consumer decisión making process - workshop 2

Workshop 5: Consumer Involvement

Carolina Pereira, Andrés Montealegre, Claude Dorliat, Jose Peaa, David Espitia

Introduction

The present workshop analyzes the decision making process of consumers for different

products. The decision making process makes reference to the way consumers decide how,

when, and what products to buy. The process begins with the recognition of the need,

which is made evident when there is a discrepancy between the actual state and the ideal

state of the individual (the way they want to be). After realizing the need, the consumer

starts to look for information about the product they wish to buy to fulfill the perceived

need. In this step, the individual can rely on two different sources of information: Internal

sources, which refer to the recall of information already stored in memory, and external

sources that provide information from the outside (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010). Some

examples of internal sources are recall of experiences, brands, and product attributes. On

the other hand, some examples of external sources are retailers, media and interpersonal

search.

Further on, the consumer proceeds to evaluate the alternatives based on their

judgment, attitudes and perceived risks. To evaluate alternatives consumers may also rely

on heuristics (short cuts of information processing) and algorithms (are sequential steps of

information processing). While algorithms tend to lead the consumer to the desired result,

heuristics can mislead the individual due to biases. After evaluating, the consumer finally

makes a choice and purchases a product. Finally, after purchasing the product the consumer

makes a post-purchase evaluation and measures the satisfaction with the product (Hoyer &

MacInnis, 2008).

In the present workshop we analyzed the decision making process of three

individuals for two products: TV’S and coats. To obtain information we interviewed the

three consumers: two of the participants were men; one was a 56-year-old lawyer and the

other one was a 24-year-old student/professor. The third participant was a 48-year-old

housewife. All of the participants belonged to level 6 in Colombian social stratification,

variable that will probably affect the way consumers perceive risk and other factors in the

decision process. The interview was semi-structured and aimed to make an in depth search

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of the individual’s decision-making process. The purpose of this analysis was to compare

how specific aspects of the decision process differed according to the product being

purchased and the type of consumer.

Analysis and results

The analysis was based on a qualitative comparison of the interviews and will be organized

according to the different steps of the decision making process. Although we present the

process in a sequential manner, it is important to remember that the decision making

process is iterative, meaning people can go back and forth between the different steps.

Need Recognition

The decision process begins when the consumer identifies a problem to be solved. Need

recognition can be defined as “the perceived difference between an actual and desired

state” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 195). Greater the discrepancy between these two states

and high motivation increase the probability that the consumer will act towards the

fulfillment of the need. When analyzing the results for TV, the two adult consumers bought

TV’S to fulfill the need for entertainment and acquisition of information. Meanwhile, the

young adult reported to buy a TV for the need to decorate the house. Additionally, while

the adults reported watching TV every day, the young adult (24 years old) reported

watching TV only once a week. We can observe that while the adults considered the TV an

important product, the young adult didn’t value it as much. This is very important to

explain the different uses the participants give to the product. Additionally, it will allow us

to understand differences that we expect to find in the further steps of the decision making

process. However, we found that the interviewees agreed that the need to purchase the

product arose when the TV was old or there were new technologies available. There were

some idiosyncratic motives among consumers: the 56 year old man said that the need to

buy was in part driven by world cups while the 24 year old consumer said it was due to

decoration necessities.

With respect to coats, the results show that all the consumers thought of it as an

essential product in their lives. The needs they expect to fulfill by buying coats are looking

good or being well dressed, and protecting themselves from cold. The need to purchase

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arises in different situations for the consumers: while the young adult buys a coat every

time he feels tired of using the same one (2 months), the adult man buys one when traveling

(6 months) and the adult woman buys coats when travelling to a cold destination (once a

year). These differences may be explained by the fact the adult woman lives in hot weather

and does not require a coat everyday. Additionally, we can observe that the frequency of

use predicts the frequency of purchase. Those who live in cold weather are in more need of

the product than the adult woman and therefore buy it more often to fulfill their needs.

