Consumer Behaviour Midterm Exam

This paper is going to analyse my personal consumption by taking into consideration the following concept of segmentation, targeting and positioning, consumer motivation and personality, consumer perception, consumer learning and consumer attitude formation and change. Consumption of goods and services is a basic act that is performed by all of us whenever we purchase goods and services for personal and professional use.

The need is the most factor which leads to buy products and services. Need in fact is the catalyst which triggers the buying decision of individuals. After I recognizes my need for the following products and services, I tried to gather much information which influenced my decision making. I acquired information through the following sources:

1) Personal sources; I discussed my needs with my friends, family members and other acquaintances

2) Public sources like newspaper and magazine3) Commercial sources- advertisements, sales people, packaging of a particular product in

many cases prompt individual to buy the same and displays in the shops.

My consumption was guided by my last purchasing experience in my country, Zimbabwe and also considering the similarities of products and services in Cyprus. I also purchased new products and services because of the various reasons which influenced me. I will give an analysis of what influenced me to buy those products by applying different consumption approaches.

A post purchase evaluation of all the products and services is essential as a reference for future consumption. Post purchase evaluation refers to a customer’s analysis whether the product was useful to him or not whether product fulfilled his need or not? Below is an anthropologist field diary:

Anthropologist field diary of products and services

Date Commodities10 November 2016 Bread, Milk, Bananas and Coca cola

11 November 2016 Omo washing powder, Rox detergent, Sunlight, Beef Bourguignon

12 November 2016 Rice, EggDinner at El EVI Meat House Restaurant

13 November 2016 Domestos, Semolina and Heinz beanz

14 November 2016 Palmolive, bananas, mushroom, Cappy fruit juice and Cornflakes

15 November 2016 Vaseline, Turmeric. Mr Muscle detergent.

16 November 2016 Colgate, Nescafe classic, Shirt, Shoes and jersey

The Theory of Economic, symbolic and consumer culture perspectives is very applicable to my purchasing behavior.

The economic aspect of consumption is the dimension which is concerned with consumption from a purely economic benefit point of view. Many products on my consumption diary are basic commodities to satisfy human needs like food and there are clearly defined and tangible benefits that accrue from making the purchase

In this dimension, the acts of consumption are motivated by a desire to accrue benefits in the form of material gains for satiating the human need for food, clothing, shelter and other aspects concerned with these dimensions.

On the 16th of November 2016, I purchased Adidas Porsche design shoes online for social status as a Masters student. On the other hand, the theory of the symbolic perspective of consumption is concerned with the dimension of seeking consume goods and services from the perspective of acquiring social status and for what can be described as “cool capitalism” where the tendency to belong to a certain group of consumers with the overriding benefits being the value attached to the symbolism of belonging to that group. Under the Trio of needs, it fits well on affiliation need similar to Maslow’s social needs.

Adidas Porsche design shoe.

I bought a well-designed jersey with Apple label or logo to satisfy my need. The act of this purchase fall under the consumer cultural perspective of consumption whereby one acquires goods and services to satiate ones needs not merely for basic consumption but more towards consumption as an ingrained phenomenon that sees sensory gratification as an end. Apple label or logo is associated with electrical gadgets like laptops and phones, but the fact that it was on the jersey I bought it for social and class consciousness. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs it is under ego needs.

However, this is the reason that symbolic aspects of consumption that form part of the marketers strategies are often referred to as “populist capitalism” because of the fact that targeting these needs forms the basis for marketing strategies aimed at satisfying popular notions of class and status.

In addition to this, I saw bananas in Lemar Supermarket was displayed in an attractive way, there was a doll which was holding fresh bananas. My Nutrition and Dietetics lecturer once told us about the importance of taking a fruit every day for heath purposes. Moreover, it motivates me to buy the fruit as well as the display which was a stimuli that influenced me. I repeated to buy bananas again because of the cue and motivation of fulfilling the need.

Bananas

Classical conditioning, I learnt to relate an unrelated stimulus with a particular response that was previously elicited by a related stimulus, I bought Vaseline because of the packaging and previous adverts which shows love and affection, happiness and delight of the product. Applying Pavlov concept to my consumption, my response to Vaseline leads behavior response of love and affection, happiness and delight. Vaseline result in love and affection, happiness and delight. This principle of repetition, I begun to associate Vaseline, adverts and package (blue Color).

Vaseline

Classical conditioning concept applied again on OMO product, the stimulus discrimination influenced me to buy OMO. The Brand positioning is unique even the way it is displayed in the grocery store. I think about OMO when I want to do my laundry. The marketers placed the product in my mind through product differentiation.

Omo Washing Powder

Instrumental (Operant) conditioning approach, I bought a detergent called Domestos as a trial and error process but I was pleased with the results. It’s a multipurpose detergents which can be used on floor and sink and in bath room. I tried to use other products like Pax,Drops and Parozone but the performance was not up to standard.

Instrumental (Operant) conditioning approach, I also bought spices Beef Bourguignon and turmeric as a trial and error but I was satisfied by the performance. The package of Beef Bourguignon is similar to Royco package in Zimbabwe, which is also a spice for thickening sauce.

