Consumer Decision Making: Softsoap Paper #1 3/14/14 [Student name removed for privacy] Executive Summary: Body wash is a product that just about everyone uses on a daily basis. It is not an expensive product and it is something that you buy quite often. When you run out of one body wash you must go to the store and pick another one. It may sound easy but there are many decision making steps that go along with choosing the right one for you. You don’t just have to go through the decision making process steps. You also have to look into specifics about the brand and product. It is about how the product makes you feel, how you connect with the product. You may not know, but your personality can influence your decision. It can make you pick one brand of body wash over another. Other factors such as the look, smell, knowledge and attitude can also affect your decision. I ended up going with Softsoap. It was not the cheapest or most expensive when it came to price. I went with a product that was very appealing and attractive to me, the one that I heard good things about. I didn’t have any problem when it came to finding or making my purchase. It is a common product that you can find at any local drugstore or supermarket. Since the product is cheap and one I buy often I didn’t have to worry too much about what to do if I didn’t like it. I am glad I made my decision and went with Softsoap. It was a great quality product and had everything in it that I wanted. It also gave me things that I didn’t think it would, for example it made me feel a little fancier since it wasn’t the boring cheap Suave. The process in choosing the right body wash went very smoothly and in the end I believe I made a great choice in choosing Softsoap. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Decision Making Process 4 Attitudes towards the Product 6 Affect, Cognition, Behavior 7 Perception and Reality 7 Attention 8 Memory, Retention, Learning 8 Motivation 9 Personality 9 Involvement level 10 Intentions 10 Knowledge 10 Judgment 10 Summary/Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction: I had to make a decision after figuring out my body wash was empty. I became a customer and had to make the decision as to which brand and product to buy. I wanted to make sure that I went through all the steps of the decision making process. I had my need, then had to do some research, weigh my options, make my choice and evaluate. I also looked at specific features in the consumer decision making process. When looking at the different body washes. I wanted a product that was of good quality. I didn’t want it to be too watery. I also wanted to pay close attention to the price. I didn’t want something above $4. I think that is too much for something that you have to buy all the time, and since I am a young college student, I do not have a ton of money. Body wash is a product that I use every day. It is something that I buy often and that also must smell good to give me extra confid.

1. Consumer Decision Making: Softsoap
Paper #1
3/14/14
[Student name removed for privacy]
Executive Summary:
Body wash is a product that just about everyone uses on a daily
basis. It is not an expensive product and it is something that you
buy quite often. When you run out of one body wash you must
go to the store and pick another one. It may sound easy but
there are many decision making steps that go along with
choosing the right one for you. You don’t just have to go
through the decision making process steps. You also have to
look into specifics about the brand and product. It is about how
the product makes you feel, how you connect with the product.
You may not know, but your personality can influence your
decision. It can make you pick one brand of body wash over
another. Other factors such as the look, smell, knowledge and
attitude can also affect your decision. I ended up going with
Softsoap. It was not the cheapest or most expensive when it
came to price. I went with a product that was very appealing
and attractive to me, the one that I heard good things about. I
didn’t have any problem when it came to finding or making my
purchase. It is a common product that you can find at any local
drugstore or supermarket. Since the product is cheap and one I
buy often I didn’t have to worry too much about what to do if I

2. didn’t like it. I am glad I made my decision and went with
Softsoap. It was a great quality product and had everything in it
that I wanted. It also gave me things that I didn’t think it would,
for example it made me feel a little fancier since it wasn’t the
boring cheap Suave. The process in choosing the right body
wash went very smoothly and in the end I believe I made a great
choice in choosing Softsoap.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
Introduction 4
Decision Making Process 4
Attitudes towards the Product 6
Affect, Cognition, Behavior 7
Perception and Reality 7
Attention 8
Memory, Retention, Learning 8
Motivation 9
Personality 9
Involvement level 10
Intentions 10
Knowledge 10
Judgment 10
Summary/Conclusion 11
References 12
Introduction:
I had to make a decision after figuring out my body wash was
empty. I became a customer and had to make the decision as to
which brand and product to buy. I wanted to make sure that I
went through all the steps of the decision making process. I had
my need, then had to do some research, weigh my options, make
my choice and evaluate. I also looked at specific features in the
consumer decision making process. When looking at the
different body washes. I wanted a product that was of good
quality. I didn’t want it to be too watery. I also wanted to pay

