Introduction

Every company needs to thoroughly research and understand and continuously analyze

consumers behavior in order to increase sale, to maximize profit, to cope up fierce competition

in market and so on. A firm need identify and analyze every single aspect that affects their

business in existing market and also in new markets. We needed to identify consumers behavior

in several dimensions for better understanding. In business world even a tiny decision will also

matter bigger. Consumers decision process (CDP) model is used as a tool to analyze consumers

behavior in more accurate and precious way. There are seven processes in this model which is a

consumer typically go through when purchasing any particular product. By using this model we

can identify how various factors influence each stage of consumers decision. In this group

assignment, we decided to analyze consumer behavior by using three decision making processes

out of the seven consumers decision making processes as a medium. The three CDP processes

that we are going to overlook in this assignment is pre-purchase evaluation of alternatives,

consumption and post-consumption evaluation.

 Objectives

Our objective to do this research is:

To understand the influence of Maggi as a brand on consumers mind set.

To identify the nature of consumers

To study how Maggi noodles coping up with their competitors.

To study how consumer makes decisions before purchase Maggi instant noodles.

To understand the brand performance of Maggi noodles.

Finally, provide some recommendations that may increase the performance of Maggi

noodles in Malaysian market.

Research methodology

We used both primary and secondary sources to gather information that needed for our

assignment. The research has been done by carried out in the form of a survey which has been

done with 25 respondents. We also gather some informations through internet and text books.
Consumption

Consumption indicates consumers usage of the acquired product. A business should

know how the consumers use their product and understand the nature of customers consumption

behavior in very detail form in order to identify their behavior and create products and set up

business practices in order to maximize the companys profit. Consumption behavior changes

prior to different markets.

In Malaysian market, Maggi noddles is a well-established brand among customers.

Public already have enough exposure and knowledge about Maggi noodles. In this circumstance,

Maggis main marketing objectives should be increase their sales and profit by motivating

Consumers to consume their product more and keep on improving. Consumption is fundamental

aspect for determine Maggis marketing strategy because consumption is an ultimate role in daily

usage products like Maggi.

We needed to determine consumers consumption in several dimensions for better

understanding. We should analyze behavior of consumers in aspect of when does consumption

occur? , how is the product is consumed? , where does consumption occur? , how much does

consumption occur? And so on. My main objective to analyze the consumption part of

consumers decision making process is to find ways to increase the consumption of customers by

analyzing weaker and stronger aspects of consumer behavior.

When does consumption occur?

One fundamental characteristic of consumption behaviors involves when usage occur

(Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006).There are two types of consumption behaviors. First one

is purchase and consumption goes together. At the time we making the purchase, we have

committed ourselves to when consumption will occur. For example, buying tickets for a cinema

show is fall under this category as we know when to consume the particular product. Second

type consumption behavior is, purchases are made without knowing precisely when consumption

will occur. Although Maggi fall under both of these types, through our survey we found that,

most of the consumers used to store Maggi noodles for long after purchase had occurred instead

of immediate consumption.

How long do you used to store Maggi noodles before consumption?

1 day 1-3 days 1 week
1 month more than one month

4% 4%
28%
12%

52%
Above graph shows that, majority of respondents (13 people) said that they used to store Maggi

noodles for a period of 1 month. 7 of them said that they usually store Maggi for more than 1

month. Only five people said that, they used to consume Maggi by one week.

When consumption decision are made independently of prior purchase decisions, (such as

people choosing some foods from pantry to eat), a company may find it worthwhile to put some

of its into encouraging consumption rather than focusing exclusively on encouraging purchase.

Most of consumers dont have accurate idea on when to consume Maggi noodles after purchase

occur. If customers take longer time to consume and finish up Maggi noodles means, lesser the

number of repurchase occurrences. Definitely, it will affect the sales of Maggi noodles as

customers take longer period to repurchase it. More often consumption occur, faster the product

will finish, more repurchase more often, more their repurchase higher the sales and profit.

