Six Stages of the Consumer Buying Model Essay Example

The purchase I recently made that required some level of contemplation and analysis was a portable LED desk lamp. I needed to make this purchase because my old desk lamp was broken when it fell from height. Today many companies specialized in manufacturing portable LED desk lamps offer their products to consumers. Among the most popular brands on Amazon are  PHILIPS and TOSHIBA. Less popular brands are MoKO, LEDGLE, MINGER, SUTUN, SeSUNLIGHT, TOPELECK, and a large number of other brands. Applying the six stages of the consumer buying process, which include problem (need) recognition, choice of the involvement level, information searching, evaluation of alternatives, making purchasing decision, and post-purchase evaluation, it is possible to provide theoretical explanation of the consumer buying process and determine the key influences on consumer buying behaviour.

            The first stage of this model involves recognition of the need to buy some product by the consumer. This need is generated by either internal or external stimuli (Vashisht, 2005). In my situation, I saw my friend used the same product and was happy with it.

            The second stage is entitled choice of an involvement level. Recognition of the need to make some purchase is closely connected with assessment of the efforts that should be exerted to satisfy this need. In my situation, I was dissatisfied with the quality of information about the product I got from my friend. He did not tell me about the type of built-in battery, the key features of touch sensitive control, and other technical characteristics that could point into the product’s usability. As a result, I made a decision to start searching more information about a portable LED desk lamp that could be used for my work on computer. Hence, it was high involvement purchase because I needed to collect more factual information about the product I wanted to buy.

            The third stage of the model involves information search process which includes different sources, namely personal advice made by friends, colleagues, etc., commercial sources like ads and sales campaigns, and experimental sources like using the selected product with the goal of defining its strengths and weaknesses. In my situation, I gathered information about portable LED desk lamps online, compared different brands, and defined their key features through the accurate study of the key characteristics of the products and feedback from consumers. I found that some consumers were satisfied with the portable LED desk lamps they bought from widely recognized brands, while others were dissatisfied because they found some weaknesses like high price, lack of rechargeable battery, large size, and ineffective design.

            The fourth stage involves evaluation of alternatives with the goal of identifying certain benefits from the purchasing decision, such as low price, perfect design, or high quality of product. In my case, I paid special attention to the products of highly recognized brands because I developed certain beliefs about these brands, considering my past experience of using the products of these brands. I selected the brand I had a chance to use in the past. This brand was PHILIPS. As I had already bought several products from PHILIPS, such as TV-set and pocket-size AM/FM pocket radio, I knew that these products were good for me.

            The fifth stage of the model involves making a purchasing decision. It is critical for a consumer to consider the preferences regarding the selected brand to make a purchase intention  to select the most preferable brand (Vashisht, 2005). In my case, I made a purchase decision, taking into consideration the factors like my income, expected product characteristics, and price. There were no any unanticipated situational factors that could change my decision, except for my friends’ opinions about the brand.

            The sixth stage involves post purchase evaluation that reflects the consumer’s behaviour either with some level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. According to experts in marketing, the consumer’s satisfaction is “a function of the closeness between the buyer’s product expectation and  the product’s perceived performance” (Vashisht, 2005, p. 80). In my case, the selected product’s performance did not fall shot of my expectations. I was not disappointed with the quality of the desk lamp, its design, and technical characteristics. I talked positively about this product to my family members, friends, and colleagues.

            Actually, consumers interpret and evaluate information about products and services from a company’s marketing efforts in different ways. They may accept the marketing strategy used by the company to promote its products due to well-developed value proposition, effective marketing messages, and sufficient information flow on the target customer. Also, consumers may ignore the company’s marketing strategy if it is not appealing to them (Hawkins & Mothersbaugh, 2010).

            Besides, situational factors may have influenced my purchase either in a negative or in a positive way. For example, the time of purchase, the usage context of the product, information overload, the influence of others around me, the environment of the store I visited to make a purchase, and the general shopping experience had a strong impact on my purchasing decision.

            Also, external groups or cultural beliefs may have influenced my purchase. I may have considered the attitudes of my family members and friends to the selected brand. My colleagues may have negative reaction to my decision to buy a portable LED desk lamp because of their personal views on this product’s characteristics and usability. Some people prefer to buy products manufactured by their home country, ignoring popular brands offered by foreign companies. In this case, cultural beliefs of the buyer shape his/her decision to make a purchase.  

            Thus, it is necessary to conclude that making any purchase requires some level of   contemplation and analysis because of the need for resolving the problem with the emphasis on the benefits of the selected product.

References

Hawkins, D. I. & Mothersbaugh, D. L. (2010). Consumer behaviour : building marketing          strategy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Vashisht, K. (2005). A Practical Approach to Marketing Management. Atlantic Publishers &      Dist.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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