The purpose of this exercise is to expand your understanding of consumer behavior by getting you face-to-face with a consumer. First, you need to find a person who is not a member of this course, and who has recently bought a product or service costing around $25 to $100. Second, you must conduct a depth interview of about 30-60 minutes in length with this consumer. Third, you must write a two-page report ( Arial 12, 1.5-line space) consisting of three sections. In the first portion of the report, summarize your interview. In the second portion, describe your insights based on the consumers’ responses. Third, describe the consumer behavior concepts learned in class that can be applied to this exercise. The goal of the interview is to understand the consumer’s buying, having, consuming, and disposing of this product or service in terms that can be useful to a marketing manager.
The list of questions is intended as a general guide around which you can build your in-depth interview. It is not to be followed rigidly. Nor do all questions apply to your case. Nor is it complete and exhaustive of the types of questions you need to ask, or the level of detail for which you need to explore. Rather you should try to stimulate a lively and open discussion around these key question areas from which you can: (a) develop a deep understanding why this person bought this product; what influenced her/his purchase; and (b) surface the factors, in the environment and in the customer’s psyche, that really determined why the customer acted the way s/he did.
General Areas of discussion
Who was the decision-making unit? • Who bought the product or service? • Identify all those who played a role in the decision process. What role did they play? What motivated the purchase? • What problems did the product/service solve? What functions would it facilitate? • What attributes seemed important? Characterize the decision. • Was it a first-time decision? A review of a previous decision? A careful decision? A casual decision? Was the amount of deliberation appropriate to the decision? Characterize the decision-making process. • What triggered the process? • Was there an information search? How was the search conducted? How much information was collected? What sources were used? When in the process was information gathered? • How many alternatives were evaluated? Why those? • How was the final choice determined? •Where did the consumer buy? • Why there? • Which came first: where to buy or what to buy? •When did you use/consume it? •Where did you use/consume it? • Did you consume it alone or with someone else? • How did you dispose of it?
