Consumer
Behaviour
Price & M emory
Fathmath Shakir (Student ID :
S18021185)
Lecturer: Khadheeja Siuna
Words: 2528
Executive summary
This report reviews research and theory on human memory, emphasizing key findings
and concepts of importance to consumer choice . Due to time constraint, only limited numbers
of persons are contacted.
Contents
Executive summary ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ….. 1
Introduction: ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………… 3
Hypothesis ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………….. 3
Procedures / Methodology ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 4
Results / Analysis and findings ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………… 4
Conclusion an Marketing Implications ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ….. 9
Limitation and possible follow ups ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………. 10
References. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………….. 11
Introduction :
Without understanding how memory works it will not be possible to fully appreciate
how consumers reason, make decisions and solve problems, since most consumer decisions
are dependent on memory (Jansson -Boyd, 2010).
Memory is An active mental system that
receives, stores, organises, alters and recovers information (Baddeley, 1990) . Consumer
memory refers to the processes that allow us to record and later retrieve experiences and
information related to products, services, and consumption experiences. Consumer memory
can be represented as an associative network or a massive network of associated ideas and
concepts. Memory processes are important because consumers act based on cognitions,
which are stored in memory and influence how incoming stimuli are interpreted.
The
challenge for marketers is to have consumers remember your name and brand in prefer ence to
those of competitors .
Memory plays a major role in consumer choice. The specific inferences drawn by
customers from product stimuli, advertising, word of mouth and other sources of product –
related information are heavily dependent upon what data
are in the memory and how they are organized. Memory
refers to a consumers ability to understand the marketing
messages and assign them value and meaning. Value and
meaning always together. The value and meaning
assigned is largely determined by internal factors,
(thoughts, feelings, emotion, attitude, perception,
motivation, personality and life style.) Which are
different for each consumer.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and understand the recall and memory of
consumers. What are the variables that affect their recall function and how this affects their
buying behavior? This study also will help to understand the implications of memory and
recall in marketing strategies of th e products of 3S Supermarket.
Hypothesis
1. Consumer has a strong memory while buying durable goods
2. Customers mood have an impact on purchasing decision.
3. Packaging and branding will have a huge effect on consumer perception.
4. Womens remember the prices of the products more than mens do .
Procedures / Methodology
To do this research I observed the behavior of total 10 people of different age group,
while they were shopping. I accompanied these peo ple while they went to shopping at 3S
supermarket. I made sure that they do not know that I was monitoring, predicting and
understanding the behavior of them. I observe d how and what factors they were considering
before taking the decision.
In addition, to do this research I conducted a qualitative research. I went to shopping at
different time with different people. For this research, I took five womens and five mens.
For each one it took around 15 minutes. After they finished shopping I asked some question
regarding the prices. Before that, I asked the actual receipt from the shopkeeper so that I will
know the actual price easily.
Results / Analysis and findings
The age groups which was taken to conduct this research is ages between 18 -25 , 25 -35
, 35 -45 , 45 -55 and 55 -65. After the researches which I have done I get to know that even a
couple of seconds after they pick a product from the shelves most of the consumers are
unable to recall its correct price. Below there are analyzes of the some questions which I have
asked from the consumers.
1. Which type of products does you remember the prices?
As per as the result of the survey it shows that 60% of the people who have
participated in this survey remembers the prices of durable goods and 40% of people
remembers the prices of non -durable goods.
60%
40%
0%
Goods Bought buy consumers
durable goods Non-durable goods
Therefore, as per this result it shows that most of the consumers remember the prices
of durable goods rather than their daily basis products. This low recall level may be due to a
lack of attention and motivation by the consumer or the distraction n the store environment.
Durables have an extended product life and are not typically worn out or consumed quickly
when you use them. Since they are made to last, durable goods are often times more
expensive than non -durable goods that have to be purchased repeatedly over a short period of
time. Durables goods are expensive and when they have to spe nd more at a time they says
that they do remember the prices most of the time. For example, if we spend more amount of
money at one moment it will stick to our mind. Refrigerator , TV and other expensive goods
prices will be memorized easily.
2. Does your mood plays the important role while shopping?
While observing the customer does, I got to know that customers mood have an
impact on purchasing decision. A person’s mood or
physiological condition at the time of purchase can
have a major impact on what is bought and can affect
how products are evaluated. A specific mood is some
combination of pleasure and arousal. In general, a mood
state biases judgments of products and services in that
direction. Simply consumers like things much better
when they are in a good mood. Consumers mood can be changed with music in shopping
environment also. Moods can be affected by store design, the weather of other factors
specific to the consumer. In addition, music and television programming c an affect mood;
this has important consequences for commercials. When consumers hear happy music or
Watch happy programs they have more positive reactions to the commercials and products
especially when marketing appeals are aimed at arousing emotional rea ctions.
90%
10%
Role of mood
yes No
The result shown in the pie chat shows that 90% of people says that their mood plays
an important role while purchasing the good. When their mood is happy while they are
purchasing something, they do remember the prices. 10% of people say that mood does not
play any role while purchasing.
3. When you see an advertisement how much does it effect to your memory while
purchasing that product?
Most of the time consumers buying behavior depends on liking or disliking of
consumer to wards the advertisement of the product advertised . A good quality advertisement
is likely to influence consumers into buying that product while a poor quality advertisement
will do the opposite.
A good quality advertisement plays a very importa nt role to remember the prices.
People who are busy at their lives they may not remember the prices of the things that they
buy. However, when they see a quality advertisement that will stick to their mind and will
remember easily.
