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Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
1
Chapter 6
Consumer Decision Making
This chapter begins with the learning outcome summaries followed by a set of lesson plans for
instructors to use to deliver the content.
• Lecture (for large sections) on page 4
• Company Clips (video) on page 7
• Group Work (for smaller sections) on page 9
Review and Assignments begin on page 10
Review questions
Application questions
Application exercise
Ethics exercise
Video assignment
Case assignment
Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing from faculty around the country begin on page 22
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
2
Learning Outcomes
6-1 Explain why marketing managers should understand consumer behavior
An understanding of consumer behavior reduces marketing managers’ uncertainty when they are
6-2 Analyze the components of the consumer decision-making process
The consumer decision-making process begins with need recognition, when stimuli trigger
6-3 Explain the consumer’s postpurchase evaluation process
Consumer postpurchase evaluation is influenced by prepurchase expectations, the prepurchase
6-4 Identify the types of consumer buying decisions and discuss the significance of
consumer involvement
Consumer decision making falls into three broad categories: routine response behavior, limited
decision making, and extensive decision making. High-involvement decisions usually include an
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-9 Identify and understand the psychological factors that affect consumer buying
decisions
Psychological factors include perception, motivation, and learning. These factors allow
consumers to interact with the world around them, recognize their feelings, gather and analyze
Key Terms
Aspirational reference group
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Selective exposure
Cognitive dissonance
Motive
Selective retention
Connected self-schema
Need recognition
Self-concept
Consumer behavior
Nonaspirational reference
group
Separated self-schema
Consumer decision-making
process
Nonmarketing-controlled
information source
Showrooming
Culture
Norm
Social class
Evoked set (consideration
set)
Opinion leader
Socialization process
Extensive decision making
Perceived value
Stimulus
External information search
Perception
Stimulus discrimination
Hedonic value
Personality
Stimulus generalization
Ideal self-image
Primary membership group
Subculture
Internal information search
Real self-image
Utilitarian value
Involvement
Reference group
Value
Learning
Routine response behavior
Want
Limited decision making
Secondary membership group
Marketing-controlled
information source
Selective distortion
Lesson Plan for Lecture
Brief Outline and Suggested PowerPoint Slides
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
5
Learning Outcomes and Topics
PowerPoint Slides
LO1 Explain why marketing managers
should understand consumer behavior
6-1 The Importance of Understanding
Consumer Behavior
1. Consumer Decision Making
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Learning Outcomes (continued)
4. The Importance of Understanding
Consumer Behavior
5. Understanding Consumer Behavior
6. Value
LO2 Analyze the components of the
consumer decision-making process
6-2 The Traditional Consumer Decision-
Making Process
7. The Traditional Consumer Decision-
Making Process
8. Exhibit 6.1: The Consumer Decision-
Making Process
9. Need Recognition
10. Need Recognition (continued)
11. Information Search
12. External Information Searches
13. External Information Searches (continued)
14. Evaluation of Alternatives and Purchase
15. Evaluation of Alternatives and Purchase
(continued 1)
16. Evaluation of Alternatives and Purchase
(continued 2)
LO3 Explain the consumer’s postpurchase
evaluation process
6-3 Postpurchase Behavior
17. Postpurchase Behavior
18. Cognitive Dissonance
LO4 Identify the types of consumer buying
decisions and discuss the significance
of consumer involvement
6-4 Types of Consumer Buying Decisions
and Consumer Involvement
19. Types of Consumer Buying Decisions and
Consumer Involvement
20. Exhibit 6.2: Continuum of Consumer
Buying Decisions
21. Factors Determining the Level of
Consumer Involvement
22. Marketing Implications of Involvement
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
6
Learning Outcomes and Topics
PowerPoint Slides
LO5 Describe how some marketers are
reconceptualizing the consumer
decision making process
6-5 Reconceptualizing the Consumer
Decision Making Process
23. Reconceptualizing the Consumer Decision
Making Process
24. Exhibit 6.3: The Consumer Decision
Journey
25. Eliminating the Consider and Evaluate
Phase
26. Exhibit 6.4: Factors That Affect the
Consumer Decision Journey
LO6 Identify and understand the cultural
factors that affect consumer buying
decisions
6-6 Cultural Influences on Consumer
Buying Decisions
27. Cultural Influences on Consumer Buying
Decisions
28. Culture
29. Subculture and Social Class
30. Exhibit 6.5: U.S. Social Classes
31. Impact of Social Class on Marketers
LO7 Identify and understand the social
factors that affect consumer buying
decisions
6-7 Social Influences on Consumer
Buying Decisions
32. Social Influences on Consumer Buying
Decisions
33. Social Influences
34. Exhibit 6.6: Types of Reference Groups
35. Influences of Reference Groups
36. Opinion Leaders
37. Family
38. Individual Differences in Susceptibility to
Social Influences
LO8 Identify and understand the individual
factors that affect consumer buying
decisions
6-8 Individual Influences on Consumer
Buying Decisions
39. Individual Influences on Consumer
Buying Decisions
40. Individual Influences
LO9 Identify and understand the
psychological factors that affect
consumer buying decisions
6-9 Psychological Influences on
41. Psychological Influences on Consumer
Buying Decisions
42. Psychological Influences
43. Perception
44. Marketing Implications of Perception
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
7
Learning Outcomes and Topics
PowerPoint Slides
Consumer Buying Decisions
45. Marketing Implications of Perception
(continued)
46. Motivation
47. Learning
48. Key Terms
49. Key Terms
50. Summary
51. Summary
Suggested Homework
• The end of this chapter contains assignments for the Ski Butternut video and for the Netflix
case.
