University Consumer Behavior Analysis: Laptop Purchase Report

This report analyzes consumer behavior in the laptop market, focusing on factors influencing purchase decisions and brand preferences. The study, based on an online survey, reveals that HP and Mac are the most popular brands, with consumers primarily aged 20-30 years. The research highlights the importance of brand awareness, product features (like speed, RAM, and hard disk size), and consumer needs in driving purchase decisions. Consumers often conduct research before buying, influenced by marketing and advertising. The report also discusses brand loyalty and the significance of warranty and after-sales service, offering strategic recommendations for companies to enhance brand awareness and customer satisfaction. The analysis incorporates consumer behavior theories, such as need theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the market dynamics and consumer choices. The report further emphasizes the role of technical features, such as speed, RAM, and storage capacity, in influencing consumer preference for specific brands. The study also reveals that brand loyalty and the perceived benefits derived from the product play a crucial role in the purchase decision. This report offers valuable insights into consumer behavior, highlighting the key factors that shape the laptop market.

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Consumer behaviour on Purchase of Laptops
Student’s Name
University course
Instructor

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
Selected Product or Service Overview............................................................................................3
Critical Analysis..............................................................................................................................4
Strategic Recommendations............................................................................................................8
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Executive Summary
Consumer behaviour is determined by different factors that determine the view that
consumers have over a certain product and the factors that make them prefer one product over
another. Decision making by customers varies from one brand to another. This study was based
on an online survey to determine the consumer buying decisions and at the same time determine
factors that people use to choose the products that they want to use. From the findings, it was
reported that HP and Mac were the most purchased products by customers. Decision making on
the products was based on consumer knowledge of the product and the perceived benefits that
they derived from it. It was also observe that most consumers were aware of the products that
they wanted to buy and thus made purchase decisions on time before visiting the retailers. Those
that did not have prior knowledge on the product did research to determine the specific features
of the product. However, the decision to buy the product was mostly based on customer need and
the features that the product has which relate to the needs of the consumer. Therefore, brand
loyalty seems to be an important element in the purchase decision and this determined the way
products were utilized across different customer groups.
Selected Product Overview
Consumer behavior entails the study of how individuals or groups make buying decisions
for the products that they need. This means that they are driven certain consumer needs that drive
them to purchase a certain product or service. According to need theory and Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs, decision making is based on the reason for purchasing the product and the factors that
relate to the need (Constantin 2010, p. 42). For example, in the hierarchy ladder, the higher the
need level, the higher the need. This means that the consumer will make decisions based on

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satisfaction. Simkin (2016, p. 279) states that in the market, there are different products that
serve the same purpose but the consumer has to weigh on the level of satisfaction that the
product will bring. From the concept of opportunity cost, the value of one product and its price
has to be weighed against others before one can make a decision on the same.
Laptops like other electronics serve the daily needs of individuals that range from
personal, social or professional needs. The purpose that the consumer seeks to use the product
determines the quality and the brand that one will use. In marketing management consumers
have different reasons and factors that they use to assess products that they want to buy (Guo
2012, p. 34). These are based on either previous use of the product, recommendation from other
people or marketing and advertising of the same product to convince people into buying the
product. In the previous assessment, a survey was used to carry out an analysis of consumer
trends and the types of laptop brands that they use.
Critical Analysis
From the findings, the survey indicated that most people who bought laptops fall between
the ages of 20-30 years. There are several reasons why people in this category buy laptops since
most of them have entered their productive years. In most countries around the world, the age
between 20-30 years is the time when most people are entering their productive and career years.
This means that at one point in life, the laptop is used for several years. In Australia, the legal
working age is fifteen years but the restrictions on work are put to ensure that the minors are not
abused. This means that as a professional individual, the right age when one is professionally fit
fall between the age of 20-30 years depending on the speed of schooling and the course that one
majors in. In this case, laptop users fall within this age group since they require this gadget in

