- What type of consumer are you?
In my case, I believe I am a loyal consumer. Once I find the brand that has the products or services that I want or need, I stay with it. And, I usually recommend it to my family and friends. Even if sometimes, the product that I need to buy is not on sale, I buy it. I am not the kind of person that wants to be constantly changing. If something works well for me, I stay with it. So, people close to me like my husband or family can easily recognize where I purchased from. For example, when doing the grocery shopping for my home, my husband can do the shopping without me because he knows which brands are the ones I pick for which products. The same story is true when my family gives me Christmas gifts or birthday gifts; they know what kind of perfume or clothes I wear.
Loyal consumers are valuable to every business. Once they have found the right company to do business with, they will remain loyal, often becoming a promoter of the brand by sharing their experience with their friends, family and extended social network (Beyond the Hedge, 2018).
- What influences your buying decisions, and how?
I buy mainly when I have needs. I don’t like to be compulsively spending on wants. But, when I buy something, I take into account the quality of the product. To me, the quality is the first aspect that is very important since I believe when you just buy without consideration, at the end you end up spending more. Things that are cheap are generally easy to break, have defects or can cause health problems. So, I prefer to have a few good things at my home, rather than a bunch of things that aren’t worthwhile. Another aspect that influences my buying decision is if something is or will be really useful to buy. I don’t like to keep and collect unnecessary items in my house. I want to avoid things throwing away or doing garage sales, I don’t exaggerate buying too many or just buying something because it looks nice in the store. And, the other aspect that influences my buying decision is the social aspect of the company who brings the product or service. If I read in the news that a certain company is exploiting their workers to increase revenues, I will not contribute to that cause. I prefer a company that has social responsibility and ethics. For example, a company that is dedicated to the environment is Starbucks. They are committed to minimizing their environmental footprint and inspiring others to do the same (Starbucks, 2018).
- Which stage actually leads to your purchasing decisions?
To make a purchase decision, I do research and see alternatives available for purchase. I like to inform myself about what I am buying. I believe consumers need to be well informed before deciding to buy something. Like I previously mentioned, one of the things that is important to me is quality. For example, before buying a product, I am the kind of person who reads the label to know how many calories or chemical additives a product has. I read everything including the label of the bread, the pizza or whatever food I purchase. If I find that it is unhealthy, I will not spend my money on it even if it is on sale. That’s why once I have identified the product that I like, I stay with a specific brand because it becomes the solution for my need. And the alternative product is important too, because price is also a consideration. If I need or like something that I can find in two different brands, I purchase the product for the one that costs less. Only if I do not have options to choose from, I pay the price stipulated by the product.
- When making a buying decision, how are you influenced by marketing research and marketing design?
I believe I am sometimes, but not always influenced by marketing research and marketing design.
I mean there are products that many companies make in a certain way because most people like them, but on occasion it may not be my preference. So, even if many consumers try and say that something is good, I don’t accept it easily. I try it and form my own opinion. For example, I have terrible back pain with my mattress and most stores, if not all that I visited in my city and state claim to sell “anatomic” or “space age foam” mattresses. But I tried them, and disagreed with their claims about how comfortable they are. I threw away three of those mattresses, and I would like to buy an old-fashioned mattress with the springs that is more comfortable for me. But it seems that this kind of mattress doesn’t exist anymore in the stores or at least, I didn’t see where it can be bought on the market today.
- Do you experience any post-purchase behavior?
I experience many post-purchase behaviors. I am not the kind of person that likes to write reviews or comments about a product or service. But, when a product or service is so exceptionally good or extremely bad, I write reviews. It is so important that businesses keep their customers happy. Just because a purchase has been made, the process has not ended. In fact, revenues and customer loyalty can be easily lost (…) If a customer feels as though an incorrect decision was made, a return could take place (Jones, 2014).
The post-purchase behavior that I frequently do is to comment to others by word-of-mouth about which products I feel satisfied my needs, and I believe will be useful for other people’s needs too. I believe I am a good advertiser of things that I like. For example, I bought some sunglasses, and after I told my friends how pretty they are and how well they work, they copied me and bought those sunglasses too.
References
Beyond the Hedge (2015). 4 Different Types of Consumers & How to Market to Them.
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Jones, Shane (2014). The Six Stages of the Consumer Buying Process and How to Market to Them. Retrieved from:
Starbucks: What is the Role and Responsibility of a For-Profit, Public Company? (2018).
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EK Marketing Blog by Ericka Koehler 