The third level: Decision time!

The consumer goes through five stages before deciding to purchase the product- Problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour.   For tresemme shampoo, the consumer buying construct is as follows:

1. Problem Recognition: Hair fall, hair not lustrous. Salon treatment is very expensive

from there the customer goes on to the second step i.e., 

2. Information Search: Seeking solutions for the problem faced by you, looking for home remedies, treatments, asking family members and friends for solutions. Getting options for solving hair loss problems.

3. The third stage is that of Evaluation of Alternatives. Whether to get professional salon treatment or to buy a bottle of shampoo. And if buying a shampoo, then comparing the various brands of shampoos (Tresemme, Dove, Pantene, L'Oreal, Head & Shoulders, Clear, Clinic Plus etc). The customer will test the efficiency of the shampoos that he/she has chosen.

4. Now the consumer will finally purchase the shampoo which is Tresemme. It is called Purchase decision.
5. Post Purchase Behaviour is also important. The consumer will either be satisfied (he/she believes that Tresemme as a shampoo brand has succeeded in creating value for him/her) or will be dissatisfied (If it has failed in any of the attributes).

A sub component of this five-stage model is the choice sets involved in the decision making process. The choice sets occur one after the other and finally the consumer makes the final decision.

The total set includes all brands that are available to the consumer for his choice. The awareness set comprises of all brands that the consumer is aware of. The consideration set further narrows down the person’s alternatives based on the exact requirements and features of the product. The choice set gives the consumer only two options from which he/she picks up one which is in the final decision set.

In addition to this, there are six key questions that a marketer has to ask in order to deliver perfect customer satisfaction. These are:

a.       Who all buy Tresemme?
Answer: Males/Females (mostly females) in the age group of 16-35 who live in tier-1 and 2 cities, SEC AB and whose monthly household income is Rs. 30,000 and above.

b.      What problem will Tresemme solve?
Tresemme Hair Fall Defense shampoo will solve the problem of hair fall, having frizzy hair and of having to spend money at a salon to get professionally styled hair, all this at a reasonable price.

c.       In the FMCG category (Hair care products), what attributes are important and why?
The attributes that are most important are: product efficacy, free from harmful chemicals like parabens, suitability for daily use, gentle on hair and scalp, tested for effectiveness, not tested on animals and other secondary attributes like price, easy availability, a good fragrance, oil removal and that which gives a professionally styled look. These attributes are important because these become the parameters for purchasing the product.

d.      If this decision is the first, how is it likely to turn out? If repeat, then how?
If this decision is the first, then the consumer can: either be satisfied, neutral about his/her experience or be dissatisfied. Satisfaction can lead to repeat of the purchase while a dissatisfied consumer will not buy the product again, provided his/her grievance is addressed and he/she is given another option depending on the type of hair or scalp problem faced by the consumer. If this is a repeat purchase, chances are more that the consumer is going to purchase it the next time as well, since it is given that he/she is an existing consumer.

e.      How was the deliberation in making this decision? What was the trigger?
The trigger was that the consumer faced a problem for which he/she wanted an optimal solution. He/she saw Tresemme as a potential solution provider and purchased it. The deliberation was that the consumer weighed down all possible alternatives before arriving to this single choice.

f.        How were these performed?
See the explanation of the 5-stage model of buying decision model and the successive sets involved in customer decision making.