The Consumer Decision Model: Need Recognition and Other Influences

Consumer Decicion Model

This is part two of my series looking at the influence of consumer behaviour on marketing. More specifically it will be examining the Consumer Decision Model. It was originally developed by Roger Blackwell, James Engel and Paul Miniar in the late sixties. As you will see from the diagram below (see Figure 1) it is very detailed, so today my intention is to focus on the ‘Need Recognition’ element and its ‘Influencing Factors’:

Consumer Decision Model Flow Diagram

Figure 1: Consumer Decision Model Flow Diagram

The original diagram may seem a little confusing because it is unclear where one should start or finish. I have added a red arrow for the beginning but there is no real end as the process is cyclical. Some may argue that the ‘purchase’ and ‘consumption’ points should be the end but that debate may continue for a while: I would say it is a bit premature because of all the relating factors which we will consider in the coming weeks. Readers will also notice that there are four streams: ‘Input’, ‘Information Process’ ‘Decision Process’ and ‘Variables Influencing the Decision Process’. It is my intention to begin by considering the ‘Decision Process’ stream, because this is where the consumer would start. As mentioned I am only going to consider the ‘Need Recognition’ element and its influencing factors today, so, lets look at each in detail:

The ‘Need Recognition’ is where it all starts, essentially an individual will experience a need, which is driven by a number of factors associated with that said person. These factors are arguably associated to the individual’s personal development. Now, the best way to explain this concept of ‘personal development’ is to consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (see figure 2):

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Figure 2: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.

I would argue that an individual’s needs are related to where they sit on the Maslow continuum: say for example they wanted a car, those at the top  (self actualisation) are more likely to buy a luxury model, those at the bottom (survival and security) are more likely to buy a utilitarian model. This is clearly a gross generalisation but it is a way to get to grips with the concept. There are other factors that should be considered: you will find these in the ‘variables influencing the decision’ stream (see figure 1), they include:

  • Environmental Influences:
    • Culture.
    • Social Class.
    • Personal influences.
    • Family.
    • Situation.
  • Individual Differences:
    • Consumer resources.
    • Knowledge.
    • Attitude.
    • Personality, values and lifestyle.
    • Motivation and involvement.

In this case we could say that an individual with a family is unlikely to purchase a sports car or someone with an outdoor lifestyle may select a 4×4 vehicle or those with a specific love of a brand (attitude) may only select a particular make. If you think about it I am sure you will agree that the concept is simple and that it makes common sense. I am also sure that you can think of many more examples (use the comment box below to test your thoughts). But how do marketers use it? Well, all of the above demonstrates the importance of segmenting the market and positioning the brand into the correct frame (or mind) of the consumer. The key takeout points are, we are all different and have different drivers for influencing the way we do things.

So, that concludes my thoughts on the Consumer Decision Model for this week. In the next sitting I shall delve search process.

The following two tabs change content below.
Dr Alan Shaw is a Senior Lecturer and Marketing consultant focusing on a range of sectors. His main interests are in strategy development, social marketing, digital marketing, advertising, consumer behaviour and marketing application.
This entry was posted in Articles.