• This chapter’s online study tools include flashcards, visual summaries, practice quizzes,
and other resources that can be assigned or used as the basis for longer investigations into
marketing.
Lesson Plans for Video
Company Clips
Segment Summary: Ski Butternut
Ski Butternut is a ski resort in The Berkshires. Because the mountain is a “soft” mountain, Ski
Butternut collects large amounts of data based on rentals and Web traffic to make sure that it
understands who the customer is and to whom they need to market. Matt Sawyer also discusses
how it changes the mountain itself to meet the needs of the customer.
Pre-Class Prep For You:
Pre-Class Prep For Your Students:
• Preview the Company Clips video segment
for Chapter 6. This exercise reviews
concepts for LO1, LO2, LO5, and LO6.
• Review your lesson plan.
• Make sure you have all of the equipment
needed to show the video to the class,
including the DVD and a way to project the
video.
• You can also stream the video HERE.
• Have students familiarize themselves with
the following terms and concepts: consumer
behavior, need recognition, want, culture,
social class, and opinion leader.
• Review the Ski Butternut Web site with
those terms in mind:
http://www.skibutternut.com/.
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
8
Video Review Exercise
Activity
Warm Up
Begin by asking students, “What is the relationship between a marketing strategy
and consumer behavior?” [You cannot build the first without understanding the
second.]
In-Class
Preview
• Ask students to draw a line down the center of a sheet of paper. The title of
the first column should be “What I Want” and the second column “What I
Need.”
• Give students a few minutes to fill their columns.
• Then ask students to circle items from the “Want” column that were definitely
influenced by someone’s marketing strategy. Draw arrows from any entry in
the “Need” column into the “Want” Column for that same reason.
• Finally, have students mark each entry in each column with a “C” if the want
or need was culturally influenced, or an “S” if it was socially influenced. (If
necessary, refer students to review Learning Outcomes 5 and 6 for a summary
of cultural and social factors.)
• Segue into a discussion of the consumer decision-making process.
• Write the five steps of the process on the board. Consider using the graphic
Exhibit 6.1, Consumer Decision-Making Process, as your diagram.
Viewing
(Solutions
below)
1. Why is the perception of Butternut as a fun place so important?
2. In general, which type of consumer behavior for new skiers is described in
this video? What involvement factors are likely to be associated with
choosing which ski resort to visit?
Follow-up
• Have students break into groups of up to four students to describe the cultural,
social, and psychological influences that are likely at work on Ski Butternut
patrons. Given these influences, what are the implications for Butternut’s
marketing managers? Give students about five minutes and then come back
together as a class to share results.
Solutions for Viewing Activities
1. Why is the perception of Butternut as a fun place so important?
Being perceived as fun is important for Ski Butternut to ensure that it builds a loyal set of
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
9
2. In general, which type of consumer behavior for new skiers is described in this video?
What involvement factors are likely to be associated with choosing which ski resort to
visit?
Consumers making infrequent, expensive, or unfamiliar purchases, such as new skiers,
engage in extensive decision making. If a customer has had previous positive experiences
Lesson Plan for Group Work
• For “Class Activity—Consumer Buying Behavior,” divide the class into small groups of
four or five people. Provide the information and the questions asked by the class activity.
