The buyer decision process:
There are various stages in which buyers pass through to reach a buying decision. The model shows the consumer passing through the five stages, need recognition, information search, and evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour. (Kotler et al 2005, p. 279)

Need recognition:
This is where the buying process starts when the buyer recognises a problem, need or desire. The need can be triggered by internal or external stimuli, which can become a drive. (Kotler 2003, P.204)


Information search:
This is the process in which the consumer goes in search of more information regarding the product; they may be able to obtain more information through personal sources like family, friends, neighbours, acquaintances. Commercial sources such as advertising, sales people, the internet, packaging and displays. Public sources include the mass media, consumer rating organisations. Experimental sources include handling, examining and using the product. These four groups of sources allow the consumer to obtain more information regarding the product; the main source that would be taken into consideration would be personal sources. (Kotler et al 2005, P 281 and 282)


Evaluation of alternatives:
The consumer will evaluate all alternatives; this may be influenced by product attributes, importance of the product or due to the brand beliefs, or a utility function and the final being the evaluation procedure of the product. (Kotler et al 2005, P 282 and 283)


Purchase decisions:
This is an evaluation stage; this involves the process of the intention to purchase the product. The consumer would consider what brand would be the best option if there are various choices, the decision could also be made on the basis of price and convenience on which would be best in order to come to a final decision (Brassington and Pettitt 2006, P.108)



Post purchase behavior:
This stage involves consumers to take further decision based on satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the product. This is based on whether the supplier met the expectations of the consumer. (Brassington and Pettitt 2006, P. 109 and 110)


Perceptual mapping:

Above is an example of how perceptual mapping used, it shows an example of the chocolate products.

Perceptual mapping helps to provide insights into appropriate competitive actions. As well as providing an assessment and defining meaningful product positioning, this process provides opportunities to differentiate products, strengths and weaknesses, and ways to define the competition of the product as it shows how far away from competition is from the product is perceived and the map shows an understanding on how to improve the product offering. (Brassington and Pettitt 2006, P. 360)

Perception

Perception represents the way in which individuals analyse, interpret and make sense of incoming information, and this is affected by personality, experience and mood.
Source: Brassington and Pettitt 2006, P.118


Solomon et al explain 'Perception as the process by which stimuli are selected, organized and interpreted. Sensation is a way we process data, referring to sensory receptors like eyes, ears, nose, mouth and fingers to such basic stimuli as light, colour and sound.


I cant really say much seeing as these definitions say it all but Id say perception is the way the individual  make sense and creates a meaning of the information they choose to recieve, its the way the individual wishess to obtain and use that information in the way they want and know.

This diagram shows the influences we have on how were perceived this could be because of what we think, what we say and what we do indicates to others how we may be.

Looking at this image what do you see?

If you see two types of images don't be scared because thats the whole point of it, if you only see one well there's nothing I can really say but apart from STOP trying to make sense of it from one view. This image can be perceived in two different ways, one way being a vase in the middle and the second looking like there is two faces on the side, I noticed both!

Do you think the lines are straight?

The answer is its straight,well if you said they slope don't worry there's nothing wrong with your eyes because this image was created to make it look like that by using stripes to have an effect of it sloping. These images are examples of how information can be intepreted in different ways depending on the way the individual chooses to do so, but everyone has a way of analysing information in their own way.


The perceptual process is made up three stages this includes sensation, attention and interpretation this is based on the process of perception. The stages involved in selecting and interpreting stimuli.
Source: (Solomon et al 2006, P.36)

Using senses to view advertisements:
As explained before how we use our sensory receptors to view advertisements, below are examples how this works.

Touch:
This advert automatically indicates a skin care advert as it uses fingers as a sense of touch.

Eyes:
This just attract eye sight because of the actions of the image the print advert has created the consumer then trys to intepret what it means, providing a quote at the bottom which then allows the consumer to make sense of it.

Ears:
This advert is a T-mobile advert trying to grab the consumers attention with the type of music, it also appeals to sense of eyes as once the consumer starts watching the advert they just wonder whats going on what is this advert as there is a range of dance movements going on through out the advert.



Taste:
This video is advert of magnum ice cream trying to aim at consumers sensory receptor taste as they go in too more depth about the taste of the product showing images to make it appealing to consumers taste buds.




Smell:
This print advert is aiming at the consumers sense receptors smell, as the image indicates the apples scent is used for the perfume.

Here is a link on a more depth discussion on perception - http://www.sapdesignguild.org/resources/optical_illusions/intro_definition.html

Dont judge a book by its cover!

The First lecture based on understanding the customer,started off with a discussion on what attracts the customers into purchasing a book, the things which may attract the customers to a book may be the look of the book e.g Pictures or the title which may attract them due to what its called, and even some may be interested by the small description of the book explained at the back, in order to see what it is as that may attract the customers to a book we did an activity in which we looked at two different covers of the books the first cover showed just a few images without the title and what we think the book may be and who we think it may be aimed at we looked at the colours and the images, the colour red indicated either a story of love or murder and something quite dark, we were then shown another book cover which shows a nice car of a female stepping out of a car this indicates a mystery of the book which shows theres some mystery about the person stepping out of the car which gets you thinking whats it about, the graphic was also more updated then the first book, we were asked which one we were attracted to reading an most people said that the second book held more mystery and was more attractive we were then told that infact they were the same book but the first book cover was the older version of the 90's and the second book cover was a newer version. Both book covers was the book of the bonfire of the vanities.

Cover 1 shows the 90's versions of the book the bonfire of the vanities, the book was aimed at men. whereas the newer version cover 2 was created to aim at the female

Cover 1:


Cover 2:



If your not really a book reader than you have an option of the movie,thats right they even have a movie of bonfire of the vanities. Below shows an image of the movie, so if your a fan of tom hanks, bruce willis and melanie griffith then theres your option.


So which one appeals to you?
I find that cover 2 appeals to me, but I wouldnt mind seeing the movie though.

The second activity we had done was based on understanding the customer in a way by steoreotyping we drew a shape an in that shape we were writing things about ourselves minusing the name we had written down things like age, gender, where were from, whats our favourites such as colour, pet, band, song our hobbies, and things like what would we spend a million pounds on after that we switched our papers an we had to think who we think the person may be and what type of person they are,this involved stereotyping one another. I never guessed the persons one I had, if I went back now I would guess it correctly.