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their lives. This is similar to Vijayalakshmi, et al. (2013, p. 621) which reported that the buying
ge of electronics ranges from 25-50 years which varies from the nature of the buyers.
Despite that, the reasons that people buy laptops vary from individual to individual. The
reason can be personal, social or professional. Personal reasons entail using the laptop like any
other home electronics for storing personal information, watching videos and music or any other
social use at home. Given the fact that some people within this age group may be parents then it
means that they may be buying the laptop for their children. On the other hand, social uses
include the easily available internet in the country that allows people to connect to social media
sites and meet with their friends. Since some features may not be available on. Since
smartphones, then some of these people use the laptops to connect to different social media sites
that exist. On the other hand, professional use entails the use of the laptop for work or academic-
related purposes. Some people here may be pursuing further education while others may use the
laptop for work purposes. Given that the evolution of technology has allowed everything to be
done through the computer system, the computers control the world no one industry can work
without computers since programs have been developed to virtually fit any professional use. HP
is a brand name for the Hewlett-Packard Company that deals with different laptop brands since it
designs laptops and computers that fit different specifications (Tierney 2014, pp. 5; Passikoff
2012, pp. 6). This means that when one visits a HP shop, there is a virtually a laptop for every
user depending on their needs. The HP brand name is a leader in stellar designs with its products
being attributed to greater innovations that the company goes through as seen in its kill switch
webcam and sure view screen for business laptops.
On the other hand, Mac is a valuable laptop brand that is designed for the affluent class
and people who see themselves as of a higher class. Being a brand of the Apple company, mac

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has been established as a prestigious brand for users and thus it has been segmentally positioned
to meet these needs (Pinson & Brosdah 2016, p. 6). Thus the users of this brand are seen as the
early adopters of technology since the products are somehow priced higher as compared to the
rest of the products. In this case Mac users unlike HP which offers specifications for every user,
Mac is established for high-end affluent users. This is why those who feel that mac is expensive
to opt for HP brands which offer variety and quality.
From the comparison between the two companies, we see that product features like
warranty, processing, and technical specifications are important in buyer decision. This means
that users are more comfortable buying a product if they are sure it meets the specific needs that
they want to fulfill. Both HP and Mac have high brand loyalty due to the product features that
they offer. Chen, Chen, & Cheng-Che (2016, p. 114) adds that customer preference on products
varies based on the brand loyalty that they have on the features that the product has. Since there
are different laptop designs, then the user has to sample the specifications of each to determine if
the features of the laptop meet their needs. Thus the reason why most of the users prefer the two
brands is their ability to meet the consumer specifications especially the technical features like
speed, RAM, hard disk size and other supplementing features like customer service, reliability
and even color or size. However, the study showed that consumers are more interested in the
technical features of the laptop rather than the supplementary features like customer service. This
means that what consumers seek to achieve the satisfaction that they will get when using the
product. According to Davies (2018, pp. 4) Mac is an example of how customer loyalty increases
consumer decision making which is based on adequate research to consider the factors that
influence how one product is better as compared to the other. From the study, 61.9% of the
respondents did research on the laptop brand before buying while 57.14% of the respondents

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made their decision-based brand consciousness which was influenced by marketing and
advertising. Thus consumer awareness on HP and Mac brand is based on advertising and
marketing that leads to increased awareness of brands.
On the other hand, the attached benefits that the customer derives from the product are
also important. Aziz, Jusoh, & Amlus (2017, p. 235) suggests that brand loyalty is based on the
critical benefits that customers derive from the product at all times. Thus through warranty and
after-sales service, the two companies allow offer security to their consumers by ensuring that
they address any needs that arise from the use of their products. The reason why HP has
managed to establish itself in the computer industry is the fact that it offers extended services to
its consumers, thus increasing acceptability. Brand awareness of the two laptop brands is thus
based on the nature of the products that they offer to their customers. Through aided recall, we
see that HP and Mac have created perceived quality on their brands through awareness thus
creating brand loyalty (Oke, Kamolshotiros, Popoola, Ajagbe, & Olujobi, 2016, p. 6). This leads
to the recommitment for repurchase or even referring a friend to the same brand. This means that
the brand name that comes on top of the mind of the consumer is the one that the consumer is
likely to purchase. This is the reason why consumer decision making is related to brand
awareness and knowledge of the specific product. As seen in the survey, 80.95% of the
respondents said that they made decisions before visiting the shop to buy, 9.52% made an
immediate purchase, while 4.76% made the decision almost six months ago. The fact that
consumers make buying decisions early enough means that they are influenced by the brand
knowledge that they have which has developed over time. This study is similar to VijayaLaxmi
& Rao (2015, p. 16) which reported that the purchasing behaviour of consumers is based on the