When considering the need recognition we observed that it takes longer for the need

of buying TV to arise when compared to coats. Furthermore, there is a difference regarding

the need that consumers seek to fulfill. It is possible to notice that people buy a TV to fulfill

hedonic and utilitarian needs, such as entertaining themselves and acquiring information. In

contrast, people buy coats to fulfill symbolic needs, such as looking good, and utilitarian

needs, like weather protection.

Search for Information

The search for information is a key aspect of the decision making process due to the fact

that depending on the information the consumer finds about the product he/she will proceed

to evaluate it in a positive or negative way. When searching for information individuals

may rely on internal or external sources. As stated before, internal sources include

information that the consumer already knows and is available to recall from their memory.

In contrast, external sources make reference to information the individual acquires from

outside, may it be retailers, friends, family, package information into many others (Hoyer &

MacInnis, 2008). The interview results show that the participants relied on both sources

when buying coats, and primarily on external sources when buying a TV.

In general, the participants reported that when purchasing a coat they would look for

information in magazines, stores and previous experience with the brand being bought. The

consumers appeared to be using both external and internal sources when purchasing a coat.

With respect to TV’S, participants reported searching primarily in external sources, like

stores, friends and family, professional guidance and Internet browsing. When asked why

did they prefer such sources and if they thought of them as confident, the participants

answered that they did find them confident and preferred them because they provided

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objective and high quality information that helped them make an informed decision. In

addition to external sources, TV consumers also rely on previous experience with the

brand, however this source has a secondary role when purchasing the product.

It is important to consider why the main and most reliable sources of information

for TV’S are external, and why coats do not present the same result. One explanation could

be related to the idea of a perceived financial and performance risk caused by uncertainty

about the product (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2008). Due to the fact that buying a TV requires

more financial effort than buying a coat, the consumers may be risk averse and therefore

dedicate more time to the decision-making process. Additionally, they confide on expert

sources to provide them with accurate and objective information and help them make an

informed decision. By doing this, consumers reduce their perceived risk and are more

confident in their purchase. Another explanation relates to the degree of expertise the

consumer has about the product he/she is going to buy. When the degree of expertise is

high, the use of external sources of information reduces because the individual already

knows all there is to the product and feels prepared to make an accurate decision based on

his internal source (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2008). In this case, none of the participants were

experts on technology or TV’S which may influence the information sources they rely on

and push them towards external sources.

The individual’s level of involvement, understood as the arousal and interest a

consumer feels in an offering, activity or decision, may also influence the type of

information source used. Consumers highly involved in the product will search external

sources in a more extensive manner than low involved consumers (Hoyer & MacInnis,

2008). Although none of the participants expressed high involvement for TV’S, one of

them said he was interested in fashion. Possibly because of this, the interviewee interested

in fashion relies on more external sources, such as magazines, boutiques and runways,

when buying coats than the other individuals. Finally, the use of external sources as the

principal foundation can be explained by the consideration set of a consumer. This concept

refers to the “subset of top-of-mind brands evaluated when making a choice” (Hoyer &

MacInnis, 2010, p. 199). When the consideration set is extensive, the individual is faced to

a limitation in their processing capacity and therefore relies more heavily on external

sources. One of the participants interviewed for the workshop exemplifies this situation: the

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adult man recalled a greater number of TV brands and at the same he searched for

information in more external sources in comparison to the other participants. This outcome

may be caused by the fact that he has a greater consideration set (3 brands) than the other

interviewees (1 brand) and therefore needs to include greater amounts of information.

Evaluation of Alternatives

When considering this step of the decision-making process it is important to include the

concept of bounded rationality, meaning, we are rational or able to maximize utility but

limited by incomplete or imperfect information and our cognitive processing capacity.

Despite these constraints consumers need to make decisions, so they tend to rely on certain

heuristics. A heuristic is a simple rule of information processing that is used when

evaluating too much information is not practical. Heuristics help consumers speed up their

decisions and are often expressed as rules of thumb (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2008).