From the survey, 30% of the people say that advertisement does not help
them. However, 70% of people say that advertisement does help them to memorize the prizes
of the products. In addition, they say that especially the quality advertisements are useful for
their lives. A quality advertisement is enough to change your believes regarding a product
which you dislike before.
4. Does Branding and packaging help you to memorize the prizes of the product?
70%
30%
Advertisement effectiveness
effect not effect
The primary purpose of packaging is to protect the product, but companies
can use packaging as an instrument for promoting their marketing offer, and for boosting
their sales. A good packaging helps to identify and differentiate products to the consumer s.
Packaging is used for easily delivery and safety purpose. Packaging helps companies
differentiate the product from other brand.
Customers are drawn more than anything , to products that look good. Something that is well
designed and interesting is bound to attract more potential customers than a product that is
poorly designed and looks bland. This is the importance of packaging design. It is, after all,
the key part in marketing a product and ensuring it sells. It is also the key part in associating a
brand to a certain thing whether it a color or a font. What that means, essentially, is that
customers that are drawn to a package are bound to remember it later down the road before
coming back to the product.
When someone talks about a brand th at you want to buy. Obviously, you will search
the information you need. The best example we can take is Apple brand. Whenever a
person say apple brand your mind will signal you that it is a quality product. We do
remember the prizes of branded and quality products.
This pie chart shows the result that say 60% of the people who participated in
the survey says that the packaging and the branding does affect their memory. The quality
branding and packaging plays important role in their mind to remember the product prices.
However, 40% of people say that it does not affect their mind. When the packaging is
colorful, also it will attract the customers attention easily. This 60% of people says that
branding and the information that was included in the package is very important to them.
60%
40%
Memorizing the brand name and prizes
yes No
Because whenever they want to remember the product prize, the colorful packaging and the
good brand will help.
5. When did you mostly remember the prizes?
Most of the customers say that they do remember the prices when they are short
of money. The lesser amount of money they have they remember the prices. At the end of the
month mostly everyone will have less amount of money, so that they will remember the
prizes of ea ch product they buy. When they have enough money to buy the products which
they need they does not concern more about the prize.
Females go for shopping more than males. Therefore females do remember the
prices of products more than males. Mostly every house males does buy durable goods like
refrigerator, Air conditioner, TV etc so they remember the prices of those goods more than
womens . From the survey, which I conducted, I got to know that mens long term memory is
higher than womens. However, females short -term memory is much higher than mens.
Because they do shop for household chores every day. Females have strong memory when it
comes to house hold items and cooking item. They remember the prizes of vegetables, fruits,
meat etc…
Different age has different level of memorizing power.
Youth ages between 18 -25 does not worry much about the
prices. They looks for the products, which satisfy their wants.
They do not pay any attention to the prices. Ages between 25 to
35, they are mature are people. Some of they remember the
prizes of products they bought. Womens on this age group
usually remembers the prizes of every product they bought.
While shopping I observed them and noticed that they look for a good brand and they read
the instruction before they purchase. Instead, some of the mens does not care about the brand
and packaging.
Ages between 35 -45 do pay attention to the prizes of products, which they buy.
Womens on this age group does remember the items like vegetables, utensils etc because
most of them are housewives and they do house chores. Mens in this a ge group also
remembers some product. The age group of 45 -55 and 55 -65 mostly they do not know the
prices properly. They do ask the prices from the shopkeeper, but usually they forgot once
shopping is done.
Conclusion an Marketing Implications
How do you, as a marketer, ensure that you are doing everything that you can to
reach your customers? You first must understand how the consumer makes their choices.
This requires an understanding of the consumer decision -making process model . The
consu mer makes both rational and emotional choices when they are shopping, but that is
not their entire decision -making process. To truly understand how to market, you must
have a firm understanding of where your consumer has thought process lies. Your
marketin g materials, therefore, should represent not just the basic steps of consumer
choices, but play to your target demographics thought process.
A company marketing its products constantly strives to make the consumers form a
positive and favorable perception about the company and its products. For this the stimuli
sent out by the company through its messages, the branding, packaging, advertisements and
the very products themselves should stand out. They should be designed to be noticeable
among the din of other stimuli. Some plans to make the stimuli stand out are:
1. By contrasting
Inviting attention to an advertisement by employing contrast with the
surrounding in size, color, or style is common. Printing a teasing massage or using
different symbols and languages printing a massage, which will suit in this category.
2. By Motivating:
By a proper design of the messages, the promoter can catch the eye of the
individual who are disappointed with a specific circumstance. Their v iew of the
reason for disappointment can be shaped and a positive discernment about the
arrangement made . For example, we can take toothpaste. Some people have sensitive
gum and teeth. Looking to the circumstances, we can prefer good toothpaste, which is
made for sensitive tooth. This will help the person as well as the disappointment of
the person will
How do you, as a marketer, ensure that you are doing everything that you
can to reach your customers? You first must understand how the consume r makes
their choices. This requires an understanding of the consumer decision -making
process model.
Limitation and possible follow ups
To conduct this survey I have faced some limitations. First thing is that it is
difficult to choose a person to go for shopping. In addition, due to the busy schedule of
everyone it is very difficult to get time. When I was ready, the one who wants go for
shopping will be busy. The timing did not match.
I have chosen diff erent age groups for the survey and it was difficult to get
different ages people.
To conduct this survey I have select ed consumers from only one shop. In
addition, only 10 customers conducted it. To get the perception and the beh avior again
product of consumers it is better to do with more customers with different supermarket rather
than one supermarket.
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