BU352 Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Document Summary
Steps the consumer goes through before, during and after making purchases. It is useful for markets to break down the process in to a series of steps and examine each step individually. The beginning of the consumer decision process; occurs when consumers recognize they have an unsatisfied need and want to go from their needy state to a different desired state. Consumer needs can be classified as functional, psychological, or both. Functional needs: pertain to the performance of a product or service. Psychological needs: pertain to the personal gratification consumers associate with a product or service. A key to successful marketing is determining the correct balance of functional and psychological needs that best appeals to the firm"s target markets. The second step after a consumer recognizes a need, is to search for information about the various options that exist to satisfy that need.