One type of heuristics is the availability heuristic, which is “basing judgments on

events that are easier to recall” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 247). By relying on this

heuristic, consumers are more likely to recall accessible or vivid events that will later

influence their judgments. We observed that all the consumers interviewed relied on this

heuristic when evaluating TV’S and coats because they used previous experiences with the

product to guide the estimations of their quality. In addition, we observed that men relied

on word of mouth communication, meaning, they used the accessible consumption

experiences of others to guide their evaluation of alternatives. When these consumers use

this heuristic we expect them to fall in the law of small numbers that refers to a bias in

which “the expectation that information obtained from a small number of people represents

the larger population” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 249). For example, the adult man

assessed his alternatives by sharing experiences towards the product with his friends. For

him, the information given by his group of friends is equivalent to a large population that

shares the same thoughts.

Another heuristic is the representativeness heuristic and it consists of “making a

judgment by simply comparing a stimulus with the category prototype or exemplar” (Hoyer

& MacInnis, 2010, p. 247). It is important to highlight this prototype is a mental

representation the consumer has and uses to evaluate different alternatives. In general, all

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the participants followed this heuristic for both products because they reported that in case

they did not find their brand of preference, they would buy the one that is more similar to

the prototype (high quality product). There was only one exception in the interviewee’s

responses: the adult woman stated that if her preference TV brand were not available, she

would wait until it was. This is a clear example of brand loyalty, which deviates from the

idea of the representativeness heuristics. When a consumer is loyal to brand, they refuse to

buy anything that does not belong to it.

A third heuristic that consumers appeared to be using is anchoring, which is

“starting with an initial evaluation and adjusting it with additional information” (Hoyer &

MacInnis, 2010, p. 222). When consumers rely on this heuristic they use an initial value,

which is not sufficiently adjusted; this can lead to biases. When examining the interviews

we observed that all of the consumers used brands as an initial value, for TV’S as well as

coats. Subsequently, they adjusted this initial value using additional information such as

attribute characteristics. The result is probably an overly positive evaluation due to the fact

that consumer’s often associate positive characteristics with important brands.

Additional to heuristics, consumers sometimes rely on algorithms, which are step-

by-step procedures of information processing. This form of information processing was

observed all of the participants when evaluating both products. However, we found more

rigorous algorithms in both adults when choosing a TV than when choosing a coat. These

results are reasonable because the financial and performance risk of TV’S are much higher

than the one’s perceived for coats. Since TV’S are more expensive than coats, and have a

long term need recognition, consumers are probably more thorough in their decision

making process to avoid a mistake. In this sense, it would represent a greater loss if the TV

did not perform as expected in comparison to the coat. Through the interviews it was

possible to identify the use of different algorithms for TV’s. First, the adult woman

reported that she began her search through the Internet to compare brand characteristics.

Subsequently, she visits to the store to directly experience the product and receive

professional guidance. Finally, she purchases the product. In addition, the adult man first

visits the general store and examines all the brands. This is followed by a visit to the

specialized stores of the products he considered the best. Afterwards, he searches for word

of mouth information and looks in the Internet to reassure he will buy the product that best

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suits his needs. Regarding coats, all participants followed a similar algorithm: they would

go to the store, pick a coat they liked, try it on and if it fit they would buy it. In other words,

all consumers showed they took the one that best fit.

Choice

There have been various proposals regarding choice models. Cognitive decision models can

be classified along two dimensions: 1) whether processing is done for one brand or one

attribute at a time; and 2) whether they are compensatory or non-compensatory (MacInnis,

2010). A compensatory model is “a mental cost benefit analysis in which negative features

can be compensated by positive ones” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 229). A non-

compensatory model is “a simple decision model in which negative information leads to

rejection of the option” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 229). Although the choice models are

not mutually exclusive we observed that the participant’s observations could often be better

explained by one of the decision-making models.