Maggi should create marketing strategy in order to ensure their customers to consume so

often and finish up Maggi noodles in shorter period as possible for motivate them to repurchase

the Maggi faster. Maggi should come up with new campaigns and advertisings prior to motivate

customers consume Maggi noodles more often instead of store it. For example, Maggi can

develop an advertising campaign that aired late at night to encourage consumers who stays

awake longer in night, to consume the Maggi noodles as a late-night snack. Maggi also can

create slogans like Maggi, What are you saving it for? and Remember Maggi, every time you

hungry to make people think and also to stimulate them to consume more often.
 The following graph shows that, the time of the day consumers normally prefer to eat

Maggi noodles.

Breakfast; 3
Any time i wish; 7 Lunch; 2

Dinner; 7

Late Night; 9

What time of the day do you prefer to eat Maggi noodles? (Can tick more)

Through this survey we found that, Most of the people especially students used to

consume Maggi noodles at late night (supper) compare to other periods of the day. This is maybe

because of students feel hungry as they used to stay awake longer in late-night. Very little

number of consumers consumes Maggi noodles at breakfast and lunch periods. This is maybe

prior to, people used to consume heavy foods in these particular periods. Maggi should draw up

marketing strategies in order to increase the consumption at breakfast and lunch periods. For

example, in order to increase the consumption at breakfast, Maggi can target working people

who probably would feel burden and pressure to cook breakfast. Maggi can come up with

advertisements that portraits Maggi is easy and faster to cook (2-minute noodle) would be a

solution to their problem at morning. Maggi can create slogans like Maggi reduces your stress

to create relieve feeling among customers. Whenever people have problem, sure they will search

for solution. This will give consumers a reason and also give them an idea to use Maggi noodles
in morning. Its hard to persuade them to consume Maggi in every morning, but we still can

increase the consumption rate at least one to two times in a week through these campaigns.

Where does consumption occur?

When consumption does occur, the particular place or situation in which it occurs may

shape consumer behavior. (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006) Through researching on our

secondary resource, we found that majority consumption of Maggi happens in-home. About 87%

of total consumption of Maggi instant noodles occurs inside the home. Maggi noodles also

popular among people who involve in adventures activities like camping, jungle tracking and so

on. This is may be because of, convenient to bring and easier to cook in places like jungle and

camping area.

In my point of view, Maggi should focus on to leverage the place of Maggi consumption

occurs besides in-home consumption. Customers usually consume packet Maggi noodles inside

of home where else they consume Maggi hot cups outside of home. Maggi should market their

instant noodles as introducing places where consumers could consume Maggi instant noodles but

still not recognize by customers. For example, Maggi should come up with advertisement to

motivate customers to consume Maggi noodles during travels. Customers easily can get hot

water from places like seven-11, rest area at highways and also in some petrol stations.

Customers easily can cook by just pouring hot water inside Maggi hot cups , let it cook in 2

minutes and eat it while driving or waiting in traffic then easily dispose those hot cups. Maggi

hot cups make customers life easier and convenient. Maggi should produce advertisements that

portraits consumption of Maggi hot cups during travels especially in festive seasons, when

people used to travel longer.

 Through this research we found that, the amount of consumption of Maggi noodles by

working people in their workplaces is very low. Maggi should target these people and create a

campaign for stimulate them to consume Maggi in their workplace. Maggi should create an

advertisement campaigns which portraits that working people having hot cups of Maggi in

between their busy schedule and feels relief and revive after the consumption. I also recommend

that Maggi can provide a small size desk calendar in the beginning of the year. Here I

emphasizes on desk calendar because let say if they put in their office desk means, it would

always will make them remember and appear to their mind as an options whenever they feel

hungry. One research

Influences of product visibility and convenience on consumption rate
nonvisible and inconvenient( 2 meters from desk)
nonvisible and convenient ( in desk)
visible and convenient( on desk)

8.6

Average number of food consumed each day 5.7

also has proved that, the amount of consumption of a particular also increases if that product or

its brand is more visible to them. Maggi should make sure that their brand is more visible to their

target market.

Source: Appetite, 38(2002), 237-238.

How is the product consumed?

Different people may purchase the same product but consume it in different ways.

Customers tend to buy a product more frequently if that particular product helps them to solve
their problems. A product will increase customers temptation if it is useful to solve their

problems.

In todays busy world, peoples especially working womans feels discomfort and

inconvenient to prepare food for their family because of stress and tiredness. Most of the time

students also expecting for cheaper food that can be cook be in few minutes. Maggi had markets

their products by emphasizing 2-minute noodles which act as a solution for people who needed

food that can be cook in shorter period. Maggi is the only products that market their product as

2-minute noodles comparing with its competitors in Malaysian market. This is one of the reasons

for why Maggi is so popular among youngsters.

