Consumers’ decision-making processes regarding purchasing

To understand the psychological impact of advertising on consumers, focus has to be placed on the stages of the consumer decision-making process and the relevant internal stages of the psychological process during purchasing. The stages of these two processes can be represented by the basic model illustrated in Figure 2.17.

Problem recognition (see Figure 2.17 (a)), occurs when the consumer perceives a need and becomes motivated to solve a problem (Belch & Belch, 2004: 107). This is not always a cognitive event. A person may or may not actively think of a need but yet still experience that need. The person may, for example, walk past a bakery, smell and see some cookies, which may then trigger a desire or need to have them. They will then act on this desire or need by entering the bakery to buy the cookies (Clow & Baack, 2005:

129). When choosing self-medication, the consumer will experience the symptoms of the illness, and then attempt to evaluate the severity in order to finally make a decision of treating their illness. Pharmaceutical marketers will use this step to, for example, inform the consumer that he or she could have a vitamin deficiency (Advertising: An important role in responsible self-medication in Canada, 1996). Once a need has been recognised, the person can start searching for information.

(a) Stages in the consumer decision-making process

Problem Information Alternative Purchase Post-purchase recognition search evaluation decision evaluation

(b) Relevant internal psychological processes

Motivation Perception Attitude formation Integration Learning

Figure 2.17 Basic model of consumer decision-making (Source: Belch & Belch, 2004: 105)

The second step, information search, usually begins internally where the consumer recalls mental images of products that might fulfil his or her needs. Past experiences of how a product has satisfied a need may be used to recall a brand that was used. If that resulted in a positive purchase experience the purchasing decision may be repeated. The information search then stops at the internal level but if it was a negative experience, or if the internal search did not yield enough information, the consumer will conduct an external search (Clow & Baack, 2005: 95). The external search will involve the search of external sources such as personal sources (for example, friends, relatives, or co-workers), public sources (for example, newspaper or magazine articles and television reports), personal experience (for example, handling, examining, testing products, or samples thereof), and commercial sources (for example, advertising information or the Internet) (Belch & Belch, 2004: 112).

The next step is alternative evaluation. During this step the consumer evaluates various purchase possibilities (Clow & Baack, 2005: 69). Criteria will be set to conduct this evaluation of various purchase possibilities whereby the benefits of one product can be weighed against another (Belch & Belch, 2004: 115; Clow & Baack, 2005: 69).

The fourth step is the purchase decision. After consumers have evaluated their various purchase possibilities, they will develop a purchase intention towards a certain brand (Belch & Belch, 2004: 120). Once consumers are totally satisfied with a specific brand, the purchase will occur (Clow & Baack, 2005: 135). It is important to remember that a purchase decision will not always lead to a purchase. Interventions to the actual purchase can occur and can include the attitude of others, anticipated situational influences (for example, family income or product cost), as well as unanticipated situational influences (for example, poor sales assistance) (Truter, 2006: 16).

The final step in the consumer decision-making process is the post-purchase evaluation.

The consumer will compare the performance level of the brand purchased to their expectations. If the consumer’s expectation was met, or even exceeded, satisfaction has occurred. If the consumer’s expectation was not met, dissatisfaction has occurred.

(Belch & Belch, 2004: 120; Truter, 2006: 17) Post-purchase evaluations affect future behaviour of consumers or businesses. Satisfaction will create additional purchases or even positive word-of-mouth communication, whereas dissatisfaction leads to brand switching or negative word-of-mouth. (Clow & Baack, 2005: 126.)

In order to understand why consumers buy, the internal psychological processes (see Figure 2.17(b)) of the consumer needs to be focused upon. Consumers will buy when they have a specific motive to do so. Motivation is based on Maslow’s well publicised Hierarchy of Needs which consists of the following five basic levels of human needs, arranged in a hierarchy from the most basic needs of a human being (Belch & Belch, 2004: 109; De Beer, Rossouw, Moolman, Le Roux & Labuschagne, 1998: 214):

• Physiological needs, for example, basic level of primary needs to survive.

• Safety needs, for example, security and safety against physical harm.

• Social needs, for example, a sense of belonging, and love.

• Esteem needs, for example, self-fulfilment.

• Self-actualisation needs, for example, self-development and realisation.

Perception consists of the following processes: (1) how consumers sense external information, (2) how they select and attend to various sources of information, and (3) how this information is interpreted and given meaning (Belch & Belch, 2004: 113).

These steps show that perception plays a major role in the second step of the consumer decision-making process, information search. Perception occurs when stimuli are registered by one of the following five senses of a human: vision, taste, smell, touch, and hearing (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2001: 92).

With print advertising, all focus will be aimed at the sense of vision. Colour is an important factor in visual perception (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2001: 92). Hoyer and MacInnis (2001: 92) found research that suggests that colour determines the visibility of stimuli. Colour used in advertising also has the ability to influence people or consumers’

psychological responses and moods (Hoyer & MacInnis, 2001: 92).

Attitude, from an advertising perspective, drives action (Clow & Baack, 2005: 11). The positive or negative feelings consumers may harbour following a purchase are of vital importance, especially when marketers want to ensure future sales (Belch & Belch, 2004:

117; Clow & Baack, 2005: 11).

Integration plays a major role in the third step of the consumer decision-making process, alternative evaluation. It is the way in which a product’s knowledge, meanings and beliefs are combined to evaluate two or more alternatives. Analysis of this process focuses on the different types of decision strategies consumers use to decide among the various purchase alternatives (Belch & Belch, 2004: 119).