Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

As the marketplace becomes more crowded, consumers often make

purchase decisions relying more on a brands image than on its physical

characteristics. Marketers and advertisers recognize that products (and

services) have symbolic images that are often more important to a products

success than are its actual physical attributes and characteristics (Aaker,

1991; Pettijohn et at., 1992; Triplett, 1994).

Furthermore, creating a brand image which is similar to the self-

concept or self-image of a potential consumer might increase the percentage

of buying that specific product. Consumer knowledge is a relevant and

significant consumer construct that influences how consumers gather and

organize information and ultimately, what products they buy and how they use

them (Alba & Hutchinson, 1987).

Consumers judge products and make choices among alternatives

based on marketer-provided cues. Cues used to judge products can be

intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic cues refer to physical attributes (e.g. color, size)

and performance specifications (e.g. 150 horsepower). Extrinsic cues are

market determined, intangible attributes, and include brand name, retailer and

country of origin (Olson, 1997).

In the Philippines, online selling is growing rapidly. Intangible

characteristics are important when product inspection is limited and are

difficult to evaluate. Although the consumers evaluation is more focus on

tangible characteristics, extrinsic characteristics can develop the positive

attitudes of consumers toward the product such as a trusted trademark, a

respected retailer, or a highly reputed country of origin.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to discuss the different

experiences regarding the criterions in evaluating products of young

professionals and students of UM Tagum College as a consumer of which

these criterions might eventually affect the consumer to purchase a product.

Research Questions

1. What are the criterions in evaluating products as a consumer?

2. How these criteria affect the buying behavior?

Theoretical Lens

This research is anchored from the study of Graeff (1996), that the

degree of congruence (similarity) between a brands image and a consumers

self-image (self-concept) can have significant effects on consumers brand

evaluations and purchase intentions. If a consumers self-concept is not

activated (they are thinking about their own image and how other people view

them), brand evaluations and purchase decisions may be influenced by the

functional qualities of the product (What does the product do? How does the

product work, what are the direct tangible outcomes of using this product?).

However, if a consumers self-concept is activated (they are thinking about

their own self-image and how other people view them), the degree of

congruence between the brands image and self-image can have a significant

effect on brand evaluations and purchase decisions.

Moreover, Graeff (1996) highlight that product evaluations are influenced by

the degree of congruence between brand image and self-image. Thus, the

extent to which consumers are aware of their own self-concept (image), and

use self/brand image as a criterion in evaluating products, should moderate

the image congruence relationship. A consumers self-concept can be used to

influence attitudes and purchase decisions.

Cordell (1997), also emphasized that compared to measures of

familiarity and subjective expertise, objective expertise is found to be a more

efficient predictor of product evaluation and to be more consistent in valuing

extrinsic cues. Although the two measures generally correlate, their

separability derives from their antecedents: objective knowledge relies largely

on stored information on a product class; whereas subjective knowledge relies

further on product-related experience. Thus, subjective knowledge is more

influential in product judgments, because product experience cues that drive

subjective knowledge are more accessible than product information cues

(Park et al., 1994).

Significance of the Study

The result of the study will help several entities in determining the

criterions of consumers in evaluating products and its influence on buying

behavior. This study will benefit the following listed below:

Company. This will allow them to analyze the buying behavior of the

consumers, understanding its criterion when evaluating products and helps in

making product purchase decision.

Consumers. Consumers play a special role in the business since they

are the resource upon which the business can survive in long term.
 Students. Students can also benefit in this study for it will allow them

to have the knowledge or information needed to determine the criterions of

the consumer when evaluating products, especially to those Marketing

Management Students.

Definition of Terms

For transparency purposes here are some definition of the

following terms we used in this study:

Product Evaluation. Encompasses all of the means that can be used

to determine whether a product is going to meet a customers needs

including testing, reviews, and formal methods.

Phenomenological Inquiry. Address meanings and perspectives of

research participants. Descriptions of what people experience and how it is

that they experience.

Scope and Limitation

The scope of the study is only limited to the selected young

professionals and students of UM Tagum College, since it has been observed

that there is an increasing number of young professionals and students who

are evaluating products. The respondents were randomly picked and others

were suggested by our fellow colleagues.

This study aimed to identify the criterion of the consumers when

evaluating a certain product. The respondents were asked how these

criterions affect their buying behavior. Thus, the response of the participants

were analysed thoroughly.

Organization of the Study

 Researchers in the study of the consumers experiences focused on

the criterion of the consumers in evaluating products and how it affects their

buying behavior.

Chapter 1 This presents the very nature in evaluating products as well

as its criterion. This also pointed out some elaborate discussion in the

outcome of the qualitative research. Moreover, bringing these essential

realities would give way to why such study was necessary.

Chapter 2 This discusses various studies and readings regarding the

study of product evaluation and findings of the other related studies

specifically on the criterion in evaluating products.

Chapter 3 This deals with the decision of the study, the role of the

members and the participants involved. Data collection and analysis were

included. Credibility and integrity of the study was explained together with its

ethical considerations.

Chapter 4 This discusses the results of the study based on the

research questions conducted to the respondents which would shed lights on

reasons underlying the phenomenological aspects of views. These were the

views gathered by the participants involved.

Chapter 5 showed the basis of findings and its variance of the theories

presented by the cited authors. It also discusses the explanations of its

implications in the practice, sociolinguistics and further research to be

conducted together with its concluding remarks.