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|CHAPTER 5 Consumer Markets and Buyer Behavior 185
How consumers go about evaluating purchase alternatives depends on the individual
consumer and the specific buying situation. In some cases, consumers use careful calculations
and logical thinking. At other times, the same consumers do little or no evaluating. Instead,
they buy on impulse and rely on intuition. Sometimes consumers make buying decisions on
their own; sometimes they turn to friends, online reviews, or salespeople for buying advice.
Suppose you’ve narrowed your car choices to three brands. And suppose that you are pri-
marily interested in four attributes—price, style, operating economy, and performance. By this
time, you’ve probably formed beliefs about how each brand rates on each attribute. Clearly,
if one car rated best on all the attributes, the marketer could predict that you would choose
it. However, the brands will no doubt vary in appeal. You might base your buying decision
mostly on one attribute, and your choice would be easy to predict. If you wanted style above
everything else, you would buy the car that you think has the most style. But most buyers con-
sider several attributes, each with different importance. By knowing the importance that you
assigned to each attribute, the marketer could predict and affect your car choice more reliably.
Marketers should study buyers to find out how they actually evaluate brand alterna-
tives. If marketers know what evaluative processes go on, they can take steps to influence
the buyer’s decision.
Purchase Decision
In the evaluation stage, the consumer ranks brands and forms purchase intentions. Gener-
ally, the consumer’s purchase decision will be to buy the most preferred brand, but two
Purchase decision
The buyer’s decision about which brand factors can come between the purchase intention and the purchase decision. The first factor
to purchase. is the attitudes of others. If someone important to you thinks that you should buy the lowest-
priced car, then the chances of you buying a more expensive car are reduced.
The second factor is unexpected situational factors. The consumer may form a purchase
intention based on factors such as expected income, expected price, and expected product
Postpurchase behavior benefits. However, unexpected events may change the purchase intention. For example,
The stage of the buyer decision process the economy might take a turn for the worse, a close competitor might drop its price, or a
in which consumers take further action friend might report being disappointed in your preferred car. Thus, preferences and even
after purchase, based on their satisfaction purchase intentions do not always result in an actual purchase choice.
or dissatisfaction.
Cognitive dissonance Postpurchase Behavior
Buyer discomfort caused by The marketer’s job does not end when the product is bought. After purchasing the prod-
postpurchase conflict. uct, the consumer will either be satisfied or dissatisfied and will engage in postpurchase
behavior of interest to the marketer. What determines whether the buyer is satisfied or
dissatisfied with a purchase? The answer lies in the relationship
between the consumer’s expectations and the product’s perceived per-
formance. If the product falls short of expectations, the consumer is
disappointed; if it meets expectations, the consumer is satisfied; if
it exceeds expectations, the consumer is delighted. The larger the
gap between expectations and performance, the greater the con-
sumer’s dissatisfaction. This suggests that sellers should promise
only what their brands can deliver so that buyers are satisfied.
Almost all major purchases, however, result in cognitive
dissonance, or discomfort caused by postpurchase conflict. Af-
ter the purchase, consumers are satisfied with the benefits of the
chosen brand and are glad to avoid the drawbacks of the brands
not bought. However, every purchase involves compromise. So
consumers feel uneasy about acquiring the drawbacks of the
chosen brand and about losing the benefits of the brands not
purchased. Thus, consumers feel at least some postpurchase
dissonance for every purchase.30
Why is it so important to satisfy the customer? Customer
satisfaction is a key to building profitable relationships with
Postpurchase cognitive dissonance: No matter what choice consumers—to keeping and growing consumers and reaping
they make, consumers feel at least some postpurchase their customer lifetime value. Satisfied customers buy a prod-
dissonance for every decision. uct again, talk favorably to others about the product, pay less
Stephane Bidouze/Shutterstock.com attention to competing brands and advertising, and buy other
