Consumer Behavior and Insights: B2C and B2B Decision-Making Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer behavior and insights, focusing on the consumer decision-making journey and its implications for marketing strategies. It examines the stages of the consumer decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer behavior to map the path to purchase. The report contrasts decision-making processes in both B2C and B2B contexts, providing specific examples. It also delves into various market research approaches and methodologies used to understand these processes. Furthermore, the report discusses how marketers can effectively influence the different stages of consumer decision-making in both B2C and B2B settings, using relevant examples to illustrate key concepts. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and their implications for businesses like Marks & Spencer.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
AND INSIGHTS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
P1 Determine the stages of the consumer decision- making journey for a given product/service
.....................................................................................................................................................3
P2 Determine the importance for marketers to map a path to purchase and understand
consumer decision- making.........................................................................................................4
P3 Determine the key differences of the decision-making process in the context of B2C and
B2B by giving specific examples................................................................................................5
P4 Discuss the different approaches to market research and methods of research used for
understanding the decision-making process in both B2C and B2B contexts..............................6
P5 Determine that how marketers can influence the different stages of the decision-making
process of B2C and B2B by giving specific examples................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Understanding the consumer behaviour is an important aspect that contributes towards
business success, when marketing is able to understand the consumer behaviour he/she can
develop the marketing offering as per the consumer demand and desires which further helps the
organizational to accomplish profitability and sales margin. marketer must analyze both
consumer behaviour and the supplier behaviour of the business in order to implement strategic
action to delivering and maintain the distribution channels of the goods and services. In the
context of Marks and Spencer which is a Brutish multinational organizational famously know for
delivering products and service like clothing, perfumes, accessories, baking services, food
revives, home improvement tool, flowers. It is London, United Kingdom founded on the year
1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. This report covers the stages of consumer decision
making journey, the importance for marketer to map path to purchase and decision making,
differences of decision making process in both B2C and B2B, approaches of market research and
methods for understanding decision making process in both B2C and B2B, how marketer can
influence the decision making process of B2B and B2C (Benson and et.al.,2015).
MAIN BODY
P1 Determine the stages of the consumer decision- making journey for a given product/service
Consumer map is determined by the decision making process wherein the consumers
goes through different alternatives before reaching to the final purchase decision. The consumer
goes through different alternatives and stages before considering or choosing the apparels offered
by Marks and Spencer. Wherein the step if the consumer buying process involves problem
identification or need recognition which wherein the customer is driven by different external and
internal stimuli which acts like a motivation factors wherein a customer might feel lack of
something, which further drives an individual to purchase the offerings that will helps to
accomplish the need and solve the identified problem (Dootson and et.al.,2016). The customer
will feel buying new clothes which are trending and fashionable to look good, wherein the
customer can be driven by any of the internal and external factor like from Television, social
media, window shopping and others. The next stage of the consumer decision making process
involves the gathering the information, wherein individual gather information from the different

sources to find out the best possible source that will helps to accomplish their need wherein the
customer will collect information about the latest trendy and fashionable clothes in the
marketplace. The next step involves analyzing the information which is gathered by an
individual from different sources these involves determining available sources in the marketplace
and comparing the different alternatives in order to jump into specific decision making process.
The customer will evaluate the information of buying the clothes from different online internet
platforms, physical outlets and thus a consumer will make a specific decision making choice that
best suits the consumer need and preference. The next step involves making the purchase
decision, in this steps the consumer makes the final purchase decision from the information
gathered and the consumers finds it out the best sources from the available sources. In final
purchase decision making process the consumer wants to purchase the desired clothes, this also
involves payment option wherein the consumers find the flexible payment and the product
delivery options. The last and the final step of the consumer buying decision involves the post
purchase experiences the goods and services purchased. Wherein the satisfied consumers
continue the purchase from the specific brand or company and influences other to purchase by
word of mouth wherein the dissatisfied consumers further get demotivated to purchase the
services and gods of the brand or company and they also discourage other to purchase
(Ismagilova and et.al.,2020). Business can also develop pot purchase experiences of the
consumers by engaging with them to address their issues and concerns to helps to accomplish the
consumer loyalty and develop strong consumer relationship with the company that further
supports the business to accomplish stability and growth in the marketplace.
P2 Determine the importance for marketers to map a path to purchase and understand consumer
decision- making
It is important to analyze the consumer decision making process to map a path to
purchase order to deliver the goods and services that best suits the consumer needs ad demand.
Marks and Spencer delivers the goods and services that best suits the growing market demand,
wherein the major role of the marketing department is to find out the consumer demand and
develop products and services (Javornik, 2016). Analyzing the consumer decision making proves
is important to determine that what actually consumer looks, what is their need and preferences,
the market trends, how they compare different alternative in order to before making final
decision making all these elements that helps the business to develop effective marketing

