A.K.

SINHA
July 2012

Consumer Behavior Exercise The purpose of this exercise is to broaden your understanding of consumer behavior by bringing you face-to-face with a customer. The first step is to find a person who is not a member of this course and who could belong to either of the following segments: a.
b.

This person could have recently bought a product or service of one of the types listed below; This person could be using, for some time, a product or service of one of the types listed below*. This customer could be an institutional/industrial buyer or an individual/household

buyer. Your assignment is to conduct a 60-90 minutes depth interview as a team with this customer. The goal of the interview is twofold: 1. 2. 3. To understand the decision process that governed the purchase of this product or service in terms that can be useful to a marketing manager; To understand how the owner/user feels about the product or service. To draw upon the learning to make defensible marketing recommendations.

The attached list of questions is intended as a broad guide around which you can structure your depth interview. Please do not follow the list dogmatically as it is not complete and exhaustive. You may well need to ask more questions and in greater detail than the list permits. Your attempt should be to stimulate a lively discussion around these key question areas from which you can develop a deep understanding of the ownership/usage experience; and surface factors, in the environment and in the customers psyche, that determine why the customer acts, thinks, and feels the way s/he does. Be prepared to present your key insights to the class. Also, submit a summary of your teams thoughts in a report not exceeding 2 pages (please see the last page for the specifics of this assignment.) ________________________________________________________________________ * Choose a product from the following:

A. B. C.

A mundane product or service costing less than Rs100/-. A product or service costing over Rs100/- that performs a utilitarian function. A product or service costing over Rs100/- that, the customer feels, reveals something about the kind of person he or she is.

List of possible Questions: General Discussion Areas [The list below is only a guide and you are advised not to follow it dogmatically. Rather, use the questions below to spur inquiry that could give you deep insight into the consumers psychology and behavior.] Who was the decision making unit? Who bought the product or service? Identify all those who played a role in the decision process. What role did they play?

What motivated the purchase? What problems did the product/service solve? What functions would it facilitate? What attributes seemed important?

Characterize the decision. Was it a first-time decision? A review of a previous decision? A careful decision? A casual decision? Was the amount of deliberation appropriate to the decision?

Characterize the decision-making process. What triggered the process? Was there an information search? How was the search conducted? How much information was collected? What sources were used/relied upon? When in the process was what type of information gathered? How many alternatives were evaluated? Why those? How was the final choice determined?

Where did the consumer buy? Why there? Which came first: where to buy or what to buy?

How would you describe the consumption experience? How is the product/service used or consumed? Who uses it? When? Where? How often? What feelings and opinions surround the consumption experience?

What type of relationship does the customer have with the product or service? How long has the relationship been going on? How has it evolved and changed over time? What terms best describe the relationship: good, bad, mixed, love-hate, dependency, casual, partners, exploited, exploitative, good friends?

What kinds of things have gone wrong in the relationship? Stockouts, unavailability of parts or service, in appropriate communication, quality lapses, violations of norms or expectations or values.

What positive surprises have occurred? Exceptional service, welcome communication, performance above expectations, affirmation of values.

Is the customer satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service? What factors influence the level of felt (dis)satisfaction? How were expectations formed? Did the product exceed them or fall short? How?

What is the meaning of this product or service to the customer? How does the product/service fit into the customers life? What role does it play?

What role did advertising play in consumers information search and decision making? Was it informational in nature? Did it awaken a non-existing need/desire/want? Did it create a desirable image for the brand? Did it serve as a reminder and helped brand recall?

What role does the brand play in all this? ASSIGNMENT

BASED ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR THAT EMERGED FROM YOUR INTERVIEW, WHAT ARE THE MARKETING IMPLICATIONS (IN PARTICULAR, PRODUCT, PRICE, PROMOTION, AND PLACE) FOR THE BRAND/PRODUCT/SERVICE THAT WAS THE FOCUS OF YOUR INTERVIEW? SUBMIT A REPORT AS A TEAM NOT EXCEEDING 2 PAGES SUMMARIZING THE KEY FINDINGS AND MARKETING IMPLICATIONS THEREOF. PLEASE ASCERTAIN THAT YOUR REPORT HAS GOOD BREADTH OF COVERAGE OF ISSUES, THAT THE ISSUES ARE COVERED IN SUFFICIENT DEPTH, AND THAT THE MARKETING IMPLICATIONS ARE DEFENSIBLE BASED ON THE CONTENTS/FINDINGS OF THE INTERVIEW. YOUR SCORE WILL BE DETERMINED PRIMARILY BY THESE THREE CRITERIA.