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Figure 1: Consumer Decision Making Process
(Source: )
Need Recognition
The needs and wants of consumers relate to exposure, sensation, attention and comprehension in the following manner:
• Exposure: It refers to the procedure of assessing the perspectives of the consumer based on his or her surrounding evaluated through the five human senses.
• Comprehension: It occurs when consumers make an effort to derive the meaning of information received (Joubert, 2013).
• Sensation: It describes the immediate response of consumers based on the received information.
• Attention: It is the processing of information to develop an understanding towards the stimulus.
Further, the basic need can be assessed through Maslow’s Hierarchy as cited theory represents human needs prominently. It represents hierarcy which goes from basic to advance need to reach self-actualization. In the present case as I wanted to address the need for joy and happiness. The decision of a product could be referred to as selective distortion as the information is based on the beliefs held previously by the consumer. As I believe that chocolates do lift the mood of any individual specifically the young generation and it is the best gift from which no one gets bored. It can be conncected with the third need i.e. ‘Love and Belonging’ of Maslow’s Hierarchy structure which is motivated by natural insticts of human to interact. Thus, the product has been selected through selective exposure as the same perspective towards the specified product is not shared by all the individuals. It would be appropriate to state that the need to create memories and make the friendship day special enforced me to research products through which I could celebrate or spread joy.
Information Research
The research of a product or service is done based on information available within internal or external sources i.e. internet, community, social media, friends, inner self (explicit and implicit memory). The internal sources are the information and knowledge of consumers within their explicit and implicit memory i.e. memories representing the ideas consumers prefer by being simultaneously exposed to the outer world. The sources of information are assessed based on Behavioral Approach and Information Process Approach (cognitive perspective). Cognitive perspective refers to changes in thought and knowledge based on changes in behaviour (Rondoni, Asioli and Millan, 2020). In the present case I discussed with my friends, and colleagues and searched social media along with other websites to assess the best gift for Friendship’s Day. The preference for alternatives was provided based on knowledge, confidence, product experience and interest in the outcome. As I wanted to make purchase on the special day of friendship and the need to make that day special attracted me towards the product ‘ Dairy Milk (Product of Cadbury)’ The alternatives which I assessed at the end are a customized chocolate gift box; a combo of friendship band and chocolates and exotic chocolates of the brand Cadbury. These potential alternatives were dependent on my need of sharing joy and happiness on friendship’s day and the selection of potential alternatives was based on information attained through internal and external resources.
Evaluation of Alternatives
Behaviour refers to conditions through positive and negative reinforcement. It is influenced by the awareness set which includes backup alternatives and avoided alternatives. In the present case, the narrow downed alternatives are customised chocolate gift boxes, exotic chocolates of the Cadbury brand (Dairy Milk)and a combo of chocolates and friendship band. The alternatives could be assessed based on various factors i.e. cultural, social values, personal choices etc. Culture refers to the set of values or artefacts based on which individual communicate, interprets and evaluates each decision (Rondoni, Asioli and Millan, 2020). The main cultural elements are time, values and norms, habits and practices, communication and language etc. It majorly reflects in values, norms, symbols etc. and artifacts of technology infrastructure. Social values are dependent on social class which comprises individuals of similar social rank within the hierarchy. An individual looks to a specific social group to which he belongs to make decisions relating to the purchase of a product or service. These groups can be from any of three i.e. membership, aspiration and dissociative.
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Cultural dimension theory refers to dominant values, beliefs, and principles which are followed by the individual as well as the community to which it belongs (De Mooij, 2019). It would be appropriate to state that these values are followed by identifiable groups which constitute a culture. The specified theory emphasizes on values and attitudes which form a base for thinking about culture and conceptualizing perspective based on which consumer makes the decision. Based on specified values; a dimension is drawn in respect of trends in the behaviour of specific consumers. The decision of the consumer is dependent on the cultural values on which he or she believed.
