Customer decision-making process and the effect of marketing on the final purchase decision

Abstract

The paper aims to explain the consumer decision process and evaluate the various marketing channels used by the firms to influence the decision process of the consumer. The first part of this paper critically reviews the customer decision process by analysing the stages of the process which are a) Problem recognition b) Information gathering c) Evaluation of alternatives and d) Customer purchase decision. Subsequently various patterns of buying behaviour formed as a result of the purchase decisions made by the customer in the case of products are explained. The second part seeks to look at the efforts on the part of the marketer to market their product including advertising, packaging, pricing, differentiation and product distribution. Keywords: Buying behaviour, Customer decision-making process.