Chapter 06 – Consumer Decision Making
The Consumer Decision
Making Process
Consumer Behaviour – How consumers make
purchase decisions and how they use and dispose of
purchased goods or services; also includes the factors
that influence purchase decisions and product use
Need Recognition
Information Search
Need recognition occurs when consumers are faced
with an imbalance between actual and desired states. It
is triggered when a consumer is exposed to either an
internal or external stimulus
A want is a particular product or service that the
customer believes could satisfy an unfulfilled need.
Marketing managers can create wants on the part of the
consumer
An information search can occur internally, externally
or both
Internal information search is the process of
recalling information stored in one’s memory
External information search is the process of
seeking information in the outside environment. It
includes two sources
o Non-marketing controlled source – A
product information source not associated
with advertising or promotion
o Marketing controlled information source –
A source that originates with marketers
promoting the product
o Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) reviews –
Consumers’ reviews of products on the