3. close attention to the price. I didn’t want something above $4. I
think that is too much for something that you have to buy all the
time, and since I am a young college student, I do not have a
ton of money. Body wash is a product that I use every day. It is
something that I buy often and that also must smell good to give
me extra confidence. All in all, the steps in the decision making
process and looking at the consumer behaviors were not easy
but after evaluation I made a purchase and found a good body
wash.
Decision Making Process:
The first step of the decision making process is problem
recognition. This is the step where I first realized that I needed
body wash. While taking a shower one day, I realize that my
body wash is low and that I need to get more. So I make the
decision to go to the store in order to fulfill my need and get
more body wash.
The next step is the information search which has two parts.
The first part I went through was the internal search. I recalled
different brands that I have used in the past. I thought about the
price, how they felt on my skin, different scents I liked or
disliked. The second part is the external search. Here I went and
asked my mom for advice of what soap would be the best and
asked if she had any suggestions. I also used advertising that I
had previously seen. I also went and searched in two different
stores. I went to CVS and Walmart. I looked at the different
products and started to compare and contrast.
The third step is evaluation of alternatives. During this stage I
looked at different brands as alternatives. Some of the brands
that I considered were Suave, Softsoap, Dove, Olay, Herbal
Essences, St. Ives, and Dial. There were some I eliminated
quickly because of price. These included Dove, Olay, and
Herbal Essences. Looking at the remaining brands I took out St.
Ives. Although that brand is known for being prestigious to me I
think of that as older. The scents were also not to my liking.
This left me with Dial, Suave, and Softsoap. I have heard rave
reviews of each of the three. From research they are all

4. excellent. They all of a good price and have yummy smell
scents. For the following three body washes I had to do
additional research. When evaluating Dial I found out they have
three different types of products, one that is fresh, one that
moisturizes, and the last that nourishes. The nourishing
products were instantly attractive. They had ones that was for
skin therapy, vitamin boost, and with antioxidants. Suave on the
other hand did not have as many features. They have creamy
naturals and naturals. From past experiences I know I do not
like creamy naturals. When looking at the naturals they have
great scents. They offer nothing special for your skin except to
get you clean and to smell good. Of the three body washes, this
one was the cheapest though. The final product I looked into
was Softsoap. They also had attractive features. They have their
skincare collection which has body butter which includes a
scrub, ultra-rich, and one with coconut oil which is good for
your skin. Their normal soaps are called their fragrance
collection. All the flavors are very unique. They are also
moisturizing body washes and have moisture beads.
After looking at all the alternatives it was time for me to make
my decision. With the unique flavors, good price, and moisture
beads I decided to go with Softsoap. The good brand and
reasonable price made me want to try this product. I next had to
decide where and when to buy. The “when to buy” was pretty
easy. I knew that I was out, and that I would need it the next
day when I went to take my shower. I could not wait around for
it to go on sale more; I had to buy it that day. I was going out to
two stores that day, CVS and Walmart so I knew that I would
buy it from one of those stores. I thought about where they
would have the best selection, and where, if any place would
have good sales or promotions. Since this was a cheap product I
didn’t have to worry that much about return policies. They are
also generic stores so the atmosphere of the store really didn’t
play a role in the process. I ended up getting Juicy Pomegranate
and Mango Infusion Softsoap from the fragrance collection. I
purchased it from Walmart because they had a larger selection

5. of scents and it was a cheaper price.
After using the product I am extremely satisfied with the
product. It definitely leaves your skin soft. The scent is also
great. It is not one of the scents that you can barely smell it is
strong but not too strong. Overall, I feel great about the
purchase that I made. I believe that what I got was of great
value. I now know next time I need body wash I do not need to
search out brands because I plan on buying Softsoap again and
again. It is by far the best body wash that I have used and it is a
great price.
Attitudes towards the Product:
I have an overall great and positive attitude towards the
product. I had a great experience using the product. It was
exactly as advertised. This makes me very trusting towards the
brand as well since I got what was advertised. I am also very
open to other things by the Softsoap brand now too. I feel
optimistic and confident that that this product will be good for a
long time and that any product I buy that is Softsoap will be
equally satisfying. I have a positive attitude not only about the
product, but the store and the whole purchasing situation. Since
I was just buying body wash and it was a less than $5 purchase
it was easy to do and to buy. I was very satisfied and happy.
Affect, Cognition, Behavior:
Affect, cognition, and behavior are all attitude components that
were in my buying situation. First is affect which included my
emotions and feelings about the product. I had a good feeling
about the product. It seemed to be a good product and made me
happy to buy it. I also like things that are unique and smell
good. I don’t want a dull smell and that helped when making my
decision. From a cognitive perspective I loved the certain
features of the product like the beads. I believed this put it
about the rest. I also thought that the certain attributes made it
more appealing. I liked that it looked energizing and the price
was good. Overall, the benefits of the product were very good.
Lastly, the behavioral component, which is how you respond to
the product, made me want to buy this specific body wash