• Application questions 3 and 5 lend themselves well to group work. For this activity, divide
the class into small groups of four or five people. Each group should read the question and
then use their textbooks, or any work that was completed previously, to perform the
exercise. Then each group should discuss or present their work to the class.
Class Activity—Consumer Buying Behavior
Have students select a product such as athletic shoes or jeans, and determine the way in which
their selection of that particular brand reflects their self-concept. Then have them determine a
slogan and sketch a print ad that would appeal to consumers who seek to express this same self-
concept through their product purchase.
Review and Assignments for Chapter 6
Review Questions
1. The type of decision making a consumer uses for a product does not necessarily
remain constant. Why? Support your answer with an example from your own
experience.
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
10
Students’ answers should address some of the following points. Once a consumer has
2. Describe the three categories of consumer decision-making behavior. Name typical
products for which each type of consumer behavior is used.
Although students’ answers will vary, they should address some of the following points.
3. Describe the level of involvement and the involvement factors likely to be associated
with buying a new computer. Do you think Apple’s Web site at http://www.apple.com
simplifies or complicates the process for the average consumer? Explain.
Answers may vary according to students’ characterizations of the average consumer and
4. How do beliefs and attitudes influence consumer behavior? How can negative
attitudes toward a product be changed? How can marketers alter beliefs about a
product? Give some examples of how marketers have changed negative attitudes
about a product or added or altered beliefs about a product.
Beliefs are organized patterns of knowledge that an individual holds as true about his or
her world. Consumers tend to develop a set of beliefs about a product’s attributes and then,
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
11
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
help form the basis for attitudes, as do values. Often, the marketer’s goal is to change
attitudes toward a brand. This goal might be accomplished in three ways: changing beliefs
about the brand’s attributes, changing the relative importance of those beliefs, and adding
new beliefs. For example, Harley Davidson, through strict quality control, has changed the
belief about the quality of their product. And by limiting production, they have added a
new belief that it is an exclusive and sought-after product.
Application Questions
1. Visit CarPoint’s Web site at http://carpoint.msn.com/home/New.asp. How does the
site assist consumers in the evaluation stage of choosing a new car? Develop your own
hypothetical evoked set of three or four car models and present your comparisons.
Which vehicle attributes would be the most important in your purchase decision?
This Web site provides a select list of cars, price points, and outside reviews of each car.
2. Recall an occasion when you experienced cognitive dissonance about a purchase. In a
letter to a friend, describe the event and explain what you did about it.
Although students’ answers will vary, the following example shows some of the points
students should address.
3. You are the new marketing manager for a firm that produces a line of athletic shoes
to be targeted at the college student subculture. For your boss, write a memo in which
you list some product attributes that might appeal to this subculture, list the steps in
your customers’ purchase process, and recommend some marketing strategies that
can influence their decision.
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
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Students’ answers should address some of the following points. American college students
4. Family members play many different roles in the buying process: initiator, influencer,
decision maker, purchaser, and consumer. Identify the person in your family who
might play each of these roles in the purchase of a dinner at Pizza Hut, a summer
vacation, Froot Loops breakfast cereal, an Abercrombie & Fitch sweater, golf clubs,
an Internet service provider, and a new car.
5. Assume you are involved in the following consumer decision situations: a) renting a
video to watch with your roommates, b) choosing a fast-food restaurant to go to with
a new friend, c) buying a popular music compact disc, and d) buying jeans to wear to
class. List the factors that would influence your decision in each situation and explain
your responses.
Students’ answers will vary, but they should include the importance of cultural, social,
Application Exercise
Principles of consumer behavior are evident in many areas of marketing. Perhaps the easiest
place to see this critical foundation of marketing activity is in print ads.
Activities
a. Review the main concepts in this chapter and create a checklist that itemizes them. Then,
comb through your favorite magazines and newspapers for advertisements that illustrate
each concept. To get a wide variety of ads, you will need to look through several
magazines. If you don’t have many magazines at your disposal, go to the campus library
periodical room. Photocopy the ads you select to support this chapter.
b. Because pictures can help reinforce understanding, consider doing this exercise for each
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
13
chapter in the book. At the end of the semester, you will have a portfolio of ads that
illustrate the concepts in the entire book, which can help you study. Simply look through
your portfolio and try to recall the concepts at work in each advertisement. This exercise
can be a prelude to a longer study session for comprehensive exams.