Beef Bourguignon

Coca cola adverts called Coca cola on the beat which was continuously repeated on the Zimbabwe Television every Friday from 6pm. Information processing and memory store plays an important role especially in purchasing. I will buy Coca cola because I rehearse the beat when I see Coca cola in a grocery store.

Hemispheral lateralization and passive, I learnt in passive way from watching television about Nescafe classic coffee. The advert was absorbed and processed in my brain. I purchased the Nescafe classic coffee without even having a change in attitude.

Premium brand loyalty influenced me to buy Palmolive soap. I have a strong attachment to the brand. The product satisfy me and I will repeat purchasing.

The cognitive component for Nescafe Classic Coffee. I have a belief that coffee can keep me awake, when I have got a lot of work to do because of caffeine. Coffee is hot and stimulates good on a cold morning especially in winter. It is not good on a hot summer evening when one wants to sleep.

Nescafe classic and Gold

On 12th November 2016, I had extra cash, l decided to eat out at El EVI Meat House restaurant. My attitude was affected by situation. Situations can cause consumers to behave in ways seemingly inconsistent with their attitude.

The effective component can be very applicable to the meal l ate at El EVI Meat House Restaurant. I selected durum Cesitlerimiz from the menu which was presented to me. I did not know other dishes on the menu except for durum cesitlerimiz which my friends recommended me to order.

According to my rating I was not satisfied with the food. The gap was widened between the customer satisfaction and service delivery.

An evaluation of the meal experience

excellent Good Average Below average PoorTaste and quality of food

Food temperature

Presentation of food

Overall value for my money

Menu variety

Quality of beverages

Restaurant cleanliness

Availability of sauces,

utensils, napkins etcEmployees are friendly and courteous

Waitress yes somewhat no N/AWas the waitress friendly and patient when taking our order

Was the waitress attentive and available when we needed her

Was the waitress knowledgeable and able to answer any questions we had about our menu or restaurant

My food order was correct and complete?

Did the waitress coordinate the timing of the courses well?

Overall, satisfaction with the service provided to our party by the waitress

The Conative component

My intention to buy products and service at EL EVI Meat House Restaurant

Would you recommend the restaurant to your friend? -------yes

-------noWhich of the following statement best describes the chance that I will buy durum cesitlerimiz

________I definitely will buy it________I probably will buy it________I am uncertain whether I will buy it________I probably will not buy it

________I definitely will not buy it

How likely I am to buy durum Cesitlerimiz during the next three months

-----Very likely-----Likely-----Unlikely

-----Very unlikely

Functional approach

Utilitarian function- I purchased two dishwashing detergents namely Rox and Sunlight. Sunlight has been useful and very powerful for scrubbing plates and kill ants and beat greasy hair. Rox detergent did not perform well and it was not powerful for scrubbing plates. I will not purchase Rox again.

Value expressive function- I purchased a shirt with a log of Giorgio Armani. My belief was that the brand is durable and of a good quality. The value of the shirt is well associated with the brand.

Intentional learning- I acquired information about mealie meal for cooking sadza. My friend advised me to buy samolina powder which is like mealie meal. In Zimbabwe we use maize to make mealie meal for sadza. The product can be perceived to be for a certain market segment and targeting people who eat sadza.

There is a differential threshold that applied when I purchased a fruit juice called cappy the package is more similar to that of a minute maid in Zimbabwe. There is a minimum amount of change that can be detected. Sensory adaptation is becoming accommodated to a central level of stimulation and becoming less able to notice a particular stimulus

Cappy fruit juice in Cyprus

Minute Maid in Zimbabwe

Subliminal perception there is some evidence that subliminal stimuli may influence affective reactions. There is this fascinating subliminal perception for over a long period for example for someone to purchase Coca cola. There is an advert for Coca cola featured frost shaped in the image of a naked woman on top of a can.

My motive to purchase bread, cornflakes, rice, and milk was to satisfy my need or want even though the package was different from the Zimbabwe ones. I believe that the stronger the need, the greater the tendency to ignore unrelated stimuli in the environment. In addition it was a selective attention, is when consumers heightened awareness of stimuli that meet their needs or interests and minimal awareness of stimuli irrelevant to their needs.

Heinz is a well-known brand which positioned itself in the minds of customers. I purchased Heinz beans because of the brand name. I also bought Mr Muscle detergent for cleaning purposes because of the brand image as well as service image of the brand.

Cheddar cheese and gouda cheese prices are very high because I have a perceived price according to the value that I will gain from the product. That influenced my purchasing intention of that product in Lemar Supermarket.

Perceived risk –There was a degree of uncertainty perceived, I purchased mushroom because I was not sure of the consequences of that purchasing decision. I was not aware of the taste and the quality but at the end I purchased the product.

In nutshell, marketer plays an important role in convincing and persuading customers to buy products through packaging, advertising and segmenting. The need for consumption is always in every human being but what influence the decision making process are marketers.