6. again. It also made me want to purchase and to recommend and
spread the word of how good it is to family and friends.
Perception and Reality:
My perception of the product before I bought it was based off
the looks and information that I had heard. Visually I thought it
was a very good looking product. I saw it as clean, bright and
fresh. I had not seen many advertisements, maybe just one but
that ad really stuck in my head. The product itself also had a
good balance between looking random and deliberate. It was not
random enough to make it look careless or messy and also not
so deliberate that it looks stiff or forced but rather a good mix
of both showing how the product is important. I also perceived
the product as more than the cheap boring stuff. Although it was
cheap, it caught my attention of being nice and higher end. The
special features also made me think highly of the product. In
reality it was very similar to my perception. I did not feel let
down. Softsoap was as advertised and my perception of it was
pretty accurate.
Attention:
The first thing that got my attention of the product was the
unique scents. They were not just like grape or orange but
rather juicy pomegranate and mango infusion, sweet
honeysuckle and orange peel, citrus splash and berry fusion,
acai berry and tropical water etc. They were also bright colors
and the bottles were a cool streamline design. It was very fresh
and modern looking. The pictures on the front were also fun,
inviting and bright. I also really liked the price. It was a big
bottle for only around $3.50. Another thing that caught my eye
was the moisture beads. You could see through the bottle and
you could see the beads. This was a huge plus because it set it
above the rest of the kinds of body washes. All of these factors
just made this product so much more attractive to me over other
products and brands. It was more unique and had elements of
fancy body wash for a cheap price.
Memory, Retention, Learning:
Memory, retention, and learning impacted my product purchase.

7. Memory was slightly used because I remember being told by
family and friends that this was a good brand. I also
remembered different advertisements that featured beneficial
aspects of the product. I retained all that information as well
and it left me with positive thoughts about the product. Memory
also came into effect when thinking about what product to
choose because it helped me narrow down my choice. I have had
bad experience and have hear negative things about some brands
so I knew what I didn’t want to buy by thinking about what I
had previously been told. Learning was also impacted in my
product purchase. I had to learn some about the product in order
to make my decision. Although, I was not overly worried about
picking a bad product, since it was cheap and I purchase it
often, I still wanted something I would enjoy. I learned about
the different features and this caused my behavior to change
because it made me really want the product. It also made me
learn that I wanted to buy this product again. I want to be a
repeat customer because I was satisfied by the product. Lastly,
learning also brought me towards this product and away from
others when I was doing research and comparing and
contrasting the products and their features.
Motivation:
My motivation was not that high when it came to securing the
product. Although, after research I did want the product because
I thought it was best. If I could not have got that one, I could
have easily found another replacement. This is not one of those
products that I go store to store searching for. I will more often
get it where it is most convenient. If they wouldn’t have had it I
would have just gone with the next best. I just wanted the
Softsoap for personal fulfilment. Overall even after buying the
product and having such a positive experience, my motivation to
buy this product is moderately low. As much as I loved it, I feel
like I could find something else to use if I had to.
Personality:
My personality probably had a little impact on my product
purchase as well. I would say that I am unique, friendly, and a

