Before we explore the role of consumer learning in consumer behaviour, let us first understand the concept of “consumer behaviour”.
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Consumer behaviour decision-making is the process of how consumers behave while making decisions about what to buy, when to buy it, and how to buy. It attempts to understand how consumers’ attitudes, emotions and choices affect their buying patterns. Consumer behaviour today uses many ideas from different sources such as economics, psychology and sociology.
Consumer behaviour can be difficult to predict due to the number of variables that can affect a buyer’s decision. However, new research methods such as machine learning, consumer neuroscience, and ethnographic studies are helping marketeers better understand consumer behaviour.
Consumer behaviour is determined by several factors which can influence the customer at various levels. These factors are not linear, nor are they all mutually inclusive.
The five key determinants of consumer behaviour are:
A graphic to summarise these determinants of consumer behaviour is as follows:
A consumer – whether in a B2C segment or B2B segment – goes through a “funnel” to find a solution to their marketing problem or pain point. This funnel takes the consumer through various stages of awareness, interest, consideration, intent and evaluation before making a purchase decision. This marketing funnel looks like this:
Various marketing and communication tools can be used to drive customers through the funnel all the way to a purchase decision.
The growth of digital marketing has also led to massive growth in the availability of consumer data through multiple touchpoints. These data are used extensively to go beyond the first purchase into repeat buyer intentions, loyalty, referrals and advocacy.
The ability to understand and interpret the processes behind a customer’s purchase decision, or actions at each stage of the funnel presented above, means the difference between getting more revenue or losing business.
It is therefore important for marketers to understand how the consumer behaves at each stage of the funnel to create more effective communications to push them deeper into the funnel.
“Consumer Learning” is nothing but the process by which a consumer obtains all the information required to shape their consumer behaviour. It is, in fact, the very basis of consumer behaviour. The knowledge and experience that is acquired during this “learning process” can be applied to future behaviour that can make a related purchase seem almost automatic in its execution. It can also be called “developing the mind’s muscle memory” to progress through the funnel process quickly.
A marketer must understand the elements of consumer learning to understand how and why their customers make the purchase decisions for their products or services.
The key elements of consumer learning include:
Theories or methods of consumer learning are useful in driving awareness, consideration and the purchase of a given product or service.
Although there are as many theories of consumer learning as there are marketers in the industry, two main theories of consumer learning have been used by marketers worldwide:
We will examine both theories here.
Marketers should ideally use both theories in a flow to influence and shape the entire consumer decision-making process. Behavioural Learning techniques help to build a brand over time in the consumer’s mind, while Cognitive Learning methods can help produce marketing activities that can push the consumer to a purchase decision.
Marketing teams are often caught up and involved in the day-to-day requirements of routine marketing activities. This leaves them with little or no time to really understand who their customers are and how they arrive at a particular purchase decision.
But if marketers are to really acquire and retain customers, they must understand and implement theories of consumer learning that can help them design, develop and execute marketing strategies and advertising campaigns that drive awareness, consideration and purchase of the product or service.
Finally, the knowledge of how a consumer decides on buying a product can help marketers decide which products should be developed to fulfil a consumer need or even remove a product that does not respond to market requirements.
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