Consumer Behaviour and Insight Report: BTEC HND Business Management

This report examines consumer behavior and insight, focusing on Unilever's Glow & Lovely product. It analyzes the consumer journey, including awareness, consideration, purchase, retention, and advocacy stages, using a consumer journey map. The report identifies factors influencing consumer decision-making, such as cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors, and compares and contrasts B2B and B2C decision-making processes. It also explores the elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) and their impact on consumer decisions. The report highlights the importance of marketing research, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage. The analysis provides insights into how Unilever can effectively target consumers and optimize its marketing strategies to enhance consumer engagement and drive sales, making it a valuable resource for students studying marketing and consumer behavior.

Higher Nationals
Assignment Brief – BTEC (RQF)
Higher National Diploma in Business Management
Learner Name Dinko MIlev ID HE09726
Programme Name Pearson BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business Management
Unit Number and Title Unit 37 – Consumer Behaviour and Insight
Credit Value 15 Unit Level 5
Academic Year 2020-21 Cohort April 20
Assessor Mohammad Islam
Assignment Title Consumer Behaviour and Insight
Issue Date 11/10/2021
Submission Deadline Saturday 18 December 2021 at 23:59
IV Name Kashif Khan
IV Date 08/10/2021
Statement of Authenticity:
I certify that the work submitted for this unit is my own and the research sources are fully acknowledged.
Learner Name: Date: 10/12/2021
DINKO MILEV
1

Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Analysing the stage of the consumer's journey using a map and the path to purchase Fair and
Lovely 4
3. Identifying the factors that influence different stages of consumer decision-making process
and comparison and contrast for glow and lovely whitening cream 5
4. Elements of the marketing mix that influences the decision-making process as well as exampl7
5. Conclusion 10
6. Reference list 11
2

1. Introduction
Consumer behaviour is a type of study that indicates how consumers make purchase decisions to
fulfil needs and demand. Consumers are the core target of every marketer. Every marketer of an
individual organisation requires to set the mark because it is essential to know how consumers
behave and how consumers choose the purchase decision making (Abdelhady, 2018). Analysing
the consumers during business operation, no organisation cannot get success on desired time. It
is essential to get actual consumer behaviour research for meeting business objectives. Unilever
is a multinational consumer products based company in the UK. This report is going to evaluate
stages of consumer's journey, map of the Glow and lovely of Unilever and the path of purchasing
the whitening cream Fair and Lovely, different stages of the process of this process and
comparing and contrast of B2B and B2C, the influence of marketing mix in the decision-making
process, influence of culture and subculture on consumer's behaviour. Let's check those out for
Unilever's glow and lovely consumer behaviour and insight on this report.
3

2. Analysing the stage of the consumer's journey using a map and the path to
purchase Glow and lovely
Consumers are the core of an organisation. Because without meeting consumers' needs, no
business cannot last for a long time. Every business organisation and so Unilever is very serious
in meeting consumer's expectations (Azote et al., 2018). Unilever manufactures various types of
consumer-based products, and glow and lovely is one of the popular whitening creams in the
world as well as the UK. Today is the age of consumer's based business. Without maintaining
consumers' needs and expectations, the business operation will feel like a waterfall in the desert.
So Unilever plays a vital role in managing consumers' journey and mapping as well as the
purchase path of glow and lovely which is a B2C product. The consumer’s journey map of
Unilever’s product glow and lovely are demonstrated below for understanding better.
The map and the journey of purchasing fair and lovely whitening cream are such as awareness,
consideration, purchase, retention, and advocacy. A brief demonstration for understanding better
for Unilever’s glow and lovely are:
Awareness
One of the essential journeys of a consumer's journey using the map and the path is awareness. It
is essential to understand awareness. It helps an organisation to assess the right moment and the
right platform for reaching consumers. Unilever can easily use this process and showcase the
effectiveness of this glow and lovely whitening cream and awareness to the consumers.
Consideration
Consumers are very sensitive and confused while buying a product. While buying the glow and
lovely of Unilever, there may arise more alternatives. In this platform, Unilever should make
known to the consumers that it is better than another whitening cream. If a consumer considers
this thing, the choice list can be filled by Fair and Lovely.
Purchase
After consideration, it is essential to make sure that consumers are attracted to this product and it
will work better than another whitening cream. Without purchasing, a business cannot sell its
4

desired product to desired consumers. Unilever can use various types of payment methods such
as visa cards, MasterCard etc. and share leaflets during selling products.
Retention
Retention is the capability of keeping customers' buying of a product or service. Motivating
consumers can attract differently. The motivation can be anything such as extra care of the
consumer, during selling or assisting to buy glow and lovely and assuring that this product will
be very effective.
Advocacy
Advocacy is a potential consumer journey that is required to maintain for Unilever because
without advocating, a consumer can get diverted to other whitening products than fair and
Lovely. Creating a positive impression will help to grow the fame and effectiveness of fair and
lovely, and after getting advocated, consumers can remember this for a long time (Blythe, 2013).
The reason behind marketers need to understand the B2C decision-making process:
Marketers need to understand consumer decision making because of various reasons. It is
essential to realise the target audience and perform according to the audience’s mind. For
example, if the marketers of Unilever cannot understand the decision-making process it may be
ineffective to sort out product categories and segment products for target customers. Because of
those reasons, it is required to understand the decision-making process of the B2C consumer
journey and serve better as the demand of customers.
Factors that affects consumers purchase journey
Consumer journey has some potential factors those are require to know properly for vetter
customer journey. Those are:
 Cultural factors
 Social factors
 Personal factors
 Psychological factors
5

