Marketing: Consumer Decision Making Process

Requirement

Marketing: Consumer Decision Making Process 

Solution

Star Cruises

Star Cruise is making huge investment towards catering the customers who prefer to enjoy site seeing and enjoying the longer luxurious vacations. SC along with other provider seems to be enthusiastic enough to cater to the entertainment needs of the customers. The major point in this aspect is the consideration that whether there are enough customers in the market who are willing to invest their time and money in moving ahead with such decisions. As stated in the case that the customers from the Asian countries are willing to invest in the cruising activities as they see it as an exciting and value for money vacation. The initial aspect in the decision making process of the customers is the need recognition and as evident from the case that the decision of the company to invest in the business is based on the understanding that the need of the customers is to take longer vacations (Danaher and Arweiler, 1996). Another important aspect in the customer decision process is the information search and the combination of various fleets and companies together to provide the vacation opportunities is likely to bring more customers. The reason is that the customers would prefer to visit the various known companies to know about the cruising opportunities provided by them. In this case, the combination of various fleets and associated companies together is likely to bring the customers together. The online search of the customers is likely to grow and it is most likely that they will depend on the online investigation for various cruising opportunities prior to making any decisions. At this point, it is suggestible that the company increases its online presence as the major source of information at present for the travellers around the world is internet, whether it is for searching for travel information, for hotel services, or other recreational activities. Therefore, instead for hunting for offline customers, the suggestible way would be to gain the benefit of online accessibility. 

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Moreover, as the different fleet developers and operators are coming together with high number of cruise lines, thus there is less chance that the customers will get to see more alternatives on the online portals, provided company makes an extensive effort for its online presence (Huang and Hsu, 2009). The decision making towards the cruising would be planned purchase and customers are likely to spend more time in information search. Therefore, information search phase and alternative selection is the major driver in this case. The company needs to be strong on the marketing mix factors such price, promotion, process, people, and physical evidence. The reason behind consideration of the last three ‘mix’ is that it is the service sector and decision will depend on the way company individuals interact with the customers and the first impression they create. As per the post-purchase evaluation is concerned, the company will be able to get the instant feedback when the people will be cruising with the company staffs around the world and the estimation can be made right from there that whether the word of mouth will be positive or negative which is also an important aspect in this line of business.

TESCO

The decision of the company to open Fresh and Easy instead of opening stores under its own name can referred to be as an appreciable move. The reason is that it was not sure whether the inconvenient looking convenience stores will work in the US market. Here it would be commendable to consider the first decision making process of the customer is the need recognition (Schmitt, 1999). As per the case, it not evident that whether the company did any kind of research in the market regarding the need of the customers for such store formats as the customers were already accustomed with the convenience stores with gas stations. However, one element is positive here is that the customers in the American market are gradually orienting towards healthy and organic foods which is the likely reason that gave Fresh and Easy some attention. As per the information search is concerned, the customers are less likely to ask their friends and colleagues about the shopping experience at such stores and only the positive word of mouth for these stores is likely to save the day (Chevalier and Mayzlin, 2006). There already exist companies that have enough reputation to attract the customers towards them. Therefore, it would be challenging to state whether the customers will orient towards new found stores that claim to be environmental friendly and sell packed products which is contradictory. Moreover, the company did not involve itself into community benefits agreement which was another negative point in the customers’ eye. All these actions, as it seems, were the reason of limited to no extensive market research prior to making decisions. The company should not make the same mistake prior to entry into the Vietnamese market.
The purchase decisions from the customers’ point of view in this case is ‘partially purchase’ as some thoughts were required to decide on purchasing from a new store who is promising to provide fresh organic food. The reason the company reached success beyond its expectation is the presence of effective marketing mix that is product, price, place, and promotion. The company provided organic food in a clean and attractive small shop style which was an attraction point for the customers. Moreover, the price was expected to be high but that was not the case. Thirdly, the locations of the stores were at the convenient distance from the customers which made it reachable in comparison to the large format stores. Apart from that, the promotional effort of the company to represent Fresh and Easy as the green food outlet worked out. The post-purchase evaluation also played a major role.

Fresh Game Ltd.

The company, Fresh Game Ltd, tried to enter into the Asian market with its new fresh rabbit food products and failed miserably. The attribution to this disastrous result goes to the inability of the company to understand or assess the need of its target consumers. The company was successful in the UK market with this product and were mostly purchased by rural areas and middle class families which gave it an impression that it will work well in Asian countries where the presence of rural areas and middle class families is huge in number. However, the company failed to understand the correct customer class in the UK market (Kracklauer et al, 2004). As stated in the case, the individuals belonging to Afro-Caribbean, Indian, Pakistan, and Chinese origin were rarely orienting towards this product. This states that there was no considerable need among these communities of this food rabbit. The company missed this aspect and went to the Asian countries which were filled with these communities. Therefore, there was no other option than failure. At this stage, it would be advisable to state that that the need recognition from the target customers’ point of view is an important aspect in deciding whom to cater with a particular product or product category. Moreover, the company’s reliance on their own expertise was more than understanding what the new target customers want. 
There will be no point in considering the other aspect of the customers’ decision making process as the company failed to even understand the fundamental (first required) aspect which is need recognition. The product of the company was appreciable and was comparatively better than other non-vegetarian foods such as red meat. The market in which the company was active was the UK market where the customers were afraid of orienting more towards foods that are being labelled harmful such as British beef, bird fly, and red meat. Therefore, it was an obvious understanding that they were looking for an alternative to these foods which they saw in the rabbit food. Moreover, the company made good effort in promotion of this product. It tried to consider the impact of the packaging on the children who keep rabbit as pets (Ampuero and Vila, 20006). The packaging also consisted of information related to nutritional value about the rabbit food. The variety of product format, such as minced rabbit, rabbit cutlet, or rabbit sausages catered to the various choices among the customers preferring rabbit foods. Here one thing is commendable that the company understood why the customers of UK will prefer rabbit over other food and what are the packaging standards and promotional strategies that are likely to attract them towards making the purchase. However, in the case of Asian market, the same effort was not made to gather and understand the similar information regarding the customers and more reliance was on the experience company gathered in the past decade. The lack of information about the customers’ need led to the failure. 
As inferred from the case, despite the failure in the Asian market in understanding the need and failing, it is being believed that the experience of the company will still play out better which is in direct contradiction of most of the researches done by reputed researchers regarding understanding what customers want. 

