Consumer Decision-Making Process Visualize the consumer decision-making process outlined in the chapter. There are five stages identified in this process that correspond to the various steps that a consumer passes through in a buying situation. Marketers' success in influencing consumers' purchase behavior depends in large part on how well they understand consumer behavior and the consumer decision-making process. The decision process is viewed as consisting of stages through which the buyer passes in purchasing a product or service. The decision process involves various internal psychological processes. Understanding the different stages in the consumer decision-making process, and the corresponding psychological processes, will help marketers plan promotions that can influence buyer behavior. Holley, a junior and a marketing major, was busy trying to complete her mid-term paper for the advertising and promotion management class. As she was typing her final paragraph, her laptop computer crashed. She lost all of the material for her paper and didn't have a backup copy. She was devastated at the situation, but luckily had three full days before the paper was due. She had to start all over again, but first, she had a problem at hand. She needed a new laptop computer. Holley had never purchased a laptop computer. The one she was using was given to her by her older brother who graduated from college when she was starting as a freshman. Not having much knowledge about the laptop market, she decided to speak to her roommate who purchased a new laptop recently. After she gained some initial information, Holley decided to search the websites of various retailers and read consumer reviews on each of those websites. She narrowed her choice to three brands-VisionSmart, CollegeTech, and AcePro. She began reading up on these three brands and after a few hours and a trip to the campus computer store, decided on purchasing a 15-inch laptop from CollegeTech. It was now back to her mid-term paper. Later in that semester, Holley visited her family for the holidays. Her older brother was visiting too, and asked her about her new laptop. Holley had a chance to think about the choice she made and whether CollegeTech lived up to her expectations. She told him that she was happy with her purchase. Match Holley's decision-making process to the relevant psychological process. Perception Holley's Laptop Situation Consumer Decision- Making Stage Internal Psychological Process Purchase Decision Holley needs a new laptop computer after her current laptop's hard drive crashed. Alternative Evaluation Postpurchase Evaluation Holley asks her roommate who recently purchased a new laptop about information on laptop brands. Problem Recognition Holley narrows her choice down to three different laptop brands and starts comparing the merits of each brand. Motivation Holley decides to purchase a College Tech brand of laptop. Learning A month after using College Tech, Holley decides she is very satisfied with her laptop purchase. Integration Attitude Formation Information Search Reset