Unit 37:            Consumer Behaviour and Insight

Unit code         J/508/0596

Unit level         5

Credit value     15

Introduction

This unit is designed to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of the consumer’s decision-making processes, from needs recognition through research, the evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase evaluation. While students will learn the underpinning theories and frameworks, they will also be expected to relate these to real-world examples, including their own personal experiences.

·         How do we buy products and services?

·         What motivates us to seek out a particular product or service? What research do we undertake prior to making a decision?

·         Do we seek out other people’s opinions, perhaps through social media? To what extent do other people’s opinions influence our own?

·         How do we feel after we have made the purchase?

·         These are the types of questions to which organisations seek to gain answers. An important part of marketing is understanding the processes behind how a consumer makes the decision to purchase a product and/or service. This is applicable as much to Business to Business (B2B) as it is to Business to Consumer (B2C).

·         The knowledge, understanding and skill sets that students will gain on successfully completing this unit will enhance their career opportunities; whether setting up in business independently or being employed by an organisation.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit a student will be able to:

1.    Demonstrate the ability to map a path to purchase in a given category, including the decision-making process.

2.    Evaluate appropriate forms of research to understand influences on the decision- making process (B2C and B2B).

3.    Evaluate how marketers influence the different stages of the decision-making process (B2C and B2B).

Essential Content

LO1 Demonstrate the ability to map a path to purchase in a given category, including the decision-making process

Introduction to consumer decision-making:

·         Model of consumer decision-making. The five stage process

·         The value of mapping a path to purchase: the consumer decision journey from pre-purchase, purchase, receive and post-purchase.

·         Levels of consumer decision-making – extensive problem-solving, limited problem-solving and routine response behaviour.

·         Four views of consumer decision-making: economic, passive, emotional and cognitive.

Factors that influence decision-making:

·         The influence of heuristics on decision-making

·         The influence of elements of the marketing mix on decision-making.

·         The influence of new technologies (e.g. e-tailing, online transactions and purchasing, eBay and the rise of C2C purchasing).

·         Model for organisational decision-making. Different buying stages.

LO2 Evaluate appropriate forms of research to understand influences on the decision-making process (B2C and B2B)

Researching different stages of the decision-making process:

·         The differences between B2C and B2B decision-making processes.

·         How does market research differ between B2B and B2C? This covers skills sets, research methodology, sample sizes, the importance of tele-depth interviews and applying the Pareto principle.

Influences on the decision-making process:

·         Personality, self and motivation.

·         Measures of consumer learning: recognition and recall, attitudinal and behavioural.

·         Understanding aspects of consumer perception: dynamics, imagery and risk.

LO3 Evaluate how marketers influence the different stages of the decision- making process (B2C and B2B)

·         Approaches to consumer learning: behavioural and cognitive: Influence of culture and sub-culture on consumer behaviour. Patterns of buyer behaviour.

·         Role of opinion leaders in influencing purchasing decisions.

·         How organisations use an understanding of buyer behaviour to influence the decision-making process within both a B2C and B2B context.

·         The use of digital audience research developments to understand and influence consumer behaviour.