Month: Jul 2019

What Affects the Consumer ?

Upon responding to a stimulus, had it been through media, ads, or through experiences generated by the society, consumers tend to form their product choices, brand choices, dealer choices, as well as their timing and the amount they’re willing to spend accordingly.

Their product choice refers to the product in which they need like a car or bike. The brand choice refers to which car they want to purchase (ex. Ford or Mercedes). This is affected by the stimuli and by the buyer’s black box that we’ve mentioned earlier. The dealer choice refers to the person or place the consumer aims to get the product from. The latter, timing and amount are specific about buying decisions.

In addition to this, there are a lot of factors that play into the consumers’ minds and affects their decision making processes.

The Black Box Theory

Are We Really Rational?

It was often presented earlier in an economic man model that consumers are rational and always trying to maximise their benefits. However, such method is deemed as too simplistic in terms of understanding the consumers and how they manage to take decisions.

According to the Black Box Model, it was implied that consumers are affected by both internal and external stimuli upon taking decisions. The external stimuli include the marketing mix presented by the company as well as the environmental factors which are present in the society that surrounds them. The internal factors are represented as the “black box” that affects consumer decisions. Such internal factors include the customer’s characteristics (values, beliefs, motivation, etc.) and their decision making process.

The Black Box Model assumes the customers are rational and take their decisions accordingly. However, marketers believe otherwise. This resulted in the belief that the customers’ purchasing behaviour is a mystery or rather a “black box” that is not easily understood by anyone, not even by the consumers themselves. Consumers are often affected by both rational and irrational factors upon taking decisions.

However, in cases like impulse buying, or in terms of choosing a brand over the other, are we actually taking such choices rationally?

Buyer’s Black Box

Whether you’re a marketer, a marketing student, or simply a consumer interested in what affects your buying behaviour and purchasing patterns then, this blog is for you.

Buyer’s Black Box is for anyone who is interested in marketing and in understanding the consumers’ behaviour. There are a lot of drivers out there contributing in shaping the consumers’ decisions & perspectives. If you’re simply a consumer in today’s world then, this blog is for you.

Furthermore, it should be noted that humans in their nature are complex creatures and understanding them is not that simple. Therefore, any topic discussed or written about here is up for further discussion, and more importantly, all opinions are welcomed.