strategies. It helps to attain the competitive advantage in the marketplace. Wherein the marketing
department in Marks and Spencer can develop the effective marketing offerings by analyzing the
competitor offerings and develop suitable ideas that how different changes they can implement
in order to differentiate the products and services in the marketplace. Marks and Spencer
implements and adds the new features, benefits, specification to the products and services it
delivers. It becomes important for the business to analyze the decision making proves in order
that what are the different information approaches used by the consumers in order to gather the
information, wherein marking department in Marks and Spencer delivers the information of the
market offerings to the end customers vie online and other external approaches like billboards.
Marks and Spencer also implements decisions in shaping out the post customers purchases and
improving the customer experiences (Lim, Soutar and Lee, 2016).
Thus, Marks and Spencer implements different strategies by analyzing the consumer’s decision
which becomes important to improve the marketing offerings which supports the business to
deliver the products and services that best suits the consumer needs and preference. Moreover,
helps to attain competitive advantage by delivering quality offerings which further helps the
business to expand the market share and achieve the profitability and sales margin of the
business.
P3 Determine the key differences of the decision-making process in the context of B2C and B2B
by giving specific examples.
In order to analyze the difference in the decision making process of B2B and B2B, the
following discussion stated below with supported examples:
Awareness: In B2C decision making process, the consumer searches for the information to the
identified needs and problems, wherein the consumers gather information of how to accomplish
the identified needs from different available sources, by considering the example of the Marks
and Spencer clothing brand, wherein the consumer will gather the information from different and
other sources like word of mouth (Loureiro, Costa and Panchapakesan, 2017).
In B2B, the business wherein Marks and Spencer will find and gather information of the
available largest supplier and manufacturer of the clothes.

Interest: In B2C decision making process the consumer will learn of the products and services,
evaluate the information that best suits their needs of buying clothes that matches heir references
and expectations.
In B2B decision making process, wherein Marks and Spencer will check the reviews of the
services and the products offered by the supplier.
Consideration: In B2C, the consumers check the reviews and compares the products from
different other alternatives and the clothes offered by the competitor brands of the Marks and
Spencer evaluates which among is the best.
In B2B decision making process, wherein the managers in Marks and Spencer shares the
information of the supplier to the business stakeholders and select the right supplier.
Intent: In B2C decision making process, the consumer come to right decision of choosing the
desirable products from the identified available sources (Marriott, Williams and Dwivedi, 2017).
In B2B decision making process, Marks and Spencer gets the product sample or demo in order of
continue the further purchase from the supplier of the business.
Eval: In B2C decision making process, the buyer makes the purchase and finds out the flexible
payment and the delivery options to purchase the products of the Marks and Spencer.
In B2B, Marks and Spence after the quality check of the demo products, now accepts the
contracts and reviews the contract proposal between the supplier and the company (Parsons,
Maclaran and Chatzidakis, 2017).
Buy: In both B2B and B2C, in the last stage of the decision making prices the sales transaction is
completed.
P4 Discuss the different approaches to market research and methods of research used for
understanding the decision-making process in both B2C and B2B contexts
B2C Market Research B2B Market Research
Environmental study:
Study of competition:
In B2B market research, the Marks and