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research and their knowledge on the product which influences the choice of products that they
use.
Lastly, brand loyalty can be seen from the two laptop brands through preferred and
purchased brands. The consumer level of preferred brands and purchased brands for the two
seem the same since the level of purchase was based on the brand knowledge that the consumer
had which leads to the preferred brand and even purchased brand. Geethanjali & Assokumar
(2011, P. 6) and Khan & Arif (2009, 394) argue that the fact that most consumers made the
decision early before going to the shop to buy means that they had, a preferred brand which
influenced their buying decision. Thus there are several factors that influence buyer decision
which ranges from brand knowledge to the specific features of the brand and the extended
benefits that the customer receives from the product.
Strategic Recommendations
From the results, the first recommendation that can be made is that companies should
work hard to create brand awareness and knowledge to their consumers. Preferred brand is a
result of aggressive marketing and advertising that leads to increased awareness of the brand and
eventual purchase. HP and Mac have maintained a strong brand image by creating increasing
innovations in their product line. Doostar, et al. (2012, p. 104) adds that the same products have
to be communicated to consumers through marketing strategies that ensure they are aware of the
new products that are launched in the market. To keep themselves on the top of the market, HP
and Mac have ensured that they keep on innovating new products while at the same time sharing
the innovations with their consumers. One way to increase the preferred product ability of the
consumer is to ensure that the company keeps in touch with the consumer by advertising the
products that they have developed to increase the purchase decision (Brodie, et al. 2009, p. 349).

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Since consumers like to keep in touch with the technological trends in the market, then
marketing and advertising increase brand loyalty. The fact that most buyers fall within the age of
20-30 years, then it means that there is a need for targeting this group of consumers with
aggressive marketing to create brand loyalty and awareness.
The next recommendation is the need to work on a large product portfolio as a way of
increasing the purchase decision. A wide product range ensures that the company is able to meet
the varying needs of the customer. Through marketing segmentation, the range of products can
be designed around age, gender, status, and even the type of user (Farzana 2012, p. 95). This
means that companies should understand the varying nature of the segments that they serve and
how each of these segments can be satisfied with a particular product line (Wirtz, et al., 2012, p.
26). Despite the fact that HP and Mac do not design their product based on segmentation and
positioning, the market is segmented and preferences will vary from consumer to consumer. In
this case, the company can reap heavily from a large product portfolio which will make it easy to
satisfy a large customer portfolio.
Another recommendation is the need to design products based on consumer needs.
According to Kotler & Armstrong (2014, p. 23), market segmentation is a way of ensuring that
companies understand the needs of their consumers and design products along these lines. By
diving the consumers into groups with similar characteristics, the product research and
innovation can be designed to ensure that it meets the needs of the consumer and reflects the
specific characteristics of the needs of the consumer. Wilson & Levy (2012, p. 352)suggests that
the fact that consumers fall in different age groups means that they have varying needs that
companies need to focus on and develop products that reflect the needs that they have. By
understanding the demographics, psychographics and the type of market that exists then the

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company can work better. In this case, companies should segment their consumers and position
their products in the market to reflect their needs so that they can increase the preference of the
product and even purchase decision.
Conclusion
From the study, product knowledge is an important element in consumer preference of
products since it determines how people prefer one product over the other and even their buying
decision. When doing research for a specific product, recall knowledge is important in ensuring
that the consumer understands the product, its features and even the specifications that product
has in satisfying the needs of the consumer.

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