Buying Descition Process

 

There are various factors that influence consumer buying behavior.

• Cultural, Social and Family: Culture is the fundamental determinant of a person's wants and behavior.  The growing child acquires a set of values, perceptions, preferences through his family.Since Amul as a brand and its product Amul butter has been around for quite some time, the new generation will also have a preference of buying Amul butter over others. Same can be said in the case of other factors like Social and Family.

In case of personal factors, I feel that the new ad campaigns that are a satire or appreciation on the society appeal to almost everyone (Age, Sex) and thus a "connect" is established between Amul and the consumer, which also plays an important role on choosing Amul Butter over others.

• Psychological Processes : Even if Amul butter is a FMCG product, some amount of though goes into deciding what to buy and hence Psychology is relevant for consumer buying behavior. This is where Maslow's Hierarchy of needs plays an important role.

Other factors like perception, memory etc also contribute consumer buying behavior.

• The buying decision process: The Five Stage Model

Problem Recognition: In case of Amul butter, problem recognition will be the need to use butter as a cooking base or may be as a bread spread etc. This is where the customer will feel the need to buy butter and thus recognize the problem.

Information Search: Since Amul has established it self as the biggest player in the butter sector, I feel not much information search is required as the success of Amul Butter gives all its information very easily to the consumer who can then quickly decide on buying it.

Evaluations of Alternatives:  Since Amul has an option of buying a low fat butter for health conscious people, the consumer can wisely choose between low fat or regular butter. the consumer also look at other brands and then make a perception, but again the faith and trust that Amul has generated over years will make it the preferred choice for consumers.

 

Purchase Decision: In above stage the consumer as already made perception about various brands and has an intention of buying the most preferred brand. With customer friendly pricing and options of buying in various quantities along with brand image will help the customer in finally buying Amul butter as a solution to his problem recognition.

Post Purchase Behavior :After the consumer has bought Amul butter, the marketeer needs to look at the customer's post purchase satisfaction too, so that the customer will buy Amul butter again. If the customer is happy with the product, the same quality has to be maintained or excelled further more, and if the customer is dissatisfied the customer's problem should be solved and he should also be promised an improved product that will certainly try and solve his problem.