For my recent purchase; I made a discussion with the community to which I belong i.e. my friends and researched social websites. I assessed that chocolates are the favourite or most considered gift for friendship’s day. Even my friends agreed with this fact as it is convenient, tasty and budget-friendly. I assessed Instagram, Facebook etc. to know the recent trend adapted on specified special days. Even I asked my friends and check out other people regarding their choice of option. I wanted a budget-friendly gift which represents my love towards my friend. The criteria which I assessed while assessing alternatives were their quality, price, packaging, taste etc. In other words, I was comparing alternatives with one another to assess whether they are good or not and whether they should be kept in the options list or not. Evaluation of alternatives is necessary to make a prominent choice which fulfils the specific need or requirement (Dey, Yen and Samuel, 2020). The utility does play a significant role in making the final choice of product. In the present case, emotional utility would prevail over functional utility as the requirement is to provide joy through the purchase of the product.
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Figure 2: All Alternatives assessed to make the final potential selection
Purchase
It is necessary to examine available purchase methods prior making any purchase. The available alternatives are assessed on the basis of individual influences, problem-solving processes, external influences and decision-making processes. The main five steps involved in the consumer decision-making process are recognition of need, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase behaviour (Chatzidakis and Maclaran, 2020). This step is where the consumer is required to consider the method of purchase of a product as it is the final phase where the selected alternative is finally taken into possession. Consumers can purchase through credit cards, cash, online with the use of individual income or by taking money from guardians. The choice of purchase method depends on personal choice and the option available to the seller. The decision relating to the purchase method is taken based on consumer perception i.e. the ability to give meaning to whatever stimuli are assessed through sense organs. To develop strong bonds and promote positive experience it is necessary to represent interest and commitment. The process of extraction forces them to listen with intent; it is the reason when consumers ask any query from a seller or marketer; they get the opportunity to tap into their motivation and intentions so that they could guide them in a better manner (Anderlová and Pšurný, 2020).
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In the present case, I was having three alternatives i.e. online payment, cash or card. The seller told me that I could get a five per cent discount if I made an online payment. However, I was not sure whether I should use a card or not for this transaction; thus I opted for online payment. The positive language and behaviour of the seller allowed me to ask necessary queries. It is the reason the expression of natural positive emotions received by another party contributes to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (De Mooij, 2019).
Evaluation of Post-purchase Behaviour
Cognitive dissonance refers to inner tension which consumer experience after assessment of inconsistency between behaviour and values or opinions (Bell et al, 2020). It can be reduced through effective communication, follow-up, guarantees or warranty. Consumer buying decisions could be routine, limited or extensive which are decided based on involvement, cost, available alternatives and information research. In the present case, it was a limited consumer decision as low to moderate cost, time and involvement were made. As I have previously purchased from the same outlet; the seller provided me the opportunity to avail the offer of exchange also in case I wanted to do so. Even psychological factors such as motivation, belief, attitude etc. play a vital role in making consumer decisions. For instance; in the present case as I have already visited the outlet; thus I was aware of where I would get the needed product and had a belief that it would be of good quality. Moreover, I was also able to avail the facility of return; thus this variant increases my faith along with customer satisfaction level.
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Figure 3: Post Purchase Consumer Behaviour
(Source: Bell et al, 2020)
References
Anderlová, D. and Pšurný, M., 2020. Exploring the importance of emotions within consumer behaviour on the Czech luxury cosmetic Market. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis.
Bell, L., McCloy, R., Butler, L. and Vogt, J., 2020. Motivational and affective factors underlying consumer dropout and transactional success in ecommerce: an overview. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, p.1546.
Chatzidakis, A. and Maclaran, P., 2020. Gendering consumer ethics. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 44(4), pp.316-327.
De Mooij, M., 2019. Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and advertising. Consumer Behavior and Culture, pp.1-472.
Dey, B.L., Yen, D. and Samuel, L., 2020. Digital consumer culture and digital acculturation. International Journal of Information Management, 51, p.102057.
Joubert, JPR 2013. ‘Chapter 1: Introduction to consumer behaviour’, in Introduction to Consumer Behaviour, Juta and Company, South Africa, pp. 1–10. Available through < http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=707011&site=eds-live&custid=s1234057&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_1>. [Accessed on 9th August 2023]
Lamb, C, Hair, F, McDaniel, C, Summers, J & Gardiner, M 2013. An Introduction to Marketing MKTG 2nd AsiaPacific Edition, Cengage Learning.
Rondoni, A., Asioli, D. and Millan, E., 2020. Consumer behaviour, perceptions, and preferences towards eggs: A review of the literature and discussion of industry implications. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 106, pp.391-401.
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