978-1259709074 Chapter 6 Part 1

Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th

McGraw-Hill Education.

1

Chapter 6

Consumer Behavior

Tools for Instructors

• Brief Chapter Outline

• Learning Objectives

• Extended Chapter Outline with Teaching Tips

• Answers to End of Chapter Learning Aids

• Chapter Case Study

• Additional Teaching Tips

• Connect Activities

Brief Chapter Outline

The Consumer Decision Process

Factors Influencing the Consumer Decision Process

Involvement and Consumer Buying Decisions

End of Chapter Learning Aids

Chapter Case Study: The Diet Battle—Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Slim-Fast

Learning Objectives

LO 6-1 Articulate the steps in the consumer buying process.

The consumer buying process consists of five main steps: First, during need recognition, consumers

simply realize they have an unsatisfied need or want that they hope to address. Second, they begin to

search for information to determine how to satisfy that need. Third, during the alternative evaluation

choice.

LO 6-2 Describe the difference between functional and psychological needs.

Functional needs pertain to the performance of a product or service. Psychological needs pertain to the

LO 6-3 Describe factors that affect information search.

The information search that people undertake varies depending on both external and internal factors.

Among the former, the type of product or service dictates whether people can make an easy, quick

decision or instead must undertake significant research to find the best purchase option. A person’s

people’s locus of control, whether external or internal, strongly influences their information search actions.

LO 6-4 Discuss postpurchase outcomes.

Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th

McGraw-Hill Education.

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Marketing Applications

1. Does buying Kashi cereal satisfy a consumer’s functional or psychological need? How might

this information help a Kashi brand manager better promote the product?

Kashi cereal satisfies a consumer’s psychological need. While cereal might provide a basic functional

need (to satisfy a consumer’s hunger), Kashi cereal appeals to more psychological needs, including the

2. When consumers buy a new notebook computer, what sort of information search (internal vs.

external) would they conduct? If you were a marketing manager for Sony, how would you use

this information?

An internal search for information might include: understanding how they might use the laptop, previous

experiences with other laptop brands, and personal budget. An external search for information might

include: online reviews, reference groups, input from store sales associates, and consumer reports. The

marketing manager for Sony should understand the various sources, both external and internal, that

3. Explain the factors that affect the amount of time and effort a consumer might take when

choosing an oral surgeon to get his or her wisdom teeth removed. How would your answer

change if the consumer were looking for a dentist to get a cleaning? How should the office

manager for a dental practice use this information?

Students must analyze the different information-gathering processes consumers use for related but

different purchases. They should recognize that the length and degree of intensity of consumers’

information search often depend on the degree of perceived risk associated with a purchase. Office

4. When evaluating different alternatives for a Saturday night outing at a fine restaurant, explain

the difference between the universal set, the retrieval set, and the evoked set. From which set

of alternatives will the consumer most likely choose the restaurant?

Alternative evaluation often occurs as the consumer engages in information search, and the various sets

help organize and categorize the discovered information. Students must understand all three types of

Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th

McGraw-Hill Education.

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When considering fine restaurant alternatives, the universal set would be all the possible choices

available, such as all fine restaurants in the area, other types of restaurants, and any other Saturday-night

requires the least amount of information search and is easiest to remember.

5. What can retailers do to make sure they have satisfied customers after the sale is complete?

Customer satisfaction is not limited to the experience leading up to and including the actual purchase

event; it often extends beyond the purchase to user experiences after purchase. Companies that want to

ensure consumers have positive experiences with their products offer after-sales service to deal with any

and periodically contact customers to thank them for their continued support.

6. Tazo makes a blend of exotic green teas, spearmint, and rare herbs into a tea called Zen.

Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, explain which need(s) is (are) being fulfilled by this tea.

A motive is a need or want that is strong enough to cause a person to seek satisfaction. Over 70 years

ago, social researcher Abraham Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, which postulates that people

while doing it. Tea does not, however, fulfill a safety need.

7. You recently were invited to a formal event at the home of the president of your university.

You decide such an event warrants a completely new outfit. Describe three social factors that

might influence your purchase decision.

Students should consider the social factors that might influence their decision for an event like this. Some

examples might include: family, reference groups, and cultures. A son or daughter might ask his/her

family what is appropriate attire for a formal event. The son or daughter might consider their friends as a

8. Trek has designed a new off-road bicycle designed to stand up to the rugged conditions of

trail riding. Develop a theme for an advertising strategy that covers all three components of

attitude.

The cognitive aspect reflects what people believe to be true, the affective component refers to what they

feel about the issue at hand, and the behavioral component consists of the action(s) people undertake.

By considering all three components to create an advertising campaign, students should perceive how all

Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th

McGraw-Hill Education.

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9. What can a marketer do to positively influence a situation in which a consumer is ready to buy

but has not yet done so?

Students must think of ways marketers can affect consumers’ buying decisions during the shopping

experience. Thus, the question illustrates that the buying decision is not just a function of product

attributes.

10. You were recently hired by a multichannel retailer that promotes itself as an American firm

selling only American-made goods. The products featured in advertising and in catalogs tell

stories of the firms that produced the goods in the United States. The sales response to the

firm’s Made in the USA position has been incredible because it resonates with its customers’

values. As a result, growth has been impressive. One day while speaking to a vendor, you find

out a shipment of merchandise will be delayed because the product is coming from overseas

and is late. A few days later you hear a similar story. As it turns out, the firm just barely earns

the Made in the USA label. Though technically the products meet a standard to be classified

as American made, you worry that the firm is not being truthful to its customers. You decide

to write a letter to the VP of marketing detailing your concerns. What would you put in the

letter?

This ethical scenario forces students to evaluate their ethical position and thereby determine the

appropriate information to include in the letter.

Here are some of the issues they should consider:

Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th

McGraw-Hill Education.

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Quiz Yourself

1. The salient or important attributes about a particular product that consumers use to make product

evaluations are called

a. attribute set

b. affective components

c. evaluative criteria

d. psychological decision rules

e. situational factors

2. Because not all purchase intentions result in an actual purchase, marketers calculate the _____ to

measure how effectively a decision to purchase a specific product results in a completed purchase.

a. performance risk

b. compensatory decision rate

c. noncompensatory decision rate

d. decision heuristic

e. conversion rate

Chapter Case Study: The Diet Battle–Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Slim-

Fast

1. Trace how you might go through the steps in the consumer decision process if you were

thinking of going on a diet and using any of these diet programs.

Student answers will vary, but could look something like this.

Need Recognition: “I think I need to lose some weight.”

Information Search: “I need to find out what kind of options are out there. Perhaps I will search the

Postpurchase: “I was able to lose 20 pounds with Weight Watchers.”

2. How have Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast, and Jenny Craig created value?

Weight Watchers

• Encourages members to track their daily information.

• Dieters record in a paper or electronically based journal.

online and at meetings.

Jenny Craig