Regarding TV, the two adults adjusted to the multiattribute models, meaning, they

appeared to be processing by brand in a compensatory way. In multiattribute models,

consumer focus on brands but face tradeoffs between conflicting attributes. Both adult

consumers emphasized the importance of brands when making choices between TV’S. The

adult woman even said that if the brand were not available she would wait. The adult

woman considered characteristics of the TV such as it being Internet ready, having high

resolution and connectivity to different gadgets. Similarly, the adult man finds

technological innovation, size, and compatibility with other technologies to be important.

Additionally, both adults reported giving special attention to attributes usually having to

deal with price-quality tradeoffs. Taking in mind what has been stated, it is evident that

both adults, at first stance, focus on brands to narrow their search, but later are involved in

trade-offs considering each of the products attributes and comparing them to other

products. This result is consistent with the algorithms both adults used since they compare

brand and product attributes when choosing a TV.

The young adult was an exception since a disjunctive model (processing by brand in

a noncompensatory way) could better explain his decision-making process. A disjunctive

model is “a non compensatory model that sets acceptable cutoffs to find options that are

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good” (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2010, p. 230). The evidence that the young adult was

processing using a disjunctive model is that he stated that beauty is probably the most

important attribute in TV and that he gave special attention to the brand while no attention

at all to attributes (due to ignorance about technology). Due to this, it is possible to state

that the young adult follows a different algorithm than the other two participants. In this

case he focuses only on beauty, compares the style and if he likes it he purchases the

product.

When comparing the way choices were made in TV with the way they were made in

coats there were regularities and differences. As with TV, the adult man and woman

appeared to be making decisions using a multiattribute model when choosing coats since

they processed by brand and were often involved in trade-offs between the product’s

attributes. However, there was a difference between them in coats because for the adult

woman, although there was a focus on brand, it seemed much less relevant than in TV’S.

An important difference was found in the young adult, which moved from using a

disjunctive model in TV to a multiattribute model for coats. The reason for this is that

product characteristics were now being subjected to a cost-benefit analysis: the subject

reported doing comparison between various attributes such as price, quality, design and

material. This finding agrees with the algorithms the consumers follow since they make

trade-offs with relation to the looks of the coat (quality, design, material) and how it fits

them; they take the best fit. In addition, there appeared to be a subtle difference regarding

the type of processing. Specifically, consumers seemed to be slightly influenced by their

emotions and feelings when choosing coats due to the fact that they gave importance to

trying on the product.

Satisfaction

The final step in the decision making process is feedback and satisfaction. In this step,

consumers make a post-purchase evaluation of the product regarding its performance and

the satisfaction of the needs that he/she intended to fulfill with it. This feedback takes

consumers to validate or invalidate their choice, and serves as input in future decision

processes. The interviews show that consumers were satisfied with their choice of the TV’S

and coats. The interviewees reported that both products fulfilled their needs and

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expectations. Because of this satisfaction and conformity with the product, the subjects

reported they would re-purchase the product in a future occasion.

A number of different factors may explain the consumer’s satisfaction. First of all,

the fact that consumers sometimes use internal sources (previous experience) helps them

reduce risk when buying the products and increase the probability of satisfaction since they

have already been satisfied before by the same brand. Secondly, the general consensus was

that both products were important for their lives. This motivated the consumers to make an

extensive external search to reduce risks and mistakes and increase the probability of

satisfaction. Finally, it is important to point out that consumers used both heuristics, to

evaluate alternatives, and algorithms, to choose the product to be purchased. The

combination of these two styles of information processes led the consumers to make the

correct purchase and obtain a satisfactory result.

It is important to consider the last question of the interview: What would you do if

the TV/Coat you bought does not satisfy your needs? All of the participants answered that

they would return the purchase, buy another brand, or avoid buying the same brand in the

future. This question exposes the importance of product feedback in determining and

facilitating future decision processes. If consumers did not make a post-purchase evaluation

they would probably make the same mistakes in the future and never successfully fulfill

their needs.

