Consumer Behavior: Problem Solving and Information Search Assignment

This assignment solution addresses key concepts in consumer behavior. It explores consumer motivations for problem-solving, differentiating between internal and external factors like meeting desired states and social expectations. The solution delves into internal information search, explaining the roles of brand information, attributes, evaluations, and experiences in consumer decision-making. It further analyzes when consumers opt for external searches (e.g., for new products) and contrasts the preferences of marketers regarding consumer search processes. Finally, the assignment provides a breakdown of consumer sets (inert, inept, evoked, consideration) and their corresponding characteristics. The document analyzes consumer behavior, information search strategies, and the impact of marketing on consumer choices.

Running head: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer behaviour
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Question 1 – What motivates a consumer to resolve a recognised problem?
In resolving a recognized problem, there are number of internal and external factors
play important roles. One of the major internal motivations is to achieve the desired state.
This refers to the fact that customers are having certain level expectations from a particular
product and service and if the recognized problem creates challenges in meeting the desired
state, then they will be motivated to solve the problem. On the other hand, the major external
factor is meeting the social expectations (Chen, Lu and Wang 2017). For instance, if the
customer is having the understanding of the fact that a recognized problem is creating
challenges is meeting the social expectations, and then also it will motivate the consumer in
resolving the same.
Question 2 – Internal information search involves recalling information about brands,
attributes, evaluations, and experiences. Explain these four types of
information, as discussed in the lecture and textbook.
Brand information refers to the process of goodwill or negative word of mouth
regarding the particular brand. In this case, the customers carry a particular
brand as positive and negative assumed their products as same. In the case of
the internal search through brand, customers first clarify whether the product is
from an assumed positive brand or not. On the basis of the assumption
regarding the brand in the mind of the customers, purchase decision process is
initiated (Homburg, Allmann and Klarmann 2014). The next type is attributes
that refers to the process of matching the product attributes with their own
criterions. This is an effective type of internal search because of the rationality
involved. In this process, the customers set a certain criterions and based on
that they match the same with the products. The more will be the matching
attributes, the more will be the probability of getting selected. The next type is
evaluations that refer to the process of evaluating the utility of the product and

2CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
initiating the decision on the basis of that. The last type of internal search is
experiences and it is the most popular method. In this case, the past
experience regarding a particular product influence the customers in their
decision making process.

3CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Question 3 – When would a consumer be more likely to conduct an external search
by brand rather than by attribute? Which search process would a
marketer prefer consumers to use – and why?
The customers will opt for external search over the internal search process
when the internal sources are not capable enough to evaluate the new
products in the market. This is mainly applicable for the new products in the
market due to the reason that sources of internal search will not be able share
expertise in terms of new products. Thus, in this case, the customers opt for
the external search option to get knowledge about the certain products
(Ferreras-Méndez et al. 2015).
The markets will prefer the consumers to use the external process due to the
reason that in the case of internal search process, the marketers are having
lower control. On the other hand, in the case of the external sources,
marketers will be able to influence the consumers by means of
advertisements and other mediums.
Question 4 – For each alternative listed in column one, select the matching
characteristic/s from columns 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Alternatives The consumer…

4CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
INERT SET Is not aware of
INEPT SET Does not
consider for
purchase
EVOKED SET Considers
for
purchase
CONSIDERATION
SET
Is aware of

5CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
REFERENCE
Chen, A., Lu, Y. and Wang, B., 2017. Customers’ purchase decision-making process in
social commerce: a social learning perspective. International Journal of Information
Management, 37(6), pp.627-638.
Ferreras-Méndez, J.L., Newell, S., Fernández-Mesa, A. and Alegre, J., 2015. Depth and
breadth of external knowledge search and performance: The mediating role of absorptive
capacity. Industrial Marketing Management, 47, pp.86-97.
Homburg, C., Allmann, J. and Klarmann, M., 2014. Internal and external price search in
industrial buying: The moderating role of customer satisfaction. Journal of Business
Research, 67(8), pp.1581-1588.