Methods for Studying Consumer Behaviour
The various methods which help in studying consumer behaviour are categorized into three major methodological approaches,
1. Observation
An observation approach to consumer research basically includes observing consumer behaviours in various situations like, natural settings, laboratory settings, so on. This approach is further classified into three different types. They are,
(i) In-home Observation
In this type of observation, the marketers gets into the peoples home in order to explore how do they consume the products.
(ii) Shadowing
It is a method where in the researcher accompanies or “shadows” consumers with the help of shopping and consumption processes, raising questions with respect to each and every step of the process. The answers are generally being recorded on audio or video tapes.
(iii) Physiological Observational Methods
These methods are usually being used by consumer researchers who follow or borrow the techniques either from medical psychology and other sciences, etc. These methods use cameras to ascertain the eye movement, Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and MRI.
2. Interview and Surveys
The consumer analysts also collects the information from consumers with the help of surveys and interviews.
Surveys are the most efficient method of collecting information from a large sample of consumers by raising queries and recording their reactions.
Surveys can be conducted with the help of mail, telephone, internet or in person, wherein each and very method holds its certain own advantages and disadvantages.
3. Experimentation
This method aims at comprehending the cause-and-effect relationships by carefully controlling the independent variables like number of advertisements, package design, methods of communication in order to ascertain how these changes influence the dependent variables like, purchase intent or behaviour.
A laboratory experiment is carried out in physical environment, which allows the maximum control of variables which are being studied. While the field experiment occurs in a natural setting like a home or a store.
Importance of Understanding Consumer Behaviour
Understanding consumer behaviour is necessary for all organizational consumers. Organizational consumers mainly focus on individual consumer behaviour as they deal with different products which have impact on different people. The study of consumer behaviour is of great importance not only for consumers, students and scientists but also to marketers.
Importance to Consumers
Every person is a consumer and engage himself in one or the other consumption related activities. It is necessary for consumers to identify their perception about goods which holds a great impact on their daily live.
Importance to Student and Scientists
It is necessary for students and even for scientists to study consumer behaviour as it is apart of human behaviour which deals with both internal and external reasons acting as a driving force for purchase decisions.
Importance to Marketer
Consumer behaviour has a great impact on marketers. The study of consumer behaviour is necessary for marketer to identify the consumption decisions so that marketers can develop competitive strategies against their rivals.
Consumer Behaviour Models
The marketing experts are forced by the influences of social sciences to develop some models to describe the buyer behaviour Following are the buyer behaviour models.
1. The Economic Model
According to the economic model of buyer behaviour, the buyer is a rational man whose buying decisions are managed by the concept of utility. At the time of purchasing, buyer allocates his money in a rational manner to maximize the utility or benefits.
2. The Learning Model
The learning model emerged from the Pavlovian stimulus – response theory, it explains that buyer behaviour is effected by controlling the drives, stimuli and responses of the buyer. This model is based on learning, forgetting and discriminating skills of an individual.
3. The Psychoanalytical Model
The psychoanalytical model is extracted from Freudian psychology. According to this model, every individual buyer have some predetermined objectives which results in certain buying decisions. The buyer has its own fears, wishes and desires which influence his buying actions.
4. The Sociological Model
The sociological model explains that individual buyer is mostly effected by society, by personal groups and social classes. In this model, buying decisions are not influenced by utility but they are effected by the environmental conditions and societal compulsions.
5. The Nicosia Model
Marketing scholars have developed buyer behaviour models from point of view of marketing man. The significant models of them are Nicosia model and Howard Sheth model, they belong to systems model category. Systems model is the one in which human beings are considered as system, stimuli as input and behaviour as the output of the system. The Nicosia model identifies a relationship between a firm and its consumer that how consumer and his buying decisions are effected by the activities of the firm. In Nicosia model, firm attract the customers towards the product then customer develop some feelings towards the product depending on situation. Customer begin to search and evaluate the product, if he is satisfied then make the decision to buy.
6. The Howard-Sheth Model
The Howard-Sheth model was developed by John Howard and Jagdish Sheth in 1969. In this model, inputs are the incentive and output is the purchase decision. There are many variables between inputs and outputs which influence perception and learning.
These variables are regarded as “hypothetical” as they cannot be evaluated at the time of their existence. However, many models were developed to describe the buyer behaviour but no model can clearly explain about the buyer behaviour. The models explained above are useful in getting knowledge of buyer behaviour.