Conclusions

After analyzing the interviews it can be concluded that decision processes vary according to

the product and the consumer. Although we found general similarities regarding each step

of the process there were also discrepancies that can be attributed to individual differences,

such as personal interests and goals. Aspects such as the needs being satisfied, the use of

primarily external sources and the evaluation through heuristics were common to all

participants. However, important differences were found regarding the cognitive choice

rules and the product attributes considered. Specifically, although all consumers appeared

to be processing by brand they differed regarding the compensatory or non-compensatory

processing of attributes.

This analysis allows us to make several recommendations for both products:

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1) Due to the fact that consumers rely primarily on external sources for TV’S and coats

our recommendation is that advertisements include a great amount of information

regarding product characteristics. Additionally, we recommend that the information

are presented in a consistent manner across different media, because consumers

often search and compare information presented through various sources such as the

internet, magazines and stores.

2) Owing to consumer´s reliance on word of mouth information this is potential target

for marketing strategies to spread information of product characteristics.

3) Another recommendation is that advertisements must emphasize the brand’s

tradition, as well as reliability and quality, as this are the aspects that the

interviewees found particularly relevant in a brand.

4) Due to consumer’s reliance on positive memories of consumption experiences with

the product (availability heuristic) a potential way to increase this effect is to

emphasize positive consumption experiences through advertising.

5) According to our findings regarding the representativeness heuristic, if a brand does

not dominate the TV market a recommendation would be to present itself as similar

to the category prototype.

6) Finally, a potential way to influence consumer’s choice is to present a product as the

perfect tradeoff between price and quality as consumers appeared to be processing

using multiattribute models for both products.

ReferencesMacInnis, W. H. (2010). Consumer Behavior. Los Angeles: South-Western Cengage Learning.

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Annexes

DESCISION MAKING PROCESS INTERVIEW (YOUNG ADULT)

GeneralThe main purpose of this interview is to study the Decision Making Process of consumers with respect to two products: TV’s and coats. The interview will last about 10-20 minutes and it will require for you to answer a series of question made by the interviewer.

To begin, I would like for you to describe the steps involved in your decision making process, specifically when buying a TV and a coat. Can you describe the different steps involved in the process?

(Please state any information you consider makes part of the process, regardless if you consider relevant or not. Keep this in mind throughout the whole interview.)

Interviewee 1 TV Coat

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Have you ever bought a TV/Coat? Yes Yes

Why do you buy a TV/Coat?Fill the room/ make it prettier

Love fashion and coats.

What need do you wish to satisfy when buying a TV/Coat?

Object of the room

Look good and protect from cold

Do you consider TV/Coats an essential product in your life? Why?

No, because doesn’t watch it

Yes, because use it every day

How frequently do you buy TV/Coats? Once until TV is old

1 or 2 a month

With what frequency do you use the TV/Coat in a week? Once Every day

When do you buy a TV/Coat? Is there anything specific that indicates you need to buy any of these products?

Want other thing in room and to share with friends

Whenever he feels the need: tired of using the same coat

Where do you search for information on the TV/Coat you buy?

Internet Magazines, runways and in boutiques

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Why use these sources to search for information?

Because of easy

Fulfills better desire for fashion

Which information source do you find more important to make a purchase and why (which do you give more

weight to)?

Internet is easy and customers’ rate gives you an idea of what you buy. More objective

Friends, but personal idea is the most important. Looks for extensive information about Coat (fabrics...)

Which information source makes you feel confident about your purchase? Why?

Internet because more objective

Its own or friends, because salespersons no.

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What brand of TV/Coat do you buy?

Sony Zara, Burberry, Banana Republic, H&M…

Why do you use this brand?

Because of good feedback and familiarity. Fulfill need

Pretty, durable, designs are good.

If the brand you usually buy is not available, what do you do?

Another product fulfilling same needs (beauty and good reviews)

Go to Pull&Bear, Gap… But try to avoid it. But will buy one coat anyway

Do you pay attention to the product (TV/Coats) characteristics when making a decision?

No, because not knowledge about it

Yes, fabric, and design…

What product characteristics influence your purchase decision?

