Describe how the decision process influenced consumer behavior.

In writing, apply a decision-making model of your choosing to a complex purchasing decision that you have made in the past.
Introduction
Consumer behavior is one of the most interesting topics in the discipline of marketing. Attempting to understand why consumers buy certain products but not others or why a particular product becomes a must-have item is fascinating detective work. To engage in these types of activities, it is necessary to understand the role of consumer behavior within the discipline of marketing, as well as the different approaches to consumer decision-making. Although understanding precisely why consumers behave the way they do is not always possible, it is generally possible to understand themes, or the overarching rationale, for certain types of behavior. For example, convenience is a theme that pervades an enormous number of goods and services.
The wide range of consumer preferences creates many different categories of customers and a large number of choices of products. Because of the variability within consumer behavior, it is important to know how consumer behavior has evolved and what trends may appear in the future. By understanding how consumer decision-making impacts the products that are available now and in the future, marketers may help direct their companies to decisions that meet customer needs and bring greater profitability.
Preparation
To prepare for this assessment, please review the following important topics:
Targeting to Customer Preferences
The ability of modern companies to be successful often depends on their ability to target particular products to the right type of customer. Having a clear understanding of the different categories, or segments, of customers is a critical part of targeted marketing. Such segmentation has not always been the way products are marketed.
At the turn of the 20th century, Campbell’s Soup was sold in only 21 flavors, whereas today, Campbell’s has over 30 flavors of low-sodium soup alone—not to mention the dozens of other flavors that are available to meet consumers’ wants (CSC Brands, 2005). The simple lesson from Campbell’s is that companies must understand the different segments of customers and their preferences and tailor their marketing efforts as needed.
Consumer Decision-Making Process
Although one person’s consumption habits may look like random craziness to other people, the reality is that most individuals employ a fairly standardized process for certain types of purchasing decisions. Understanding the theories related to models for consumer decision-making is a first step for marketers who want to make sense of consumers’ actions.
Many variables affect the type of decision processes a consumer will use, but patterns in decision-making do emerge. For example, when a consumer is buying his or her first car, this consumer is likely to fully engage in each of the steps in the consumer decision-making process. However, when a consumer becomes loyal to a particular brand of cars and is about to buy his or her eleventh new vehicle, he or she will most likely truncate the decision-making process dramatically.
Reference
CSC Brands, Inc. (2005). Campbell’s: Our company. http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/
As consumers, we all undergo a decision-making process when considering which products to purchase and use. Choose a complex purchasing decision of which you have been a part in your personal life or in your job. Using a decision-making model of your own choosing and your chosen complex purchasing decision, complete the following:
Define your chosen decision-making model.
Describe, in detail, how you experienced each step in this consumer decision-making model as it applies to your complex purchasing decision.
For clarity, describe each step in a separate paragraph.
Use proper APA style and formatting. The content of your assessment should determine its length. Visit Evidence and APA for help with APA.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Assess the role that customers assume to acquire, consume, and dispose of products and services.
Describe how the decision process influenced consumer behavior. Competency 2: Analyze consumer behavior.
Analyze consumer behavior within a complex purchasing decision. Competency 3: Assess the managerial application of customer behavior concepts.
Assess the managerial application of customer behavior concepts.

Resources
Consumer Behavior Terminology.
KnowThis.com. (n.d.). Consumer buying behavior tutorial. https://www.knowthis.com/consumer-buying-behavior/consumer-buying-intro/
Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. (2018). CB8: Consumer behavior (8th ed.). Cengage. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
“The Evaluation of Marketing-
Marketing is similar to many business disciplines in that it has evolved a great deal. Although there may be some debate about the specific phrases that are used to describe the evolution of marketing, the basic principles are generally agreed upon.
As economies developed during the early 1900s, the efficient manufacturing of goods became the primary concern. In that era, almost any finished good was appreciated by consumers.
The mentality of businesses toward customers during this timeframe is often described as a production orientation or a manufacturing orientation, because the primary focus of most businesses was on becoming more efficient producers of goods.
As manufacturing practices became more established, the number of firms producing similar products increased. After World War II, there was increased competition and more companies were entering the marketplace. Production had become more efficient, but companies were still not very good at understanding what customers wanted.
With increased production capacity and more competitors, the overall orientation of most firms was that of a sales orientation. This sales orientation involved companies working harder to sell their products through increased advertising. But most companies still did not ask customers about their preferences.
For example, in the late 1940s, the very first microwave ovens were invented—more by accident than because customers were asked about their cooking needs.
Between the 1950s and 1970s most firms in the U.S. started to realize that their ability to manufacture goods had surpassed demand.

At this point, companies began to investigate consumer behavior. This timeframe is typically referred to as the marketing era or a marketing orientation.

In the 1980s, and certainly by the 1990s, many U.S. companies had begun making efforts to customize or tailor their products to consumer’s needs, in very detailed ways.

A number of broad labels have been given to these efforts, such as one-to-one marketing, customer relationship management, or a consumer orientation.”
“Customer, Fans, and Friends-
Marketing textbooks describe the relationships of different types of customers to particular companies in many different ways. In the Consumer Behavior textbook, by Roger Blackwell, the terms customers, fans, and friends are used to describe categories of consumers.

In that model, customers are generally indifferent to the company and are primarily price-driven. In fact, people who are only customers of a firm may be surprised when they receive quality service from the business. People categorized as customers are also likely to stop purchasing from a business if they encounter a bad experience with the company.

Friends, as defined by Blackwell, are a people who are more invested in their relationship with a company than a customer is. People classified as friends of a company are more interested in the value the firm can provide than the price. Price can still be important, but overall value is more important. Consumers that are categorized as friends of a company are more likely to tell the company about experiencing lower quality and provide the firm a chance to fix issues. Friends of a company feel a connection to the company that may be based on actual experiences, or simply on gut reactions to the company.

Having fans, as Blackwell describes them, is the true hope of all companies. Fans of a company are the consumers that actually enjoy interacting with a company and have the expectation that interactions with the company will go well. Fans are likely to speak well of the company to others. When issues related to poor service are experienced, and subsequently resolved, fans are likely to continue to purchase from the company.

Dividing consumers into customers, friends, and fans is one way a company might characterize the many different levels of its customers. Using three basic categories may oversimplify the true span of customers’ experiences, but it also allows for tactical dialogue on how to address the needs of broad sections of them.”

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