Retail Buying Process

Advertising has always been one of the major pillars of business success in B2C industries. The purchasing decision by the end user is an outcome of consumer behavior which is the brain the advertising tries to interact with. Advertising plays a role in each stage of the buying process and that's why we are way past the long rhetoric we had in the 1990's about whether advertising is a necessity or extra expense on the income statement. 

There are seven stages of the purchase decision

1- Observation and Information: At this stage, the customer doesn't have a need yet. They observe (or know through advertising) about a product or service. Here, the first chemical reaction will be activated in the brain. Why I don't have this? why I can't have this. 

2- Need Creation: The devil's advocate in the brain will turn on the buying immunity system. The brain will try to block the observation importance to force in the instinctive defense to minimize spending and maximize savings. Advertising needs to overplay its massive overpower to kill the brain. If successful, the need will be born. 

3- The shopping experience: The customer, happy with the guilt free decision, will start roaming the markets (online and offline) to get the best product or service that satisfy the newly born need. Advertising has two roles here. Keep pushing the customer to buy. Afterall, the brain never stop fighting back. The second task is to satisfy the sponsor. Samsung vs. Apple, Starbucks vs. Costa Coffee, McDonald's vs. Burger King. (That's why Coke and Pepsi keep hammering us all day long. They don't want us to know them, they know that we do. They want us to buy one vs. the other.).

 4- The Moment of Truth: So out of the 4 options you had yesterday, you cut them down to two options today. You are in the final moments of a decision. Like those tormenting seconds on the Oscar night when the host opens the envelope and look at the audience and say nothing for 10 very long seconds. Advertising will be heated now as you go into labor. 

5-Birth of the Transaction: you did it. That credit card worked. You got what you aimed for (or what they made you aim for).  You are victorious. Advertising will remind you of that lady who you saw on TV submerged in total satisfaction from that "Galaxy" bite. Or that man who rested comfortably on his seat in the airplane looking forward to his vacation and being served food by the most beautiful air hostess that you have ever seen. Oh, congratulations, you are like them today. Advertising is happy. You just paid their invoice. 

6- The Follow up Purchase: Are you off the hook? not yet my friend. Advertising and promotion hunters will follow you right out that store door. What a Samsung phone is without the Bluetooth headset from XYX company. they will show you him again. That elegant executive, handsomely dressed, from his office on the 77th floor in his New York office overlooking Manhattan closing that deal on his Bluetooth headset. You want to be him right? well, you are a 109.99 US$ short to be him. Go to the store again my friend. 

7- The Additional Purchase: So the process finished? you now have that Samsung with the Bluetooth? Wait, wasn't that guy wearing an Armani shirt? Ooops, sorry. You are not him. You will need to fork out another 299.99 US$ in an Armani store to be him. Don't worry. We will work out your brain. And here we go, you are back to stage one. Congratulations. 

Next: Falling off the Wagon on 25/6/2015.