Beauty Desgin, fabrics and quality of the sowing

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Do you compare product characteristics when choosing TV/Coats? If so, are there any characteristics that are

particularly important?

Yes, two or three to compare the beauty and reviews… All in the same price budget

Look at the fit of the coat to its own body.

Why are these characteristics more important than the others? Are they necessary for you to choose the

TV/Coat?

Because knows about design, but not about characteristics

Design

If you don’t pay attention to the product characteristics what other strategies do you use decide what TV/Coat

to buy?

Family and friends advices and reviews on internet

NA

Do you have any specific rules or steps that help you decide which TV/Coat to buy?

No, just to look pretty

Persuades himself to buy. Shopaholic.

Do you have any rules of thumb that help you decide which TV/Coat to buy?

No, prettiness wins

Pretty gains. If not, loses and is rejected.

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How do you choose which TV/Coat to buy?

Same as before

Design, duration, quality

What variables do you consider when choosing the product?

Family and friends advices to have knowledge about it

Durable and probability of damaging. And price/quality comparison

Do you usually buy a TV/Coat based on the brand or on single attributes of the product?

Brand Brand but some new designers interest him because of the design quality

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In case you buy the TV/Coat based on the brand, why do you prefer that brand? What does the brand mean and

communicate to you?

Familiarity, supposed to be good and good experience with this brand. Communicates familiarity and quality and prettiness

Quality, design, willing to pay the prices

In case you buy based on the attributes of the TV/Coat, how do you measure the attributes? Why do you

measure them this way? What do these attributes mean to you?

NA Design, price, fabric, quality, fashion style, material.

Feed

back

Are you satisfied with the TV/Coat you buy? Why?

Yes because it’s pretty and qualitative

Yes

If the TV/Coat you bought satisfies your needs would you buy them again?

Change it when it’s old and go for a modern one

Yes, would buy the same in different colors…

What would you do if the TV/Coat you bought does not satisfy your needs?

Change it and maybe brand

Change it because is important to him

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onal

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Age: 24______

Social Status:1.______ 2.______ 3.______ 4.______ 5.______ 6.x_____

Sex: F______ M_x_____

Occupation: student and professor.

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DESCISION MAKING PROCESS INTERVIEW (ADULT WOMAN)



When buying a TV I first search the Internet for the product, compare brands, go to the store, receive help form specialist, look at the product in real life and buy it.

When buying a coat I just go to the store, look for one I like and try it on. If it fits I buy it if not, I don’t.



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Why do you buy a TV/Coat?To watch movies and news

To wear it when going out

What need do you wish to satisfy when buying a TV/Coat?

Entertainment

Protection from the weather


Yes. Entertainment

Yes. Protection

How frequently do you buy TV/Coats? Every 5 years Once a year

With what frequency do you use the TV/Coat in a week? Daily Daily during winter time


When the technology is old.

Winter

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Stores and internet

Stores, personal perception and experience.


To compare brands

To see variety and brands

Which information source do you find more important to make a purchase and why (which do you give more

weight to)?

Store because y you can see the product and receive professional guidance.

Store because you can see the product and try it on.


Store. Because it is provided by a specialist

Store. Because you can see the quality and the fit

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Samsung Columbia


Reliability and good price

Quality and price


Wait until I find it

Buy another brand that is similar


Yes Yes


Internet ready, high resolution, connectivity

Waterproof and warmth



Yes. Internet ready, high resolution, connectivity

No.

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Why are these characteristics more important than the others? Are they necessary for you to choose the

TV/Coat?

Because it permits a good picture, access to a variety of programs, and the possibility to connect gadgets

If you don’t pay attention to the product characteristics what other strategies do you use to decide what

TV/Coat to buy?

Looks and quality


Yes. I first look for the TV on internet and compare it to other brands, then I go to the store to see it and have a professional guide me. Last, I buy it.

No


No If it fits and I like it I buy it.

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How do you choose which TV/Coat to buy?