In order to evaluate the consumer behaviour
and their preferences, Marks and Spencer
carry out PESTLE analysis in order to
evaluate the external business environment
and deliver the products and services in
accordance of the changing consumers
demands and desires according to the cultural,
social, changing technological, political, legal
and environmental approaches adopted by the
company in order to deliver value to its
customers.
Spencer evaluates the market competition by
Porter generic model, in order to determine
the strengths and weakness of the
competitors, to develop a benchmarks in the
marketplace in order to accomplish the
competitive advantage.
Quality research with target customers:
Marks and Spencer conducts the face to face
interviews with the target customers in order
to the effectiveness of the market offerings
offered improve innovative ideas to bring
improvement in the market offerings, wherein
the business evaluates the satisfied and
dissatisfied targeted, implement different
measures to improve the customer
engagement (Rimkute, Moraes and Ferreira,
2016).
Quality study with discussion and
interviews with experts and clients:
In order to make the purchase decisions and
the business contracts, Marks and Spencer
develop meeting with the experts and the
clients of the business in order to deliver
solution of the business contracts. Wherein,
the expert delivers the business solutions in
order to contribute purchase and sales
transaction in the B2B.
Quantitative Study: Online survey
Marks and Spencer conducts online survey in
order to evaluate the changing consumer
demand and preferences, which also help to
determine the number of the target segment
and stakeholder of the business, these survey
helps the business to improvement as per the
changing consumer market.
Analysis of the Market:
Marks and Spencer conducts different market
research analysis, in order to determine the
changes in the external market of analyzing
the legal and political policies in order to
establish the business contracts (Rodríguez-
Ardura and et.al.,2017).

P5 Determine that how marketers can influence the different stages of the decision-making
process of B2C and B2B by giving specific examples
Marketer plays an important role in order to influence the decision making proves for
both B2B and B2C. wherein the decision making process of the buying process starts right from
identifying the problem and the pertaining to the identified problem. In context of Marks and
Spencer wherein if the consumers want to purchase latest clothes the company will have to focus
on improving the distribution channels in order to deliver the cloths to all the physical units and
research and development in order to analyze the latest trends and demand to deliver the goods
as per the current consumer demand. Now, the marketer in Marks and Spencer can create the
needs of the clothes by sales promotional activities and advertising. The next stage of the
consumers and business buyers involves analyzing information search for the need identified
pertaining to the cloths that they want to buy (Sethna and Blythe, 2016). Wherein the marketer
has to deliver the information to the end consumer and business buyer so that they are able to
access to the information of the company. In order to deliver the information to these targeted
segment, the market can use search engine optimization, social media, billboards, brochures,
affiliate marketing, sales call are some of the effective techniques that can be used by the
marketer to deliver the right information to the right target segments in the marketplace. Moving
on the next step wherein he consumer and the business buyer analyze and evaluates the
information from different sources and compares on the basis of the features, prices, and other
specification with the related goods or the competitor band in order to determine eh vest out the
available sources. The marketer must deliver quality products, effective and attractive prices,
promotion, availability of the products and other the marketer must use the marketing mix in
order to deliver the value to the customers so that the customers are able to easily choose
offerings delivered by Marks and Spencer. Moving on to the firth stage of paying of the goods
the consumer and the business buyer buyers have selected, wherein the marketer in Marks and
Spencer must select the appropriate payment option so in order to deliver the purchaser
flexibility over payment option, moreover the marketer also must include the home or office
delivery option for purchaser’s convenience (Sharp, 2017). The step involves the post purchase
behaviour, wherein the marketer can improve the customer engagement by frequently
communication to address the concerns and issues faced by the purchaser. Thus, by handling to

the complaints of the dissatisfied customers helps the build relationship and develop loyalty of
the consumers to the business.
CONCLUSION
Thus, in a nutshell the above discussion covers how business must analyze the consumer
behaviour in order to deliver the desired products and services to the customers. For analyzing
the consumer behaviour a marketer must analyze the consumer decision journey that starts right
from need recognition to the post purchase experience, and marketer must deliver the products d
services according that best suits the consumer preferences. Apart from analyzing the consumer
behaviour the marker must analyze the seller behaviour in order to selects the right supplier and
maintain the flow of distribution of the goods services. The marker must develop effective
strategies in order and influence the both consumer and seller behaviour and maintain the smooth
flow of business pertain. The right strategic approaches applied by the marketer helps
accomplish business success and growth in the marketplace. With good supplier and consumer
relationship the business can accomplish the targeted sales margin.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals