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Consumer Behaviour And Marketing Communication
PURCHASE DECISION PROCESS
All messages must be received before it can generate action. In order for a message to be received, it
must penetrate the recipient’s consciousness and be interpreted as meaningful. The purchase decision
process depends on the following elements that are basic concepts behind human behaviour when a
purchasing decision is to be taken:
A TARGET GROUP: a combination of various individuals – each has his own needs, wants, motives,
attitudes and personality. These are basic concepts behind human behaviour when a purchasing decision
is to be taken.
NEEDS
It is believed that needs are insatiable, once a need is satisfied, another need surfaces. Generally, people
have both physiological and psychological needs.
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS: are needs for food, clothing, shelter, things that are basic to life existence.
PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS: the need to distinguish individuals as members of a particular social group,
to express their mastery, to attract the opposite sex, to protect them and their loved ones from dangers
or risks.
Needs are different among people because of their lifestyles, incomes, social group and other factors.
Needs may be at a conscious level – they are clearly recognized by the individual or needs can be at the
unconscious level – thus it will require a stimulus from outside the mind to expose the needs. A need
may exist in a latent state until activated by either internal or external forces or stimuli.
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Abraham Maslow has advanced a theory on the hierarchy of needs. He stated that human beings have
a five set of basic needs. As each prior level of needs is at least partially satisfied, a consumer will move
ahead to satisfy other sets of needs. These needs are classified from highest to lowest – physiological,
safety, love, esteem and self-actualization needs – human satisfaction of these needs are done in that
order as stated here:
- PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS: these are biological needs such as food, water, sleep, shelter and
others; they are the most important and powerful of all human needs. - SAFETY NEEDS: they are based on the need for physical safety and security, an emphasis
is part by the individual on risk avoidance by preferring familiar products and avoiding
unfamiliar products.