Comparing prices vs. quality, and characteristics

Comparing price vs. looks


PriceQualityGadgets and utilities

PriceQualityLooks


Both Both


communicate to you?

Quality and reliability

Quality and durability

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In case you buy based on the attributes of the TV/Coat, how do you measure the attributes? Why do you

measure them this way? What do these attributes mean to you?

Looking at the characteristics and units of measure. It must provide a good image and be internet ready if not I wont buy it.

Quality of material. They are the most important attributes; If the quality is not good I don’t buy it.

Feed

back


Yes. It complies with my expectations



Yes Yes


Return it and buy another one

Would no buy it again

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Age: 48

Social Status:1.______ 2.______ 3.______ 4.______ 5.______ 6.__X___

Sex: F__X____ M______

Occupation: Housewife

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DESCISION MAKING PROCESS INTERVIEW (ADULT MAN)



TV: The process begins with the necessity; nevertheless I don’t buy many TV’s. The last time I bought a TV was during the last world cup and I am currently looking forward to buying one for the next world cup. For the purchase of these types of products I tend to search for a while, consult with other people. I tend to take my time; I don’t buy the first thing I see. I search for information in the Internet, with other consumers and with friends. Nevertheless I am very loyal to traditional brands, to the positioning and quality. For example, I like Sony TV’S. Many of the one’s I have bought are Sony and the next one will probably be of the same brand. However, I’m looking forward to consult other options, but tradition and quality weight a lot.

Coat: It does not correspond to any special pattern. When I travel I tend to search for options due to a grater variety and better prices. I tend to visit shops that because of their recognition I already have them in my mind. As in TV’S, I tend to search a lot, compare, examine alternative options and consider possible offers. I give great weight to traditional brands.



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Why do you buy a TV/Coat?

The first TV I bought was when I moved to live on my own. The others were bought due to created necessities (marriage, sons, world cups, new technologies).

Dressing well is essential. Clothing is a time-limited product so one needs to buy clothes constantly.

What need do you wish to satisfy when buying a TV/Coat? Information, entertainment.

Being well dressed

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Not essential to live, but it’s an important medium for information, entertainment.

Dressing well is very important.

How frequently do you buy TV/Coats?

Not very frequently, 5-year intervals.

Every six months.

With what frequency do you use the TV/Coat in a week? All days (sports, news, TV series)

Every six months.


New technologies or the need to replace a TV.

4 times a week (I tend to switch between traditional suits and informal wear-includes jackets). Not a punctual necessity, but I tend to buy them in journeys to foreign countries.

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Shops. First, a general store that offers great variety of brands (example: Ktronix) and then specialized shops (example: Sony). Afterwards I compare, search for information in Internet and comment with friends.

Directly in shops, trying clothes on, through advertisement I have important brands in my mind chosen by previous experience, walking in malls (because In these places you find principal brands) or visiting principal commercial districts.

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Better information leads to better decision-making.

It’s the place where you can inspect and try the product directly (shops).

Which information source do you find more important to make a purchase and why (which do you give more weight

to)?

Quality more than special offers.

Brand and quality.


Brand recognition, tradition, guarantee, shop, and brand reputation.

Tradition, quality, recognition, positioning. They guarantee excellence.

Eval

uatio

n of

alte

rnati

ves


Most frequent is Sony but also Panasonic and Samsung.

Armani, Ted Baker and Zegna.


Recognition and quality

Brand and quality.


I would search the second best brand (in this case Panasonic and Samsung).

There are substitutes of equal quality, I don’t circumscribe to a particular brand and there is great variety in terms of offerings.


Yes, price-quality correlation. Quality is essential.

Yes, quality and price.

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Special attention to technical characteristics although compatibility to other technologies is important (PS3, Netflix, Wi-Fi). Size is also important.

Quality.



Yes, to determine price quality-correlation. Technological innovation.

Quality and price.

Why are these characteristics more important than the others? Are they necessary for you to choose the TV/Coat?