Amazing Amy

The featured children toy development by the company can be considered a good product as per the company as its goal was to make an interactive product that can sell more. However, the reputation of the product started to dwindle after some protests from concerned parents. One of the reasons behind this protest can be the inability of the company to understand the actual consumer in case the toy. It is a known fact that in most of the toy purchases the final decision makers are the parents who pay the bills for the product (Martens et al, 2004). Therefore, in this case the product was required to be passed through the consideration of the parents which seems evident from the protests. The company directly focused on the end customer who was the children but failed to consider the facilitator. The company could have involved in surveys and deep marketing research prior to taking this decision. However, as the damage has already been done, the next step should be to manage the damage by repositioning the product. Amazing Amy can be positioned as the product that engages the child and keep time for their parents to do their daily chores. Instead of positioning Amazing Amy as a learning tool, it could have been positioned as an engagement tool. 
At present, the company can engage in asking for feedback gathering from the protestors and tensed parents regarding the features that need redevelopment and any other suggestion they might have. The next step should be to bring the product in the market with limited modification, new packaging and a repositioning tactic (Rivkin and Trout, 2010).
However, it is not sure that this tactic will work, therefore with the use of online business, the company should expand its wing to other target customers such as the social workers who involve themselves in training teenage girls about realities of motherhood or providing experiences regarding challenges of handling kids for under aged girls. Instead of a product of play, it can be converted into a product of training for new market segment.
If both the strategies worked out well, then the company might have two target customers with two different positioning. The impulse purchase of toy for the first target customers can be brought as an element of planned purchase decision for the other target customers. Moreover, the company can gain huge profitability in engaging with the social workers where the likely purchase of the Amazing Amy can be in bulk. The discount offers is likely to increase the sale in such market segment where the cash crunch is the reality of the day.

The Vietnamese Villa

The Vietnamese Villa is in the situation of reputation crisis. The restaurant’s reputation has been hit after the case of an employee contracting the hepatitis. Despite all the precautionary measures that saved others from contracting the disease, the company failed in the eyes of its loyal customers and, Hanee and Hanna are wondering whether the customers will come back with the same enthusiasm and crowd.
Considering this situation, it can be stated that the company was moving ahead well on all the parameters of consumers’ decision making process. However, the recent situation that has damaged the company’s reputation requires that the company re-engage its promotional activities. It is true that the product, price, and other associated service factors were good but the reputation has dropped down. The re-promotional techniques to revamp the reputation are likely to play the appreciable role here (Hutton et al, 2001). The need at present is to change the perception that has been created in the mind of the customers due to the incident. The perception can only be changed by involving some promotional methods such as getting the brand represented by medical institutes who already have good reputation in the masses.
The certification from the various health institutes regarding the safe eating environment of the hotel is likely to impact the people’s perception. The video adverts that showcase the cleanliness of the restaurant and the steps that are taken by the company on daily basis to ensure the safety should be shown in the media. The use of social media can be the strongest tool as at present rise in the online reputation directly impacts the offline sale of the company’s products of services. 
Moreover, the post purchase evaluation of whatever customers are left with the company should be taken and showcased on the online media with their online videos and feedback. Such effort is likely to help the company gain the same reputation it has lost (Caywood, 1997). Apart from that, the company can bring in local reputed personalities within the hotel for dining who the society looks as an expert. There are various other methods that can be considered by the company in building the reputation of the company such as the word of mouth (most effective) apart from the ones mentioned above. 

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References

  • Danaher, P. J., & Arweiler, N. (1996). Customer Satisfaction in the Tourist Industry A Case Study of Visitors to New Zealand. Journal of Travel Research, 35(1), 89-93.

  • Huang, J., & Hsu, C. H. (2009). The impact of customer-to-customer interaction on cruise experience and vacation satisfaction. Journal of Travel Research.

  • Schmitt, B. (1999). Experiential marketing. Journal of marketing management, 15(1-3), 53-67.

  • Chevalier, J. A., & Mayzlin, D. (2006). The effect of word of mouth on sales: Online book reviews. Journal of marketing research, 43(3), 345-354.

  • Kracklauer, A. H., Mills, D. Q., & Seifert, D. (2004). Customer management as the origin of collaborative customer relationship management. In Collaborative Customer Relationship Management (pp. 3-6). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

  • Ampuero, O., & Vila, N. (2006). Consumer perceptions of product packaging. Journal of consumer marketing, 23(2), 100-112.

  • Martens, L., Southerton, D., & Scott, S. (2004). Bringing children (and parents) into the sociology of consumption towards a theoretical and empirical agenda. Journal of consumer culture, 4(2), 155-182.

  • Rivkin, S., & Trout, J. (2010). Repositioning: Marketing in an era of competition, change and crisis. McGraw-Hill Education.

  • Hutton, J. G., Goodman, M. B., Alexander, J. B., & Genest, C. M. (2001). Reputation management: the new face of corporate public relations?. Public Relations Review, 27(3), 247-261.

  • Caywood, C. L. (1997). The handbook of strategic public relations and integrated communications.

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