In what way do you normally cook or consume maggi noodles?

4%
22%
As soup only As fried noodles only As soup and fried others

56% 19%

One way companies can enhance their sales is to encourage consumers to use their products in

ways than those they have grown accustomed to (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). The

traditional way of cooking Maggi noodles is to boil them in hot water and then to

add a sachet of flavourings included with the noodles. Maggi instant noodles are

exclusively manufactured in order to cook it as Maggi soup. But most of customers also prefer to

consume it as fried noodles besides soup.

The graph shows the ways people used to consume/cook Maggi noodles. Majority of people said

that they like to consume Maggi as both soup and also as fried noodles. Other brands such as,

indomee, mee sedap , shin ram yun already offering instant noodle that solely for cook as fried

noodles. After some research on consumers behavior, Maggi did finally introduced new product

call Maggi mi goreng with significant sachets which is exclusively created to cook as fried

noodles. Introduction of this new product definitely will increase the sale of Maggi as lot people

in market like to consume Maggi as fried noodles.

Would youconsume maggi when you feel sick?

NO; 44%
YES; 56%

13 people out of 25 also have said that they would consume Maggi soup when they feel sick.

This is may be because of the Maggis hot and spicy soup that may increases body temperature

and give them pleasure feel during fever time.

Maggi also should encourage their consumers to use Maggi noodles in new and

innovative ways. In my point, I believe that more types recipes will increase the consumption as

it will motivate customers to consume it more in several different recipes. According above

graph, the Malaysian customers not used to cook Maggi noodles in other way besides cooking it
as soup and fried noodles. In order to push customers to cook Maggi noodles in different ways,

Maggi can associate small brochure with their Maggi packets which is includes the details of

different types of recipes. I hope, this strategy will give customers new ideas and encourage them

to try Maggi noodles in new way.

Do you think maggi is unhealthy?

25

20

15

10

0
yes no

Negative media influences and reviews about Maggi noodles also could affect the amount

of consumption of Maggi noodles.

Public have a bad perception about instant noodles as its high in carbohydrates but low in fiber,

vitamins and minerals. Noodles are typically fried as part of the manufacturing process, resulting

in high levels of saturated fat or trans-fat. In order overcome this problem, The company should

advertise its products by depicting attributes related to Health like Nutrition values, % of

Vitamins, Proteins etc. This would help in customers perceiving the product as Healthy. For

example, Maggi should introduce healthy products such as 99% fat free Maggi noodles which
they have done in India before. By introducing this new product in Malaysia, Maggi could attract

people who very conscious about health.

Maggi also can introduce some new products targeting some niche markets. For example,

they can introduce Maggi noodles with beef flavor which they have introduced it in Australia

before. This product could fulfills taste and attract the Malay community. Maggi also can

introduce vegetarian Maggi noodles in order to attract people who only eat vegetarian foods.

This new products could increase the consumption of Maggi noodles.

How much is consumed?

How many packets do you normally consume at on

1 packe
2 packe
3 packe
more th

When we asked about the number of packets customers used to consume at once, 23 respondents

said that they only consume one packet at once.

Maggi should come up with some strategies to motivate customers to consume more packets per

serve. If they consume more means it will directly increase the amount of consumption and also

the sales. Maggi can stimulate customers to consume more than one packet through marketing
campaigns such as organizing cook shows that use more than one Maggi packets in cookings.

Maggi also can encourage customers to consume Maggi noodles as a whole family.

Advertisements that portraits consumption of Maggi as family or slogans like Maggi, your

familys taste could motivate customers to consume Maggi as family

 References

1. Blackwell. , Miniard, , & Engel, (2006). Consumer behavior. (10th ed., pp. 196-

226). boulavard: Thomson south-western.

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brand-extension-and-repositioning-marketing-essay.php.htm
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external influences of maggi noddles. Retrieved from

http://www.managementexplorer.com/2011/07/05/consumer-decision-making-

process-internal-and-external-influences-of-maggi-noddles/
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from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Maggi-Brand-Consumer-Behaviour-

Research-952975.html
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years-of-being-different/