“” “”

If you don’t pay attention to the product characteristics what other strategies do you use decide what TV/Coat to buy?

Consult friend’s opinions, Internet and advertisements.

Advertisement and direct experience at shops.


The one’s I already mentioned.

I tend to try my clothes (I don’t buy through internet or through errands) and when I’m interested I buy it.


Additional to what I’ve mentioned no: latest technological innovation, best quality and guarantee.

I try to make arrangements directly in shop to avoid risks with tailors, so if the shop doesn’t offer the possibility I sometimes don’t buy.

22

Choi

ceHow do you choose which TV/Coat to buy?

Quality, guarantee.

“”


“” “”


“” “”


communicate to you?

Quality, tradition, guarantee

Quality

In case you buy based on the attributes of the TV/Coat, how do you measure the attributes? Why do you measure them

this way? What do these attributes mean to you?

Direct experience, recognition, offers latest technological innovation and serious company. “

Direct experience (quality) and recognition based on advertising. Friend’s opinions regarding their experiences. There are lots of sources.

Feed

back


Yes, that’s why I’ve kept buying. Because of personal experience and information from other sources confirming my experience.

Yes. They’ve corresponded to my expectative regarding quality.


“” Yes

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There are other recognized and traditional brands in the market, I’d turn towards those.

Alternative brands, there is great variety.

Pers

onal

dat

a

Age: 48

Social Status:1.______ 2.______ 3.______ 4.______ 5.______ 6. X

Sex: F ______ M X

Occupation: Lawyer

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Table comparing information from the interviews:

Information

Coat TVInterviewee 1 (young adult)

Interviewee 2 (adult woman) Interviewee 3 (adult man)

Interviewee 1 (young adult)

Interviewee 2 (adult woman)

Interviewee 3 (adult man)

NeedFashion, protect from cold

Protection from weather Being well dressed

Fill the room, decoration

Information, Entertainment.

Information, Entertainment.

Search for information

Always looking for information at magazines, runways and boutiques. Also considers friends, experience

Go to the store, and look for one that she likes it, try it on, experience

Go to store and look for one that he likes, try it on, experience Internet

First searches information on internet, then looks for information with a specialist, experience

Looks for information with friends and consumers and the internet, experience

Evaluation of the information

Fit and prettiness Try on the coat

Examine options, consider offers, trying on the coat

Comparing two or three alternatives

Compares characteristics

Compare references at the store

Attributes considered

Design, fabrics and quality, price

Waterproof, warmth, quality, price Quality Beauty, brand

Internet ready, high resolution, connectivity, gadgets

Quality, guarantee, tradition

Heuristics

Availability, Representativeness

Availability, Representativeness Availability, Representativeness




Algorithms in the election None None None None

When buying a TV I first search the Internet for the product, compare brands, go to the store, receive help form specialist, look at the product in real life and buy it.

Visits the general store and examines all the brands, visits specialized stores of those products he considered best, searches for word of mouth information and looks in the Internet

Cognitive Processing Model

Brand and attributes Brand Brand

Brand, disjunctive

Brand and multiattribute

Brand and multiattribute

Satisfaction

The coat looks good, and it is good quality, it gives satisfaction and complies with expectations.


Yes. They’ve corresponded to my expectations regarding quality.

The TV gives satisfaction, until it is old


Yes, that’s why I’ve kept buying

Unsatisfaction

Return and change it

Not buy brand again Look for alternative brands

Change product and brand

Return it and buy another one

Alternative brand.

Characteristics of the interviewee

Age: 24 Gender: Male Occupation: Student/professor Social status: 6

Age: 48 Gender: Female occupation: Housewife Social status: 6

Age: 48 Gender: Male occupation: Lawyer Social status: 6

Age: 24 Gender: Male occupation: Student/professor Social status: 6

Age: 48 Gender: Female occupation: Housewife Social status: 6

Age: 48 Gender: Male occupation: Lawyer Social status: 6

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consumer decisión making process - workshop 2

Marketing