Those factors are inevitable for consumer purchase journey. Having those factors for the
utilisation of consumer purchase journey properly on behalf of a consumers. Marketers can
utilise those factors because without utilisation of those factors marketers cannot get help to have
better consumers. Marketers work as the stairs to consumers by having those factors. Because
Cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors has great importance to deal with consumers
(Reedman, 2017).
3. Identifying the factors that influence different stages of consumer decision-
making process and comparison and contrast for glow and lovely whitening
cream
Factors of the consumer decision-making process
Four major factors influence a customer decision-making process such as situational factors,
personal factors, psychological factors, social factors (Chhabra, 2018). Those factors can also
play an impact on buying the product of Unilever that is fair and lovely. Analysing those factors
are required from the perspective of the case.
Situational factors
The decision-making process is related to some situational factors, such as buying tasks and
marketing offerings (Rajendran, 2017). Unilever analyses those situational factors effectively for
reaching the consumer in dept. The factors are essential to follow for the whitening cream to
attract higher consumer reach.
Personal factors
Personal factors also affect consumers' decision-making process. Person to person taste,
behaviour, product usage varies (Keren and Wu, 2015). For example, the glow and lovely
products are especially for women, and Unilever also has baby care products because segmenting
products categories by class, gender is required to fill consumers' desires.
Psychological factors
Every person is technical. Without interacting deeply, a person cannot read what is going on and
what is going to be (Kokkali and Vida, 2014). So Unilever should analyse the psychological
6

factors during selling glow and lovely because understating the consumer's mind can make the
way to fix the decision-making process of a consumer.
Social factors
Consumers are always influenced by culture, social class, and family, as well as the reference
group. Every consumer wants a unique recognition in society. For example, using glow and
lovely can differentiate beauty and skin colour from other beauty care products that consumers
use, and it will affect a particular class, family and friend, which will affect the decision-making
process of buying fair and lovely.
Importance of the process of marketing
Marketing is an essential process of utilising any particular product for the betterment of
marketing process and selling increment (Kokkali et al.,2014) . It is essential to understand the
significance of marketing. The importance of marketing are pointed out below:
 Customer satisfaction
 Competitive advantage
 Business expansion
 Optimum use of resources
 Benefits of stakeholders
Comparison and contrast between B2B and B2C of the decision-making process:
B2B and B2C have some major differences. Consumers of glow and lovely whitening cream can
be confused during decision making. But understanding the core differences can help to make a
proper business-oriented decision. Those differences are given below to understand this concept
better for Unilever's consumers.
B2C B2B
1. B2C or business to consumer’s business
model refers to selling consumer goods
directly to the consumer.
1. Business to business or B2B refers to
selling goods business to business.
7

2. B2C is attentive to the market and value
chain.
It is the market to the end-user.
3. B2C business holders focus on the product
as well as on the benefit than consumers.
3. B2B business model suggests that it focuses
on the consumers than the product (Monett,
(2014).
4. Consumers are always interested in this
business to consumer model.
4. To measure the eco factor, ROI is a great
indicator of this business to the business
model.
5. The number of transactions vary from
customer to customer, but it is low, and it is
all consumer-oriented.
5. The amount of the transaction is very large
in amount, and the business plan is
organisation oriented.
6. Consumers can easily choose a proper and
motive oriented decision because of its ease.
6. Consumer decision making is very complex
from business to the business model.
Business to business and consumer to consumer taste, colour, consumer behaviour depends on
decision making. The decision-making process of the consumer can be effective during buying a
glow and lovely when a consumer considers the business to business and business to consumer
or B2B, B2C business model. Unilever can easily perform better after segmenting the differences
between these demonstrated two, and the consumer's decision-making process can be evaluated
as demand (Reynolds and Olson, 2013).
Differences in marketing research in B2B and B2C markets:
Business to business the marketing research varies. It also depends on product category, target
customers and so many things. During dealing with business to business or B2B it is essential to
analyse the business organisation’s demand and structure. On the other hand, dealing business to
consumers is required to analyse consumers’ data and perception first. Because consumer’s
perception and decision making process understanding will help to fulfil the market research and
make it easy to serve B2C.
8