8. very positive person. I liked how the scents were unique
because it was like me. I also liked how the picture and label
was friendly and inviting it was also bright giving a good
impression. If I would have to give the bottle and scent of
Softsoap a personality I would say it would be a lot like mine. It
was bright and colorful which makes me think of happy, bubbly
and cheerful. This all being said I felt like I could relate. My
personality also being upbeat I wanted something that could
wake me up and that looked happy. That is why I went with
Softsoap.
Involvement level:
When buying Softsoap there was a low involvement because of
the low price and because it is something I buy frequently. I
really didn’t have to put too much work into researching the
product. If it didn’t work as I wanted, or if I didn’t like it, it
would not have been that big of a deal. The personal, social, and
economic risk was all very low. Since it was low involvement
this affected my product purchase because I knew there was low
risk and it didn’t matter as much. There was no pressure.
Intentions:
My original intention was to just get a new body wash. I wanted
one that smelled good and left my skin feeling nice and soft. I
also wanted one that was a good cheap price. I did not want to
spend over $4 for a bottle. I really did not deteriorate that much
from my original intention. Although, I thought I would just
pick the cheapest one. I did decide to go with the one that was
the best overall value. I did this because I wanted the most out
of my money and I also decided I wanted to find something that
I really loved. Other than that I got exactly what I thought I was
going to get.
Knowledge:
I only had a little bit of internal knowledge. I knew that the
brand had a good reputation. I also had heard that it does make
your skin very soft. From family and advertisements I had
previously seen. I knew that the product would be pretty good. I
knew at least that it wasn’t a bad product. This did have a slight

9. impact on my decision because if I had heard bad stuff about
the product then I probably would not have bought it. I would
have found an alternative and went with one of them instead.
Judgment:
I did not have very many biases on the store, situation, or
product. The store was one that I shop at often. The situation
was relatively easy to figure out and the product was just a body
wash. The decision did not have too much input in it. I had only
heard good thing about the product but I had also heard good
thing about other alternatives. In the ultimate buying situation I
didn’t have any preconceived judgments or biases.
Summary/Conclusion:
The decision making process is not easy. There are a lot of steps
and things as a consumer that you do not initially realize. You
see stuff, feel a certain way, or perceive things one way and you
may not even realize that you do. When picking out a body
wash I had to go through the different decision making steps. It
was not that hard of a task because of the low involvement of
the product. I believe if I had a product that was more
expensive, or that I bought less often, I would have to put a lot
more thought, research, time and effort into it. Even with this
little product I had to take a lot of things into consideration. It
was the features, price, and how the product made me feel. A
big factor that went into my decision was also what I knew or
heard about from friends and family. Word of mouth and
hearing positive things helped me make my decision. Any
knowledge that I already knew or that I gathered though the
decision making process also weighed heavily on my decision.
After going through the steps and picking out Softsoap I think I
made a great decision. I am completely satisfied with my
choice. I love the price, scent, and everything about the product.
From a marketing perspective I think the marketing team of
Softsoap did an excellent job. They made me a huge fan of their
brand. They also had many ways that attracted me to the brand
like the bold colors and scents, and the design. Overall,
Softsoap exceeded my expectations and is a great product.

10. References
Body Wash - Fragrance & Premium Moisturizing Body Wash
Collections - Skin Bath Moisturizer, Hydrating Cleanser |
Softsoap®. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2014, from
http://www.colgate.com/app/Softsoap/US/EN/Body-
Wash.cvsp#Collection=Fragrance-Collection
body wash - Walmart.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2014,
from http://www.walmart.com/search/search-
ng.do?Find=Find&_refineresult=true&ic=16_0&search_constrai
nt=0&search_query=body+wash&facet=gender%3AWomen
Body Wash | Dial. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2014, from
http://www.dialsoap.com/category/body-wash
Body Wash | Suave. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from
http://www.suave.com/product/category/661994/body-body-
wash
SECTION 1
Question 1
You are to watch the Video 13: Best Buy:Using Customer
Centricity to Connect with Consumers. You can view the video
by going to the Online learning center at the course web site:
http://www.mhhe.com/hawkins12e .
1) The atmospherics in the "Jill" stores differ from that of other
Best Buy stores. How do these differences relate to gender
differences in shopping behaviors and satisfaction?
2) What role does the Geek Squad play in Best Buys' customer
centricity approach? How does this service affect the
consumer's purchase decision? What are the risks involved?
3) When considering time as an important situational factor,

11. how does Best Buy try to increase consumer product knowledge,
number of purchases, and satisfaction within the in-store
experience?
4) Based on the store image components discussed in Chapter
17, how do you feel Buy Best is doing on these
dimensions? Explain.
Question 2
You are to watch Video 3: Activeion's Green
Solution
. You can view the video by going to the Online learning center
at the course web site: http://www.mhhe.com/hawkins12e .
1) Does Activeion Cleaning