1. Consumer Decision Making

2. Influences on Consumer Decision Making
Personal Preferences
Family/Culture
Peer Pressure
Advertising
Marketing

3. Personal Preference Simply because you like it.
You prefer the taste, style, design, etc. of a particular product over another.
Most of us have a specific soda preference—you’re either a Coke person or a Pepsi person—although it has been proven that most people cannot accurately differentiate between the two in a blind taste test. Most of you are convinced that you are able to and your choice is best. This is a prime example of personal preference.

4. Family and Culture
Buying something because your family always said it was the best.
Trusting your family and therefore trusting their opinion.
Making choices because your cultural needs.
It’s all you know and your Mom always used it. This makes this item familiar to you.
Often you will use your family for recommendations of items you are interested in purchasing even if they are not the most qualified in that area.
The easiest examples of culture is religious affiliations. Ex: Jewish culture eats Kosher so you would purchase from brands like “Hebrew Nation” that make that a priority.

5. Peer Pressure
Do you wear brands or certain styles because your friends wear them and you want to fit in? This is peer pressure affecting your choice selection.

6. Marketing and Advertising
Product Positioning
Product Recognition
Color
Packaging
Shelf Location
Product Positioning is the idea of positioning your product to have an advantage to sell (or company be utilized) over the competitor. This is done through Product Recognition, Color, Packaging, Shelf Location. Scientific research often goes into identifying the properties that will attract the desired consumer.

7. Advertising & Marketing:
Product Recognition
Branding: Name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate the brand from those of other sellers.
Consistency in package imagery allows a consumer to associate that image with the product.
Slogans: Song or phrase designed to remind you of a product.
Which picture identifies which product?
M&M’s candy, McDonalds
You can recognize these items even when they are not within view of their food. That recognition essentially is the goal of branding—Product Recognition.
Consistent imagery on packaging that is reflected in the company’s advertising methods creates Brand Recognition. When you see that image, you think of that product. Examples are the little Leprechaun = Lucky Charms Cereal, The White Duck = Aflac, etc.
Slogans will allow bring brand recognition. “Melt in your mouth _________________.” Allow students to finish the slogan.

8. Advertising and Marketing
Packaging
Identification through color, images and designs on a products exterior.
Visual appeal is very important when it comes to increasing sales.
Introduction to Marketing – Lecture #19 Branding and Packaging:
 This YouTube series of videos is a great way to gather more information for explanation to the class.

9. Advertising and Marketing
Color has large impact on product packaging.
93% say color is more important than smell and texture when making a purchase.
85% place color as the primary reason for a purchase.
And color increases brand recognition by 80%.

10. Advertising and Marketing
Color impacts purchases, and businesses will position products/sales/advertisements accordingly.

11. Advertising and Marketing
Shelf Positioning
Companies will pay stores to place their product in prime locations.
End caps of aisles
Eye level
Check out lines
A company can increase the recognition and purchasing of a product by placing the product in a more prominent viewing.