4. Elements of the marketing mix that influences the decision-making process
as well as examples
Consumer decision making is a potential factor for a consumer. Every consumer desires a better
service from the buying product (Sun and Ghosh, 2021). The product feedback can be both
positive and negative. But every business organisation, such as Unilever, is very conscious about
consumers' decision-making process. A consumer buying glow and lovely at this moment the
marketer always influences the consumer in various ways, and marketing mix is one of them.
The Decision-making Process of a consumer consists of various types of essential factors of a
consumer. The 4P of marketing mix concept is essential for Unilever to evaluate and contribute
to the consumer's decision-making process during buying fair and lovely.
4Ps of marketing
The 4Ps of marketing consist of product, price, place, and promotion. Understanding those
elements are essential for Unilever during selling glow and lovely and contributing to the
consumer's decision-making process.
Product
Product is a particular thing that can be physical goods or services which will be offered by a
business organisation. The consumer always desires to get something better from a product or
service. The best product with better quality can be effective for a product during decision
making. The decision-making process is very selective to a consumer who needs to be evaluated
by a particular product. For example, Unilever manufactures various types of consumer goods.
But the glow and lovely has a great response to the consumers of the UK. The response and the
positive impression can be completed because of an effective and qualitative product (Tueanrat
and Alamitos, 2021).
Price
Price is the core factor of decision making for the consumers. A better pricing system for
Unilever can gather more customers and profitability. Profitability is related to the pricing
system to the consumer's decision-making process. The real perceived value of a product can be
effective for customers and easy to buy. Unilever produces not only short-range products but
9

also large ranges products. For example, Unilever has a mini-pack of the glow and lovely hat for
only £3.99, and it also has a higher-priced fair and lovely, which is extra whitening cream such
as £60.
Place
The place is another essential factor that affects the decision-making process. The place can vary
from consumer to consumer. For example, in Islington UK, the density of living people is very
high, so it can be a great chance to get any product within the desired time. So the place is
essential for a decision-making process.
Promotion
Without promotion, Unilever cannot perform its business globally. Promotion helps to know
about a product easily. If Unilever promotes fairness and loves widely, it can reach the consumer
and contribute to the decision-making process of consumers.
Some more factors also affect consumer decision making during buying glow and lovely those
are culture, subculture, as well as the role of an opinion leader. A brief discussion on those
influential factors of the consumer decision-making process is given below for a better
demonstration.
Culture
Culture is another essential factor of consumers during consumer decision making. Culture
signifies the experience of consumers, values as well as beliefs that are directly related to
personal behaviour, ego, and social norms, which reflects in the decision making process. For
example, a consumer of the UK is born and raised in a conservative family, so the consumer will
not be attracted to fashionable consumer goods such as fair and lovely. So, cultures play a vital
role in choosing better consumer decision making of Unilever’s consumers (Unilever, 2021).
Subculture
Consumer decision making varies from culture to culture. So it is essential to differentiate goods
as culture. The consumers can be different in religion, so it will be effective to keep different
region-based products for similar behavioural patterns in buying particular goods.
10

Opinion leader’s roles
A consumer is very attentive while choosing a proper decision for consumption. Opinion leaders
always diverge and motivate to buy types of consumer goods and show alternative chances of a
better decision. For example, an opinion leader can suggest to Mr X that don't buy this glow and
lovely it will not suit the skin better and suggest another whitening cream.
11

5. Conclusion
The behavioural etiquette and manner while buying a good varies from consumer to consumer.
Consumer behaviour is a potential study of marketing that reflects how consumers behave while
buying a random product. It will be easy for a marketer when the consumer behaviour showcases
easily. This report evaluated the problems of the case for Unilever on the perspective of glow
and lovely including stages of consumers journey and map, compare and contrast of B2B and
B2C and so some factors that influence the decision making process for a better outcome.
12

6. Reference list
Abdelhady, M. (2018). 4PS OF MARKETING in consumer's decision-making process. SL: Lap
Lambert.
Azote, M., Arce-Urea, M. and Cebollada, J. (2018). Exploring the Helpfulness of Online
Consumer Reviews: The Consumer Voting Journey. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Blythe, J. (2013). Consumer behaviour. 2nd ed. London: Sage.
Chhabra, D. (2018). Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behaviour and Decision Making
Process towards. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 15(6),
pp.131–139.
Reedman (2017). A psychological study of consumer behaviour towards super-markets.
Annamalainagar: Animalia University.
Keren, G. and Wu, G. (2015). Factors of consumer decision making. Chichester, West Sussex;
Malden, Ma: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kokkali, M.K. and Vida, I. (2014). Consumer strategic decision making and choice process:
prefabricated house purchase. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 35(6), pp.634–643.
Monett, S. (2014). B2B & B2C marketing: a radically different approach for business-to-
business marketers. London; New York: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Reynolds, T.J. and Olson, J.C. (2013). Understanding consumer decision making: the means-end
approach to marketing and advertising strategy. New York, N.Y.: Psychology Press.
Sun, C. and Ghosh, A. (2021). Consumers’ Path to Purchase Journeys: An Omnichannel Deep-
Learning Model. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Tueanrat, Y. and Alamitos, E. (2021). A conceptual framework of the antecedents of customer
journey satisfaction retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, p.102550.
13

Unilever (2021). Unilever global company website | Unilever Global. [Online] Unilever global
company website. Available at: https://www.unilever.com/.
14