Purpose: This exercise requires students to closely examine print ads to see how they use the
principles of consumer buying behavior to make their message more successful. By collecting
ads and creating a portfolio showcasing different products, different ad styles, and so forth,
students will see how many marketing concepts discussed in the book are played out in print
media.
Setting It Up: Students may not subscribe to a diverse enough set of magazines to create a
varied portfolio. Also, they may be unwilling to spend a large sum photocopying ads in the
library periodical section. Encourage them to select 10 concepts from the chapter and find ads to
illustrate them. If your class is small and conducive to group work, you can have students group
their ads according to chapter concepts and then compare how advertisers convey their messages.
Alternatively, you could have students group ads by product categories and see if any consumer
behavior concepts are more prevalent in ads for certain products. For example, which kinds of
products seem to rely on opinion leaders, on self-concept, and so on?
This exercise was inspired by the following Great Idea in Teaching Marketing:
P.J. Forrest, Mississippi College
Print Ad Projects For Consumer Behavior
If you use a managerial approach to teaching consumer behavior (i.e., this is the concept, this is
what you do with it), you might find the use of print ad projects very helpful. This project has
evolved over the years from my asking the students to bring in a single magazine ad that related
to the topics we were discussing in class that day, to requiring a portfolio of ads that illustrates
each of the topic areas we cover.
One of the main benefits for the student in using this project is simple: “A picture is worth a
thousand words.” For example, one undergraduate would not be convinced that the automobile
market specifically targeted women. I handed her a Chevy ad, which showed a young woman
and the phrase “This is not my boyfriend’s truck.” In gathering ads that are examples for the
various consumer behavior concepts, the students are forced to look at dozens of ads in a critical
thinking manner. They must analyze both the ads they chose to use and the ones that are
unsuitable for the topic they are trying to illustrate.
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
14
Over the years I have kept the “best of” ads from the student projects, and as a result I now have
a thick folder of ads for every chapter in the text. After I lecture on a topic, I whip out a bundle
of ads that illustrate the concept and show them how it is used. It is much easier to create
understanding when you can show them the differences in ads that use latent motives versus
manifest motives, or a series of ads that are directed at each of the VALS 2 lifestyle segments.
Generational marketing is also very interesting and illustrates the changes that must be made
when advertising to baby boomers, generation X or generation Y. And you would be amazed at
the true depth and breadth of the “Where’s your mustache?” milk campaign—I must have 50
different print ads.
Depending on the size of the class, I sometimes use this as an individual project or group project.
Sometimes I require a presentation, and sometimes I have the students turn in a portfolio of ads.
This project has been a major contribution to the learning process in my consumer behavior
classes and has made them more interesting—for the students and for me.
Ethics Exercise
EyeOnU operates a Web filter service for public schools and libraries to protect students from
inappropriate material on the Internet. Like the industry as a whole, the company’s market share
has been stagnant for the past two years. Looking for new sources of revenue, the company is
considering selling the data it has collected about student surfing habits to marketers trying to
learn more about students’ behavior on the Web. The data are anonymous, but privacy advocates
are concerned about the precedent of selling information about children to marketers.
Questions
1. What should EyeOnU do? Should it protect the students’ data or should it take the
opportunity to create new revenues?
EyeOnU could create new revenues from its information, but in order to comply with the
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), the company could not make
Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making
15
2. Does the AMA Code of Ethics address this issue? Go to
http://www.marketingpower.com and review the code. Then write a brief paragraph
on what the AMA Code of Ethics contains that relates to EyeOnU’s dilemma.
Although the AMA Code of Ethics does not specifically mention collecting information
Video Assignment: Ski Butternut
Ski Butternut is a ski resort in The Berkshires. Because the mountain is a “soft” mountain, Ski
Butternut collects large amounts of data based on rentals and Web traffic to make sure that it
understands who the customer is and to whom they need to market. Matt Sawyer also discusses
how it changes the mountain itself to meet the needs of the customer.
1. For Ski Butternut, racers, first-timers, and terrain-park enthusiasts would be considered:
a. opinion leaders.
b. lifestyle groups.
c. subcultures.
d. high-risk categories.
2. Matt Sawyer says that first-time skiers tend to stay with their first mountain for as many as
seven visits before trying another ski area. First-time skiers choosing Ski Butternut
indicates:
a. a want.
b. a consideration set.
c. a highly visible decision.
d. an enduring involvement decision.
