Breakthrough: Practical Marketing

Author: Han Qingxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Chapter 3 Consumer Purchase Patterns
There is a famous saying abroad: "Business operators should not focus solely on products, but more importantly, use their creativity to align with consumers' desires and needs." This indicates that the initiative in marketing comes from a deep understanding of consumers' purchasing desires, purchase patterns, and the entire psychological activity during the consumption process. Therefore, before studying marketing strategies, as an objective basis for formulating strategies, let's first explore the purchase patterns of consumers.
Influencing Factors of Consumer Purchases
The purchase patterns of consumers can be represented by the model shown in Figure 3-1. In a market economy society, everyone is a consumer of goods, achieving their consumption goals through purchasing. Each consumer has different purchasing goals and habits, and purchases may vary significantly under different conditions. However, there are still common patterns in their basic characteristics. These common patterns have a widespread effect. Mastering this common pattern provides guidance for studying consumer purchasing characteristics.
As shown in the purchase model in Figure 3-1, purchasing desires arise from a certain need, are directed by purchasing motivation, and result in the achievement of consumption goals. After reaching the consumption goal, consumers may have different experiences. If they are satisfied, it reinforces the need, leading to a more positive attitude toward purchasing the product and encouraging others to buy it as well. If they are dissatisfied, not only will they not repeat the purchase, but they may also persuade others not to buy it. This is why satisfied customers are the best advertisement.
Figure 3-1 depicts the subjective factors influencing consumer purchases. However, consumer purchasing behavior is not solely formed by spontaneous needs. To a large extent, it is also influenced by external forces. Figure 3-2 is the second model we need to recognize. It describes the generation of consumption behavior as an input-output process. Under the influence of various factors, after process analysis, purchasing behavior is generated. The second model also reminds us that emotions play an undeniable role in consumer purchases.
The main internal factors influencing consumer purchase patterns include consumer needs, purchasing motivation, purchasing cognition, purchasing emotions, and consumer personality.
1. Consumer Needs
Consumer needs are the psychological tension state formed when consumers feel a certain lack and develop expectations. It is consumer needs that prompt purchasing behavior, and through purchasing actions, they resolve or alleviate the perceived lack. Therefore, to study consumer purchase patterns, it is essential to first study the law of needs.
The renowned American psychologist Maslow classified human needs into five levels: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs, as shown in Figure 3-3. Human needs develop from lower to higher levels. Lower-level needs are primarily met through material means, while higher-level needs require spiritual fulfillment. The needs that people have to maintain their survival are lower-level physiological needs, whereas the needs people have to gain social recognition are...