The consumer purchasing decision-making process

Making a purchase involves more than just making the purchase itself. All consumers, whether in a store or online, go through several decision steps when making any type of purchase, large or small. This chart describes the consumer’s state of mind from ignorance of the offer to the moment when consumers become strong advocates of the offer (word of mouth). It also shows how marketing and advertising can significantly influence the decision-making process and which media are appropriate for each stage.

UNK / UNKs: awareness advertising for those “Strangers / Unknowns who don’t yet know they have a need”.

Need for awareness: awareness / creation of advertising cases to place the advertiser in the “priority”, construction of the shared mind.

Needs Assessment: Profit-Oriented Advertising to Shift Solution from Need to Offering Advertisers

Data collection: profit-oriented educational advertising, informational and comparison printed material such as brochures, flyers, direct mail.

Data evaluation: comparative printed information and brochures, specification sheets, direct mail flyers.

Buying decision: sales or price-oriented advertising, direct mail, points of purchase, incentive materials and advertisements.

Real Purchase: Point of sale materials, posters, add-on offers, and enhanced sale incentives help here.

Buyers Remorse: Awareness Advertising Again, Customer Support, Follow Up, Direct Mail

Attempts: direct mail, awareness advertising, “word of mouth”. Supportive educational announcements that recall the value proposition.

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