group of consumers who are confident in their ability to read any-
thing, buy anything, and experience anything.
Several fundamental demographic changes will serve as the under-
pinning for this new consumer mind-set: the aging of the baby boom
generation, the increasing importance of children as consumers, a
growing chasm between society's haves and have-nots. and the
world's increasingly diverse population.
Given that demographic backdrop. what will be the most powerful
values shaping the consumer mind-set? The following possibilities
have been proposed:
• The Shrinking Day-Harried baby boomers will create a time
famine for themselves by working more hours and committing to
more family and community obligations.
• The Connectedness Craze-The urge to connect will pervade all
aspects of consumers' lives and increasingly consumers will
turn to the World Wide Web for a sense of community between
buyers and sellers, information suppliers and consumers, and
friends and family.
• The Body vs. Soul Conundrum-Consumers will continue their
obsession with fitness and spirituality, while at the same time
consuming record amounts of take-out food.
The Triumph of Individualism-Work, family, and purchase
processes will reflect the consumer's need to be treated as a
unique individual.
MARKETING CAPSULE
•
1. Organizational buyer behavior is different from consumer
2. The following stages are involved in the organizational buy-
behav ior:
ing decision:
a. Many individuals make the buying decision
a. Problem recognition
b. Behavior is motivated by both rational and emotional
b. General need description
factors
c. Product specification
c. Decisions include a range of complex technical deci-
d. Supplier's research
sions
e. Proposal solicitation
d. Lag time exists between contact and actual decision
f. Supplier selection
e. Organizations cannot by grouped into precise categories
g. Order-routine specification
h. Performance review
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
IN PRACTICE
about various business activities,
Understanding buyer behavior is a
including purchasing. On the Mar-
complicated process, with many
ketplace home page, click on Busi-
factors influencing the process.
ness Focus on the left menu.
Why and what products are pur-
For information abo ut con-
chased baffles marketers as much
sumer buying behavior, go to the
as understanding why certain prod-
Interactive Journal's Front Section
ucts are not purchased. Ultimately,
and click on Marketplace. Click on
understanding buyer behavior
MarketinglMedia. Look for articles
influences the marketing mix used
in the Advertising section. These
for a product.
articles discuss examples of adver-
Marketers must be able to
tising efforts that various compa-
answer two critical questions when
nies employ to influence consumer
assessing consumer and organiza-
buying decisions. Information
tional buyer behavior: (1) How do
about retail sales can also be found
buyers make purchase decisions?
in MarketinglMedia.
and (2) What factors influence deci-
sions and in what way? Answering
DELIVERABLE
these questions correctly impacts
Using the Interactive Journal's
the success of any product.
Business Index feature under Jour-
Consumer and organizational
nal Atlas on the left menu, select a
buyer behavior differ significantly.
consumer products company fea-
While considerable research about
tured in today 's Interactive Journal.
consumer purchasing decisions has
Visit that company's website and
been conducted, minimal research
search the Interactive Journal for
has been done about organizational
information that will help you iden-
buyer behavior. Marketers must
tify the Situational and External
understand the different factors
Influences for customers purchas-
and influences affecting each group
ing the company's product(s).
and the impact of these on pur-
chase decisions.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Cisco Systems, Inc., provides
1. H ow can marketers use the
networking solutions that connect
In ternet to influence consumer
computer devices and networks for
buyer behavior? Organizational
businesses. Check out Cisco's Web
buyer behavior?
site at www.cisco.com. Under Solu-
2. How has business-to-business
tions for Your Network, click on
(B2B) commerce affected pur-
Overview. A menu will appear to
chasing transactions?
the left with information for cus-
3. What new factors or influences
tomers such as Large Enterprises,
do you foresee impacting con-
Small and Medium Businesses, and
sumer buyer behavior? Organi-
Government entities. Click on one
zational buyer behavior?
of those links now to read about
4. Wh at ethical considerations (if
product offerings for these
any) do advertisers face when
customers.
they try to influence buyer
The Business Focus section of
behavior?
Marketplace provides information
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