Consumer decision-making in the automotive purchase process

¶ … Marketing

The decision to shop for a new car is a complex consumer process, and one that takes into account a series of advertising, branding, marketing factors in the one hand and internal perceptions of needs on the other. In the case of selecting a new car, pricing, styling, brand loyalty and the decision of where to purchase it all are part of the decision. All of these decisions are factored through buyer characteristics and the buying decision process, two factors that comprise the buyer's black box (Kotler, Armstrong, 2005). The text refers to these dynamics as the black box as they emanate from the consumer, while the marketing stimuli are based on the strategies externally visible. In the example of purchasing a new car, the buyer characteristics of preferences for given features, from the size of the car to its engine type, to color and interior form the criteria by which the buyer decision process is completed. In the case of my decision to purchase a new car, I would consider all the most critical buyer characteristic factors and create a short list of makes and models that met my criteria. Next, I'd evaluate each of the makes and models online to learn as much as possible about them including getting pricing quotes. As is consistent with the buyer decision process, I would also concentrate on alleviating the risk of a bad decision by trimming makes and models from the list as my criteria list became more focused (Kotler, Armstrong, 2005).