The consumer decision making process involves several steps: 1) Problem recognition occurs when a consumer perceives a need and becomes motivated to solve it, which can come from being out of stock, dissatisfaction, new needs/wants, related purchases, or marketing. 2) Information search happens as consumers look for information from personal sources like friends, market sources like advertisements, and public sources to inform their purchase decision. 3) Evaluation of alternatives involves consumers comparing different brands or products based on attributes to determine which options can best solve their problem or need. 4) The purchase decision is made after integrating information through heuristics and forming purchase intentions regarding specific brands.

2. Consumer decision Making Process

3. Problem recognition
 Occurs when the consumer perceives a need and becomes
motivated to solve the problem.
 Sources of Problem Recognition:
 Out of stock – consumers use their existing supply and it must be
replenished
 Dissatisfaction – consumers become dissatisfied with the current
state of affairs and/or product being used
 New needs/wants – changes in consumers’ lives often result in new
needs/wants
 Related products/purchases – other needs are stimulated by the
purchase of a product
 Market-induced recognition – marketers encourage consumers to
be dissatisfied with their current situation, and they try to create
new needs and wants
 New products – innovative products are introduced and brought to
the attention of consumers

4. Motivation
Motivations in subconscious
• Strong inhibitions
• Symbolic meaning of products and
brands
• Surrogate behaviors
• Complex and unclear motives
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Freudian Psychoanalytic
Probing the Minds of Consumers
In-depth interviews Association tests
Projective techniques Focus groups

5. Information Search
 Once consumers perceive a problem or need they begin to
search for information needed to make a purchase decision
 sources of information
 Personal sources – friends, relative, co-workers
 Market sources – information from advertisers,
salespeople, in-store displays and the Internet
 Public sources, etc. – articles in magazines or
newspapers
 Personal experience – handling, examining, or using the
product

6. Perception Process
 Process by which an individual receives, selects, organizes, and
interprets information to create a meaningful picture of the world
 It depends on internal factors, such as a person’s beliefs, experiences,
needs, moods, and expectations.
 Selective perception occurs as:
 Selective exposure – occurs as consumers choose whether to make
themselves available to information
 Selective attention – occurs when the consumer chooses whether to focus
attention on certain stimuli while excluding others.
 Selective comprehension – occurs when consumers interpret information
on the basis of their own attitudes, beliefs, motives, and experiences.
 Selective retention – occurs as consumers cannot recall all of the
information they receive but may choose to retain information of particular
relevance.

7. Evaluation of Alternatives
 In this stage, the consumer compares the various brands or products he or
she has identified as being capable of solving the consumption problem or
satisfying needs.
 The brands identified as potential purchase options are referred to as the
consumer’s evoked set.
 The goal of most advertising and promotional strategies is to increase the
likelihood that a brand will be included in the consumer’s evoked set and
considered during alternative evaluation
 Evaluative criteria are the dimensions or attributes of a product or service
that are used to compare different alternatives.
 Objective– based on concrete attributes that are tangible and can be
directly judged or experienced by the consumer, such as price or
warranty.
 Subjective – based on abstract attributes that are intangible and more
subjective in nature, such as style, appearance, or product image.

8. Attitude
Multiattribute Attitude Models
 How marketers can influence consumer attitudes, including:
 Increasing or changing the strength or belief rating of a brand on a
particular attribute.
 Changing consumers’ perceptions of the importance or value of an
attribute.
 Adding a new attribute to the attitude formation process.
 Changing perceptions of beliefs ratings for a competing brand.

9. Purchase Decision and Evaluation
Pre-evaluation Decision Post evaluation
Satisfaction
Integration Purchase intention
processes
Dis-satisfaction
Heuristics
Brand loyalty
Affect referral Cognitive
decision rule dissonance

10. Thank you